Tea Parties, The Republican Party And The Future (Part 1)

I get asked about the Tea Parties all the time. I get the question from my friends on the left and the right. Usually, those on the left are asking the question in a challenging way looking to put me on the defensive. Usually, those on the right are asking the question in a nervous way wanting to know how the Tea Party is going to effect the Republican Party. I get asked enough that I thought maybe this was a blogworthy topic.

Some personal background is necessary. I've considered myself a conservative and a Republican all my life. I separate those 2 terms because I do not believe they are directly interchangeable and I do not use the terms "conservative" simply to modify the term "Republican." The fact is, I am a conservative who, for all my life, has identified the Republican Party as the best vehicle to advance my conservative beliefs. Having said that, I don't like labels and terms like "conservative" can be especially problematic because people define them to fit their own set of beliefs. Nonetheless, I view myself as a conservative in every way that term is typically used so, out of laziness, I allow myself to be labelled.

Anyway, over the last several years, I saw my party move more and more away from my conservative beliefs. It was still the best vehicle for my beliefs but the brand was being muddied. This shift occurred largely in the Party's willingness to accept policies with questionable Constitutional underpinnings and to either push for or become complicit in the massive growth of our government at all levels. I won't dig too deep into social issues here other than to say that I remain proud of the Party's continued adherence to our Platform on these issues (although that adherence is clearly not universal).

This left me with some choices. I could give up on politics and focus on my family and career. I could stay engaged but do so from outside the Republican framework. I could get even deeper involved in the Party and try to push for change from within. I chose the latter.

About 3 years ago, I decided that the Republican Party remained the best vehicle to advance my beliefs but that it would only happen if I jumped in and put my money where my mouth was. It was largely for this reason that I agreed to serve as Chair of the Salem Republican Party. As Chair, in addition to working to grow our Party, I viewed my main job as advancing my principles, holding our leaders accountable and working to identify new leaders who truly understood our brand.

Due largely to the commitment of our Committee members, we were incredibly successful. The candidates and electeds we supported "got it" and I truly felt like (at least in our small world) our Republican leaders were restoring the brand. From Bob Goodlatte in DC to Ralph Smith and Morgan Griffith in Richmond I was represented by Republicans who made me proud to be Republicans.

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As is typical, I'm rambling more than expected so I've decided to make this a 2 (maybe more) part post. This first part just gives the background. I'll pick up soon with the rise of the Tea Parties and my thoughts (which was my original intent here).