NCGOP Through Tea Colored Glasses
If there were any doubt that the Tea Party remains alive and active, attending the North Carolina Republican Convention last weekend would have put those doubts to rest.
The heavily attended convention in Wilmington was filled with celebratory members of the GOP who for the first time in over a century could come to convention with majorities in both the state house and senate.
Much of the success in the 2010 elections can be attributed to good candidates and strong leadership, but there is no doubt it took an energized conservative grassroots to put Team GOP over the top. These grassroots republicans showed up to the convention, and they were tea partiers.
Interspersed throughout the officially scheduled republican convention activities were a number of unofficial gatherings put together by various independent tea party organizations from throughout the state. These events drew large numbers, and were no doubt noticed by members of the GOP hierarchy, including the reelected Chairman, Robin Hayes, who made appearances at most all the events.
I Love America Rally on the River Front
On Friday afternoon, outside of the convention center along the riverside, the “I Love America Rally” got the festivities started. This event was coordinated by a number of primarily eastern North Carolina organizations including the NC Conservative Coastal Coalition, the Cape Fear Tea Party Patriots, morning talk radio show host Curtis Wright, Campaign for Liberty, the John Locke Foundation, and others.
The event easily drew a couple hundred.
On Friday night, following the GOP banquet with Congressman Allen West, twenty-two tea party organizations from across North Carolina hosted a Hospitality Suite in the Cape Fear Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel. The event was the brainchild of Dennis Peterson, the President of Charlotte’s CAUTION.
A first of it’s kind to draw so many individual tea parties as cosponsors; the purpose of the event was twofold.
Tea Party Hospitality Suite at NCGOP Convention
On one hand, tea parties are naturally independent organizations. There have been several attempts by organizations to “merge” these groups under one umbrella. These attempts have been met with solid resistance. To the contrary, this event was a starting point for “horizontal communication”. Rather than a top down umbrella approach, the goal was to simply begin the process of networking across equal organizations. By opening up the lines of communication, shared goals and events of equal interest can easily be disseminated throughout the network without the need for any single master organization.
The other purpose was to show by shear numbers the strength of those who identify with the tea party mentality. With easily over 400 people filling the 2,200 square foot ballroom, and lines to get in at times, this goal was certainly met.
Jenny Beth Martin Speaks to Breakfast Meeting
The following morning, Marcus Kindley of Informed Voters of NC and Mark Hager of NC Tea Party Patriots sponsored “Tea for Breakfast”. This event welcomed the co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, Jenny Beth Martin, Sheriff Larry Dever of Chochise County Arizona, Becki Gray from the John Locke Foundation, Richard Brenner of Fox 8 News, and a special recorded message from Congresswoman Michelle Bachman.
Saturday afternoon, the GOP sponsored a breakout session entitled, “The Tea Party & the NCGOP” which was directed by Forsyth County GOP Chairman Nathan Tabor. This event was standing room only.
Tabor’s presentation included reading from the NCGOP Plan of Organization and recognizing that the GOP shares many of the goals of the Tea Party. The question at hand became what to do when members of the GOP take action in apparent violation of the platform’s goals.
Chairman Hayes Takes Some Heat
The message was that forming a third party or otherwise breaking ranks with the GOP was not in the best interest of the limited government philosophy. By way of example, “if we were all passengers on a ship and the captain began acting contrary to the best interests of the ship, should the rest of the passengers simply try to start their own boat or does it make more sense to seize control of the ship and let the captain have his own dingy if he wants”?
Put another way, “if one is to sin, is it the Bible’s fault or the sinner’s fault?”
Indeed, the Republican Party is a tool…not a philosophy. The adherents to limited government philosophy are best served by being the hands that utilize that tool, which is clearly possible in a political environment where ultimately so few people are dedicated to participation in the process.
There is no doubt that there remains great interest in the Tea Party movement. It is evident that leaders and elected officials no longer view the Tea Party as simply a minority nuisance, but as something that deserves attention. It is evident in their speeches and by their attendance at gatherings of Tea Partiers.
They are certainly beginning to talk the talk, the question that remains is whether they will walk the walk and whether the Tea Party will see past lip service and pay attention to actions.
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=6468
