The Americano

More Americans seem to be drinking the tea of fiscal conservatism with a shot of Palin. Once viewed as a flash-in-the-pan rally of anti-government sentiment, the Tea Parties have taken political root, are spreading rapidly, and gaining strength. The question is can the GOP drink the tea too.

The Tea Party’s most recent victory was most appropriately in Sarah Palin’s home state of Alaska. Joe Miller, a Yale Law grad and Iraqi War veteran, beat incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski in the Alaskan Republican primary for the Senate nomination Tuesday. Sen. Murkowski was seeking her second full term and had the support of many Republicans in Washington. Miller represents the fifth self-identified Tea Partier to win a GOP Senate nomination.

“He pulled off the upset victory of the year because he ran on principles and because Alaskans, like all Americans, want to stop the massive spending, bailouts, and debt that are bankrupting our country,” Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) said a few minutes after Sen. Murkowski conceded the race to Miller.

Sen. DeMint has become a leading figure in Washington for the Tea Party movement. He went on to say, “Joe Miller’s victory should be a wake-up call to politicians who go to Washington to bring home the bacon. Voters are saying ‘We’re not willing to bankrupt the country to benefit ourselves.’”

The latest Gallup poll showed Republicans had a 10 point edge over Democrats nationwide in a generic survey. According to Gallup, this was the largest lead in its polling history. The GOP is expecting big wins in November, but what is the most unclear is how the Tea Party and Republicans will work together for a common purpose.

At the center of the Tea Party movement is Sarah Palin, giving the movement a rogue and maverick flavor. The “Palin Effect” is something the Washington Post has been watching with its Palin Tracker. According to the Post, Palin has made 42 political endorsements. So far, 20 of her endorsed candidates have won their primaries, while 10 have lost. Victorious endorsees include Joe Miller and Nikki Haley from South Carolina, who is running for governor.

The political identity of the Tea Party movement is difficult to peg down. According to a research report released by the Sam Adams Alliance the first of August, “Their [the Tea Party] flight from the Republican label while maintaining a loyalty to supporting its presidential candidates indicates that the Tea Parties are concentrating their political might in a position outside – yet related to – traditional Republican policies.”

The study found the Tea Party movement gained more members after the passage of the health care bill. Although seen as a political defeat to Tea Partiers, it served as motivation for more people to become active and not just Republicans. The Sam Adams Alliance found prior to the passage of Obama-care, members to the Tea Party were 81 percent Republican and 12.6 percent Independent. The new members who joined after Obama-care, or “Next Wavers” as the study refers to them, were 74 percent Republican and 20 percent Independent.

While the movement is not structurally unified across the country, there are fundamental positions that bind the movements together. “Budget” was ranked as the single most important issue, followed by the economy. Defense and immigration also ranked as “very important” issues.

Sarah Palin is irrefutably the favorite among the Tea Partiers. When asked to select their choice Presidential nominee for 2012, Palin garners 22.6 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney is the closest contender with 9.2 percent.

Chris Chocola, president of the anti-tax Club for Growth, said, “Joe Miller represents a new generation of pro-growth conservative leadership committed to America’s founding principles of limited government and economic freedom.”

Republicans should be careful not to alienate the rising conservative movement. Not only could they split the vote in 2012, the possibility of running a third candidate is real. The challenge for the Republican leadership is to walk the fine line of political teamwork without taking ownership of the movement.

Vice President Biden is trying to paint the two political groups as one in the same, hoping the association will play well for Democrats. He said “the Republican Tea Party” is “out of step with where the American people are.”

The risk Democrats run is losing crucial independent voters by painting them as extremists.
Judging by the numbers, the Tea Party is far from over, and has both established parties revamping their campaign strategy playbooks.