I recently had the opportunity to work firsthand with several hundred chapters of the Tea Party as spokesman for the Cut, Cap and Balance Coalition. Despite what Democratic talking heads may say, the Cut, Cap and Balance plan was the only proposal that permanently fixed America’s debt crisis by calling for a balanced budget, while hitting the level of cuts Standard & Poor’s deemed necessary for maintaining America’s AAA credit rating.
Compromise is usually tough to swallow for both sides, but rather than focus on their disappointment, Tea Partyers, all concerned citizens, should take encouragement from the House vote in favor of Cut, Cap, and Balance. Tea Partyers rightfully take considerable credit for electing many of the 87 freshman Republicans, including Colorado’s Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton. The House vote demonstrated that a permanent solution to the nation’s fiscal mess lies in reach if we can retake the Senate and the White House in 2012.
Moreover, the recent skirmish over the debt-ceiling increase is a good case study on how the Tea Party may affect future political debate. Thanks to new media, the 24-hour news cycle and an interest in the political process that is greater than ever, lawmakers are dealing with an electorate that possesses a level of sophistication once reserved for inside-the-beltway pundits and legislative staff on Capitol Hill.
As a result, the debt ceiling, which had been raised many times before, became a flashpoint for working families who are tired of Washington’s overspending. With organizations like Americans for Prosperity, the National Taxpayers Union and ForAmerica providing almost real-time updates on how negotiations were (or weren’t) progressing, lawmakers had a new level of accountability, with their efforts in Washington reaching voters in Colorado at the speed of Twitter.
Coloradans got a good look at the influence that the Tea Party may have over next year’s elections last weekend. Michele Bachmann’s win at the Iowa straw poll — with huge levels of participation — indicates that conservative voters are fed up, fired up and tuned in. On a more local level, elected officials like Tipton and Gardner will need to ensure they uphold the principles of smaller government, restrained federal spending and traditional values to ensure the same level of support they enjoyed in the last cycle.
It’s important to note the changing dynamic within the movement. For instance, several lawmakers identified as “Tea Party-backed” ultimately supported the final debt-ceiling proposal. In the days following the epic showdown in Washington, Tea Party heavyweight FreedomWorks announced it wouldn’t have an annual gathering in Washington, because it was “not just a protest movement anymore.”
The future for the Tea Party lies in determining what comprises a core principle, and where it can work with others for the greater good. Having already proven it is a potent campaign operation, the Tea Party must translate that influence into positive change once its champions are elected.
Joe Brettell served as communications director for former Colorado Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and is a GOP consultant living in Washington, D.C.
