Better to teach a man to think, than tell him how to vote.

As this very important – and greatly anticipated – election season heats up, it won’t be long until we’ll all be sick of the ads that flood our lives.  Even the political junkies, a class in which I was a hard-core participant for a very long time, get weary of all the noise.

A year and a half into this adventure called the tea party movement finds us at a critical crossroad.  We’ve been angry. We’ve seen some real success. We’ve experienced serious disappointments and setbacks.  We’ve met so many more friends than we ever would have in our normal lives.  We’ve been called all kinds of nasty things, like racists, haters, and the vile “tea baggers”.   But most importantly, we have learned! About our history, our government and certainly about ourselves.  What a trip it’s been! 

Now comes the tough part. That of growing up and maturing.  What does it mean?  Does it mean we no longer protest, and get angry?  Absolutely not.  Does it mean we act like we know everything though we’re still really just in elementary school as far as movements go?  No.  But it does require us to think through what the ultimate end looks like, to plan how to get there, and implement those plans over time. 

But, therein lies the quandary.  There are two schools of thought that are at very serious odds.  One school says to remain independent of political parties by educating voters (teach them how to think)  and the other wants to promote a particular political party (tell them how to vote).  

Let’s look at a couple of the ups and downs of both.
School 1 good-
There’s no soiling of oneself by the political parties that have both gotten us where we are.  Education increases the likelihood of long-term success.  It makes better students and teachers ourselves, since WE have to do the work.

School 1 bad-
Creates a very real possibility of allowing a worsening of our situation by keeping in power the worse of the two parties.  It is not an easy sell compared the the hype of the political game.

School 2 good-
Will certainly put a quick damper on the plans for the socialist/ communist takeover of our way of life. It’s easier to sell to the masses since it’s what we’ve always known – US vs THEM.  

School 2 bad- 
May only postpone the inevitable.  Puts back into office, and power, many who are very much a part of the problem.  Certainly weren’t all that excited about most of them just 2 short years ago. Why now?

Obviously there is some overlap from one into the other and that shouldn’t be discounted. 

Ronald Reagan was, and is, my political hero. I keep hearing his quote about not needing a third party, but a revitalized Republican Party.  Fair enough – at the national/Presidential level.  A third party currently doesn’t have the capability to dethrone the ruling class, but what about at the state and local level?  Absolutely, if we really believe in the precinct organization strategy that is such a hot topic right now.  At the least the tea parties could yield significant influence in the primaries.  Not so at the national level, at least not yet.

This begs a question: Since the entrenched political apparatus is fighting this insurgence into their realm, has all the money and influence, as well as the incumbency to hold a seat, are we better served to expend a large amount of energy and human capital fighting them on principle, or in pursuit of a higher goal?  Wouldn’t we be as motivated or more, to promote candidates and ideals than the status quo?  Isn’t that really what some are doing?  Returning to power those that have shown no propensity to reverse the direction of bigger government? 

The stated goal is to replace Democrats with Republicans, then replace liberal Republicans with “constitutional” Republicans.  What does that look like in the short term?  That says to hold our noses and vote – this one last time – to return the Republicans to  the majority.  What about 2012?  We’ll be asked – just one last time (again) – to finish the job.  At that point we’ll be offered another GW Bush or John McCain progressive light “to ultimately put to rest the socialist Obama agenda.”  Right.

Down ticket, how many “tea party Republican” challengers will take a shot at incumbents in such a critical election as a presidential election?  I can assure you, the support could ONLY come from the grassroots. But incumbency rules the day, and so the grassroots will be convinced to support the “one that can win.” Isn’t that how we got the big tent back in the 80s?  The open door to the progressive wing of the Republican Party. I thought it foolish then, and it has certainly panned out that way.  

We’re getting no indication from any party powers that they will roll back anything.  Heard a loud “REPEAL OBAMACARE!” from anyone in the party leadership? No. Twenty years ago Republicans spoke of eliminating the Dept of Education, and trimming back the Dept of Agriculture, since we aren’t the agrarian society we once were.  When did we last hear anything like that? Been a while.  In fact, federal educational oversight and influence was grown under GW Bush.  They added the Medicare prescription drug entitlement and the Patriot Act, giving a President dictatorial powers under vague circumstances.

Those of us on the truly non-partisan track have a different idea.  What if we take the energy and hunger for knowledge to transform the current and next generation? Create a whole new (well, mostly discarded old) paradigm based on the principles of our founding.  We have the opportunity, unlike any we’ve ever seen, to  give the people a picture of what real freedom looks like, not expansion of government under Republican or Democrat rule. And yes, both parties rule us.

Alexander Hamilton, himself a proponent of a strong federal government, warned about trusting those we enthusiastically put in power when he said,”For it is truth, which the experience of all ages has attested, that the people are commonly most in danger when the means of injuring their rights are in the possesion of those [toward] whom they entertain the least suspicion.” 

It took the Progressives/ communists several decades to co-opt our education system.  With the advent of the internet and a passion for real change, it needn’t take us as long.  But, if we truly want a return to constitutional government, we must do the long, tedious job of changing all the stinkin’ thinkin’.  Can we really do it as Republicans after the national party trashed what Republicanism stood for? I think not.   We must stay neutral as groups, and let each individual make their own call on endorsements and alignment with a party.  That is the only way to retain credibility as a movement.