Tea Party candidate jumps into the race for Florida's 8th Congressional District
By: MICHAEL W. FREEMAN - THE REPORTER EDITOR
Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
ORLANDO – For a long time, Peg Dunmire spent more time involved in the business world than the political arena.
Congressional candidate Peg Dunmire is promising straight talk with voters about cutting the federal budget deficit. Photo by Steve Schwartz
"I've always followed politics," she said, "but I've done it from my chair. I've written letters and made phone calls."
All of that changed after Sept. 15 2008, when the collapse of Lehman Brothers led to a crisis in the financial services industry that led to a $700 billion government bailout – and months of job losses across the nation totaling in the millions.
"I did everything right and put aside for my own retirement," Dunmire said. "Then that horrible September arrived, when we all lost no matter how diversified you were."
The financial losses Dunmire incurred were bad enough. But she got even angrier as she watched the Obama administration and Democratic-controlled Congress send the budget deficit soaring – a debt she expects will negatively impact her finances all over again.
"I'm someone who believed in taking care of yourself," she said. "Because of the tremendous pressure on our debt, I'm going to lose half of it again."
At first, Dunmire felt angry and helpless watching the deficit soar under Congress. "There was nobody coming up with a solution to this incredible crisis we have," she said. "They're just going to keep printing money, and then we're going to have inflation."
Then Dunmire decided to take a more dramatic step. Last week, she jumped into the race for Congress, becoming the first candidate of the Tea Party of Florida to enter the campaign for the state's 8th Congressional District.
The district covers parts of Orange, Osceola, Lake and Marion counties, and includes parts of Orlando, the community of Celebration, and the theme parks around Lake Buena Vista. Historically a Republican district, in 2008 it ousted its four-term Republican congressman and replaced him with Democrat Alan Grayson, who is running for a second term this year. The district also voted for Barack Obama after twice voting for George W. Bush.
Dunmire said she thinks Grayson can be defeated if the Tea Party can get out its message of controlling runaway government spending.
"The only thing Alan Grayson has done is sponsoring a bill to audit the Fed (Federal Reserve), which is not the solution," she said. "We have to bring our spending under control and control our debt."
Dunmire grew up in Pittsburgh, where she worked as a chief information officer for a local hospital. For the past 10 years she's been self-employed as a consultant in the fields of health care and education, offering advice on business process design. A longtime Republican who now lives in Hunter's Creek, Dunmire said she switched to the Tea Party because their message of returning to a strict interpretation of the Constitution – with its limits on what the federal government can and can't do – more closely matched her own views.
"I am someone who does not believe in carrying debt," she said. "I put two kids through college and they started off their lives without debt. I told them it was the nicest thing I could have done for them."
While it's easy to find politicians who will champion tax cuts, it's harder to find politicians willing to spell out on the campaign trail exactly where they would cut the federal budget, but Dunmire said she's not afraid to level with constituents about what needs to be done to reign in the budget deficit.
Peg Dunmire believes the Tea Party has the best platform for improving the nation.
She would slow down or possibly eliminate annual increases in Social Security payments if they go above the Consumer Price Index.
"We have a cost of living in this country that's gone down" since the recession started, she said.
She favors cutting federal taxes, and putting more money into the pockets of consumers.
"Our entire tourism industry is based on discretionary spending," she said. "People have to have more money to come to Orlando. We really are the barometer of where consumer spending is headed."
Dunmire would not support bringing a costly high speed rail system to Central Florida, saying federal spending should be limited to projects that are in the national, not local, interest.
"A high speed rail is local," she said. "I don't see that as being in the national interest."
Dunmire said that would apply to controversial social issues as well, like abortion and gay marriage – issues she thinks Washington should stay out of and allow the states to decide.
"Your social issues are best handled at the state and local level," she said. "I would like the federal government to abide by the Constitution."
Although the Tea Party movement has been hailed by some in the Republican Party, the Tea Party of Florida has gotten criticism from Republicans who say that fielding third party candidates will split the conservative vote and make it easier for Democrats like Grayson to win. Dunmire dismisses that argument.
"My answer is I'm looking for a non-partisan person," she said. "If we go and look at all the polling data, we have a 14 percent approval rating for Congress. That's Democrats and Republicans alike. Something is wrong in the air and water – something is wrong structurally. We just consistently seem to get the wrong people in Congress.
