Heres what wrong with the Tea Party, and I can sum it up with Sarah Palin. I used to love, adore Sarah Palin. A firebrand, politically attacked and marginalized, but such a potential force. A close liberal friend laughed and said she was stupid. I asked, How many stupid people do you know who have on their resume: successful mayor, successful governor of a state (with an 80+ approval rating), hit TV show, two bestsellers, paid $100,000 for speaking engagements, and is nominated to be a VP running mate? How many stupid people do you know like that, Mr. or Mrs. Ideologue? I know many supremely smart people with so much less. But, she was not well versed on national or international issues. After her failed bid for VP, she had an opportunity to get smart on all the issues. She has the smarts to do it, but she chose the ideological, emotional, fire up the base path instead. The easier path. It is work to get smart on issues. Hard work, to study. To assess the oppositions positions and strategy, and to come up with a smart strategy and tactics to win not just battles, but also the war by enlisting the help of independents, and those not quite so ideologically straight-jacketed. Since the 2010 elections, the Tea Party has not been marginalized by not just the opposition, or the lame stream media, but mainly by themselves. I watched it happen, from the inside. Once you marginalize yourself, who listens to you except those who are on the margin, and only those that are on the same margin as yourself. Thinking folk, independent folk, and regular folk dont listen to fanatics, left or right. You make no sense. Especially if the main thrust of your effort is JUST attack. I used to love Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party, but not so much anymore, but I am also not an ideologically straight-jacketed liberal in my beliefs about her. The Tea Party, I dont know quite yet?
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 15:14:57 +0000