The Unlimited Potential of the Tea Party

During the Conservative Political Action Conference here in Washington, I heard one speaker suggest that the conservative movement had much to offer the Tea Party movement. I respectfully disagree.

The speaker explained how the conservative movement has been around Washington for so long and has learned so much that it could be passed on to the Tea Partiers. And that's exactly why I disagree.

The work of the Tea Party movement is not in Washington. It's deep down in the grassroots in all 50 states — natural turf (not the Astro version) that has never been permeated or organized effectively by the conservative movement.

In fact, while the conservative movement has generally been a force for good in America for most of its 50 years, it has been largely a top-down effort inspired and led by just a handful of forceful political figures — the two most notable being Ronald Reagan and Rush Limbaugh.

Obviously, it had little real, tangible and lasting impact on the national scene until Ronald Reagan. Upon his retirement from office in 1989, Rush Limbaugh inherited the mantle of leadership as the king of talk radio.

Is there any doubt that without the sheer force of these two personalities that no one would even be talking about conservatism as a "movement" today?

Meanwhile, the Tea Party movement sprang up just a year ago — with a handful of disparate leaders few of us can even name. It is truly a grassroots movement. As I have said before, it is the most promising such political movement to arise in my lifetime.

Who birthed this movement? Barack Obama did — just as I predicted his election would back in 2008. It's a reaction to Obama's efforts to remake the United States of America in his own image — socialist, utopian, globalist, secular, humanist.

The broad rejection of Obama's policies, and those of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, is the essence of what the Tea Party movement is all about. But there's more to it than defensiveness and rejection. At its core, the Tea Party is a recommitment by tens of millions of Americans to the U.S. Constitution and the vision of the founders.

While elements of the conservative movement have emphasized the Constitution, the rule of law and the will of the people, conservatives have traditionally lacked the fiery commitment to that document that I see among Tea Partiers. And this is another reason why the Tea Party movement has so much more potential for growth and sustainability than the conservative movement.

The basis of the Tea Party movement is anger that Washington, including both Democrat and Republican politicians, has allowed the Constitution to be shredded. It has seldom been invoked to limit the authority and reach of Washington into the lives of American citizens and the 50 states.

People ask me all the time what the Tea Party is all about. I think I can summarize it very succinctly. And, if I'm wrong, may the complaints and corrections of millions of tea partiers descend upon me. The Tea Party is about the Constitution. It's about the rule of law, not the rule of men. It's about the will of the people, not the will of the Washington elite.

In one year, this movement has far outgrown the modern conservative movement in its 50-year history.

And it has done so for two reasons: Barack Obama and the simplicity of the Tea Party movement's agenda — reaffirmation of limited government under the Constitution.

The Tea Party movement has already eclipsed the conservative movement in size and strength. It has energized millions of Americans who have never before been engaged in politics.

So, where does it go from here?

First some words of caution from an admiring observer:

— Don't look to veteran political activists of the conservative movement for expertise. Often, but not always, these activists have as part of their agenda personal self-empowerment rather than setting our country on the right course.

— Don't look to politicians as your saviors. This is a nation founded on the principle of "self-government," meaning we govern ourselves, not rule by elites in state capitals or in Washington.

— Get involved personally, not just in conferences and rallies and marches, but in the political process at the grassroots level — precinct organizing, local party politics, city and county elections. This is the fertile ground upon which the future harvest of citizen-leaders emerges.

— Remember always what you believe: that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence represent the entire framework of American government. Don't add to it. Don't subtract from it.

How do we take America back? Do we work within the Republican Party or the conservative movement? Or do we form a new political party — the Tea Party? This may sound crazy, but I think both of those ideas are thinking too small.

Yes, working within the Republican Party in 2010 represents the quickest way to make an immediate impact on Washington's efforts to steal away our liberties. It is probably the best vehicle for continued redirection in 2012. But, what's wrong with having both major political parties committed to the Constitution? Shouldn't any viable political party in America be sworn to upholding the spirit and letter of the Constitution?

Unlike the conservative movement, the Tea Party movement has a chance to accomplish that goal. And it ought to embrace as a goal the deliberate takeover of both parties by the midterm elections of 2014. I know that's a super-ambitious goal. But all it takes is the manpower and determination the Tea Party movement has already demonstrated.

Can you imagine how beautiful America would be if both political parties were actually committed to preserving constitutionally limited government? The conservative movement could never have achieved that objective. But the Tea Party movement can. Both parties are there for the taking.

They are controlled by a limited number of activists. This uprising that has occurred in the last year should be a signal to us all that we don't have to be satisfied with having one of the two American political parties committed to preserving America. We can and should have them both.

Wouldn't it be nice if the two major political parties in America fought over minor issues rather than fundamental structural issues? Wouldn't it be nice if both major political parties were committed to observing the Constitution? Wouldn't it be nice if both major political parties actually wrangled over how to empower individuals and states rather than promoting bigger and more intrusive central government?

You bet it would. And only when we have them both will we be able to ensure there's no going back to unconstitutional government in America.

To find out more about Joseph Farah and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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