Tuesday’s primary election is simply another round in which the Republican Party tries to determine how we will be defined in the 2016 presidential race for the next two years. Much of the establishment would like to point to certain losses as a reason why the Tea Party/conservative wing of the party should not be given a seat at the table. However, we Tea Party members see it differently. We don’t have to win because for now we control the discussion. We make Republicans define themselves and be accountable for their votes.
Speaker John Boehner won Ohio with a 68.7% majority, down from his previous campaign in which he won 81%. While a victory is still a victory, such a enormous drop should be very concerning for the establishment and Boehner’s camp, given that his closest opponent only raised about $75,000. dollars compared to the millions in the marshal’s campaign coffers. The really captivating part of this election is the sedate grumblings from his traditionally true supporters in the House about whether they will support him for Speaker again. Boehner not running for speaker or Boehner losing his vote would be a victory for us.
In North Carolina, Tea Party members were hoping for a runoff between establishment Tom Tillis and the Tea Party’s Greg Brannon. We had hoped that the runoff would give us more time for more primaries, like Chris McDaniel’s race in Mississippi, to show the strength of the conservative movement. Momentum is the key to victory in the Grassroots effort. But let’s not forget that North Carolina is really a purple state, not what we would consider a sturdy conservative state.
We need to have good candidates representing the conservative movement, which is why not all Tea Party groups supported Matt Bevin’s Senate candidacy in Kentucky. In fact, the same group, The Tea Party Leadership Fund, that ran against Boehner in Ohio endorsed Mitch McConnell. We must have candidates who have already been vetted and have the real means to win elections without sacrificing their integrity.
We also need to ensure that we only pit one conservative against one establishment candidate in future races, as this is a common mistake we make and a major reason we continue to lose. Candidates of our movement must remember that after a loss they can return to their lives, and in some cases they can even benefit from the recognition they gain; however, this movement will always have a position in the loss column due to its campaign. We have to be shrewd. Not to discourage grassroots candidates, but we need to make sure that we as conservatives have the integrity to make our goal of filling the office of a true conservative a priority rather than offering multiple choices.
Remember that revolutions don’t happen overnight. It requires strategy and planning. This is not a sprint, we are far from saving our team. Even though there are 100 senators, think about the power of one. One senator who is willing to stand up and fight against the bankruptcy of the healthcare system. One senator willing to speak out to protect personal freedoms. One senator who is not afraid to point out corrupt and misleading proposed bills due to his deep knowledge of supreme law. The lithe of one candid senator in a hall of darkness and corruption can save our country.
The truth is, neither the establishment nor the Tea Party will ever win a majority election again unless we unite in the face of the disasters of Obamacare, the $18 trillion debt, the attacks on the IRS, the truth about Benghazi, etc.
The plant will not survive without the passion and strenuous work of grassroots people, i.e. the Tea Party. At the same time, the Tea Party cannot exist on its own without the structure and funding of the establishment. The Democrats’ greatest wish is to maintain this division, because they know that we are delicate when we are separated.
