Organization Seeks to Recruit Better Tea Party Candidates
Hot Air Headlines (originally from Politico, but no links for bullies):
The tea party movement was hampered “by candidates who in the last election were not perceived as credible,” said Ned Ryun, who runs the groups along with his twin brother Drew.
So they are investing a “seven-figure” sum – which the Ryuns declined to enumerate precisely – in a program called the New Leader Project, which will work with local tea party groups around the country to recruit and train candidates and campaign managers for local and state offices, who could eventually run for Congress.
“New leaders must be found starting right now who have the ability to effectively communicate the ideas of free enterprise and limited government and fiscal responsibility, while at the same time running sound campaigns,” said Ned Ryun, who worked in the White House during the second Bush administration.
Obviously a RINO!
In all seriousness, I think this is a good idea and suspect most tea partiers agree. There is a popular conception that anyone who opposed certain tea party candidates is therefore uninterested in tea party values, and must have supported candidates like Crist, Scozzafava, or Murkowski. R.S. McCain recently made that suggestion about me, even though I supported none of those candidates.
Some of us just want better candidates. I am happy to see I’m not the only one.
Better candidates = more wins = more seats = smaller government = better governance.
GM Roper (a0b04a) — 11/17/2010 @ 1:33 pmNews Flash…
Meg Whitman announced a settlement with her illegal alien housekeeper:
$5500.00!
I’m sure that Super-Glo comped this?
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 1:40 pmThat’s percisely what i am hoping for. The De. republican party shouldn’t have forced its members to choose between a rino and o’donnell. they should have found a rubio, a true conservative with few faults.
I stand by my belief that if you somehow cloned rubio and ran him in del. we would have had a victory there, as well.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 11/17/2010 @ 1:44 pmDoes that mean a Tea Party candidate who acknowledges evolution, global warming and the fact that Obama was born in Hawaii?
Because that’s what trips the tea partier candidates up. Avoid the “nut” stuff and stick to “free enterprise and limited government and fiscal responsibility”
Kman (d25c82) — 11/17/2010 @ 1:54 pmDE…
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:09 pmWe continually overlook that COD was the Party’s nominee for Senate the last time Sloe-Joe was on the ballot.
GOP tradition has always given deference to the previous nominee.
It might not be smart, but it is.
It’s also how we got McCain, who was the last guy standing in the run-up to 2000.
It was his/her turn.
The party wasn’t interested in really challenging Coons (or Biden) otherwise they would have done
narciso (82637e) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:12 pmthings differently
Avoid the “nut” stuff and stick to “free enterprise and limited government and fiscal responsibility”
Which is the bedrock belief of Kmart, and is why he is a dedicated Leftist who votes the straight Dem ticket…
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:12 pm(probably only because in most jurisdictions, the CPUSA isn’t on the ballot).
“GOP tradition has always given deference to the previous nominee.”
AD – Does the tradition hold at the state level? Given that she was a two time loser with no qualifications, that might have been more reason for the party not to support her.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:18 pmComment by narciso — 11/17/2010 @ 2:12 pm
I think that’s not quite accurate, as they did have Castle on the ballot, and he was the choice of the Party insiders.
The problem was with those pesky voters who knew (or were familiar with the name of) COD, and thought that she would be a better choice than the known quantity of Castle – could we say it would have been a vote for ABC (Anybody But Castle)?
Again, it comes back to the GOP establishment:
They got rebuked by the voters in the primary, and decided that “we’ll teach those bastards a lesson”, and let COD sink, especially after throwing her a few anvils to catch.
Then, they get to stand on the high ground proclaiming “See, we knew she was going to lose; but No!, you wouldn’t listen to us.”
I would immagine that there will be an intense fight in DE for the heart and soul of the GOP (if either exists).
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:19 pmdaley…
They knew against Sloe-Joe that she was a sacrificial lamb; so really, so that loss doesn’t count.
And, I would say, that is why they promoted Castle in this cycle – except those pesky voters got in the way.
The disconnect in DE is between the Establishment, and those that they purportedly lead.
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:23 pm“There is a popular conception that anyone who opposed certain tea party candidates is therefore uninterested in tea party values, and must have supported candidates like Crist, Scozzafava, or Murkowski.”
Patterico – Alternatively, if you fail to loudly support the “right” tea party candidates you are obviously a pawn of the GOP Establishment and want the status quo of big spending government to continue even if you have said something expressly different on your blog. These smart thinking, purely classical liberal principled conservatives just know things and some may even believe you’re getting crazy party payola or something.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:27 pmWell I was speaking of how Castle’s campaign wasn’t targeted at the primary electorate, but was focused
narciso (82637e) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:28 pmon either ignoring the concerns she had brought up. And most of you, went along, a pyrrhic victory I suppose
“They knew against Sloe-Joe that she was a sacrificial lamb”
AD – Familiarity breeds contempt.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:29 pmWhat in the world?
