Every now and then, I like to check on the state of reporting as it relates to the Tea Party…for entertainment purposes. I have decided that if any actual fact is offered in the elite media stories, it is purely coincidental.
Today’s review shows that after over 7 years of independent conservative activism, our elite media is still making rather ludicrous claims. For example, this chestnut from Bloomberg:
The Tea Party was always tragically miscast. The angry oldsters who formed its white-hot core fancied themselves tax protesters. Their self-image was informed, inflamed and more than occasionally exploited by conservative operations ranging from Fox News to FreedomWorks and a phalanx of right-wing grifters who dealt themselves into the action.…Until Donald Trump came along.Trump, whose genuine populist instincts appear unconscious of, and unencumbered by, American history, dispensed with the tri-corner hats. His offer required no validation from neo-colonials, no resort to hallowed principles of limited government. Trump’s deal was straight up: He would secure the government programs — Social Security, Medicare — that benefit older, whiter Tea Party voters while chasing younger, browner Americans away from the public trough. He would even clear out of the country anyone who failed to prove citizenship.The Tea Party is now indistinguishable from the Trump Party.
The author of this inanity obvious never went to an event, as there were plenty of young people present.
Furthermore, the success of our sister publication College Insurrection shows that campus conservative activism inspired by Tea Party efforts continues to grow.
Finally, Donald Trump is not the “Tea Party” candidate. Yes, many of those who were or are still involved with the Tea Party efforts support him. Some enthusiastically so. Others not as much. But clearly there are plenty who are #NeverHillary.
However, many equally engaged members of various Tea Party groups have declared themselves #NeverTrump, and plan to vote Libertarian or write in another candidate. This choice does not make them any less “Tea Party.”
The next lie fisked today centers on an essay entitled “We Killed the Tea Party,” in which Campaign finance lawyer Paul H. Jossey describes how political action committees fiscally gouged Tea Party participants, draining them of money and sapping them of motivation.
What began as an organic, policy-driven grass-roots movement was drained of its vitality and resources by national political action committees that dunned the movement’s true believers endlessly for money to support its candidates and causes. The PACs used that money first to enrich themselves and their vendors and then deployed most of the rest to search for more “prospects.” …
Jossey also makes the false assertion that the Tea Party has become the Trump Party…and that the Tea Party movement has died.
…Today, the Tea Party movement is dead, and Trump has co-opted the remnants. What was left of the Tea Party split for a while between Trump and, while he was still in the race, Ted Cruz, who was backed by Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and national coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots. In 2014, the Tea Party Patriots group spent just 10 percent of the $14.4 million it collected actually supporting candidates, with the rest going to consultants and vendors and Martin’s hefty salary of $15,000 per month; in all, she makes an estimated $450,000 a year from her Tea Party-related ventures. Today, of course, it’s all about Trump, but Trump rallies are only Trump rallies, not Tea Party rallies that he assumed control of. There are no more Tea Party rallies.
No. Just no.
I agree that the national-level Tea Party groups have become less then effective. But real citizen activists have continued to remain involved at the state and local levels. For example, in California, our groups helped support the efforts behind removing a provision in a bill that that would have allowed the use of taxpayer dollars to punish and publicly shame Christian universities for operating according to their beliefs.
The Tea Party movement also has evolved. Some of its members now occupy local political offices. Others are now involved in the PTA. Some, like College Insurrection’s Aleister and myself, now analyze what elite media types fabricate about various topics, such as the Tea Party.
And, as I noted, Trump has not co-opted any aspect from the Tea Party. However, those among his supporters have picked up a few tricks during their involvement, such as taking the time to do their own crowd counts to refute mainstream media’s fantasy numbers.
This is just one of many reasons trust in the American mass media is at historic lows.
What I find fascinating is this coordinated effort for the establishment to foist this new meme on the public in an attempt to taint Trump’s campaign with the smears and false accusations associated with coverage of the Tea Party.
Trump may win in November. He may lose. However, the Tea Party movement will go on..despite continued rumors of its death.
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