The impact of the Tea Party has been felt. After an historically short period in the wilderness, Republicans have recaptured a share of the government, and brought with them a fairly impressive new class of small government advocates. However, with so little time for the party to absorb the lessons of its prior losses and adjust accordingly, there is reason to be worried about whether Republicans truly get it. It is therefore imperative that advocates of limited government continue to hold their collective feet to the fire.
When Republicans were the controlling majority, they lost their way and vastly expanded the size and scope of government. For this, they were severely punished in the voting booth. Despite these losses, many in the Republican establishment argued for further promotion of big government and marginalization of principled conservatives.
The Tea Party stepped in to battle these establishment Republicans over the future of the party. Some of them were taken down in primaries, but many more remain. Due to the extraordinarily radical Obama administration, Republicans were not in the wilderness for long. This meant less time to clean house. And right this very minute, the remaining establishment figures are looking for ways to “co-opt” the new class. They will try to stack their offices with establishment staffers, and teach them how to go-along-to-get-along.
The Republican party has proven incapable of policing itself. Nor has it had the necessary time to purge and rebuild. This is why we cannot rest. Tuesday was an important victory, but it was just one battle in a long war. Going forward, we must continue to pressure Republicans into staying in line, because without this pressure they will fall back on bad habits. Politicians are predisposed to expanding their source of power, which is government. Only with the extraordinary scrutiny of the public through something like the Tea Party can this tendency be overcome. For the Tea Party, complacency is not an option.