What to do about the Tea Parties

If I were a wealthy and influential liberal (for a day), what would I do
about the popularity of the tea party movement? They came on like
gangbusters, had no visible leadership which could be attacked and stuck
to an agenda that was simple, direct and very effective. If they could
hold it together for a few election cycles, America could experience a
reversal of the misfortunes of the past 4-5 decades. Several strategies
come to a liberal mind.

Get them actively involved in the inept projects of the Grand Old Party
(GOP). That's right, make republicans out of them. Give them a few titles,
a chairmanship or two in some of the lower-level organizations but make
sure they do not occupy positions of influence in state or national
politics. If they advance too fast, give them the Boehner or Tillis
treatment.

Join them and convince them to "enlarge" their agenda, thereby watering
down the critical issues that enabled them to connect with so many voters
in the first place. There are endless possibilities in education,
regulation, bureaucracy and all sorts of divisive issues. Anything to take
their "eye off the ball" in the middle of the game.

And, finally, play to the natural weaknesses of all men.

A fascination with the "quick fix solutions", egos and "follow-the-leader"
personality cults. Offer them leaders and spokesmen. Get other
organizations to offer financial assistance and seminars. Once under the
same umbrella, they can then be smeared with the same brush. Whatever we
do, we must destroy their independent nature.

Once their agenda is diluted, detractors will either fade away or become
divisive. Movements like the tea party can best be controlled if we can
keep them within the confines of our current political structure, where
many of their activities can be diverted and controlled.

Of course, I am not a liberal and I would never implement such tactics.

Mike Armstrong