Free market economist Thomas Sowell has some advice for the Tea Party in his latest column. Sowell wants the popular reform movement to consider how they can learn from their recent tactical error in pressing for a government shutdown. While Democrats are fumbling the rollout of Obamacare, now is the time to consider the best strategies for advancing liberty going forward. [contextly_sidebar id=”db680ee95a5b7c4aa926046385c57735″]
Sowell offers some strong rebuttals to many arguments Tea Partiers make about the right strategy to counter the president’s signature legislation. He addresses the question of whether it’s harder to repeal a law once it is enacted by reminding readers that Prohibition was repealed, and that was a constitutional amendment.
The good Dr. Sowell is correct. (Link)
Just because the tea party made a tactical error, that doesn’t mean they can’t learn from it and do better next time. Free market conservatives and libertarians are only going to get a few more chances to overtake social democrats at the polls.
The Libertarian Republic believes that a new coalition of social conservatives, tea partiers, libertarians and some Reagan Republicans could upend the establishment GOP pick to win the presidency in 2016. The trick will be to elect a Tea Party candidate that can actually win. The most viable candidates right now are lacking in more universal appeal for a general election. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) being the most likely contender still is not polling to prove he can beat a possible Hillary Clinton. The GOP needs a Barry Goldwater, but it can’t risk a loss like 1964.
What’s the right way to go forward?
Ronald Reagan‘s “3 legged stool” does not exist anymore. Fusionism is a cold war relic. Embracing the grassroots tea partiers and liberty activists could light the fire in the belly for actual get-out-the-vote campaigns, rather than token efforts by unwilling activists. Romney and McCain were far less than likable for the base, which means that there would be no real ground game to beat the Democrat’s well-oiled machine. Still, where the establishment GOP candidates such as McCain and Romney have been behind the game with technology, modern liberty activists and tea partiers are generally very high tech.
In 2012 the GOP establishment squashed their grassroots at the convention. Will they do it again?
If they want to win in 2016, the GOP must activate their grassroots base by nominating a more libertarian or tea party candidate. Those coalitions, loosely defined will be hostile to major neoconservative establishment candidates who have gained in strength recently due to the tactical error of shutting down the government. The sequestration cuts have strengthened lobbying efforts of the military industrial complex to advocate for wasteful programs that corrupt legislators and disrupt our democratic processes. Chris Christie (R) is already preparing to campaign for Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Their coalition shows a strong check to tea party strength.
These battles must be fought, but freedom advocates can’t make many more tactical mistakes.
Christie, Marco Rubio (R-FL) or Jeb Bush will be the likely establishment candidates to lead in 2016. If the GOP nominates an establishment candidate, as they have since Reagan, they will likely lose. If they nominate an anti-establishment candidate like a Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, even if they lose, they lose on principle.
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