Richard Viguerie is Keynote Speaker for Tea Party Group; Cautions Against Forming a Third Political Party
Written by Richard Viguerie on January 29, 2010, 08:17 PM

     Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, delivered the keynote address at the January 29 meeting of the Leadership Tea Party, a conservative grassroots training event, at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Westin Hotel.

    Viguerie praised the Tea Party movement for providing new energy to conservative grassroots throughout the nation.

    “You’ve brought fresh, new reinforcements into the battle against big, corrupt government,” he told the group.

    Viguerie credited the Tea Party for helping stop many liberal initiatives from quickly being enacted into law.

    “If there had been no Tea Party opposition to the President’s legislative program, Obamacare, Cap and Trade, Union Card Check, and much more federal spending would probably have been enacted into law in 2009,” he said.

    Viguerie told the Tea Party leaders that they should work to be a third force in politics but should not try to organize themselves into a third party.  “A third party would be a disaster for the cause of limited government,” he warned.

    Tea Party members and other grassroots conservatives should focus exclusively on the 2010 Republican and Democratic primaries, he said.

    “Don’t think about 2012 at all.  In fact, don’t even think about November 2010.   Your focus should be to challenge every establishment Republican and Democrat in all federal, state, and local races,” Viguerie emphasized.

    “Our country didn’t get into the mess we’re in because of the policies and skills of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid.  The people who are responsible for handing power to the liberals in 2006 and 2008 are George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert, Bill Frist, and other GOP leaders.  The disastrous policies of the big government Republicans caused the voters to want to fire all Republicans,” he said.

    “Unfortunately, most conservative leaders just kept quiet while Bush, Rove, DeLay, Hastert, and Frist ran full speed ahead with all their spending and deficits.  But Tea Party activists are different.  You believe in principles, not just political power.  What a tremendous improvement,” Viguerie exclaimed.
 