They took their best shot at challenging Coons. his name was Castle. The people who weren’t interested in really challenging Coons were the ones saying they were willing to lose elections to Coons in order to purify the party. that’s a legitimate POV and while I think it was misguided in this case, as it amounts to tolerating a Senator Coons, I understand it.
I think you understand this too. The GOP in DE had a right to reject someone like Castle. But everyone knew the race was over at that point.
We need better candidates, and I fear that a lot of the same people who can’t stand to see the weaker Tea Party candidates criticized will interpret this awesome New Leader Project as their enemy.
It sounds like an awesome idea to me, and now’s the right time to get started with it.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:34 pmNo, really, they hadn’t been able to field anyone who could stand up to Joe in all the time he’d been in the Senate (?1972 – 2008?).
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:34 pmSo, if you wanted to spend the money, take the time and the abuse, the nomination was yours for the asking.
She got some state-wide name ID out of it, and thought she could make a run for an “open seat”,
but failed to see that the Establishment would never support her, and would kill her if neccessary, after defeating their fair-haired boy and ex-Gov.
As with Chatsworthy, Copeland, Ting, Swann, Protack,
narciso (82637e) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:41 pmit’s like Balaclava over there
AD,
more power to O’Donnell for running, and more power to her supporters for defining the DE GOP’s line in the sane as to the right of Cap and Tax.
I don’t think it’s fair to say the establishment tried to kill her, but it’s no surprise so many couldn’t bring themselves to support her.
That’s how scorched earth primaries end.
Bush and Mccain never really supported the other.
Castle went a little too far in how loudly he wasn’t supporting O’donnell, in my opinion, but I think the real problem stems from those ‘he’s a gay adulterer who impeached Bush and voted for the stimulus’ lies. We’re talking about normal people who cannot turn around and endorse the people who made ugly false accusations.
And it’s a two way street. It’s clear there is a major problem with the way the GOP isn’t supporting those who oust moderates. The GOP ads in Alaska didn’t target Murkowski, and that made a huge difference.
We’re setting ourselves up for an even worse inner party conflict. It will take a set of excellent candidates to get everyone back on the same page.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:41 pmLemieux did a decent job keeping the seat warm for Rubio, so I expect he’ll run against Nelson, can’t
narciso (82637e) — 11/17/2010 @ 2:47 pmdo worse than McCollum on that score
I think McCollum has finally worn out his welcome with FL’s voters – he should have stayed in the House.
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 3:06 pmSo the entire notion of a movement of the people has already begun taking the path to suicide. Vetting candidates in an effort to make them more acceptable to the country club crowd is just about the surest way possible to kill the movement.
Just a guy (0c3ff2) — 11/17/2010 @ 3:07 pm“Vetting candidates in an effort to make them more acceptable to the country club crowd is just about the surest way possible to kill the movement.”
Just a guy – I don’t see anything about a country club crown or cocktail party crowd in the quoted release.
“New leaders must be found starting right now who have the ability to effectively communicate the ideas of free enterprise and limited government and fiscal responsibility, while at the same time running sound campaigns,”
I see stuff about running effective candidates and campaigns. Your principled and authentic conservative imagination is getting the better of you.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 3:13 pmdaleyrocks, what Ned Ryun obviously intended to say was that it has been, is, and always will be the prerogative the Limp-Wristed, Effete, Country-Club RINO Brigade to pick the most ideologically compromised candidates it can find in a malicious effort to screw honest, honorable, AUTHENTIC conservatives out of their freedom, and if said buck-toothed potato-heads don’t like it they can take it up with someone who gives a shit – and let them eat cake and stuff. Nuance!
Leviticus (30ac20) — 11/17/2010 @ 3:43 pmThe national party endorsed candidates in the primaries and wondered why people stopped sending them money.Apparently a lot of the money comes from corperations and pacs but people without big bucks control a lot of votes and do not like the “we know best ” treatment.Hopefully they hear us now.There are alot of democrat senators up for re-election in 2012 but the weak willed rinos should start changing their tune today.
dunce (b89258) — 11/17/2010 @ 4:39 pmThis could be a good thing. There were some great Tea Party candidates, but some others were just not ready for the big time. Maybe something like this could help.
Terrye (3d4bc9) — 11/17/2010 @ 5:20 pmDustin:
I don’t think it is fair to blame O’Donnell’s loss on the GOP. She had way too much baggage. Back in 2006 she did not hesitate to run a write in against the nominee who won the primary. So much for unity.
If it was so important to run someone against Castle, then it would have been better to run someone who could win. It is hard to believe that in all of DE, they could not find a credible candidate. So why blame the GOP? It was the people of DE who said no to O’Donnell.
