Health & Fitness
Do Tea Party members support the same GOP candidates?
There are so many potential candidates for the March 2012 primary that it's hard to keep track of them. Do Barrington Tea Party members have a favorite already? A survey turned up surprises.
After the May 5 debate in Greenville, SC among 5 of the Republican candidates, we did a quick poll among Barrington Tea Party members. There are so many potential candidates for President in the March 2012 primary that it's hard to keep track of them.
Here's a summary of the results, the diversity of which may surprise you.
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For those who think that Tea Party folks are a bunch of old white racists, think again.
Congressman Allen West of Florida's 22nd District also received support despite his repeated assertions that he does not intend to run for President.
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So, although it is true that this particular group has many elderly white members in one of the more affluent communities in Illinois, two of their top choices for 2012 are favored for their strong conservative positions and demonstrated leadership potential rather than race.
More details of the analysis can be found on the Barrington Tea Party website at
There's a link in that text to a PDF file with graphic analysis of the survey data.
This was not intended to be a representative sample of voters in the Barrington area, but it demonstrates that the group consists of very independent-minded individuals who challenge the policies and leaders of both parties. They reflect a wide range of views about issues and initial candidate preferences for the 2012 election. This is not a homogenous group which is pushing one policy or candidate at voters. As a group, it doesn't endorse candidates, lobby, or fund campaigns. The focus is on empowering and respecting individual voters as local leaders, not empowering politicians or lobbyists in Springfield or Washington.
We encourage candidates to listen and respect voters so that voters will once again listen, respect, and trust their elected officials to serve the public to the best of their ability and within the limits of their authority and resources. Is that really so crazy or extreme?
We can disagree strongly on issues and candidates, but we're all in this together as Americans and as residents of this community. It's up to us to work together to create a better future, rather than expect our politicians to bestow benefits upon us in exchange for our votes.
Our Constitution doesn't start with the words "We the Wise and Benevolent Politicians ...", and the Founders didn't make an error in their choice of font size for "We the People". We are the ones who must be "silent no more" and take responsibility as individuals for fixing the unsustainable mess we created, despite good intentions, over the last few decades.
Our government has grown beyond all reason with the support of both political parties. Rather than just blame each other and fix nothing, or cut deals which create an illusion of productive activity, we need to develop new and better leaders who will actually bring people together to succeed at the hard challenges we now face. The change we believe in isn't a distant politician with more promises. We need to believe in each other as neighbors who have a lot in common despite all of the political efforts to divide and misrepresent us.
That's why it is a good thing that there are so many competing candidates for 2012, and no obvious favorite among them yet. This is not a celebrity survivor contest among them. It's about the future we expect to win through our own efforts, not government programs. We need to choose very wisely and carefully over the next year, because we are facing great challenges to the future prosperity and security of every American. We have to get it right.
