Will Tea Party Activists Bring an End to RINOs?


Posted by Bobby Eberle
January 25, 2010 at 9:01 am

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Last week, Scott Brown showed that running a campaign built on conservative principles could not only win, but it could win in the bluest of blue states. His platform keyed in on the frustration felt by Tea Party activists that the federal government is out of control. He made Barack Obama and left-wing policies his targets, and he won.

But what does it mean for the future? The answer is simple; it means that the so-called Republicans in Name Only (RINOs) should beware. Actually, any Washington incumbent should probably be sleeping with one eye open as we move into the primary election season, but those Republicans who put politics over principle and helped pave the way to massive spending should be particularly troubled. In order to truly change Washington, there needs to be a fresh approach. You can't do that with stale leaders.

In my analysis of Scott Brown's victory, I noted two main themes used by his campaign: http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=219

Point #1 -- Us Against the machine

Brown struck a note with voters by signaling that he is "one of them." That the real opponent was not Martha Coakley but rather the political machine that is Washington, DC. But it is more than that. The "machine" also refers to political parties, Republican or Democrat, when they try to subvert the will of the people to get their pet issue passed, their candidate anointed, or keep the perks in place. The American people are sick and tired of it. This is a bottom up country, not top down. A revolution was fought on that very principle, and it is part of the very fabric of our nation.

Point #2 -- Putting People First

While the media referred to the Senate seat as "Ted Kennedy's seat," Brown saw things more clearly. It is the "people's seat." American's don't want socialism. They don't want an all-mighty government. They want the America that has become the most powerful and most generous in the world. Putting people first does NOT mean having a central government that does everything FOR the people by taking money and power away from them to distribute to the programs, causes, people, and jobs that the "government" says are worthy. Putting people first means adhering to the notion that this is a FREE country with Americans free to pursue the American dream without being penalized for it. Putting people first means respecting the role of government and limiting it to the core functions for which it was created. The American people can do the rest.

Both these points key on the sentiments of many Americans, especially embodied by the Tea Party activists. The problem for some Republicans is that they were the ones who did not put people first and who became part of the machine. Spending, big government programs, and amnesty are not part of conservative principles. Yet that's exactly what we were getting. People want conservative government, not a promise of it.

Thus, the big question is, "How many times are we going to trust the same politicians who continue to put politics over principle?"

Former Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth has his answer. The popular conservative turned talkshow host is saying "enough is enough" and will be challenging Sen. John McCain in the primary. As noted in AZCentral.com, http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... i0124.html "Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth appears ready to take on Sen. John McCain in Arizona's Republican Senate primary. With Hayworth severing his ties Friday with Phoenix radio station KFYI-AM (550), the entry of the former six-term congressman into the race seems certain."

Hayworth's consideration of the race has already affected McCain's reelection strategy. McCain wants to win reelection by branding himself as the conservative with experience. He's even enlisted former running mate Sarah Palin to help. But this is the "conservative" who told George W. Bush to slow down on tax cuts and "target" them to only the people who need them. This is the "conservative" who helped let outstanding conservative judges hang in the wind. And this is the conservative who championed amnesty as our cure for illegal immigration.

Again, compare Scott Brown's Issues Page http://www.brownforussenate.com/issues on his web site and the points he raised in his campaign to many of the so-called conservatives in Washington. They just don't match up. We can't hope for real change if we keep electing Republicans who embrace Scott Brown-style conservatism only during election time. We need real conservatives during the rest of the year when laws are actually made.

The massive stimulus plan that was pushed by Barack Obama and left-wing Democrats would have failed had Republicans just stuck together. The problem is that there were not enough of them who believed in basic conservative principles. I'm not talking about far right-wingers here. I'm just talking about Republicans who believe in lower taxes and smaller government. If any Republican has a problem with issues like that, then he or she SHOULD be voted out of office.

http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=224