 
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Oligogracy
The opening to the speech was great; "Hi. It's good to see you. Where have you been? I've been waiting for you." Or words pretty close to that. Sorry it took us so long to get here Mr. Viguerie. You've certainly done a lot to advance conservatism and defend America's founding principles. Your example may help us make up for lost time.
Mark-John
Richard- I quite agree- rather than fracturing the so-called "republican" Party, the Tea Party can be the most effective for the Conservative movement by fracturing the ENTIRE electoral process. They should "adopt" the wandering GOP, thus enlarging Conservative numbers, and then sweep both the Dem, and the RINO, from office.
CARL BRACK
IT WILL TAKE TEA PARTY COOPERATING WITH THE REPUBLICANS TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY FROM BEING DESTROYED BY THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION
CARL BRACK
IT WILL TAKE TEA PARTY COOPERATING WITH THE REPUBLICANS TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY FROM BEING DESTROYED BY THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION
sandy crissey
The tea party organizers must be careful not to look like "big spenders" when they charge $500+ to attend a conference. Goes against what we "grassroots" supporters believe in for the conservative effort. Let's look at future political candidates for their conservative values not for party affiliation. Frankly, I'm not too sure about some of the Republicans currently in office.
frodo
I want a third party. I'm sick of the Democrats spend till we drop attitude and cap and trade etc etc. I'm also against Republicans and their war mongering attitudes and discrimination against individuals rights for gay people. Both these parties must fail. We must regain our country from the NWO that owns us.
frodo
I want a third party. I'm sick of the Democrats spend till we drop attitude and cap and trade etc etc. I'm also against Republicans and their war mongering attitudes and discrimination against individuals rights for gay people. Both these parties must fail. We must regain our country from the NWO that owns us.
Ralph
We are not ready for a third party right away. During the time of Preident Clinton. He won his first and second terms with far less than 50% support because the conservative vote was torn between Republicans and Ross Perot. I believe we should vote for Democrat or Rebulican that will be more to the center. America would be better because of it.
Harold
The democrats are a lost cause; the republicans not far behind. Americans need to be educated on the Constitution and "real" limited government. That education WILL NOT COME from the two big box parties. The "big box" parties are like an old car. No matter how much you shine it up, no matter how many pieces you replace, it is still an old car. Time to replace the old with the new and that will not happen trying to "shine up" the republicans.
Dan
I'm with Harold. The problem with Republicans is they are still the party of big government. Seems once you get to Washington, you start speaking and thinking like the rest and less like the guy down the street. I barf listening to McCain and that crowd, same old political BS, worn out old generalities, no specifics.
GPM
The Republicans are idiots. They aren't smart enough to figure out that the average American has had it with the status quo of politics, Republican or Democrat. Democrats aren't any better, they think they are on a roll with the White House and Congress but their days are numbered. Hence their attempt to steamroll us. If the Republicans make big gains this year I doubt that they are smart enough to not screw up, again.
Stephen Herman
I would like to see the full text of Mr. Viguerie's speach shown above. I have read Mr. Weyrich's book "The Next Conservatism" and I would like to see if Mr. Vigerie and Mr. Weyrich are united in their directions once again (yes, I know PW is only a spiritual guide now). I hope so and I hope that RV is advising the various Tea Party groups leaders to remain united in their pursuit of return to the constitution, but diverse in their activities. I have read, as RV suggested, the Spider and the Starfish and the viral nature of the TPM is paramount! The TPM should not go the way of the MLK organization and the civil rights movement and side with one party. Both parties need to be motivated to listen to the TPM if you side with one you become irrelvent.
Gary L. Thompson
Look, Americans have felt major buyers' remorse ever quicker and more resoundedly following every major Democratic victory of recent times (1964, 1976, 1992), so what happenned last year was perfectly predictable. The question is, how do we finally convert this backlash into a true permanent rollback of the Progressive tide that has been steadily sapping away at the vitals of this nation for a century? I think the grassroots groups who brought the GOP into power in 1994 badly erred in thinking all they had to do is concentrate on that November, and the GOP establishment (i.e., Gingrich, Dole, Bush, etc.) would show proper gratitude accomplish what needed to be done. Their failure to elect their own people into Republican nominations and party leadership positions is why Tea Party activists are being forced to fight all over again battles that should have resolved in the 1990s. People continually misunderstand the role of third parties in our two-party system--the object is not to win this November, but to put one into position to capture subsquent Novembers (and ultimately displace one of the mainstream parties if it persists in defying the will of the people). George Nadar's party was tremendously successful in pulling the Democratic Party leftward, and stirring a mass outpouring of left supporters behind Clinton and Obama in the 2008 election. Unfortunately what was good for the Democratic Party has proven to be poison to the nation, the ship of state is now leaning so perilously leftward that it threatening to turn over like the Eastland and Ethan Allen, imperiling the lives and economic security of the people. What the Tea Party needs to do, if it truly wants to rout the Dems permanently from power, is seize control of the party machinery of all the conservative minor parties (Reform, Constitution, American Independent, whatever), as a dry run for its overthrow of the GOP establishment by 2012 at the latest. It needs to elect its people in the primaries and caucuses across the nation, and be willing to resort to the third-party option in districts where the GOP establishment resists the grassroots. Otherwise, a vote for the GOP will inevitably have the effect of voting for the Democrats return four or eight years dcwn the road.
Earl Nesmith
It's taken us (collectively) some 15 to 20 years to realize that we cannot trust politicians we send to Washington. That we have allowed a culture of its own to develope in D.C. that, like cocaine, only makes the people we sent want more of. They have learned to "say anything" so that they don't have to leave. The present roster of Republicans,for the most part, have legislated with the notion that it is "better" to try and get along with Democrats and bought into the demonization of their core values and principles. "We", trustingly elected representatives that would fulfill the perceived "bi-partisanship" necessary to govern,legislate and avoid grid lock. "We" forgot that isn't the way Democrats see bipartisanship. The present majority in congress and the administration have made this crystal clear. Regardless to what the compliant media says,if we are to return to the fundamentals of the United States of America, there must be a litmus test for our candidates from this point forward. It's not a bad thing. We "must" vett candidates that will take the oath of the respective offices and be asured that they will protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC!! As over the centuries, there have been changes made in the Constitution,but they were done by due process. The ideology of the majority congress and some compliant Republicans are making changes circumventing the process. First we take back our party and then take back our country. Just a thought...
James Long
Mr. Viguerie I was at your speech in Dallas. Would it be possible to get a video of the speech to show to others in our tea party group? Thanks for your legacy and leading the way!
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