THE TEA PARTY and THE COUNTY PATRIOTS – Part 1:

TEA  Party

           TEA Party Patriots                      

                        The Christian TEA Party

                                     The  County Patriots

By Dr. John Cooper

 

John Cooper says The TEA Party.Everyone is talking about the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) PARTY which really surfaced in 2010. This is definitely a grassroots movement. God is stirring up people to take action and get involved before it’s too late. A few weeks ago an 81 year old elderly christian man surfaced at the Christian TEA Party. He said I am scared to death of the direction that our country is going and I am going to do all that I can to stay informed by being involved and voting  for conservatives.

The Tea Party and the The TEA Party Patriots are basically the same. They have basically teamed up with other Conservatives to support the election of all Conservative in all elected positions, both locally and nationally. Most of these happen to be Conservative that  embrace the platform of the Conservative views of the Republican Party. Then, all conservatives from any party can be TEA Party members as well. There is some differences between the TEA parties and it’s based on the PURITY TEST. The question arises as how much of the Conservative position one has to believe to be a Conservative.

Doug Morris, President of The Lamar County TEA Party said, “The Lamar County TEA Party wishes to stay wholly secular and political in nature. We believe that if you are a Conservative, you will have Judeo-Christian values and follow a conservative path in life and decision making. Our group follows the Reagan theory that if you believe 8 out of 10 points of the Purity Test or the Tea Party Patriots Constitution then you are a friend to the Conservative agenda. We do not use Christian attached to our platform to avoid conflict with those who hold a secular lifestyle while maintaining conservative values, so doing also separates them by name from The Christian TEA Party and The Christian County Patriots but NOT Judeo-Christian principals and values”. This is their Mission Statement and Philosophy.:

 

Tea Party Patriots Mission Statement and Core Values

The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.


Core Values

  • Fiscal Responsibility
  • Constitutionally Limited Government
  • Free Markets

Fiscal Responsibility: Fiscal Responsibility by government honors and respects the freedom of the individual to spend the money that is the fruit of their own labor. A constitutionally limited government, designed to protect the blessings of liberty, must be fiscally responsible or it must subject its citizenry to high levels of taxation that unjustly restrict the liberty our Constitution was designed to protect. Such runaway deficit spending as we now see in Washington D.C. compels us to take action as the increasing national debt is a grave threat to our national sovereignty and the personal and economic liberty of future generations.

Constitutionally Limited Government: We, the members of The Tea Party Patriots, are inspired by our founding documents and regard the Constitution of the United States to be the supreme law of the land. We believe that it is possible to know the original intent of the government our founders set forth, and stand in support of that intent. Like the founders, we support states’ rights for those powers not expressly stated in the Constitution. As the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, in all other matters we support the personal liberty of the individual, within the rule of law.

Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible, as do we. Our current government’s interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.
Tea Party Patriots, Inc. as an organization believes in the Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets. Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a non-partisan grassroots organization of individuals united by our core values derived from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill Of Rights as explained in the Federalist Papers. We recognize and support the strength of grassroots organization powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. We hold that the United States is a republic conceived by its architects as a nation whose people were granted “unalienable rights” by our Creator. Chiefly among these are the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders, as heirs to the republic, to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. We hold, as did the founders, that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.  

The central theme of all the TEA Parties seems to be based on  family values such as:

1.      Abortion is wrong

2.      Marriage is between one man and one woman

3.      We should be able to own a gun to protect ourselves, our families and our property

4.      Our Government should protect it’s citizens from foreign enemies while allowing American Citizens the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness

      5.   Government should practice strict fiscal responsibility

            and allow individuals to keep more of the money

            they earn                                            

       6.  The best Government is that which governs the least 

 

 The Republican ‘Purity Test’

           BY

Mark Whittington, Nov 24, 2009 “Contribute content like this”.

A group of conservatives on the Republic National Committee are circulating a document they call a RNC Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates and what others are calling a”purity test.”

The idea that Republican candidates would support at least eight out of the ten public policy positions expressed in the “RNC Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates” or “purity test” or risk being denied campaign funding and support from the Republican National Committee

Democrats, who have seen a steady slippage of independents from their party, have been quick to try to use the “purity test” to claim that the Republican Party is hostile to independents and centrists. The problem is that the policy positions expressed in the document are not exactly out of the mainstream.

They are:

“(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s ‘stimulus’ bill;
“(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;
“(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
“(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;
“(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;
“(6) We support victory in
Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
“(7) We support containment of
Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;
“(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
“(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing, denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and
“(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership; and be further.”

Ruth Fennell summed up the relationship between the TEA Party/TEA Party Patriots and the Republican Party in recent article “Reflections from the Front Line“,

 Reflections from the front line – Republicans vs. Tea Party by Ruth Fennell

One week later, …the initial excitement has died down, and this is my reflections from the front line and lessons learned for the next time…

Yes, there was a “wave” but not every Republican across the country won, not every Tea Party supported candidate won. So what made our successes happen? I had just finished three months as a Field Director for a local Republican Party office in Arizona where ALL of our candidates in the county won, despite a “two Democrats for every Republican registered voter” disadvantage. How were we able to accomplish this?

