The problem for Paul is that his endorsement from Sarah Palin has infuriated many in the Kentucky Tea Party movement, who prefer Bill Johnson in the Republican primary.
In addition, two organizers of last summer's Tea Parties, Sue Jaycox and Debra Tennison, complain about Paul's audacity at claiming to represent a movement that arose around issues and ideas rather than a candidate's charisma:
We believe any candidate who claims to be "the" Tea Party candidate is clearly out of touch with its spontaneous and diverse nature that is truly non-partisan and completely free from being bound to any one candidate.
This race may be on the verge of becoming a three-way. If Paul and Johnson split the Tea Party vote, Trey Grayson wins.
4 comments:
By these people claiming they speak for the Tea Party, they (the pot) are calling the kettle black. There are dozens if not hundreds of Tea Party organizers across the state.
The fact is Rand Paul spoke at a Tea Party in 2007, 2008, and several in 2009 including April 15.
Bill Johnson was making money and had never heard of a Tea Party before he decided to run for office.
So, I ask you who do you think represents the Tea Party? Someone who actually spoke at Tea Parties before running for office or Johnny-come-lately?
Here are some links to early Tea Parties Rand Paul spoke at. I'll check back for Bill's links (ha!).
2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZYs4cNVKqs
2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHsSIEpct_o
2009 (one of many)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVv--TAs7hE
So, good luck selling Rand Paul isn't from the Tea Party movement!
The Tea Party movement is pervasive!
Infuriated many?
Please. Could you make your bias in the race a little more covert??
How are "Tea Partiers dumping Rand Paul" when none of the three, that's (3) people cited by the article have EVER supported Rand Paul.If you had done any research at all you would have seen that these damsels are nothing by sirens for Grayson, trying to split the conservative vote.
Won't work!
Out.
"Tea Partiers Dumping Rand Paul"
Gotta love a wishful thinking headline like that. Two women who have ALWAYS supported Johnson say they still support him with a self-important press release, and suddenly a guy who raised less than $5,000 in the last quarter from people other than himself and who has polled at 2% in every independent poll to date is making it a "three-way race"?
They're not "dumping" Rand Paul. Just keep on dreaming dude.
to Capitalist: the Tea Party isn't a "thing". It's a state of mind, made up of people who are fed up. You don't have to be a 'tea partier' to be disgusted with Washington. I don't recall Bill Johnson ever saying he was the King of the Tea Party.
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