THE DONALD HOLDS A TEA PARTY

         Many of us were wrong about the Tea Party for the same reasons we are now wrong about Donald Trump. While both initially appeared as simplistic distractions, dedicated to Obama baiting after the 2008 election, Trump and the Tea Party have evolved.  Dismissing their brand of conservative populism as a passing fad of misplaced anger and below the surface racism was a mistake. It is time to grudgingly acknowledge the staying power of a political movement that is not going away any time soon.

         The Tea Party web site now lists 15 non-negotiable core beliefs as the center of its platform.  At the top of the list are: “Illegal aliens are here illegally” and “pro domestic employment is indispensable.”  It is no coincidence that Trump’s stump speech makes these positions the focus of his campaign.

         Both progressives on the left and now, Tea Party members on the right, seek to replace the status quo.  The difference is that progressives are advocating for others, less fortunate, while tea party conservatives are advocating for themselves, with a personal all or nothing mentality.

          Progressives, to their credit and largely explaining their marginalization in modern politics, are pragmatic and willing to see the big picture.  When the debating is over, inside the voting booth, they will soften their positions and accept incremental change from moderate democrats over the republican alternative.  The number of progressives willing to follow Senator Bernie Sanders down the rabbit hole into an election disaster like the 1968 George McGovern campaign are few.

         On the other hand, Tea Party adherents demand representatives who will support their views, without compromise.  While their ideological take on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights does not stand up to a fair and impartial critique, it feels right to them and that is all that matters.  The election of a moderate republican is ridiculed with the same contempt as the election of a moderate democrat.

         Once it is understood that the Tea Party views any politician willing to change a position to get elected or to compromise a position after elected as unacceptable, the love affair with Trump begins to make sense.  Today’s Tea Party would not support Ronald Reagan who made legendary concessions to Tip O’Neil, the democratic Speaker of the House, to responsibly run the government.  It will support Trump because he has remained consistent on oddball issues like Obama’s birth certificate and he attacks immigration, political correctness, the media and moderate Republicans without mercy.

         Donald Trump has staying power with the Tea Party because his firebrand pronouncements are delivered with unfiltered certainty.  For the Tea Party this is exactly the mouth piece they have longed for and Trump knows it.  He has discovered the one audience that thrives on his take no prisoners, shoot from the hip brand of politics.

         Over time, the Donald may not be able to develop a viable campaign organization or articulate policy positions acceptable to the Tea Party base. In this case, Senator Ted Cruz will be right behind him to pick up the Tea Party flag and carry on. No one but Trump could make Cruz appear to be the more mainstream candidate.

         A self centered populist political movement, threatening a tall fence and wielding a sledge hammer rather than an inclusive umbrella cannot win a national election.     But the Tea Party, with either Trump or Cruz as its candidate, will smash tables full of traditional china, in the primaries and beyond.