"This is a non-partisan campaign," she added. "We welcome Democrats, Republicans and non-partisans. The Tea Party is very specific – we mainly talk about financial issues and constitutional issues. I want to offer an alternative based on balancing the budget and getting us out of debt."
Three political voices, representing different ideologies, debate the Scott Brown win
By: MICHAEL W. FREEMAN - THE REPORTER EDITOR
Published: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Conservative radio talk show host Doug Guetzloe thinks Democrats are crazy to ignore warnings behind the Scott Brown victory in the Massachusetts Senate race.
Nationally, Republicans appear giddy, with a growing number of them predicting big victories for the GOP in November, possibly even allowing the party to retake both houses of Congress for the first time since 2006.
Democrats are blaming the Massachusetts Senate loss on a mediocre and uninspired Democratic candidate, and they insist the election holds no special significance.
Here in Florida, the Sunshine State is gearing up for a very busy election season, highlighted by a race for the U.S. Senate that's gotten national attention, as Gov. Charlie Crist tries to survive a tougher than expected primary challenge from former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami, as two Democrats from South Florida wait in the wings.
The Reporter sat down with three leading political voices in Central Florida to ask their view of the Brown victory, and where the parties are headed this fall - including the new Tea Party of Florida, which is pledging to run candidates for as many state races as they can recruit.
In drawing up their list of targets, Florida Republicans appear certain to add U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson's name to the list. Grayson, an Orlando Democrat, was elected in November 2008 to represent Florida's 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Orange, Osceola and Lake counties, including Celebration and the theme parks. Grayson defeated incumbent Republican Ric Keller with 52 percent of the vote in a district that also voted for President Obama.
Grayson dismissed the notion that Brown's victory held forebodings for his party in November. He blamed the party's loss on an uninspired Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.
"I think if you're going to run for the Senate in Massachusetts, you should know who Curt Shilling is," Grayson said, a reference to the baseball player who played with the Boston Red Sox. Coakley got plenty of ribbing for calling Shilling a "Yankees fan."
Grayson said Coakley's campaign deserves the blame, not the Democratic Party's message in Washington, and he doubts the GOP is soaring to new heights of popularity.
"The pools don't show that, the polls show the Republican Party is very unpopular, with only a 26 percent approval rating," Grayson said. "I think they're engaging in a lot of wishful thinking. I know who Curt Shilling is and I don't even live in Boston. "
U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, doesn't see a GOP wave building this fall.
Grayson said predictions of a national pro-GOP wave this year are exaggerated.
"Just look at the polls - the Republicans are widely unpopular with the public," he said. "Our agenda is very simple. We want to make progress and help the lives of ordinary people. That's my agenda. The other side's priorities are different. They want to protect the status quo and the special interests like the insurance companies."
Doug Guetzloe is a conservative activist, radio talk show host, and member of the Florida Republican Party. He thinks Democrats are crazy to ignore the warning signs from Brown's victory - particularly the huge shift among independent voters to the GOP since Obama's win in November 2008.
"I think it's going to be a tsunami of sorts," Guetzloe said. "2010 is going to be one of the most game-changing political years we've had in a long time. People are angry. People are tired of Washington. People think Obama has gone way out on a limb and average people don't like that. It causes a credibility issue."
Democrats ignore that anger at their peril - as they did in Massachusetts, Guetzloe cautioned. He noted that a few years ago, the Democratic-controlled Legislature in the Bay State, with the support of then-Gov. Mitt Romney, passed a universal health care bill requiring all Massachusetts residents to purchase health insurance if they don't have it, and offering government-sponsored subsidies for those who can't afford it. Since then, premiums have skyrocketed across the state.
"Massachusetts is the only state in the union that has universal health care similar to Obama's plan," Guetzloe said. "It puts the IRS in the position of enforcing payments to health care. There's really been a backlash against it in Massachusetts."
As a result, Guetzloe said, in a state where only 13 percent of voters are Republicans and 51 percent are not registered with either party, independents bolted the majority party in that state, the Democrats.
"You really saw all the stars lining up for Scott Brown," Guetzloe said.
But since his win depended heavily on a surge of support from independents, Guetzloe noted, the GOP can't necessary bank on getting those voters in other states in November, including Florida. Those voters need to be wooed by a constructive conservative agenda, Guetzloe said.
"I don't think the Republican Party can count on replicating this in any other state," he said. "A lot of these (voters) are disaffected Republicans. But keep in mind that Brown did not thank the Republican Party at all during his (victory) speech."
