UPDATE at the bottom just before the cartoons; I added Other Views. Since the blog is not about me, I try as much as possible to propagate other views. Do I always agree? No, and I do try to explain why.
When we look around at the Tea Party movement, one aspect is striking, particularly to the corporate news media.
- Tea party movement has anger, no dominant leaders – CNN
“It’s opened for a leader. I don’t see anyone out there that can grab it,” he says. “I’ll be surprised if someone emerges. I don’t see who that is.”
- What next for the Middle America Rebellion of 2009? — Washington Examiner
Whatever the number of attendees, this was possibly the most significant Washington protest since the civil rights movement’s epic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Indeed, about all that was lacking was a charismatic leader like Dr. Martin Luther King to deliver an “I have a dream” address for the ages.
- Obama supporters, not health care protesters, are real mob — San Francisco Examiner
They invested their hopes and dreams in Obama, as did a number of disenchanted moderates and Republicans. The utopian expectation that Obama could exorcise the country’s sins and conflicts was extravagant. He also lacked executive experience.
The town hall and Tea Party protesters, in contrast, make for a poor mass movement, however discontented they may be. They do not feel empowered — quite the opposite — they have no charismatic leader, no majorities in Congress, nor a clear, overarching alternative agenda to support.
- GOP Sees Protest As an Opportunity — Washington Post
Indeed, many activists say in interviews that they look more to conservative commentators for leadership than they do elected politicians. Ryan Rhodes, a leader of the “tea party” movement in Iowa, noted that Beck and radio host Rush Limbaugh had come to the cause years ago. Rhodes said he had little enthusiasm for George W. Bush or for McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential candidate.
As the quotes from above suggest, the Tea Party protesters do have not a movement leader. As the San Francisco Examiner‘s article in particular suggests, that is a good thing. Instead of being committed to a man, the Tea Party protesters have committed themselves to a cause. Hence, instead of being manipulated by a leader, they are insisting upon the loyalty of their leaders to the cause of liberty.
What is the next step? We must replace those leaders who see themselves as our masters with men and women willing to serve as public servants.
How? We exercise political power when we get our candidates elected to public office. With just the number of people who rallied in Washington, DC, this last weekend, the Tea Party protesters can take over the Republican Party. The problem is making the effort.
Politics requires discipline, tenacity and hard work. Once again just showing up is half the battle. To become effective activists, Tea Party protesters must show up at party meetings (Republican Party meetings would be the most profitable) and promote those candidates that share their commitment to liberty. To intelligently exercise influence, Tea Party protesters must learn something about how the local parties in their states operate. Then they must figure out what it takes to get a liberty loving and God fearing man or woman elected to Congress.
What is the immediate reward? In 2010, Tea Party protesters can muster the numbers necessary to swing the Congressional majority resoundingly back towards Conservatism. The entire House will be up for reelection and one third of the Senate. However, to have maximum effect, the Tea Party protesters must get involved in the nomination process. When necessary, they must defeat Liberal incumbents, and that will take considerable persistence and effort. So the Tea Party protesters must start running and supporting their candidates now!
Other Views
YankeePhil in Reason at Tea Party provides a nice synopsis of the views of some of the Tea Party protesters.
We will RockDem provides a CNN video in the post “Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief.” As usual, CNN focuses on the tenor of the argument rather than the actual substance of the argument. Apparently, die hard Obama supporters conceive that any opposition can only come from those with evil and vile intentions. Thus, when he launches a wholly unwarranted attack (suggesting the Tea Party protesters are racists), Anderson Cooper supposedly destroys one of the leaders of Tea Party protesters. 
This is the kind of brainless nonsense that is destroying CNN’s ratings.
In her post, 9/12 March on Washington … faces from Shenandoah Valley #1, SWAC Girl lists some of the names of the supposed bigots. She arrived with six bus loads of them from the Shenandoah Valley.
JAB, in his post, Meanings for the 9-12 March on Washington (on Deo Vindice), explains what he thinks the march was and is about.
The Write Side of My Brain in this post; You can ignore 9/12, but it’s not going away; praises the blogosphere for its coverage and provides a nice survey of that coverage. That includes a post by the Gateway Pundit, CLEAN Conservatives vs FILTHY Liberals– A Photographic Essay. When viewing that photo essay, I suggest some caution. While there is no doubt some truth to the rumor that Liberals do not know how to pick up after themselves, we did not need to protest to prove that. We must remember our objective. The Tea Party movements exists to promote liberty, not to demonize Liberal pickpockets; chastise Liberal loafers; or excoriate Liberal liars. We do not hate those people; we just want them to stop trying to “fix” everyone else’s lives except their own. Given their incompetence, their focus is obviously misplaced.
The litmus test for a Constitutional Republican: Will you sponsor legislation to return Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and Welfare back to the States – where they belong following our Constitution? Yes or no?
Find the Constitutional Republicans who will support that. Get them nominated.
JAB – Amen brother! If we want a return fiscal responsibility, we must get the give-away programs out of the hands of politicians who can just print however much money the want.
When state government politicians spend beyond our means, the consequences are immediate. Creditors do not get paid, and they complain like furies. When Federal Government politicians spend beyond our means, they create a ticking time bomb. Just to get reelected, they create a bubble (before the election) that grows and finally bursts.
For little while a bubbling economy fed by debt shimmers rosily. Dollars chasing after dollars fill our senses with a mirage of wealth. Then the illusion collapses; the bubble bursts. Too late we realize we are in greater poverty than when we began. Worse, we find ourselves ensnared by high taxes and government regulations. Then we must fight tooth and nail to unburden ourselves of the fools who still want to believe we can spend our way out of poverty.