The Tea Party Effect

For one of the “early adopters” of the Tea Party movement, it’s easy to over-credit the movement’s impact on the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts.  But it’s also possible to underestimate that influence.  The fact is, though, that the Nationwide Tea Party coalition—a very loose confederation of a couple-dozen local tea party organizations—made a concerted effort to help Scott Brown in Massachusetts.  More importantly, unlike Doug Hoffman in NY-23, Scott Brown made a concerted effort to leverage the power of the Tea Party.

Despite the yeoman efforts of Tea Partiers around the country, if Brown pulls off a political miracle and wins on Tuesday, he deserves most of the credit. Brad Marston, a Boston Tea Party leader, deserves the lion’s share of the credit for energizing the Tea Party movement about this race.  Together, the combination of a talented, worthy, and humble candidate plus a vibrant Tea Party means that Ted Kennedy’s former Senate seat is in play—a situation thought ridiculous only a month ago.

On December 28, 2009, I posted the St. Louis Tea Party’s first call to arms for Scott Brown. Within 24 hours, I received an email from his Regional Campaign Chair thanking me for the column.  He also shared the process for getting on their caller list to make calls from hope, which we promptly shared via email with out entire St. Louis Tea Party mailing list.

The Brown Campaign had numerous meetings with Tea Party organizations in Massachusetts.  While some of Scott’s positions differ from some Tea Partiers’ positions on specific issues, Brown made it clear that he will work to shrink the federal government.  That is the central rallying crying of the Tea Party movement, and the Bay State Tea Partiers responded.

When the movement began with rallies in about 40 cities on February 27, 2009, we said the movement was a 10-round, heavyweight fight that would end with a knockout of the current Congressional leadership.  We’ve had our problems along the way, but the Tea Party’s influence in NY-23 shocked the GOP. Our influence, so far, in Massachusetts has undoubtedly panicked the White House and the DNC.  All the right people are hating us.

Writing on BigGovernment, former Clinton aide, Dick Morris, describes the significance of the Scott Brown race, should he pull off a victory on January 19:

But even more corrosive for Obama and the Democrats is the knowledge that nobody is safe from Republican assault. If the GOP can win a Senate seat in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts, it can win anywhere, anytime, against anyone. Long term Democratic incumbents from largely Republican districts would have to rethink their loyalty to Reid and Pelosi. Particularly in the House, it will be ever more difficult to round up majorities for Administration bills. Politicians will start running for cover and hiding in the cloakrooms.

As we move toward the 2010 elections, conservative candidates and Tea Partiers need to keep this winning combination in mind.

Candidates:  Be humble.  Don’t assume you and your K Street consultants have all the answers.  Trust, instead, the people, and the Tea Party is simply the people organized. The Tea Party movement can put money and people where you need them and when.  Don’t wait too long to get us involved. Don’t say what you think we want to hear—tell us the truth.  And don’t ask us for an endorsement, but, instead, give us yours.  Tell us it’s okay to disagree with you on some issues, but that you will work every minute of your political life to get Washington out of our lives as much as Constitutionally possible.

Tea Party: In 2009, most of the local tea party organizations tried not to ask you for money.  That changes in 2010 because, like it or not, money = votes.  If you want conservative candidates to win, you’ll need to put your money where you’ve already selflessly put your feet.  We want to win this damn thing.  We want to toss out big government liberals who thought they were safe.  Well, that takes people and money, and lots of each.  If you have anything to spare, please start saving it.  Some very worthy candidates, PACs, and organizations are going to need it to fulfill the Tea Party’s mission of making 2011’s Congress the largest freshman class in history!

Finally, even Dick Morris ends his story with a plea for help.

For all of these reasons, please make an effort today to telephone or e-mail any friends, family or colleagues you know in Massachusetts to urge them to come out and vote for Scott Brown. There is so very much at stake!

And that’s from a cynical Washington insider who worked for Bill Clinton!  Continue doing the GOTV work you’ve been doing.  Keep up the phone calls on Monday.  It’s a holiday, so you’ll catch many people at home. Call your friends and family in Massachusetts and let them know that they can vote for all of us who want to keep your freedom.  Please don’t stop until the shouting at OB Clark’s on Tuesday night.