Richard Viguerie’s article is actually titled “Conservatives Must Become a Third Force Independent of GOP.” And while I agree with his opening, a point he made in an earlier post about the tea partiers taking over the GOP is better. Some of us started making that point right after the so-called “tea party” people began to wake up (see “After the Tea Parties, it’s time for conservatives to take over the GOP” from April 11, 2009!)
Here’s that opening of Viguerie’s column I do agree with:
Let’s be quite clear – there is a difference between Republicans and conservatives.
Republican Party politicians still can’t come to grips with the reality that the rebellion of the small government constitutional conservatives of the Tea Party is as much a rejection of their stewardship of the government – the earmarks and massive spending and debt of the Bush years – as it is a rejection of Obamacare and Obamanomics.
If 2012 is another big wave election, like 2010, but it sweeps into office the usual big-government, establishment Republicans, then we will have missed the opportunity of a lifetime, and lose the majority sooner rather than later.
Conservatives and Tea Partiers have no interest in exchanging business-as-usual government by Republican insiders for business-as-usual government by Democratic insiders – we want to see fundamental change in Washington and real action on the issues we care about.
As a post script, this isn’t the first time I’ve disagreed with Mr. Viguerie on this – click here for an example from two years ago.
