THE TEA PARTIES: What’s Next?

America’s Tea Parties have come out of nowhere and in less than two years have become a strong and viable political force. Their influences over this last election were, to say the least, profound.

Now, what’s next? Will the Tea Parties wither up and die on the vine?

Frankly, I hope not. There were other political forces out there at play as well and they were somewhat more sinister and hell bent on having their ways, regardless of what the laws or the commands of ethics say. The unions, for example, were shameless in their bribes and outright coercion used to secure votes for their favorite candidates. When the dust settles, I will not be surprised if it is revealed that the remnants of ACORN were also at play.

There were substantial gains made. Unfortunately, the Tea Parties got too close to the Republicans in some parts of the country. In the days after the election, I already have to wonder if the Republicans have learned the real lessons of what this election was all about; only the coming days and weeks will tell that story. One thing is certain: Obama and his far-left-wing cohorts are not going to lie down and work with the Republicans; they may say so publicly, but watch what they actually do.

While significant progress was made in cleaning house, much remains to be done. It will really take another house cleaning in 2012 to have the full and desired effect. And, it is too early to see how the 2012 Presidential race is going to shape up. We could end up with two candidates equally unfit for the office, as has been the case for 22 years.

Could the Tea Parties coalesce into a genuine political party and field their own candidates in 2012? In recent decades, third parties have been totally unsuccessful in their bids to become viable political forces. This time, however, things are different. Voters see the differences between the Democrats and the Republicans as being very blurred, almost as if they are the same party. It should be remembered that, historically, the Republican Party and the Democrat party were in fact one and the same.

Should the Republicans once again fail, as they have so profoundly failed in recent years, then the real need for a new party emerges. The Tea Parties have made their mark as a political force, and they need to seriously consider whether or not they will now coalesce into a full-fledged political party. Frankly, I would welcome the move; we need to demonstrate to Congress that we are not just frustrated Americans who do not know what we are doing. We are well aware of what is going on and we want our own brand of "change."

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.