The Tea Party Movement Grows Up

by Will on January 14, 2010

Mark Hemingway gives the Tea Partiers credit for supporting moderate Republican Scott Brown in the Massachusetts senate election.

Tagged as: Scott Brown, tea party

Will writes from Washington, D.C. (well, Arlington, Virginia). You can reach him at willblogcorrespondence at gmail dot com.

{ 9 comments }

1 RobF January 14, 2010 at 9:45 am

I think you have a typo in your headline.

2 Bob Cheeks January 14, 2010 at 10:22 am

Given this info from Spengler the Magnificent I should think the tea-party people will be savoring success very soon!
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/spengler/2010/01/14/the-unemployment-disaster-and-the-2010-elections/

3 North January 14, 2010 at 1:08 pm

Careful Bob, still got most of a year to go yet. I wouldn’t advise the right to go declaring victory or defeat this early on in the game.

4 Bob Cheeks January 14, 2010 at 1:16 pm

Thanks, my olde pal, I needed that! I got the vapors over the latest polls and had visions of a GOPer in “Ted Kennedy’s seat!”
Alas, you’re quite right…I’ve seen the miscreant left rise from the grave to thwart the stupid party!

5 Shannon's Mouse January 14, 2010 at 11:29 am

Scott Brown can only be considered “moderate” if you’re not paying close attention. The reputation for moderation likely comes from the fact that he talks a moderate game on abortion at times, he supported RomneyCare, andpossibly because he’s dreamy looking. His pro-choice bonafides start to look a little less genuine when examining his voting record. His opposition to the current efforts at national health care reform is a pretty severe flip-flop from his support of RomneyCare. His stances on gay rights, civil liberties, immigration, and torture placeh im firmly within the heart of the right wing. His position on fiscal policy is the always laughable, always unserious “lets cut non-defense discretionary spending”. Bill Weld he is not.

The teabaggers support of Brown puts the final nail in the coffin of any claims that they might have had for being a pox-on-both-their-houses grassroots liberty-loving movement. They’re a collection of conservative grievance groups that are pissed off now that Republicans don’t run things. There is an actual libertarian-minded independent running in the MA Senate special election, yet the teabaggers have tossed their lot in with the pretty right winger. Quite telling.

6 Will January 14, 2010 at 11:36 am

I think that’s the point of the post. Rather than supporting an unelectable libertarian, tea party activists have made their peace with a pragmatic alternative. Whether this is the right choice ideologically is a question for another post, but it is an example of smart (or, as Hemingway puts it, “mature”) politics.

7 historystudent January 14, 2010 at 2:52 pm

I disagree that support of Brown negates a pox-on-both-their-houses attitude. Many Republicans in Congress have repeatedly shown themselves to be fiscally irresponsible and as that is a major reason for the origin and continuation of Tea Party discontent, those Republicans continue to be as unacceptable as many Democrats. However, if, in order to replace both those Republicans and Democrats, those who are Tea Party goers (or who sympathize with them without directly participating) have a better chance with a Republican than with a Libertarian, there is no reason not to go in that direction. After all, the point is to change Congress, not to simply wave banners ineffectually. Brown is a conservative in some of his stances and more moderate on others (such as abortion). He has stated that Congress should start again on health care (which will get an amen from many if not all Tea Partiers). He states support of free enterprise and acknowledges a need for responsible immigration policies — both of which, again, most Tea Party people find in line with their own views. So, why shouldn’t the Tea Party crowd support him, especially when his chances for actually winning far exceed those of the Libertarian? This does not mean, though, that Tea Party folks are not still determined to rid Congress of Republicans who are tone-deaf to the concerns that have this group up in arms. That’s my take anyway.

8 Shannon's Mouse January 14, 2010 at 11:49 am

I hope we’re not talking past each other. :-)

I don’t think it’s an exercise in mature pragmatism because I don’t think the tea partiers are really libertarian. They certainly count some number of libertarians, most likely of the “glibertarian” Reynolds type, among them, but as I said, they’re really a collection of conservative grievance groups — the type that always come home to the Republicans. The libertarian affectation is something teabaggers like to wear whenever the Republicans are out of power.

9 Louis B. January 14, 2010 at 4:33 pm

Meh. This movement started out with genuine subversive potential, and I’m supposed to be rejoicing.

Exhibit B: The tea party convention, featuring such anti-establishment radicals as Judge Roy Moore and Michelle Bachmann.

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