Dear Tea Party Candidate: You Are Not Invited to OUR Tea Parties
Some Nevada Tea Party activists are gathering signatures to denounce the new “Tea Party of Nevada” political party. Via email missive (and attached statement: Joint Statement 3-10-10) from a group of activist/organizers:
For Immediate Release: March 10, 2010
From Nevada grassroots and tea party leaders
Subject: Unified Statement / Grassroots Nevada is United
On March 9th, conservative leaders across Nevada came together to issue the following statement. The signature list is subject to modification over the next 24 hours. The final, signed statement will be available by Friday, March 12, 2010 at 12 noon.
We, the grassroots/tea party leaders of Nevada, speaking for the conservative activists in our communities, are united in issuing the following statement.
– We are united in denouncing the TPN (Tea Party of Nevada).
– The TPN is not a conservative party who speaks for grassroots and tea party activists in Nevada.
– The TPN is not now, has never been, and will never be affiliated with grassroots efforts in Nevada.
– The term “Tea Party Candidate” will no longer be used to indicate grassroots support for a candidate or candidates.
– The TPN will not be invited to or allowed to represent themselves at conservative grassroots events and functions across Nevada.
– We are united in our desire for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability from legislators and in legislation from Carson City, NV and Washington, D.C.
– We are united in opposition of progressive leanings towards unfunded mandates as a solution to appeasing special interest and delivering ‘social justice’.
– We are united in the belief that our government should be inspiring pride and accountability, and personal strength and opportunity, not a path for us to follow to have our needs met as the government sees fit.
– We, the tea party activists and grassroots organizers in Nevada, are united.
The joint statement is attached for signature. Please return a clear/strong signature by fax to Debbie Landis 775-852-2611 or email to info@angerisbrewing.com. When all signatures have been returned, the final document will be made available electronically.
Feel free to disseminate to the media as a joint NV grassroots effort, with our organizations united we are exponentially stronger than the sum of our members. I am truly proud to be part of joint efforts moving forward.
We are all in this together,
Debbie Landis / www.AngerIsBrewing.com
I don’t mean any disrespect, but wouldn’t one just naturally assume that the Tea Party of Nevada principals (and candidate Scott Ashjian) are well aware that they speak for themselves and not “for grassroots and tea party activists” around the state? Does this really require a formal denouncement?
Various grassroots and tea party leaders, activists and groups (and any candidates they support) also speak only for themselves and their own members/supporters and not for all grassroots/tea partiers. Nobody “owns” a certain message or the right to speak about it. Are all the different factions and wings of the grassroots/tea party movement going to put out disclaimers/denouncements clarifying that others do not speak for them?
And speaking of owning:
Scott Ashjian was quoted in a CNN story today as saying, “I don’t think Republicans own the Tea Party. In fact I know they don’t in Nevada, because I do.” Not sure what he meant by that. The Tea Party, as a movement, is not “owned” by anyone. The Tea Party of Nevada, as a political party, is not “owned” either. A political party, by nature, is an organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within government by participating in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protests. Parties espouse an expressed ideology or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals. It’s not about ownership, it’s about ideas.
Beyond all this “ownership” talk, though, here’s the bullet from that doc that really gets me:
“The TPN will not be invited to or allowed to represent themselves at conservative grassroots events and functions across Nevada.”
Really? Why not? And who is going to stop them? Isn’t the very nature of public, citizen-driven grassroots gatherings to allow and enable individuals to show up and express their views? What are these folks going to do if Scott Ashjian shows up with a sign and some stickers and starts speaking to people? And why on earth wouldn’t he be invited to, say, a rally or a debate with and among tea party/conservative candidates? Aren’t individual liberty and the right to speak one’s mind part of the energizing force and core values of the Tea Party movement?
Whether Scott Ashjian is “the real deal” as a tea party candidate, or an electable candidate at all, is not the point here. (Vetting him is all well and good but ultimately, his conservative creds will be for the voters to decide.) He’s a citizen, first and foremost. If he wants to form and file a third party, run for office, do CNN interviews, show up at a Tea Party or attend a conservative event, he ought to be – and is – free to do so.
Update (12:22 p.m.):
Here is a list of signers to the above document/denouncement so far:
It should also be said, perhaps, that the right to do something does not necessarily make that something the right thing to do. And that cuts both ways in this situation. Do Tea Party/grassroots groups have the “right” to denounce Scott Ashjian and ban him from their podium and private events? Yes. But is that the right thing to do?
