Tea Party organizers must think beyond Palin and the GOP

 
Allow me to get a few things off my chest about Governor Palin, the GOP, and the future of the Tea Party Movement.

First of all, Governor Sarah Palin was asked to speak at a Tea Party Convention in Nashville on February 6--not the Tea Party Convention. She nor Tea Party Nation, the group that organized the event, speak for the millions of individuals and thousands of groups working to take back our country from a corrupt Washington establishment fostered by both political parties. And while I commend Tea Party Nation for trying to harness the passions of Tea Party-goers so that we can better organize, placing too much importance on any one person, group, or event will only serve to provide a target for our critics to attack in hopes of defusing our momentum. We must remain as we are, much bigger than that.

Secondly, Palin's invitation to the Tea Party Nation event was largely based on the political fortitude she displayed in taking on her own political party when running for Governor of Alaska against Republican incumbent Frank Murkowski. As much as Palin's run for Governor embodied the spirit of the Tea Party Movement, it does not make her its leader or spokes person. Rather, Palin is one of many role models within the Tea Party movement. Whether you are someone who loves Palin or loves to hate her, it must be understood that Palin's individual career ambitions and political views are just that--hers, not ours.

Finally, Tea Party organizers need to recognize the responsibility they bear in orchestrating widely-publicized events that attract national attention. Spotlighting uber-Republicans, like Palin, alienate the growing number of Independent and Democratic voters who've joined our cause. It also feeds into the stereotype that Tea Party-goers are a bunch of "angry, anti-Obama Republicans." With Palin taking jabs at President Obama for relying on a teleprompter and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs jabbing back with more jokes about Palin, Palin's appearance in Nashville fueled the vicious cycle of juvenile attacks between Republicans and Democrats, turning a national debate about issues into a circus. This silly feuding, albeit an unintended consequence, is a divisive distraction that only further empowers those who've taken our country so off course. As Tea Party organizers, we should do whatever we can to avoid these situations, including foregoing the hype a headliner like Palin attracts, to do what is best for the movement as a whole.

Unless Tea Party organizers start thinking beyond Palin and the GOP, we will be our own worst obstacle in taking back our country. Tea Party-goers, while largely Conservative, are specifically concerned with protecting the US Constitution; re-establishing fiscal responsibility in the name of individual liberty and national security; and draining the swamp of corrupt politicians. The GOP does not have a strangle-hold on these issues; in fact, they've been just as reckless as the Democrats in the name of "Progressivism." By blindly toeing the Republican party line, we open the door for the GOP to hijack the momentum of a movement based on principles Republicans are suppose to embrace but have abandoned over the years. So let's put down the "Palin 2012" signs and start thinking about how we can influence all three political parties--Republicans, Democrats, and Independents--to ensure our country's founding principles are upheld, not only in the next election cycle, but from this day forward.

If you agree, I will see you from 4pm to 6pm at the Oceanside Amphitheater on April 15, 2010, for North County's next Tax Day Tea Party.

**NOTE:  This post was published in the North County Times on Sunday, February 21. Click here to view this article online.