But if Republicans can offer a solid alternative, they'll be in a strong position in November, he said.
"They need to get back to the economic high ground," Guetzloe said. That's not where the Republicans are yet. The economy will be blamed on the Democratic Party. They have taken ownership of the economy, and I think it's going to be really rough for them."
The best way for Republicans to respond?
"They need to get back to being anti-tax conservatives," he said.
Orlando Attorney Fred O'Neal is the founder of the new Tea Party of Florida. He believes the Scott Brown victory shows voters are tired of the status quo - including the leadership of both parties, the Democrats who control Washington and the Republicans who control Florida state government. The GOP, he said, is jumping the gun to suggest Brown's victory is a sign that they're riding a wave this year.
"For the Republicans to say this is an affirmation of them is totally misreading the situation," he said. "Scott Brown didn't attribute his victory to the Republican Party. What he attributed his victory to is independent voters and the independent streak among voters. He didn't run as a Republican, he ran as an independent."
That clearly demonstrates, O'Neal said, that voters will be looking for independent-minded voices in Novembers, candidates with new solutions.
"We are a constitutional party," he said. "We think it is so important to focus on the proper role of government, the size of government, the role of government. Look at the parties' attitudes toward big business. The Democrats are saying, "Let's regulate those industries more.' The Republicans will say 'No, we're against more regulations,' but what they're saying is they're against regulation of large corporations. We're for breaking up these big banks. We want more competition."
What do you think? Contact Michael Freeman about this article at Reportermailbox@gmail.com.
Grayson Has Tea Party Challenger
Published: Friday, March 19, 2010 6:47:10 PM
ORLANDO -- There's a new challenger in the race against Alan Grayson for the 8th Congressional District and this one is from the Tea Party.
Tea Party candidate Peg Dunmire officially announced her candidacy on Thursday. She said she entered the race because she wants to focus on individual rights, fighting government corruption and the economy.
"Fiscal responsibility means that we have to make responsible decision on balancing our budget and figuring out a way to reduce the $12 trillion in debt," said Peg Dunmire, a Tea Party candidate
Dunmire says she is the first official Tea Party Candidate in the nation. The eighth district congressional seat is currently held by Democrat Alan Grayson. Dunmire used to be a Republican.
WSJ/NBC News Poll: Tea Party Tops Democrats and Republicans
By Susan Davis
Published: December 16, 2009, 5:00 PM ET
The loosely organized group made of up mostly conservative activists and independent voters that’s come to be known as the Tea Party movement currently boasts higher favorability ratings than either the Democratic or Republican Parties, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll coming out later today.
More than four in 10, 41%, of respondents said they had a very or somewhat favorable view of the Tea Party movement, while 24% said they had a somewhat or very negative view of the group. The Tea Party movement gained notoriety over the summer following a series of protests in Washington, D.C. and other cities over government spending and other U.S. economic policies.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, which controls both the White House and Congress, has a 35% positive rating compared with a 45% negative rating.
The Republican Party identifies closest to the Tea Party movement’s ideology, but the group has also caused splits within the GOP. Republicans currently hold a 28% favorability rating compared with a 43% negative one.
TEA PARTY NOMINATES HEALTH CARE EXPERT PEG DUNMIRE TO CHALLENGE ALAN GRAYSON
Tea Party founder opens an office in Orlando, dismisses dirty tricks
By MICHAEL W. FREEMAN - THE REPORTER EDITOR
Published: Friday, March 12, 2010
ORLANDO – The Tea Party of Florida has opened an office in downtown Orlando as they continue to recruit candidates for the fall elections.
Attorney Fred O'Neal, who founded the party last year, recently opened the office at 121 S. Orange Ave., in the North Tower in downtown Orlando. With just five months left until the August primary and eight months until the November general election, O'Neal said the public mood appears to be getting better and better for a third party movement. And that mood, he said, is poisonous for anyone currently holding public office, regardless of party.
"Generally, it's anti-incumbent, anti-Washington," he said. "The Democrats, being the party in charge, are going to get hurt the most."
That doesn't mean, O'Neal said, there's been a sudden burst in popularity for the Republican Party, although he acknowledged they stand to benefit this fall from the congressional elections. But he said that would be more of an anti-Democratic incumbent vote than an endorsement of the GOP.
