The Time is Now!
Written by Scott Cooper
In the last
several Tea Party meetings, you may have heard the phrase – we have entered
“Tea Party 2.0!” In a nutshell, many of
us initially became engaged in The Tea Party Movement because of Obama-care;
however over time we have realized that if those who “claimed” to be
conservative remained conservative, Obama-care would have never happened and there
would be no need for the Tea Party.
While our
effort started with rallies and protests, it has progressed to working
strategically and diligently within the system for change. Some realized this very early on – and some
still have not caught on, that our best hope to reclaim our republic is to work
within the system – and that means joining the party that most closely aligns
to our core values and principles at the local level.
Stated
another way, nationwide, as the Socialists and Communists took over the
Democratic Party – many Democrats, rather than fighting for their party
placated to the extreme left, abandoned their party and moved into the
Republican Ranks. Those who were in
position within the GOP to protect the ideals and vision of the conservative
movement did not do so. Indeed they were,
over time, moved to the left, and now the GOP is now filled with and controlled
by RINO’s.
The Media
likes to talk about the Tea Party being a potential Third Party and that is
exactly what the media and the left wants – because they know once we go down
that road, we lose. Critical thinking
Tea Party Leaders recognize that we must work within the system for
change. I will take it one step further
– the only third party that I care to see in the United States is when The Tea
Party effectively moves the GOP back to its core principles, forcing out the
RINO’s (I mean Democrats) back to their own party to clean up that mess, thus
forcing the Communists and Socialists out of the Democratic Party, forcing them (The Communists and
Socialists) to run as a third Party.
They are indeed the vast minority in our republic, and they need to be
relegated to that status.
When that
happens, the Tea Party will have done its job.
However in order for this dream to become reality – we must personally
engage in the party that is closest to our ideals. This needs to be done in large numbers,
across the country. It needs to begin
immediately. That means signing up and
becoming a member of the local body. Yes,
that will require more meetings, but the price of going to more meetings is far
less than what our founders paid. You cannot influence that which you refuse
to participate in!
In your
county or locality you may be blessed to be led by individuals who are true conservatives
and are moving in the right direction. I
live in such a county. If that is the
case, just like our few (very few) conservative elected officials in DC need
reinforcements, so does your local committee.
Chances are your local GOP does not have conservatives in leadership
roles. Therefore I encourage, no I
implore you, to attend the first meeting of the year of your local GOP, and
join.
If you live
in Virginia, in 2012,
most, if not all Statewide GOP Committee Positions are up for elections. These elections will be conducted at Mass
Meetings and Conventions. You must play
a role in these elections. These
Committee elections take place only once every four years. These elections will determine the type of
nomination process that takes place for elections in Virginia in 2014 and
beyond. If we cannot impact the process
by which our candidates are nominated, we automatically are at a disadvantage
when it comes to elections. Look at the
2012 VA U.S. Senate Primary as an example.
Honestly, there are many within the system, and the media that want us
to be at that disadvantage, and that is why this process is critical. In Virginia, if we do not engage in the
system now, we will be at this disadvantage for another four years, and by that
time we may have lost our republic.
In closing, I want to make two
very important points. First, there are
many within the GOP who are true conservatives, who want and need our help. Many of these folks have been in this fight
for decades and they see our potential as an answer to prayer. However we need to enter humbly and be
willing to join them in the fight and be willing to serve. Anger will not accomplish our objectives. Service and action will. Second and finally, this thought process is
still considered controversial among some within the Tea Party Movement. Many want to maintain a non-partisan stance, doing
only Educational Seminars and remain predominately issues driven and open to
all sides. This is noble and should
continue as groups – but we will not win if we as individuals do not engage in the
process. There are countless “Think
Tanks” and civic organizations that have been educating for decades, and their
efforts did not prevent us from getting to the brink we now sit on. Our movement has the advantage of large
numbers of individuals. These
individuals must get engaged “in the system” for us to truly reclaim our
republic.
As groups,
continue your educational seminars, but as individuals, get involved in the
local GOP. As I stated before, you cannot influence that which you refuse
to participate in! Time is
running out. The Time is now.
