The GOP has launched their Pledge to the American people. The night of the release, I received a call from CBS radio asking me to comment. I stated that while I appreciated the effort, this new "pledge" was insufficient in its stated goals and objectives. It seemed to me to be a muted effort to somehow show that Republicans were responsive to the aspirations of the Tea Party and at the same time create a politically safe statement of how they might lead. While I had not read the details of the plan, I was able to review the highlights. In the end, I came to the conclusion that this was a timid effort at best. << MORE >>

We're broke! When I first met Stephen (Steve) Bannon at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee in February, I had never heard of his work in the writing and directing of conservative films. He has worked with various investor groups but more recently with Citizens United and David Bossie. It was here that he launched his latest project, Generation Zero.<< MORE >>

Unelectable! Unelectable! The headlines blared. No, this wasn't the day after the Tea Party win by Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. It was the stated conventional wisdom discussing the ascendancy of Marco Rubio, who is also running for a US Senate position, but this job is in Florida. And now we find the turncoat, former governor Charlie Crist, nearly out of the running with Rubio leading the independent by 14 points! And as Rubio has ascended, can O'Donnel do the same?<< MORE >>

Gallup released polling that indicated the Republicans hold a 10 point advantage over the Democrats in the midterm election. The generic polling and the largest ever spread in polling by Gallup suggests a major meltdown for the Democrats. However, what is more telling in the numbers is the swiftness in the change of views by the electorate. There are a number of reasons for this change and all of them point to greater activism by the electorate and the instantaneous capabilities of the internet in disseminating information.<< MORE >>

I wanted to provide an update on my meeting with Bill Haslam. We met here in a Memphis last week and his wife and West Tennessee campaign manager were present. I had several people from our Memphis TEA Party group along with our 9th District Congressional Candidate, Charlotte Bergmann. The meeting lasted about 50 minutes due to a commitment he had in Nashville with Ron Ramsey.<< MORE >>

Sunday, July 18 was going to be wrap day for the Las Vegas Tea Party Convention, with speakers from Newt Gingrich to Sharron Angle, the Tea Party Express candidate who triumphed over a gaggle of Republicans for the privilege of taking on Nevada Senator Harry Reid in November. Instead, yesterday was excommunication day for the Tea Party Express and one of its leaders, Mark Williams, the guy who, among other things continuing this summer's run of social media implosions, posted on his blog an imaginary but all-too hateful and racist "letter" from "Coloreds" to Abraham Lincoln. (But then if you are reading HuffPost, you probably already know about that.) And so instead of gettin' down together in Vegas the the National Tea Party Federation expelled Mark Williams and Tea Party Express.<< MORE >>

Recently, Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania commented that the Tea Party movement was fizzling out. His premise was that the emotion rendered in the rallies and protests and town halls was now diminished. And as the economy improves, he further suggested, the movement would finally dissipate much as did the Ross Perot third party efforts in 1992 and 1996.<< MORE >>

In recent weeks, I have watched as the "noise" related to the convention in Nashville has escalated.  From criticisms about the cost of the convention to personal attacks on the organizers and the assumption that something is "rotten in Denmark".  Actually, something was - Olympics and Climate Change .  But I digress.

The criticisms and the perceived slights to the movement have often been amplified by the press and in particular, the left leaning publications.  The blatant attempt to discredit a worthy effort cries out from the Democratic playbook - divide and conquer  - while at the same time has enlisted an unlikely accomplice, TEA Party leadership itself.  As a conservative, I am unconcerned with the commentary from the left and the blatant attempt to strip the legitimacy of the people who are attending.  I can unequivocally state that over twenty-five people are coming from The Memphis TEA Party membership and I am pleased that they chose to do so after simply being invited to participate.

The fact that attendees are arriving from as far away as Hawaii and Trinidad speaks volumes about the desire to be involved and to have a professional and reasoned convention in a wonderful location with great learning and great speakers.  In fact, it is likely that the volume will be turned ever higher by those in opposition to such a convention with the report by Zogby that Sarah Palin is now the leader in a field of Republican contenders for the Republican Primary  with 22.2 percent  and Governor Romney a close second at 19.4 percent.

In fact a recent comment to Newsmax by a Democratic pollster sums up the reality:

"It suggests to me that reports of her political death are exaggerated," political strategist and Democratic pollster Douglas Schoen tells Newsmax. "In American political life, politicians have not only second and third lives, they have nine lives. And Sarah Palin is on her third or fourth life."

