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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > February > 04 > Entry
Tea Party update - Join, or die?
In talking to local Tea Party groups for the story below, I couldn’t help but think of two iconic images from the American Revolution: Ben Franklin’s “Join, or die” cartoon, and the Gadsden flag. Both are below.
Here is the story that ran in our paper today (followed by press releases with updates from the local Tea Parties):
Amid the controversy surrounding a Tea Party convention in Nashville, Tenn., starting today, Feb. 4, is a debate about the future of the national grass-roots movement.
Will it become a political action committee? A third party? Assimilated into the Republican Party, or even overthrowing it?
Mike Wilson, a founder of the Cincinnati Tea Party, on Wednesday declared himself the first Tea Party candidate for the Ohio General Assembly. The Springdale business manager entered the Republican primary for the seat currently held by Rep. Connie Pillich, D-Montgomery.
“I’m an American first and a conservative second and a Republican third,” Wilson said of what differentiates him from other Republicans.
Meanwhile, local Tea Party leaders say they’re not aware of anyone from Butler County going to the Nashville event, primarily because of the cost.
“It was more or less a waste of money. We don’t know what it was going to accomplish,” said Chris Littleton, president of the Cincinnati Tea Party and the Ohio Liberty Council. “The people who are putting it on are doing it to make money.”
It was billed as the first national Tea Party convention but concerns arose when people realized organizer Tea Party Nation is a for-profit company charging roughly $549 for tickets to the three-day event.
“Our group is all volunteers,” said Geoffrey Vrbancic, a leader of the Liberty Twp. Tea Party, one of the largest in the region. “We’re all grass-roots, so we’re not doing it for a profit. We’re doing it out of our passion and desire for liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The fact that it’s $549 just seems to be extremely high for what we would expect.”
Several speakers and organizing groups have since backed out of this week’s event at the Opryland Hotel. But former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said she plans to remain the headlining speaker.
Littleton said the Ohio Liberty Council is planning its own, much cheaper, educational conference this summer, probably in Columbus.
Future of Tea Party still not clear, local leaders say
With roughly 800, mostly unaffiliated, Tea Party groups across the country, “Everyone has a different concept of what a Tea Party is and what they do,” said Geoffrey Vrbancic, a leader of the Liberty Twp. Tea Party.
And with a controversial national convention in Nashville, Tenn., starting today, Feb. 4, and the first self-defined “Tea Party candidate” announcing a bid for the state House on Wednesday, many are wondering what the fate of the movement will be.
For now, that’s all in the tea leaves, organizers say.
“Tea Parties are young and just trying to establish our identities. Being young, we all have our different identities, and I think it’s starting to coalesce,” Vrbancic said.
And despite the for-profit Tea Party Nation attempting to claim leadership of the movement in organizing the Nashville event, there is no unified command structure.
“You can find 10 groups right now saying, ‘We’re the national leaders of the Tea Party,’ ” said Chris Littleton, president of the Cincinnati Tea Party and Ohio Liberty Council — a coalition of more than 50 Tea Parties and similar groups across Ohio.
“No one has leadership at this point, because it all started in people’s houses,” Littleton said.
Even if Tea Party Nation doesn’t work out, Vrbancic said Tea Parties must work together to have any impact. Join, or die, in the words of original revolutionary Benjamin Franklin.
“When I joined the organization, the intent was the only way we’re going to make any progress or have any impact is by organizing on a large scale, which would be on a national level,” Vrbancic said.
Vrbancic’s Liberty Twp. Tea Party boasts that 180 people showed up to its last meeting Monday.
Butler County boasts at least three Tea Parties. The Liberty Twp. group and another in West Chester Twp. are both spinoffs of the Cincinnati Tea Party. The Middletown Tea Party has its origins with the Dayton group. All are part of the Ohio Liberty Council.
“We will try to impact elections in 2010,” said Littleton, explaining that the Ohio Liberty Council has recently acquired a political action committee to funnel money to candidates and issues.
‘The way of the Whigs’
While Vrbancic said many Tea Partiers worry about diluting the country’s conservative vote by opposing the GOP with a Tea Party party, they also have many differences with today’s Republican party.
