[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
Miscellaneous See other Miscellaneous Articles Title: Take Me to Your Leader: Is Sarah Palin the Future Tea Partier in Chief? Posted Feb 03, 2010 10:30am EST by Peter Gorenstein in Recession, Election, Politics Related: nws, twx, spy, dia, ^dji, ^gspc Less than a year after its creation, the Tea Party movement hits the big time Thursday when it kicks off its first National Tea Party Convention to be held in Nashville, Tennessee. "It does represent the first attempt to bring it closer into the Republican fold," says Ben McGrath, a New Yorker staff writer who recently authored a story on the grassroots movement. It also may be a sign the honeymoon is over. The convention has been mired by infighting on everything from the price of admission ($350-$550) to the selection of the keynote speaker, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Despite these issues, the Tea Party – made up of mostly libertarians and social conservatives - is a force to be reckon with. "I think the Democrats should be pretty concerned about the midterm election aspect of this," warns McGrath. Many experts believe Republican Scott Brown’s Senate victory in Massachusetts comes thanks to Tea Party support. The question is how does the movement overcome its growing pains and channel its initial success into a lasting third party? The party will need a leader. But that raises another issue: "Who's going to be the leader of a movement that doesn't want a leader?," McGrath asks. Several figures have been touted as the potential face of the party: --Sarah Palin: The former GOP Vice Presidential candidate and current Fox News pundit definitely takes an early lead, with her status as keynote speaker at the convention. Her Fox News colleague Bill O'Reilly thinks she'll lead the party on the 2012 Presidential ticket. --Lou Dobbs: The former CNN anchor and self-proclaimed champion of the middle class is another strong contender. "A lot of people in the Tea Party identify with Lou Dobbs' views on immigration," McGrath notes. --Glenn Beck: You can't talk about the movement without mentioning its de facto spiritual leader. Supporters have already tried to wrangle Beck into the job but he's so far refused. McGrath believes he's an unlikely front man, who's "probably more effective as a media spokesman on the outside."
Poster Comment: "Who's going to be the leader of a movement that doesn't want a leader?"
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
|
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||