"The Republicans could be the Mickey Mouse Party and they would benefit," he said.
The Republicans, who control Florida's Legislature and the governor's office, could be in for similar losses here in the Sunshine State, he said, as Florida struggles with a nearly 12 percent unemployment rate, among the highest in the nation.
Nothing crystallizes that more clearly than recent polling done in the race for the U.S. Senate. A year ago, Gov. Charlie Crist was riding high, leading both his primary opponent, former Republican House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami, and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, to become Florida's next U.S. senator. But in recent months Crist has fallen below Rubio in the polls, mostly recently by wide margin.
"I think the only way Crist can get elected is if he runs as an independent," O'Neal said. "Then it will be a tight three way race."
In fact, O'Neal said, it's that disdain for both major parties and for incumbents in general that has him confident that the Tea Party can make a serious breakthrough this fall, and not end up like the Reform Party and other third party movements that never got off the ground.
"I think the Tea Party has an appeal to independent voters," he said. "Maybe they are independent because they do not like the Democrat or Republican parties."
From his new office, O'Neal has gotten a lot of feedback from people interested in joining the movement – and even running for local office.
"What we're doing is letting people run as a Tea Party candidate," O'Neal said. "On our Web site, we have a place you can click and fill out a questionnaire, and we have had contact from over 50 people."
What all of them share, he said, is a sense of frustration at the political status quo.
"The public could care less about the ruling class," O'Neal said. "It's until the general public gets the impression that the ruling class is incompetent. I think this is one of those times in history when the trust factor is down to zero."
O'Neal's efforts have also hit some bumps along the way – including lawsuits challenging the Tea Party itself, since there exists in Florida a "Boston Tea Party." There are also a growing number of Tea Party factions across the state, sometimes challenging one another's legitimacy.
One of the plaintiffs is Tim McClellan of Pompano Beach, and a member of the Broward Republican Executive Committee. He said O'Neal and the other supporters of the Tea Party of Florida are using this movement to hurt the Florida GOP, and he noted that O'Neal used to be a registered Democrat.
"They're running around lying, and telling people what great people they are, and the government is corrupt, but they stole the name Tea Party away from the grassroots of the people in the Tea Party movement," McClellan said. "The name 'Tea Party' has been in the public domain for so long that it can't be registered anymore."
McClellan said he thinks the actions by O'Neal are designed to weaken the Florida GOP by recruiting candidates who will divide normally Republican-leaning voters.
"This guy is a Democrat," he said. "He's not who he says he is. Their goal is absolutely to hurt the Republican Party. That's the only outcome that can come out of this."
McClellen said he hopes the lawsuits help expose this.
"I'm a Republican, but I don't like the dirty tricks these guys are doing," he said.
O'Neal said these lawsuits and challenges are a silly distraction, and may be solely motivated by supporters of the Florida Republican Party, fearful that the Tea Party could steal votes from their candidates with its fiscally conservative, limited government platform.
"We don't have a problem with Tea Party factions, except for some folks in Miami who are trying to make our life miserable," O'Neal said. "They've filed these lawsuits to force us to change our name and give up our Tea Party name because the Boston Tea Party was a registered political party in Florida. But the Boston Tea Party actually is no more, and I personally registered the Florida Tea Party."
O'Neal said he's trying to keep the focus on the party's message of eliminating government waste and debt, and reducing the reach of government, and not let what he considers dirty tricks hinder their efforts.
"It's an unusual situation here," he said.
FLORIDA TEA PARTY OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF BIKER FREEDOM RALLY
Published: Sunday, 28 Feb 2010
Tea Party predicts gains in November, thanks to the banking industry
By MICHAEL W. FREEMAN - THE REPORTER EDITOR
Published: Friday, January 22, 2010 TheLedger.com
ORLANDO – Outrage over big bonus payments at large financial firms that had accepted federal bailout money has convinced the Obama administration to propose a "Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee" to recover money seen as owed to the American people.
But to Florida's newest political party, the bank bonus payments to employees of top Wall Street banking firms is a sign of how clearly both political parties, Democrats and Republicans alike, failed to protect the average working American from the abuses of big business.
"I think the big problem that the Tea Party has with this is these were all back room deals," said Sean G. DeVries, a member of the new Tea Party of Florida. "Did the banks need some help? Some did. But the help they got was too much. That got shifted back to the taxpayers. The banks should have taken responsibility for the lion's share of their mistakes."