 

Well, first of all, our candidates were strong, Constitutionally-based, fiscally conservative competitors with a clear difference between the Republican candidates and the Democrat candidates. They worked hard and even when their opponents went dirt’s they sided above the fray and focused on the Issues.

 

Second, the local Tea Party offered multiple, neutral forums to the general public where all the candidates were offered the opportunity to present their views and connect with voters. Although only one Democrat candidate attended, it was because the rest of them made a conscious choice not to attend the unbiased, independent venue or even reach out to the Tea Party members.

There were frequent debates within the Tea Party about officially “endorsing” any candidates. And, while ultimately, there was no “formal” endorsement of any specific candidates by the organization, members were here to assist as individuals – which they did. Tea Party members consistently volunteered to support the candidates of their choosing, by making phone calls, holding signs, and walking neighborhoods. They put their encouragement and energy into specific actions.

 

Third, there was a separate but equal” commitment between the local Republicans and the Tea Party to partner in events, communications, etc. whenever possible and appropriate. The bottom line goal of electing solid conservative, Constitutional-focused candidates was always kept foremost in mind.

 

Finally, there were concrete steps taken jointly to keep the voting process clean and minimize any potential voter fraud. It was a common consensus in the community that the Democrats in the area brought in union members to ”help” and had a “well-oiled machine” for bringing in votes, often at the last minute. Members who were knowledgeable about “word of mouth” reports of possible “indiscretions” in the past were utilized to visibly watch the comings and goings, quietly observe the voters coming in, (when necessary) take pictures outside the legal distance limit, and use EVERY legal, appropriate method available to deter improper actions while not discouraging legal voters from exercising their Constitutional rights. Prior to the election, we had an elections attorney teach a seminar as to proper procedures within the polling location, explain to the poll watchers what to look for, and discuss the correct processes for reporting any potential violations. As a result of these actions, we believe we had minimal examples of voting fraud.

So whether it was the “Tea Party using the “Republican infrastructure” to get their choices elected or whether it was the “Republican Party using the Tea Party energy” to get their choices elected, it was a symbiotic relationship that created the positive outcome that all sides wanted.

 

As far as lessons learned:

1) The Tea Party and Republican Party joining forces with a focus on mutual goals can accomplish a tremendous amount. Find candidates that embody the philosophies of support for our Founding Principles, and actively unite to put the strongest candidate possible on the ballot.

 

2) Relationships have to be nurtured and encouraged between the groups involved, both on an organizational and member level. Whether a Tea Party, as an organization, endorses anyone will have to be determined on a situational basis. However, the Tea Party can always help to inform and educate both its members and the community at large as to the candidate’s platform; and inform and educate the candidate as to community priorities and concerns.

 

3) Joint partnerships between the local Republican Party and Tea Party for educational seminars, election workshops, and mutual attendance at meetings should be encouraged going forward. Plans for preparing volunteers to be poll workers and poll watchers, going into the community to teach citizens the voting process and their rights, and working with legislators to strengthen laws covering elections should be a priority. “One legal voter, One legal vote”  should become a mantra in areas of questionable tactics at the ballot box.

 

Bottom line, the work has just begun to restore our Country, our Constitution, and our Freedoms. I believe that Tea Party members should work within the infrastructure of the Republican Party and return the Republican Party to Constitutional priorities. Forming a “third party’ ‘will only dilute resources, time and money, away from efforts to elect the best conservative candidates possible.

 

(May an almighty God look on us with favor as we take back our country and God once again is honored in our Government)


Please read the two PDF documents:
Church – Guidelines
I R S – Churches


Yours in Christ

Dr. John Cooper

For United States House of Representatives, 4th District of Texas

903-439-1218
[email protected]

John Cooper

Author: John Cooper

Dr. John Cooper is a professional land surveyor at Cooper Land Surveying, Inc., business owner and sales consultant, he prepares every survey according to the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying standards. He graduated from Luther Rice Seminary with a Doctorate of Ministry Degree preparing him for a long tenure in working with people.

4 thoughts on “THE TEA PARTY and THE COUNTY PATRIOTS – Part 1:

  1. Easter Jelks
    Easter Jelks November 2, 2011 at 3:41 pm - Reply

    I am continually looking online for posts that can benefit me. Thank you!

  2. Jacquline Scronce
    Jacquline Scronce November 28, 2011 at 10:28 am - Reply

    You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

  3. online timer
    online timer November 14, 2012 at 5:32 pm - Reply

    Hi mates, pleasant piece of writing and fastidious arguments commented at this place, I am in fact enjoying by these.

  4. online timer
    online timer November 14, 2012 at 6:27 pm - Reply

    Hi there, yeah this paragraph is truly good and I have learned
    lot of things from it regarding blogging. thanks.

Leave a Reply to online timer Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

%d bloggers like this: