The Left Needs Its Own Tea Party
Many progressives remember the tea party revolution of 2009-2010 as an extended exercise in unreason. Thats not wrong. But it was also, quite possibly, the most successful political organizing movement in the last half-century of American politics. The tea party transformed the GOP from a broken and battered political party to a ruthlessly effective organ in the body politic all in the space of about 18 months. As Democrats plot a path out of the wilderness, its important to consider how the right did it.
In those years, the tea party was full of scorn for Barack Obamas background as a organizer, and the feared name of Saul Alinsky was never far from conservative activists lips. But these right-wing rabble-rousers were much better organizers. For decades, the American left has dreamed about building a national movement of self-organizing cells by unifying political neophytes with disparate beliefs into a single, broad cause, and operating both within and outside its host political party. Conservatives realized that model. It worked. And Democrats still have nothing like it.
In Texas, there were tea party groups at the county, city and even neighborhood level. They were hyperlocal organizing engines whose events also offered camaraderie. They often met in churches, and many were involved with their own politically active congregations.
By creating a circuit where politicians such as Ted Cruz and Dan Patrick could speak directly to conservative activists, tea party groups changed the future of the state simply by existing. It became more important to tailor messages and political activity to these small crowds. The network was also an excellent way to train activists in more complex forms of organizing, such as block-walking and voter outreach, and a way for big conservative groups to reach local folks. It was all stunningly successful.
Read more: https://www.texasobserver.org/left-tea-party/
JayhawkSD
(3,163 posts)A bunch of Republicans had the courage of their convictions, something that "progressives" (who used to have the courage to call themselves "liberals" seem to lack these days.
They were pretty rotten convictions, to be sure, but they held to them with great courage and stamina. If a Republican office holder did not live up to the standards of the party they "primaried" him and threw him out of office. If they had to lose an election in order to do that, then they were willing to do that in order to get the message to remaining Republicans. "Live up to the principles of the party or we will throw you out." And so there is a unified, powerful Republican party which blocked a Democratic-controlled government and now controls both houses of Congress and occupies the White House.
Progressives (who used to be "liberals" but no longer have the courage to call themselves that) are so afraid of losing an election that they will not challenge an incumbent in the primary, no matter how often or flagrantly that incumbent votes in violation of Democratic party principles. We will not take a chance of running a challenger in the general because if we do a Republican might beat us out.
How's that working out for us?
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)The Tea Party ignoramuses were used as tools. RESIST. is being used by no one. Our passion is more legitimate and informed. No need to copy them IMO.