Sarah Palin, upon accepting the invitation to speak, had not yet embarked on her book tour, her many interviews or took her position as a Fox News contributor.  And she certainly hadn't been the leader in the 2012 primary in any poll.  But to paraphrase Sarah Palin, if you're not the lead dog in the sled, the view doesn't change very much!  In this context, I would suggest that the attendees are getting very good value for their money - they have bet on the her sled to come in first and it is now leading!

So as we are but one week out, we are now inundated with over 100 inquiries for press credentials, calls to let in liberal bloggers and news outlets and the criticism that the event should comp tickets, rooms and provide other venues to allow various participant accessibility.  It would appear that the TEA Party and its association with Sarah Palin and other conservatives has piqued the interest of the national and international media.  And at the same time, resulted in many of our TEA Party leaders merrily making their way to their convention to enjoy Nashville, the networking and the event itself.  This sea change is a result of the continued populist and common sense message of Sarah Palin in conjunction with the desire of two local TEA Party leaders to hold a well organized and desirable convention.  For that we can thank Sherry & Judson Phillips, who upon taking on this monumental effort, aspired to organize an event like no other in the TEA Party movement!

There are those who suggest that this isn't "grass roots" enough or that their "for profit" TEA Party Nation is somehow tainted by actually wanting to use the profit motive to extend the conservative movement.  It is most amusing to hear people calling out that this capitalist idea, with its costs, expenses and fees to speakers, is somehow out of line with the TEA Party movement itself!  Have we so embraced the socialism of the Obama administration that we can't celebrate the success of the movement when two entrepreneurial people create such an event?  Are we so blinded by the curtain of lies and deceit that this administration, the MSM and the Democrat playbook espouses that we would not cheer for such actions?  At the least, one should be glad that actual dollars are supporting a local business and its employees to the tune of nearly $600,000.  Now that's real job creation and economic stimulus!  And you don't even have to provide a tax subsidy or bailout!

But no is the answer.  In fact, conservative, even "grass roots" conservatives, have always had the habit of "eating their own".  Michael Steele can fly the RNC staff to a "meeting" in Hawaii, invite a leader of the new media to discuss the very nexus of the TEA Party and the RNC and then revoke this invitation upon finding out that a smart kid who is innocent until proven guilty, may have "tainted" his speech.  I thought it was only the Democrats that trampled the Constitution.  But we have indeed come to expect this from people who believe that they matter more than the movement.  I can almost hear some of these purists spouting their theology - "We are the way the truth and the light and no one comes to the TEA Party except through us". 

Indeed, I am proud to be associated with this event.  I have no dog in the hunt and paid my $549 to attend.  I am privileged to be able to train and speak about things that matter to organizing the movement.  And in the end, while we may see commentary that is derogatory or derisive of the people and the organizers participating, this will be a great event with a great cast of "we the people".  For those who would wither under the criticism, they weren't in the battle to begin with.  But for those who steadfastly make their voices heard, they will indeed enjoy the nexus of the TEA Party movement in Nashville! 

In closing, I recall the old adage, "no one marks the second time".  It's always the first time we do anything that we cherish and this event apparently is now being pursued like it will be the first time for many! 

Recently, much has been written about the TEA party movement and its leadership.  It would appear, based on the talking heads that so often comment, that they seek to find the titular leader of the TEA party movement.  In fact,  this has been problematic from the beginning.  For the political establishment in particular, the lack of an evident leader in the TEA party movement has been one facet of this grass roots effort that has resulted in frustration.  And in particular, to those who would attempt to dismantle it!  No more has this been evident than in looking at the political ruling class and their commentary, which seemingly moved from the intellectual to the derogatory in a matter of moments,  referring to the movement as  "tea baggers",  racists, rednecks or "birthers",  et al. while the same time suggesting the illegitimacy of people who turn up to make their voices heard at town halls, local meetings and even Washington DC.  This lack of clarity in the leadership of the movement is one element that is both a strength and sometimes a weakness.

Perhaps it is instructive to review the existence of Tea Party Nation and its founder, Judson Phillips.  In crafting a rather interesting, important and certainly fun TEA party convention in Nashville, Phillips' only "crime" is that he had the audacity to actually invite Sarah Palin to such a meeting.  And then to hold that meeting at a very fine facility, the Gaylord Hotel, in a city that's known for its music, it's fun and it's hospitality.  But his crime was not the fact that he invited her or decided that he would indeed have 600 jovial TEA party leadership arrive in Nashville for such a convention and  a big dinner; no his crime was that he actually decided to do this within and through his Tea Party Nation.