“I think we’re kind of waiting to see what the Republican party is going to do in response (to the movement),” said Vrbancic. “Are they going to go back to their conservative roots, or are they going to continue on the path they’re currently on?”
Before the Tea Party considers forming its own party, Littleton said they are urging their members to get involved in their local Republican parties, running for central committee seats in counties across the state.
“There’s going to be thousands of people across the state that are running in these positions,” he said. “This is the bottom level of the party structure.”
“I believe we can work within the Republican party, even with all the problems we have with it.”
If that doesn’t work, “I could see them (the GOP) going the way of the Whigs,” said Mike Wilson, who announced his candidacy for the 28th Ohio House District on Wednesday, touting himself as the first Tea Party candidate because of his role in helping to organize the Cincinnati Tea Party.
“If the Republican Party had actually stood for what they did, you probably wouldn’t had the need for this type of a movement to take hold in America,” Wilson said, though he said he’s running as a Republican because “they’re still the party I’m philosophically closest to.”
There will be no Tea Party party on the ballot in May, according to officials from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. The deadline to file paperwork to create a minor party was Wednesday .
Boehner: ‘You have to show who you are’
Republicans are taking notice.
“There’s something going on in this country,” said U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner minutes before filing his re-election paperwork Monday at the Butler County Board of Elections.
The Republican from West Chester Twp. called the Tea Party phenomenon a political rebellion.
“It’s Americans who are angry, and frankly, they’re scared,” he said.
But while they’re like-minded in their preference for smaller government, Boehner said he cautions his colleagues to not take their support for granted.
“You have to show who you are,” he said. “The movement is not monolithic.”
Press release announcing Mike Wilson’s campaign:
Springfield Township resident, and Cincinnati Tea Party Founder, Mike Wilson, formally filed petitions to run in the Republican Primary for Ohio Representative in the 28th House District. Wilson originally announced his intention to run in front of 18,000 people at the Cincinnati Tea Party’s Voice of America Rally on September 5, 2009 and kicked off his campaign shortly after November’s election. Wilson is running against incumbent Democrat, Connie Pillich, who was elected for the first time in 2008.
“Ohio is on the wrong track when it comes to jobs, taxes and the business environment in the state,” said Wilson. “I am running to be an agent of change that will make Ohio prosperous and job and family friendly again.”
After filing petitions Wilson will spend the day in Columbus meeting with leadership from conservative organizations including the Buckeye Institute, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Buckeye Firearms, and Ohio Right to Life. Mike will end the day meeting constituents from the 28th district at a meet-and-greet at the Blue Goose Sports Café in downtown Sharonville at 7:00 p.m.
Wilson’s campaign will include a broad appeal to traditional American values including free markets, fiscal responsibility, and limited government and an end to unprincipled politics as usual. Wilson has been outspoken in recent weeks opposing the deals made to shift GOP candidates around in the statewide Attorney General and Auditor races. The appeal of Wilson’s message and the strength of his grassroots base were demonstrated in end of year campaign finance reports where first-time candidate Wilson raised 95% of his incumbent Democrat opponent’s total of $32,797.78, while more than doubling her number of individual donors 366-151.
The 28th Ohio House district covers communities in north and northeastern Hamilton County including Forest Park, Sharonville, and Montgomery. Mike has knocked on hundreds of doors and met with over 3,000 district residents. He looks forward to meeting many more on February 3.
Wilson’s platform will address the need for leadership, integrity, and accountability in the legislature. These characteristics are vital for effective representation. Mike’s key legislative priorities include improving the business climate in Ohio - particularly for small businesses and manufacturing, reducing the tax and fee burden on Ohio citizens, and supporting education and school choice across the state.
