Priorities for the Tea Party

By Kevin Price

2010 was a masterpiece for the Tea Party movement. Rarely have we seen a group of people change the political landscape at a quicker pace than what we have witnessed since the Fall of 2008. It was then when millions of Americans realized that their government no longer resembled anything its founders intended it to be and had truly grown out of control. It was during this time that the Bush Administration and liberals in Congress decided to bailout the largest companies in America at the expense of both current and future generations. This revolt had nothing to do with "party," but was motivated by principle. Both parties had been found guilty of violating the Constitution they have sworn to defend.

The focus of 2009 and 2010 was on helping the huge numbers of those who have recently become aware of our national nightmare in understanding the ways they can best help the cause of liberty. These included:

* Simply becoming better educated. The majority of new Tea Party activists knew something was wrong, but had no idea how to fix it. We have all become aware that generations of the government teaching the people what it can and cannot do, has made a population unprepared to fight for liberty. This will remain a huge priority in the years to come.

* Actively support political candidates and causes. This includes signing petitions, working precincts, stuffing mail, and any other number of activities that could make a difference.

* Holding the media accountable. This has become a huge challenge for Tea Party activists. There is a tendency to take a "black and white" approach to the media. "Fox is good." "MSNBC is bad." As a result, activists do not give networks other than Fox any incentive to move in the right direction. For example, my program, which is on CBS Radio in Houston, is as conservative as anything on Fox (yes, even Beck and the Judge), and I have a strong and loyal following. But if people want shows like mine to have a national platform, they will have to tell the networks. Congratulate networks for providing a helpful story and don't merely punish them for having bad programming. Also, I have received many ugly emails from people because of my show's CBS affiliation and they had to eat crow after I sent them a few of my articles. Tea Party activists need to do their homework before they attack.

* Running for office. There were 63 new Republicans elected to Congress in November 2010. Virtually all of them were Tea Party activists and had little or no political experience. Many legislatures around the country changed hands as well when people who never ran decided to make a difference. Many city and county governments are filled with new representatives, all stemming from the Tea Party phenomenon. This should continue in 2011.

2010 was an extraordinary year for Tea Party activists. However, I believe many on both sides of the political aisle are banking on this movement to fade, like similar ones have in the past. If it wants to remain a viable force it needs to double up on the great things it accomplished in the last two years.