Tea Party Nation is nothing much more than a social website through which members can collaborate, share ideas, provide their views and post messages as well as events in their own location.  It was indeed a vision of Judson and his wife, Sherry Phillips, that this Tea Party Nation site could be a way in which leadership would collaborate.  The site itself is powered by common off-the-shelf software and indeed running the site is the key job of Tea Party Nation,  its advisory board and the various volunteers who are contributing to that effort.  However,  Judson Phillips and his wife were also able to lead and develop  the idea of a convention for TEA party leadership.  With great speakers such as Michele Bachmann, Joseph Farah,  Marsha Blackburn,  Phil Valentine and others, and of course the keynote speech by Sarah Palin,  the left went into apoplexy.   And there were those, who in their attempt to find the individual who might be the "heir apparent", began disparaging Mr. Phillips and his family.

But they fail to understand the real power of this movement.  Unlike Organizing for America, where the more than billion dollars raised by Mr. Barack Obama and his ilk have crafted a real Astroturf movement,  the TEA party grew out of a frustration and a visceral reaction to the Obama "hope & change - bait & switch" rhetoric that he professed during his campaign.  From the now famous Rick Santorelli "rant" on CNBC to the million and a half people that showed up in Washington DC, the movement has grown from the few to the many.   And yet, in between all those moments, people who heretofore have never been involved in politics or grassroots movements or even in their government, suddenly became acutely aware of the liberties that they had so taken for granted and which now required fighting for!

It was this idea,  formerly non-political people  joining together for the very first time in their lives, that resulted in a massive and concerted effort to take back their government.  They began to understand the nature of the Founding Fathers and the true passions of those "fifty-six" men who signed the Declaration of Independence.  Many had not understood, in the context of the history of our own Revolutionary War and the lessons learned, that  a significant few can influence extraordinary outcomes.  They were angered by the results of elections, unconvinced by the spending of a nearly trillion dollar stimulus package, a $2.6 trillion budget,  spending for healthcare, Cap & Trade  and numerous other initiatives which burdened America and sullied the great liberties that we as a nation enjoy.  We are indeed, as Americans, fiercely independent in our views and our lives.  The actions of previous administrations and in particular, Obama,  were sufficient to awaken the sleeping giant.  In fact, I would argue, Barack Obama became the "Pearl Harbor" of the conservative movement.  Regrettably, for people like James Carville who would suggest that there was to be a 40 year "rule" by the progressive left, found those same Democrats within the time it took to have a baby, on the other side of history!

But it is the TEA party movement itself and the lack of leadership that is not clearly understood by so many in the mainstream media and the left in particular.  They seek to find that individual or organization,  whether it's FreedomWorks and the likes of Dick Armey,  or perhaps Eric Odom and the TEA Party Express or other groups such as Tea Party Nation, that would  represent the coalition in a way that constitutes a clear leadership position and head.  However, I would argue that this indeed is not required of all grassroots movements.  In fact, the TEA party movement itself is about individuals organizing at the community level, something that the left and in particular this administration should have understood, as it has prided itself on its own community organizing skills.  It is a most instructive element of the TEA party movement that we simply have co-opted the tactics that were effectively deployed so often by the left.  And at the same time, the TEA party movement has  assembled real passion, real effort, caring for their community, love of their family and defense of their liberty.  Not all moments in a grassroots movement are perfectly executed and in particular we will find a few weeds amongst the strong turf.  However, in reviewing a number of the hit pieces that have been shared throughout the blogosphere while railing against Tea Party Nation and its leader Judson Phillips, one gets a sense that some commentary is beyond the pale.  Such indignation should be met with a bit of skepticism for it was Judson Phillips who simply had the boldness to ask a woman, indeed a former governor, as to whether she would come and speak!

And  in that one act, there has evolved a firestorm of criticism, jealousy and rage.  However, it has also resulted in another effect that we see before us now.  The TEA party movement is becoming a force to be reckoned with and, in my opinion,  something akin to the evangelistic movements of years gone by.  It is as much about people coming together with differing views, forming and dissolving,  developing extraordinary efforts to impact their local government, support candidates, recruit people into primaries and general elections.  And of course oppose, with their greatest energy, this administration's march to the left!  And in that sense, the TEA party movement in particular, needs no titular head;  it needs no individual leader.  Instead, it acts more like our Founding Fathers did in the Revolutionary War where only twelve percent of the Colonialists actually fought against the British while nearly twenty percent remained Loyalists. The rest were at home watching "Dancing with Stars", well maybe not, as TV wasn't actually invented then!  However, a massive war of Independence was fought on the basis of a significant few with the support of the general population.  They saw fit to attack those elements of the Crown that restricted their own desire for liberty and freedom and they were successful.  They fought a different type of battle against the Redcoats.  It was the first use of guerrilla warfare, hiding from  behind trees,  taking their tactics from their colonizing experience and taking their shots  accordingly.  And in the end, they defeated the British, subsequently earning the right to create the United States of America.

