[ As many of us have been saying, this post supports the contention that the Tea Party movement is, first and foremost, local! It also makes the important point that state-wide organizing of coalitions, ( note “coalitions”, not “parties”), is a very important organic step. – JS ]
The media seem intent on anointing a national leader of the Tea Party, no doubt for convenience's sake. But despite what people might see on TV or read in various media outlets, the Tea Party movement is not about national groups based in Washington, D.C., or those who have arbitrarily asserted themselves as national leaders.
The movement and its impact on the American political scene always has been and always will be about the local organizers. The national groups could go away and the movement would be fine. However, if the local leaders go away the movement dies.
And right now, something very organic is taking place with the real leaders of the movement: organized very locally in the beginning, the Tea Party is now organizing at a statewide level and beginning to network nationally. The Ohio Liberty Council, with 58 different Tea Party and 9/12 groups from across the state; the Florida Liberty Alliance, with more than 100 groups; and the Virginia Tea Party Federation, with more than 40 groups, are three of the best examples of local leaders uniting into significant statewide coalitions. Other states are in the process of developing similar coalitions, and it would not be surprising to see dozens of states similarly organized by 2012….
These local leaders -- who have made the Tea Party movement happen, organizing locally, networking statewide, and then connecting nationally -- represent the best chance in generations for seismic change in our country. While still a nascent movement, the Tea Party movement, if it continues on its current trajectory, can achieve what the Progressives did in the early 20th century when they fundamentally changed American government and, quite frankly, American society in a relatively short amount of time. But instead of the regressive statism of the Progressives, the free enterprise and limited government of the Tea Partiers, if and when they succeed, will take America to even greater heights of freedom and prosperity.
[ Need more proof that the Tea Party movement is having an effect not only on our politicians as a whole but our RINOs in particular? Read House GOP Leaders Bow to Call for More Cuts! – JS ]
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