Flashback to early-2009: The US was in the first one hundred days of the Barack Obama presidency. Many Americans already knew what to expect in the coming four (or eight) years. Others may have voted for President Obama hoping for the best but not realizing the kind of damage that he would be able to inflict upon our nation. Those who saw it coming had already begun to organize. We marched. We met. I attended a rally in Columbus, OH on April 15th, 2009 – Tax Day. We had not even heard of the term “Tea Party”; but that was exactly what this was: A Tea Party rally. It consisted of hundreds of patriotic Americans concerned about the future of their country in general and, more specifically, the State of Ohio. John Kasich, at that time contemplating his initial run as Governor of Ohio, spoke at that event in a chilly rain.
As Barack Obama and the Pelosi/Reid-led Congress began unleashing their version of “hope & change”, the Tea Party movement grew in numbers and in intensity. I attended another rally at the US Capitol in November of 2009, this one resisting the passage of the Affordable Care Act. This was known as the “Kill the Bill” rally, organized by former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN). Unfortunately, this rally took place the same day that Nidal Hassan slaughtered thirteen fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. So the rally received little media attention. But there were tens of thousands present that day. The Tea Party succeeded in turning control of the House of Representatives over to the GOP in the 2010 mid-term elections. Although Obama was re-elected in 2012, the 2014 mid-term elections proved to be another bloodbath for the Democrats in terms of numbers of seats held, not just in Washington, but in statehouses nationwide as Republicans gained control of the Senate. The Tea Party had become a force to be reckoned with. Despite constant denigration by the left and willing coverage by complicit members of the media, the term “Tea Party” had become a fixture of the political lexicon.
Fast forward to 2016. The US was eagerly anticipating another election at the sunset of the Obama era. Conservatives were every bit as motivated as they had been seven years earlier. However, the sheer number of GOP candidates during the primary season – as well as the seemingly vast differences between the various candidates – resulted in a near-fracture of the Republican Party. Many in the media were writing the GOP’s eulogy as many began doubting if Republicans could win, not just the Presidency, but ANY election ever again. Ted Cruz supporters despised Donald Trump; Trump supporters despised Cruz. All of the in-fighting made things appear dire indeed for conservatism in general and the GOP in particular.
Then came November, 2016 and Donald Trump managed to turn the political landscape upside-down by becoming President of the United States. Conservatives coast-to-coast breathed a collective sigh of relief. We had done it! A renewed sense of optimism cascaded over the country as we had dodged the “Hillary bullet”.
But where is the Tea Party now?
But where is the Tea Party now? What was, several years ago, a political force unlike anything that the nation had seen in decades has been reduced to a whisper. No one in the media even talks about the Tea Party anymore. Although many Tea Partiers dislike Trump intensely, the fact remains that is was Tea Party sentiment that got Trump elected. Many of the same people that I met at the events of 2009 became staunch Trump supporters – myself included. The Tea Party was NOT an arm of the Republican Party; to the contrary – many Tea Party members were disaffected Republicans. The Tea Party also included moderate Democrats who were tired of seeing their hard-earned tax dollars squandered on an $800 billion “stimulus” that stimulated little and were disgusted by images of ISIS running roughshod across the Middle East driving American military equipment. They grew weary of men fighting for the “right” to use the women’s rest room and were disgusted by the notion of women aborting pregnancies at eight months. Many more were gun owners who refused to stand by as Hillary Clinton and her gun-grabbing friends sought to disarm America.
But folks, our work is not done. As a matter of fact, it is really still beginning. The election of Donald Trump as President was merely a victory in one hard-fought battle. But this battle is part of a much larger war; a war on liberalism. Those on the left have, since the election, been in the streets smashing windows and making threats on the White House. But, to them, the war is not over. For them, it will never be over. The day after President Trump’s election, radicals funded in part by George Soros, managed to put together a nationwide “Women’s March” in which millions (presumably) participated. I honestly do not believe that the left has the strength of their convictions to mount the sustained effort that the Tea Party managed. Their effort was little more than a rag-tag bunch of whiners, many of whom could not even articulate their reason for being there in the first place. And their modus operandi was antithetical to the peaceful, patriotic, God-loving protests displayed by Tea Party participants and supporters. But looking at it in terms of sheer numbers, it was impressive nonetheless.
Support Canada Free Press
From all indications, the Trump presidency is going to give the American economy a much-needed shot in the arm. Americans will feel safe again. We have a President who will not traipse about the planet apologizing for America. But what the left lacks in conviction and intellect, they make up for in numbers and the loudness of their voices. We need to keep our movement going and we need to remain motivated. There are still far too many RINOs in Congress. The national debt is still climbing with no end in sight. Yes, America NEEDS the Tea Party now more than ever. We need to make sure that we stick to our core tenets of limited government, reduced debt, and the right to defend our families at home and our nation overseas.
Do not allow the Tea Party to become a relic of the past. We’ve come too far to stop fighting now.
James Sharp is a middle-aged, middle-class, middle-management salesman who believes in secure borders and fighting our enemies with a strong military. He also believes in limited government, free markets, and unlimited opportunity and personal liberties for all citizens of the U.S.
