The Cato Institute's 5 pieces of advice for "Tea Partiers"

[dookie1481]

Quotations mine. I hate the packaging and marketing of ideologies, but I'm digressing.

1. Republicans aren’t always your friends.
2. Some tea partiers like big government.
3. Democrats aren’t always your enemies.
4. Smaller government demands restraint abroad.
5. Leave social issues to the states.

http://bit.ly/b6l8IL

[rickrock305]

wow, you mean everything isn't black and white, left wing or right wing, liberal or conservative? you mean to tell me that there is actually room for grey area?

NAHHHHH, sounds too much like common sense to me.

[RancidSumo]

Nope. No grey area. "In a compromise between food and poison, the only outcome is death."

[l3mon]

this makes to much sense

thread\

[GermanSynergy]

Sage advice. I know a lifelong Texas Democrat that is a passionate 2A supporter, NRA member and voted for McCain.

Conversely, I know a Maryland Republican that is virulently anti gun, seems to love big govt and wants all handguns confiscated from private homes. She also happens to detest the Tea Parties as well...

The issues regarding personal liberty aren't always as simple as (D) or (R).

[500grains]

Q
5. Leave social issues to the states.

http://bit.ly/b6l8IL

That is very appealing. It would cut the size of the fed govt by half, getting them back to DoD, courts, Congress, and other very basic federal functions, and abolish Dept of Education, HUD, Dept of Health and Human Services, etc.

[montanadave]

As laudable a goal as "leave social issues to the state" may appear, let's not forget that had this always been the case, we would likely still have slavery in this country.

The right thing to do is sometimes an unpopular thing to do and, for this reason (among others), many of our "founding fathers" were deeply distrustful of a pure democracy.

[HelloLarry]

It's really not Left vs. Right.

It's really Statism vs. Freedom

[rickrock305]

Nope. No grey area. "In a compromise between food and poison, the only outcome is death."

and this is why the country is in the state that its in.

[jwinch2]

Just watched the video and I thought it was quite good. I have been frustrated for years that the GOP was more concerned with what was going on in someone else's bedroom than they were in fiscal restraint.

If the Tea Party can rally around these principles of limited government, individual liberties, and state's rights and not let themselves be co-opted by other agendas such as social issues they can be a force for good in this country in my view. I have my doubts about that being able to happen unfortunately, but perhaps I am just jaded.