Today we see a similar revolution, a peaceful revolution.  The TEA party people, having endured name-calling and pejoratives lobbed at them by the left and its leaders, are fighting back in the blogosphere, at the voting booth and in the street.  It is not lost on this author that the course of the contest in Massachusetts, where perhaps on Tuesday the balance of power will be changed by the win of Republican Scott Brown, is akin to the "the shot heard 'round the world" of Concord fame.  To be sure this movement is real.  It is not, as Nancy Pelosi and others have suggested, Astroturf.  It is not coordinated by the Republican Party.  Indeed the Republican Party would have preferred to be seen as so smart and capable that it had maneuvered such a movement to do its bidding!  However, that is not the case and one is lead to contrast this movement to Organizing for America, MoveOn.org and other far leftist organizations.  They remind me of the character, Scar in the animated movie Lion King, where when he could no longer have the lionesses hunt and the green grass was gone and left with nothing but barbs, his minions attacked the false leader. 

In the end, the TEA party movement's approach to leadership is different, it is localized, it is effective, it's quick to react and in fact prides itself on the looseness of those local organizations.  And yet it learns the skills necessary to collaborate, to use technology effectively and resources skillfully, to consider and embrace the common view of the movement's first principles of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, less spending and greater liberty.  It is, inherently perhaps, these principles that effectively operationalize that same movement.  I am reminded of the theory of self organizing systems and how appropriate this view of the TEA party movement is in describing the power and effectiveness of people's actions.  The self organizing nature of systems and in particular communities and societies is so evident that the TEA party movement itself, without knowing these basic tenets, has been able to achieve something that the political parties have not yet fully grasped.  It is, in a sense, the proof point of the theory.  And as such, without a central leader or leadership structure, the left cannot strike the movement directly.  They may torment  the individual as they attempt to tear down people like Judson Phillips, who themselves are simple battalion commanders.  But the movement does not need the generals to direct the grand strategy or direct its operations.  Its very nature is local, its very existence is built upon these small cells, organizing, developing and carrying out actions individually but mindful of the first principles of the movement.  A movement like the TEA party has no head.  And where this is no head, there can be no beheading! 

Contrast that to the "hope and change" crowd who place the entirety of their emotional, intellectual and political expectations in the man, Barack Obama.  A man who had never exposed his background, who had hidden with great effort all of the things that he was heretofore except that which he preferred them to know.  And as he lurched to the left, attempting to take the country by force, while at the same time deal with the vagaries of the world in his progressive fashion, he has failed with his constituents.  He has indeed, as the leader of that very same liberal and progressive movement, simply let them down.  And now the "hyenas" have turned and  attacked! 

I believe that this is why the TEA party movement will be sustained.  Over time, it will likely become more sophisticated in tactics and the use of power.  But the groups making up this community,  organizers in the TEA party movement itself and those local leaders who stand before their members, are bound together by love of liberty.  They  ignore the name-calling and pejoratives, they refuse to accept defeat or be defined by the mainstream media's definitions and are therefore undeterred.  They have awakened to the realities of the limitations of their government and the fallacy of reliance upon that government for those unalienable rights ordained by our Creator.  They are the true patriots, that activist minority who are willing to fight in the revolution and they will overcome the "loyalists".  To be sure, those dispirited progressives  will rejoin in an attempt to overcome that very movement once more.  But the passion and the truth of their conservatism will sustain them through the fight.  And for the remainder of those who indeed are watching "Dancing with Stars" during this revolution; they will finally delight in the success of these revolutionaries and in the success of the elections to come.  And most of all, the country will embrace the accountability of those who are given the right to govern by these same patriots.  For the fundamental difference in the TEA party movement above all else is the expectation that the first principles will be embraced by those who would govern from our cities, our states and nationally.  And they will stand as guardians, never to allow our liberties to be trampled again.

You may indeed call out this movement in terms which are derogatory, diminishing,  dismissive; but you cannot win a Revolutionary war by doing so!  Our founders understood the great power of people and the great power of ideas.  The left  subsumes all of its power and all of its efforts from men like Barack Obama and George Soros.  The conservative has placed his faith in God as did our Founders.  And while this may seem quaint to some,  it is indeed something understood by conservatives, in fact most conservatives.  Unalienable truth needs no head and therefore there can be no beheading!  TEA party on!