Terrye (3d4bc9) — 11/17/2010 @ 5:24 pmCan we nominate someone besides Sarah Palin for President? I am tired of telling Democrats that she doesn’t have any less experience than Obama. I am tired of saying that although she would not be my first choice, I would take her over any Democrat (except Joe Liberman).
The thing is we need to nominate a Republican for President with a lot more experience than Obama.
Arizona Bob (f57a20) — 11/17/2010 @ 5:29 pmUh, Terrye, Castle was the choice of the GOP Establishment in the primary, and got beat.
AD-RtR/OS! (68ed01) — 11/17/2010 @ 5:34 pmEveryone else had decided not to play along, this time around, than again the party had only 1,000
new members in the last six years, and apparently were not interested in garnering any more.
Also eighteen years in the House, had rendered him incapable of discerning basic principles, hence his ill considered vote on cap n trade. and
narciso (82637e) — 11/17/2010 @ 7:26 pmthe DISCLOSE Act, would he have voted the same
way as Governor, back in the day
Arizona Bob there is much wisdom in the words you speak.
Can we nominate someone besides Sarah Palin for President?
I say it can’t hurt to try. We owe our little country that much.
happyfeet (42fd61) — 11/17/2010 @ 7:36 pm“The national party endorsed candidates in the primaries and wondered why people stopped sending them money.”
dunce – Fundraising was a problem well before the primaries. It’s source is spelled Steele.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 7:41 pmI agree, Terry. I’m sure everyone is a little tired of me explaining just how much I agree.
Anyhow, I’m not blaming a soul for O’donnell’s loss. She ran, the voters picked someone else… that’s how it works. No blame needed. Both she and Castle were rejected, and hopefully we do better next time… but we won’t if we think too much about the last battle.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 11/17/2010 @ 8:09 pm“Anyhow, I’m not blaming a soul for O’donnell’s loss.”
Dustin – She did 5% better than she did against Biden as a “sacrificial lamb” in 2008, so she’s obviously improving.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 8:24 pmHe sure didn’t help.
However, I think a lot of people simply donated directly to candidates. And that’s a problem to some extent, because the party should be able to divert funds to races that need it, and handle GOTV organization. A lot of republican organizations have made some awful calls lately, and too many people expect a donation to the RNC to eventually mean an ad against Joe Miller or Marco Rubio. I don’t know how you build that trust back without replacing Steele and Cornyn with some well known and trusted leaders.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 11/17/2010 @ 8:30 pmCornyn’s already been re-elected, or however they decide who leads the NRSC, and I won’t donate a penny to that organization as a result.
DRJ (d43dcd) — 11/17/2010 @ 8:32 pmDrew Ryun is part of the group that issued the DeMint Fatwa today.
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/17/2010 @ 10:07 pm“Some of us just want better candidates. I am happy to see I’m not the only one.”
Never miss the opportunity to ruin a decent post with a self-serving smear. Loser.
gary gulrud (790d43) — 11/18/2010 @ 6:16 amFatwa, that’s a religious based death sentence, that is exceedingly unfair a characterization
narciso (82637e) — 11/18/2010 @ 6:21 amas anything I could imagine. REgardless if you have a policy disagreement with Demint, moreover since
the likes of Murkowski is voicing the same kind of complainty, it really rings a false note
#36 That is the MO Gulrud. So long as it is not too close to the hearth, sanctimony uber alles.
Torquemada (a8a9b2) — 11/18/2010 @ 6:23 am“Fatwa, that’s a religious based death sentence”
narcisco – My understanding is that a fatwa is an edict. In this case the self-annointed True Conservatives have declared there shall be no criticism of Jim DeMint or THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES. Behaving just like their mirror image on the professional left. Speech squelching is fun!
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/18/2010 @ 7:38 amI don’t see much of a edict in that, unless you subscribe to the french proverb’ what a vicious animal, when attacked, it defends itself’. Mirroring always brings with it, the prospect you
narciso (82637e) — 11/18/2010 @ 7:52 amrecord the wrong image. Now Moveon did succeed after
a spell, putting forward a totally false view of
the war, of Bush administration priorities, but it
was the SRM that were their watercarriers in the effort
narcisco – Oh, I think squelching speech it doesn’t want to hear in advance is something the professional left excels at. They got Breitbart kicked off ABC’s election night coverage most recently. How is this WARNING that dissent will not be tolerated really any different?
daleyrocks (940075) — 11/18/2010 @ 8:02 amIf a sizable faction, doesn’t like the way it’s being treated, it will form a new structure, that
narciso (82637e) — 11/18/2010 @ 8:08 amwill bypass the likes of that of the RNC and the NRSC