Sunday, January 23, 2011

So The Next Time...

... a Tea Party advocate tries to claim Marco Rubio, Ron Johnson, and Pat Toomey as one of their own, kindly ask him/her why said candidates refuse to caucus with the Tea Party?

And here is a thought-provoking test question: What do the three senators who will caucus with the Tea Party have in common? Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Jim DeMint.

I have a theory, but I want to hear yours first.

9 comments:

Right Wingnut said...

Paul, Lee, and Demint are all from red states. The other three are from blue or purple states. I suspect your theory is along those lines.

I think I know where you're going with this, but Rubio, Johnson, and Toomey all has strong tea party ties, yet still managed to win state wide elections. Rubio and Johnson did so by wide margins.

Ron Johnson was the ultimate tea party candidate. He was urged to run only after speaking at several tea party rallies last spring. It's truly a remarkable story.

Anonymous said...

The Tea Party has come to be defined as right wing extremist by the media and by the unfortunate candidacy of Christine O'Donnell. Because so many people have accepted this distorted view of the Tea Party, politicians now have to be careful about their association. However, the real movement has included quite a bit of diversity. One of the first "Tea Party candidates" was Scott Brown of Massachusetts. His overall stands have not been right wing at all. On social issues, he's been somewhat liberal. Many Tea Party folks who supported him may now regret their support, but his successful run is evidence that the Tea Party is not all about right wing ideology.

marK said...

"Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Jim DeMint."

I know! I know!

They all have two vowels in their last names!

Pablo said...

Scott Brown was not even close to being a Tea Party candidate. He accepting their money and then denying knowing who they were a few days later. His success in MA hinged on him being able to effectively distanced himself from the Tea Party.

Since the election he has continued to snub the Tea Party. He refused to be seen at a Tea Party rally in Boston with Sarah Palin. He gave not one ounce of credit to the Tea Party for his election. He has pursued moderate policies, to the frustration of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.

He never has been, nor is likely to be, a Tea Party candidate.

Pablo said...

"Ron Johnson was the ultimate tea party candidate. He was urged to run only after speaking at several tea party rallies last spring. It's truly a remarkable story."

And yet, he distances himself from the Tea Party the moment he is trying to win over a broader demographic.

Right Wingnut said...

I don't know Pablo. To be honest, I don't see the need for a separate "tea party caucus." Perhaps Johnson, Rubio and Toomey agree with me.

kelly said...

I agree there should not be a separate caucus.

Ann said...

Maybe they believe in the old saying, You're judged by the company you keep, and don't want to be pigeon holed.

ConMan said...

Ann, You may be on to something.