We've seen much discussion around the relationship of the TEA Party movement to the Republican party.  Some of the so-called pundits have suggested that the TEA Party movement embrace the creation of a third party.  Others have stated that a rift exists between the party faithful and the TEA Party activists.  And still others, journalist David Brooks, have stated that the TEA Party movement is anti-intellectual!

 

I have refrained from weighing in on this dialogue but felt that comment could add value at this time.  There is clearly a difference of opinions within the various TEA Party organizations.  I have personally taken the view that there are few to no conservatives legislators who are also Democrats and who will vote for conservative principles when they are faced with the arm twisting and bribes that are presented to them by their leadership.   I am unconvinced by the current argument that the TEA Party should ever approach the DNC for any reason.  And while I laud the antiseptic and non-partisan approach of many of our leaders and their membership, the localized approach to politics and leadership allows for differences of opinion.

 

In this light, arguing the finer points amongst each other seems to me to be an exercise in “mental masturbation”.  If you are convinced that associating in any way with the Republican party pollutes your local strategy, then don’t!  However, to suggest that the Republican party is somehow a  problematic relationship is just nonsense.  I don’t know which elections can be won without supporting one of the two parties that contend.  And as I do believe that the DNC platform is antagonistic to all things conservative, I have to place my bet with the RNC.  Now this is not to say that the party is correctly approaching our movement, the electorate or governing in a way that amplifies the conservative message.  To the contrary, the party has sorely disappointed many of us in their expansion of government and excessive spending.  Indeed , they often appear just like the “Apple Dumpling Gang” in their governance and representation of their constituents.

 

But, I also believe, based on an objective review of voter turnout statistics, that those same constituents have been remiss in carrying out their most basic duty as citizens – voting.  We recently supported our preferred candidates in a special election here in Memphis.  With over 151,000 eligible registered voters , just over 10,000 actually voted.  The complaints of the electorate ring hollow when we see voting rates on a local basis approaching 10% participation in many races and just over 50% in national races.  With this as the background context, I have to ask the question why would we not welcome any discussion with the party that “professes” to be conservative and whose official platform expresses the principles of the TEA Party movement.  We must animate those self identified conservatives to take a decision first to vote and to vote for a party that is “reformed” and reflects those same first principles.  In this effort, our priority should be to establish these TEA Party distinctives and negotiate our desired outcome.  And where those negotiations or responses fail, we need to progress our agenda in any appropriate and responsible way to achieve those same objectives.

 

However, we should always think about winning elections, changing the makeup of the legislative leadership and holding them accountable throughout their political careers.  In this way, the TEA Party movement can morph and adapt to the realities on the ground and respond to our local aspirations while keeping an eye on the national stage.  With the exception of those of you who live in Tennessee, influencing our elections at best is limited to phone banking or GOTV by supplying people to local party activities.  Any strategy must incorporate the tactics and operational execution required to achieve results. This of course also requires what I refer to as the “necessary and sufficient” capacity to serve.  That is, the organization, the single mindedness to focus on outcomes and the energy, skills and execution to achieve the strategy.

 

And while I applaud the openness of this dialogue, Michael Steele isn’t the enemy or some foreign dignitary, he is a key leader in the RNC who has the control of the apparatus that supports the conservative party in the US, the Republicans.   For my part, I welcome associations with the RNC, the NRCC, the NRSC as well as local party affiliations, clubs and relationships.  I do this so as to engender cooperation and increase influence for the TEA Party and to act as a change agent within the party at my local community level.   And in the process, the Memphis TEA Party gains power to change minds, advance ideas, influence candidates and win elections.  This approach may not be appropriate for a given organization, but it is the approach we have taken here and one which is beginning to pay dividends.

 

The idea of being co-opted by the RNC or by the local Republican leadership is only problematic when TEA Party leadership is uncertain of its own strategic objectives.  This is why mission, objectives and tactics become so important to achieving our mutual success and ultimately taking back our country.  It is also necessary to retain the mantle of legitimacy and the high favorability rating that we now enjoy!  Therefore, we should strive to support each other in our communications and through our actions lest we risk diluting that very same good will.  And in that same vein, we must ask, “who would benefit from my commentary outside of the TEA Party movement”. 

 

In the end, you may disagree and even oppose my reasoning, but I welcome your views.  And most of all, I encourage you to reflect on your objectives in context of your own local movement and energy!

 

God bless America!