It is interesting that Tea Party activism is frightening politicians of both parties This is a popular uprising that is too new to be confronted by serious opposition. Right now it is referred to as “populist,” a term that connotes an anti-intellectual bias—either of the Progressive Left or the working-class poor of George Wallace. That’s about as much criticism that has arisen, and that is good, because the Tea Party reality is more interesting than the name given to this phenomenon.
Citizens who were never involved in partisan politics are responding to the call to participate in “Tea Parties.” For the most part they are not students of political science or American history, though they are interested in understanding what has caused the problems that arouse them.
Those problems are real, down to earth, life-affecting problems that touch on their “space” as they live their daily lives: high taxes, unemployment, health care issues, including the taking care of elderly family members, and a sense of an encroaching and intrusive government at the local, state and national level.
And, of course, there is what the English in World War II called “I’m alright Jack.” During the war the British upper classes took care of themselves, had enough to eat, and were secure from German bombers, but the average, working class, Englishman was not. Somehow, as long as the better off took care of “Number One,” the ruling classes felt secure.
All that came to an end when, after Germany was defeated, the Brits threw out Churchill and his Tory associates and ushered in a relentless socialism only the dim outlines of which are visible in the Obama Administration radical policies.
But, that socialist idealism is sensed by some very sharp and sensitive average Americans who have decided to pick up their tea bags and hit the streets whenever a call for demonstrations occur.
Just the other day the Obama Administration let it be known that it would seek to confiscate the profits of tobacco companies. The tobacco industry’s deceitful marketing had contributed to high health costs of millions of Americans duped into nicotine addiction. Then there was the condemnation of “fat cat” bankers. Spending trillions of dollars on a stimulus package that threw money at government projects raised the hackles of persons who saw this as just another welfare program for government employees and then came an attempt to create a system of socialized medical care.
At the end of the day, Tea Party activists had recruited millions of Americans to a movement that didn’t exist less than a year ago. We don’t know how this will turn out, though in the immediate term, say by Election Day 2010, incumbents will be thrown out of office in historic numbers.
Meanwhile, professional politicians like former Congressman Dick Armey will continue to draw down half a million dollars a year for attempting to serve in a leadership role of the Tea Party movement.
David Keene, most recently noted for his leadership of the American Conservative Union when it attempted to extort millions of dollars in fees from Federal Express in exchange for political representation services, will continue to play a leadership role in ACU and CPAC.
And others will move in to get a piece of the big pot of money generated by Tea Party activists. Dick Armey and Dave Keene may try, but it looks like Tea Party activism cannot be led, or contained, by top-down orchestrated events. Indeed, this movement is not orchestrated from any HQ located in any domicile yet known. It is a “happening” that is growing and attracting people willing to take time from their daily chores to say something about how they feel about current trends in America.
Will it last? Probably not.
The Tea Party movement has all the earmarks of a popular uprising that can last only so long as folks are upset and willing to take the risk that by expressing their emotions they will be heard and will not be ostracized by their pastors, neighbors, local government officials, or school board superintendents.
In fact, the lack of leadership of all the above is a primary reason that Tea Party activists are getting involved in politics. Over the long term, however, they will have to get serious, become involved in party politics and take control of precincts, party offices at the state and national levels—or face extinction.
By integrating with their chosen political parties, taking charge, and throwing out the hacks, poseurs, and time-servers who previously devoted their time to party politics, Tea Party activists have a good chance of making a difference.
Until then, this is just a popular uprising, another Shay’s Rebellion, that will easily expire over time and be overcome by “business as usual” politicians.