Candidate Profile: - Position: Ohio Representative, District 28 - Affiliation: Tea Party Conservative, Registered Republican - Family: Married 12 years to Joni; three children - Community: Springfield Township - Education: BS Applied Mathematics - University of Cincinnati - Profession: Technical Services Manager for PCMS Datafit, based in Springdale, Ohio - Organizations: Member, Sacred Heart Parish; Track Coach, Sacred Heart; Founder/President, Cincinnati Tea Party; Lifetime Member of the National Rifle Association; Founding Member/Board Member, Ohio Liberty Council
Press release from the Liberty Twp. Tea Party:
Heritage Elementary School in Liberty Township, OH on February 1st, 2010. Over 180 people attended this event. This meetingâ•˙s featured speaker was Charles Miller, President, and Cincinnati Chapter of the Federalist Society. Mr. Miller spoke on the need for balance in the education of the law profession and explained to the group that the Federalist Society was organized to ensure that conservative values were part of the educational process in law Liberty Township, OH, February 2nd, 2010: The Liberty Township Tea Party held their February Meeting at the education. He went on to inform the group on the complexity of the Judiciary in the State of Ohio and the issues facing the voters in the coming Supreme Court election and informed us on other issues facing voters with regard to the Judiciary at all levels. He then took many questions from the group. Sandra Korn presented the ever popular ╲Four Minutes with our Forefathers╡; this eveningâ•˙s topic was George Washington and his views regarding government and service. This was followed by Robin Hunt who followed this theme and reported on the book, ╲The Real George Washington╡ giving her impressions of the book and how Washington values impressed her. These presentations were followed by and open discussion by the group many questions and opinions were shared. The next meeting of the LTTPâ•˙s ╲Sam Adams Club╡ will be at Jerzeyâ•˙s in Liberty Township, February 15th starting at 6:30 PM The next general meeting of the LTTP will be Monday, March 1st at 7:00PM at Heritage Elementary School in Liberty Township. Please visit us at www.libertytownshipteaparty.org.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |
Comments
By TeaParty/GOP
February 4, 2010 4:33 PM | Link to this
If the Tea Party is indeed a “new” viable group without party ties and with its own fresh ideas, then why run in the Republican Primary? Why have a Republican speak at your National Convention? Why not file to be a minor party?
By village idiot
February 4, 2010 8:33 PM | Link to this
“It’s Americans who are angry, and frankly, they’re scared,” he said. You’re absolutely correct, Mr Boehner. We ARE scared and angry. Scared and angry at politician’s period. That, my dear Mr Boehner, includes you as well.
By Deano
February 5, 2010 12:21 AM | Link to this
About all I see when I look at this Tea Party group is a rag tag bunch of LOSER REPUBLICANS pushing the GOP’s ruin Obama campaign as they have since Obama’s first day in office.
By Grandma2010
February 6, 2010 7:05 PM | Link to this
As I see it I just think this Tea Party is nothing but a bunch of people, Democratss & Republicans, that don’t like the idea of our first Africa American President. To me Mike Wilson isn’t promising anything different that President Obama promised us in his campaign. It’s always easy to critize what is going on in Washington but I think if we could walk in the President’s shoes we would have a totally different outlook. For goodness sake we should give the President & his staff a chance. It’s only been a little over a year since he took office & look at the mess he walked into, thanks to the Republican Party. If McCain would have been elected we could all be bashing him.
By Slapdash
February 7, 2010 5:01 AM | Link to this
To the Tea Party members: please do us all a favor and create a third party. You do nothing but polarize the Republican Party. I like to party and I love to drink tea, but I don’t like the Tea Party.
By dd
February 8, 2010 3:52 AM | Link to this
Simple solution - Cut the head off the snake. - BAM - no more snake. Be sure to get the mate - they run in pairs.
By free
February 9, 2010 9:16 AM | Link to this
The propaganda machine has all of you good sheep in the dark, first the president is just a figure head with no real powers,second we live in a fascist state and have sense the days of Andrew Jackson, who by the why killed the bank and is my hero.Turn off that tv and turn on your minds
By dragonfly
February 9, 2010 2:43 PM | Link to this
Ifind myself in strong agreement with villageidiot,slapdash, free and ESPECIALLY Grandma2010. A wise remark deserves repeating. “TURN OFF THAT TV AND TURN ON YOUR MINDS”.
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