The Tea Party was formed in Orlando last year by activists who said they were fed up with both parties and wanted a third party movement aimed at returning to the principles of the U.S. Constitution – and away from a government they see as controlled by special interests.
"I think the Tea Party represents something that isn't being represented now," said DeVries, who runs ReFinancial, a refinancing services firm in Orlando.
DeVries said the Tea Party is actively recruiting candidates to run for every possible office in Florida this year, from state legislative seats to county and municipal offices. He stressed that this is a long-term effort aimed at eliminating federal debt and wasteful spending, and returning control of government to the average citizen, not big corporations with high priced lobbyists.
"We're all working for something that is permanent," he said.
He and other members of the Tea Party think the bonus payouts will help their efforts to illustrate the difference between the Tea Party and the two major parties now in Washington: that the big businesses get all the perks, while the average taxpayer is stuck paying the tab.
"The Tea Party thinks the bailout was wrong to begin with," DeVries said. "The banks made bad decisions. They should pay for that through the free market system."
In the fall of 2008, the Bush administration introduced TARP -- the Troubled Asset Relief Program -- to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions in an effort to strengthen the financial sector. It was largely done in response to the subprime mortgage crisis that led some banks to fail. The Bush administration felt TARP, which was supported by then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama, was needed to stave off a meltdown in the financial industry.
But rather than bail out large banks that had made terrible financial decisions during the boom days of the housing market, DeVries said, "I think that they should have gotten a panel togethr and kept the proceedings open to the public. There could have been special considerations given, but not to the extent they were. If you go into bankruptcy court, they take it on a case to case basis."
DeVries noted that he worked as a mortgage broker during the days in 2004-2006 when the nation's housing market was on fire, and watched as banks and lenders provided loans to applicants who had no money for a downpayment, and salaries below what was traditionally needed to qualify for a mortgage.
"You would walk into a house and get 125 percent of the value, so you could then buy furniture," he said. As a result, when the housing bubble burst and home values plummeted, people who had put nothing into their home simply walked away from it as their monthly payments soared.
"There's been a lot of talk about the moral implications of walking away from your home," DeVries said. "People said, ‘You're destroying the American dream by walking away from your home.' But that's exactly what the banks did."
And the federal government chose to reward those banks, he said, by bailing them out when they got smacked by the skyrocketing home foreclosure mess.
"Right now, we don't have a government run for the people, but for big business," DeVries said. "They already made the mistake of the bailouts. It doesn't matter what they do at this point. Anything they do now will get passed on to the consumers. The Tea Party feels that we need to minimize the continued impact of big business on government intervention. If you follow the lines of power, if you follow the money, you see the influence that big business has
"We're trying to provide a platform for people," he added, "and promote the liberty of people. The Tea Party is fundamentally based on the Constitution."
With both Democrats and Republicans controlled by those special interests, he said, the public is ready for a third party alternative.
"I see the Tea Party on one side," DeVries said, "and a Socialist party on the other side."
Rail Bill Draws Protesters
Opponents gather in Orlando to voice displeasure for Crist and the bill.
By MICHAEL W. FREEMAN
THE REPORTER EDITOR
Published: Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 12:01 a.m.
ORLANDO | The state Legislature may have voted to approve the SunRail commuter rail line from Volusia County to Poinciana, but opponents of the costly project are pledging to keep up the fight, particularly at the ballot box next year.
"I'm a member of the Republican Executive Committee and I'm very disappointed with the direction our 'conservative' leadership has taken," said Rod Reynolds. "I'm afraid it's gotten to the point where people need to take to the streets."
Reynolds was among several protestors who did just that Dec. 16 in downtown Orlando, where Gov. Charlie Crist held a press conference on Church Street to sign the newly passed SunRail legislation into law. The bill clears the way for the state to begin work on a rail line that would run from DeLand in Volusia County to downtown Orlando, then continue on to Poinciana.
"Future generations of Floridians will look on this day as a bold step toward modernizing how residents and visitors will travel in our state," Crist said. "Individuals and businesses from North Florida to South Florida will benefit from the economic and job opportunities that will arise along each of the rail corridors. Together, we move the Sunshine State into a new era of collaboration and innovation."
The press event attracted some noisy protestors of the rail line, though, including both Republicans and members of the new Florida Tea Party. Critics from both parties cited the high cost of this project, and their skepticism that it would ever attract a solid ridership in auto-dependent Florida.
