Boehner Eats His Young
By DICK MORRIS
Published on
DickMorris.com on December 14, 2013
House Speaker John Boehner would not be House Speaker John Boehner if it
were not for the tea party and the other conservative groups he now
criticizes. He says that they "lack all credibility" and accuses them of
"using our members [Congressmen] and the American people for their own
goals."
Asked about the criticism leveled at the budget deal by conservative
groups, the said "Are you kidding me? I don't care what they do."
His comments immediately drew admiring
praise from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who said his
comments were "a breath of fresh air."
Has the world turned upside down? If it were not for these groups -- the
Tea Party Patriots, Heritage Action for America or others -- the
Republicans would have lost the elections of 2010 and he never would
have been Speaker.
The grass- and cyber-roots enthusiasm of these conservative groups
animate the Republican Party in the same way that groups like Occupy
Wall Street and Moveon.org provide a shot in the arm for their party.
Without their hard work, outreach, enthusiasm and donations, the
Republican Party would never have won in 2010 and won't win in the
future. And House Speaker John Boehner better realize it. If he doesn't,
perhaps his members will and will reacquaint him with reality.
Without the tea party, the Republican Party would be an inarticulate,
me-too party without ideas or energy.
The Republican Party has always represented a fusion of two broad
groups: those who are driven by ideology and those who grew up in
geographic areas that are traditionally Republican and joined the party
because it was the obvious way to enter politics.
Call them the Nixon Republicans, these folks live in suburbs or small
towns and represent the equivalent of the urban big city machines that
spawn and nurture Democrats.
But this party could not get elected. It would not have defeated Jimmy
Carter in 1980 or elected Ronald Reagan. It would not have been the
vehicle for the Gingrich Revolution of 1994, nor would it have taken the
House in 2010.
It required a Reagan, a Newt Gingrich, a Ted Cruz, a Paul Ryan, a Mike
Huckabee, or the like to animate it, fill it with ideas and carry it to
victory.
For Boehner to cast aside these party enthusiasts and conservative
workhorses is shortsighted and ungrateful in the extreme.
The tea party types are amateurs. They are small businesspeople, retired
military, doctors and so forth that are professionals in their
occupations but amateurs in politics. We need to be patient with their
learning curve. They learned a lesson in October when the government
shutdown backfired. And they won't make that mistake again. Indeed,
their basic acceptance of the Ryan-Murray deal indicates precisely that
growth of perspective and maturity.
In this light, the Speaker's comments are outrageous and cast real doubt
on his ability to lead the House in the future.
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