TUCSON TEA PARTY UPDATE: Robert Mayer writes:
Thanks for linking to the Gila Courier article about the protest yesterday! There is always some great video at the Jon Justice show website:
The two I recommend, the first from the beginning and the second from the end, are here:
Thanks again for covering this!
Meanwhile, reader Deborah Durkee writes: “I just saw a link at www.realclearpolitics.com about Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of AZ (someone featured in the post on your site about the Tucson, AZ picketing of her office over health care). I thought you might be interested in this: ‘The most cash-rich Frontline Democrat is Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who has $1.2 million in her campaign account.'”
Yeah, you can do a lot with amateurs — picket, demonstrate, show up wherever the Rep. does in the district, etc. But, ultimately, you have to get into actual politics: Raise money, run primary challengers, etc. That’s the next stage for a lot of Tea Party organizations.
UPDATE: A followup from Robert Mayer:
Thanks for posting up those videos! There is one candidate who has really stepped up to challenge Gabrielle Giffords. His name is Jesse Kelly (www.votejessekelly.com), and he has both raised the most money, gained the most early support, and attended pretty much every event we’ve put on. He’s a big tea party supporter and this is definitely a factor in his early support among many tea partiers.
We’ll see what holds in the future, but I believe that any primary challenger who lives where an effective Tea Party organization exists would do well to latch himself on to the ideals of the movement. He or she will gain early donors, hardcore volunteers, and a access to thousands of voters.
Good advice.