Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach’s failure to submit sufficient petition signatures to get on the ballot in CD-7 Democratic primary brought to mind a question I’ve been kicking around for a while. What would be possible of Tea Parties competed in Democratic primaries?
Nationally, there is no question that the Tea Party movement has made a difference in restraining the growth of government since 2010 when the Republican Party took back the House of Representatives. On the plus side, the Tea Party Caucus has restrained the Obama/Pelosi/Reed agenda. On the down side, an argument could be made that if not for 2012 Tea Party victories in the senatorial primaries in Missouri and Indiana the GOP would be two seats closer to controlling the Senate. There would have been less “war on women” fodder for the liberal media and Democratic machine to use in defeating Mitt Romney in the presidential election.
Tea Parties boast that they stayed home in 2012 rather than voting for Romney, thereby assuring Obama’s reelection. There are some Tea Parties campaigning for conservatives to withhold their votes in 2016 if the GOP does not nominate a candidate that meets their approval.
Tea Parties have had some success in Republican primaries that have resulted in losses of “safe” Republican seats in general elections. Delaware in 2010, and Missouri and Indiana in 2012. If Tea Party conservatives really don’t vote in general elections rather than choosing between “the lesser of two evils,” the are assuring the the greater of two evils wins.
Why not take the battle to the Democrats? Why fight only with “RINOs” and then surrender the general elections to the Democrats?
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Posted: April 2nd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2014 Congressional Races | Tags: CD-7, David Larsen, Janice Kovach, Leonard Lance, Lon Hosford, NJ 7 | 11 Comments »
Listen to a recording of this week’s LaRossa and Gallagher: Real Jersey Guys On The Radio Show here:
Well this was an interesting show.
Our guest was Lon Hosford, a Tea Party activist who challenged Leonard Lance in the NJ CD7 GOP primary last year.
My partner/co-host former Senator Dick LaRossa shocked me when while introducing Hosford he referred to Lance as a RINO that is “unfortunately our 7th district congressman.”
As much as I disagree with some of Lance’s votes, most notably his votes for “cap and trade” and “cash for clunkers,” I think the RINOplasties that much of the right wing of the NJ GOP and the Tea Parties often engage in is counter productive. Especially while we are in a minority, conservatives damage our ultimate cause of reducing the size of government when we are aggressively intolerant of Republican office holders and candidates who are too moderate for our liking.
Many of us need to learn Politics 101 from the NJ Democrats. Three weeks ago the NJ Democratic Party was deeply divided over the pension and benefits reform bills. Their coalition of unions and progressives were enraged with the legislative leadership and those “turn coats” that joined with the Republican legislators to pass the bills. There was some talk of leadership challenges to Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver.
Less than ONE WEEK later they were united against their common “enemy,” Governor Christie and the Republicans. Blue Jersey ran an anti-Sweeney ad, which is now gone from that site, urging progressive not to support Sweeney should he run for governor. There was no movement to challenge Sweeney’s reelection to the Senate.
New Jersey Republicans, particularly ideological conservatives and Tea Partiersdon’t have that level of maturity and sophistication. Many of us would rather purge those who don’t pass our ideological purity test and potentially lose an a “safe” seat to a Democrat than do the work required to educate and pursuade our friends, families and neighbors to vote for Republicans.
You can probably imagine that we had an interesting debate on the show. You don’t have to imagine. Listen to it:
During the second half hour of the show Dan Jacobson, publisher of the triCityNews, MoreMonmouthMusings contributor, and Independent candidate for Assembly in the 11th legislative district called in. Dan made some excellent points about the damage conservatives have done historically, particularly in 2006, by sitting out elections and letting Democrats take over. Dan also had some surprisingly nice things to say about the Tea Party.
During the last 20 minutes of the show Hosford, LaRossa and I talked about the difference Tea Parties can make and the power of using social media to do so.
I hope you tune in next Tuesday from 5PM-6PM for the LaRossa and Gallagher: Real Jersey Guys On The Radio Show sponsored by Repatriot Radio. The show is broadcast on WIFI 1460 AM and on the Internet at wifiam1460.com
Posted: July 14th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: LaRossa and Gallagher | Tags: Dan Jacobson, LaRossa and Gallagher: The Real Jersey Guys, Lon Hosford | 8 Comments »
Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach’s failure to submit sufficient petition signatures to get on the ballot in CD-7 Democratic primary brought to mind a question I’ve been kicking around for a while. What would be possible of Tea Parties competed in Democratic primaries?