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Tea Party Disgust: Splitting the Conservative Vote in Michigan's First District

By jenkuz, Section News
Posted on Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 07:47:39 AM EST
Tags: Michigan. Tagged Benishek, conservatism, Glenn Wilson, Goldthorpe, Jason Allen, Michigan, Michigan's First District, Petoskey, Politics, Reagan, Republicans, Tea Party (all tags)

~ Promoted by JGillman because I will be discussing this later as well ~

In the aftermath of the very close MI01 Republican primary, won by Dan Benishek of Crystal Falls by 15 votes, several things have transpired that has tested the friendships and trust of tea party members and patriots, and the movement itself.

Glenn Wilson, a self-proclaimed independent, has entered the first district race and has co-opted former leadership of the tea party movement. In a Politico article Wilson is cited as being, "backed by several tea party groups." When in reality, he has hired the former leader of the Petoskey Tea Party and has the support of disgruntled libertarians. Rich Carlson is no longer the leader of any tea party group, and his friend, Randy Bishop, has completely alienated the tea party folks in Emmet County and many of the supporters...

Read the rest at jennerationx.com

< G R Press: Judge Jane Markey - A case of poor judgment | Setting the Record Straight >

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Tea Party Disgust: Splitting the Conservative Vote in Michigan's First District | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)

Yeppers.. (none / 0) (#1)
by JGillman on Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 09:12:47 AM EST

I am glad you acknowledged Jason's incredibly difficult decision in your piece. He did the right thing in the end, though it could be argued he could have pursued and won.

Wilson, can do the right thing too.

Sometimes folks who have the cash, figure they want to give back. Myopic tendencies set in however, and seeing down the road is lost.

This confirms what we saw... (none / 0) (#2)
by rdww on Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 09:32:36 AM EST

... in the gubernatorial primary. The Tea Party movement is just that -- a movement, not a party, and at this stage is able to make a lot of good noise, but divides its strength among differing candidates, allowing the Usual Suspects to win with a plurality.

Wilson could have run in the primary. by JGillman, 08/25/2010 09:50:47 AM EST (none / 0)

Glenn Wilson (none / 0) (#4)
by Brady on Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 10:46:32 AM EST

Jason, with all due respect, I think you're missing the point of Glenn Wilson's candidacy. Wilson may share many of the same positions on issues with the Republican nominee, but ultimately he's running against the two party system including the Republican Party. While the Republican Party and some career Republican politicans have been able to co-opt the Tea Party movement for partisan gain, many Tea Party folks are pursing far more fundemental changes to the political system than simply changing the party in power. These people don't care if Republicans lose if the independent is able to siphon away a large enough chunk of conservative and independent voters. In fact, they see it as necessary to acheiving real political reform.

I understand his point by JGillman, 08/25/2010 11:55:40 AM EST (none / 0)

Two Cents (none / 0) (#5)
by Rougman on Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 11:24:58 AM EST

I think we have seen what occurs when the traditional Republican Party has unfettered control of the political landscape--big government by a different name. Tom "there is no more fat to cut in this budget" Delay and Trent "I've heard enough from those porkbusters" Lott are two fine examples. The "we can do the same thing for a little less money" is not a trope that I find endearing.

Unfortunately in the two party system that we have in this country, conservatives represented by the tea party movement will have to co-opt one of the two major political parties if they have any plausible possibility of making necessary changes prior to the point of no return.

I have no problem with the tea partiers co-opting the Republican Party, but I have serious misgivings of the Republican Party co-opting the tea party movement. In the first place, these retread Republicans do not deserve the support of voters who have consistently cherished the Constitution of the greatest country to ever have existed, and secondly they can be trusted about as far as Sarah Palin can toss Debbie Stabenow.

Dan Banishek is a tea partier at heart and believes in conservative principles. His association with the Republican Party is, I believe, an example of the necessary infiltration of the GOP by tea party sentiment. My hope is that Glenn Wilson sees the light before he siphons off two percent of the vote in what might be a close election.

Tea Party Disgust: Splitting the Conservative Vote in Michigan's First District | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)

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Tea Party Disgust: Splitting the Conservative Vote in Michigan's First District

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