Leadership Tea Party Day 1

Friday

Keynote night at the Leadership Tea Party in Dallas, TX.  Richard Viguerie, the conservative direct mail legend and former executive director of Young Americans for Freedom had the honor. 

Before the speech, a handful of Tea Party leaders spent some private time with Mr. Viguerie. He talked about the birth of modern conservatism and the need to study its roots:  Russell Kirk, Bill Buckley, Barry Goldwater, Frank Meyer, James Burnham.  I was glad I had quoted all of them except Mr. Meyer at least once in a book. 

The speech last a little over an hour, and the crowd loved it.  Large crowd, too.  Bigger than I expected at about 180-200 people.  The room was set up for about 250, so the feeling was of a packed house.  Congratulations to Mike Leahy, Ken Emanuelson, Katrina Pierson, Lori, Phillip Dennis, and the rest of the folks in Dallas and the Nationwide Tea Party coalition who organized this festival. 

The connection to the early days of conservatism struck home. In the 1950s, there was a street gang in New York City that called themselves “The Conservatives,” so hated was that term.  Viguerie was among the early leaders who resuscitated the brand.  That lesson might be lost on some of the yoots, but the rest of us old-timers need to drive it home.  In the Great Books of Conservatism lies the answer to the question of our Tea Party movement:  To what end? 

Speaking of ends, during the Q and A, a rather desperate and confused kid asked a leading question about abortion and right to life trying to bait Viguerie, a strong pro-lifer, into an argument.  Viguerie skillfully dismissed the young challenger the way Muhammad Ali brushed aside guys with 20 pro fights when The Champ was in his prime. 

The Kid engaged a few of us from St. Louis and New Orleans on a Q and A of our own after the event.  Turns out he’s a Randian – er, Objectivist – who believes people are totally rational creatures.  I managed to piss him off by being a jerk (which I’m really quite good at).  So much for rationalism.

I felt sorry for The Kid.  He is confused and ill-educated.  He seemed to be arguing with a voice inside his own head rather than with the 4 or so skilled debaters from the Tea Party.  (There were 5of us, but I don’t count myself in with others when it comes to skilled polemics.)  He tripped over his own two principles time and again.  He sided with Hitler’s eugenics when it fit his case, and dismissed the notion of eugenics when it did not.  In the end, he looked and sounded alone—an affliction we could not cure despite our Christian intention to do just that.

Leadership Tea Party day one, the keynote, was a success.  On to Day Two.

NOTE:  Please pray for The Loudon family who are fighting through terrible weather to get here to Dallas.  They were forced to suspend their trip last night and stop in Oklahoma.  Also for my wife, who smashed up her car this morning because of the snow.  And for all who suffer in weather, poverty, and ignorance—Lord, hear our prayer.