Obama Writes Off the Tea Party

President Obama's decision to insult the independent Tea Party movement will only push them into the Republican fold.

The Tea Party phenomenon does not yet comfortably fit in either party.  The Tea Partiers could even split the Republican vote should they so choose.  Overall though, I would say the movement represents an opportunity for Republicans but is not yet firmly opposed to the Democrats.  This is why President Obama’s latest salvo strikes me as hubristic madness.

New entrants into politics upset the political balance.  When such new entrants appear it is very important that a political party does not write them off.  The Tea Party phenomenon has drawn a phalanx of derision from the intellectual and government elite.  This is so even though it seems to reflect a reverence for the Constitution, has been incredibly peaceful in contrast with left-wing rallies, and has leant energy to elections across the country.  The media has gone out of its way to demonize the Tea Parties.  Jon Stewart, a bellwether of elite, liberal thinking endlessly lampoons them.  The Congressional Black Caucus has lied about them.

But there they are.  Thousands upon thousands of people largely concerned with balanced budgets and the reach of the federal government.  A vague sense of American decline animates them and a burning desire to head it off.  And what does the President do?  He insults them in a room full of liberals.  First, he says they ought to thank him under the dubious theory that his agenda is one of tax cuts.  Second, he assumes that what these people mainly want is tax cuts for themselves.  He shows both contempt and ignorance.

The Tea Party movement is looking for people who do not sound like politicians.  It has no leader and only listens to politicians like Sarah Palin who do not tell them what to do but affirm that the instinct to resist the largest expansion of government in a generation, coupled with financial profligacy, is not un-American.

The movement threatens incumbent Republicans like Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah, and even John McCain of Arizona.  But its greatest threat is to the liberal dominance of Washington D.C.  If these people decide to become volunteers and donors to candidates opposed to Obama woe betide the President who insulted them.  A conservative governing majority requires the numbers and energy shown by the Tea Parties and needs to forestall it becoming a third party or splitter movement.  President Obama is driving them directly into the Republican fold and this is foolishness in a man we are told is very smart.