"I came out to ask Gov. Crist a very simple question," said Matt Falconer, a candidate for Orange County mayor. "Where will you come up with the $10 billion the state needs to spend on this?"
SunRail supporters think the 61-mile-long commuter line could become the impetus for building a whole series of interconnected rail systems, including a high-speed train that would run from Cocoa Beach to Orlando International Airport, and then down to Lakeland and Tampa. Florida transportation officials have applied for money from the federal stimulus package, set aside for rail projects, to make it a reality.
Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-N. Palm Beach, issued a statement noting that, "Florida is embracing the opportunity to lead the nation in developing a comprehensive transportation system, thereby ensuring our competitive edge in the 21st century global economy. A comprehensive transportation system, creating opportunities and avenues to connect employers and employees, is integral to building a stronger future for Florida."
"People don't live at point A and work at point B, especially in Florida where people love the freedom of their cars," he said. "I think we should look at expanded bus systems instead."
Another political candidate who showed up to protest SunRail was Kevin Butler, a Republican who is considering a bid for Florida's 8th Congressional District - which covers parts of Orange, Lake and Osceola counties, and is now represented by Democrat Alan Grayson - or a possible primary challenge against state Rep. Steve Precourt, R-Orlando, who represents Four Corners and who supported the SunRail bill.
"I'm upset with what the politicians are doing now," Butler said. "They seem to be out of touch with what the people want."
Butler called SunRail a huge waste of taxpayer money that will never earn a profit for the state or region.
"It's a project no one is going to ride," he said. "Mass transit typically succeeds in areas where parking is an issue and traffic is horrendous, and Orlando doesn't qualify. I don't see it in the short term being something that's beneficial."
The question now, though, is what can be done to stop a project that finally won approval from the Legislature after twice losing in the Florida Senate. Attorney Fred O'Neal, a former Democrat who helped form the new Tea Party of Florida, said it's important now for opponents to carry the fight to the 2010 elections.
"SunRail is a boondoggle," he said. "Someone needs to show up and say this is not unanimous, and we don't need to spend billions on a train to nowhere."
O'Neal said opponents are hoping to push for more safety studies before the project can move forward.
"There are property owners along the train tracks fearful of safety concerns," O'Neal said. "There's a concern that when metal rails are at 90 degrees heat, there's a chance of derailment. The heat warms up the rails and the rails are subject to movement. Hopefully, we'll get someone to issue a report on the safety issue."
Reynolds also predicted that Republican lawmakers who supported this project would get plenty of opposition in next year's elections from fellow Republicans who question their conservative credentials - including Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate and faces primary opposition from former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami.
"It will never show a profit or break even," Reynolds said of the high-speed rail project. "Why would a citizen of the region drive their car to the airport to take a train to Daytona Beach or Tampa for the day?"
Republicans such as Crist who support that project and SunRail are simply wasteful spenders, he said.
"Politically, I think the governor is going to lose a large base of his conservative supporters, because he has gotten in bed with the Democrats," Reynolds said.
The old adage about third parties in American politics is that they’re like bees: They sting once and then they die. Ralph Nader and Ross Perot altered election outcomes. But neither could get a third party going. I have little doubt that the Tea Party will have a substantial impact on the 2010 midterms and even the 2012 presidential election. The bigger question is, Will they become a permanent force in American politics that can challenge both Democrats and Republicans, or will they fizzle?
A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll suggests that the Tea Party could become a game-changing forcing in the coming years. According to the poll, more than 40 percent of Americans support the Tea Party movement, compared to a 35 percent positive rating for Democrats and the 28 percent favorable rating for Republicans.
Recent elections have taught us that third parties with an easily identifiable issue constituency thrive when there is unhappiness with the status quo. Increased social polarization over the declining economy, open-ended war in Iraq and Afghanistan, America’s movement toward socialism (vis-à-vis healthcare reform and economic bailouts) and trillions in national debt could create a perfect-storm scenario resulting in a string of Tea Party candidates gaining office around the country.
With the Democrats expanding government without a conscience and the GOP effectively shedding all adherence to fiscal responsibility, the time seems ripe for a new party — one that actually trusts the American populace to govern their own lives. Don’t look now, but that sound you hear could be the ground shaking beneath the feet of the two-party system.
Williams can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Power 169 from 9 to 10 p.m. and from 5 to 6 a.m.
