Okay – now it is time to go for the wrath of the Tea Party loyalists

Many in the Tea Party movement will swear allegiance to only Tea Party candidates.

First of all, without nationwide endorsements, how do we identify the Tea Party Candidates? We can only assume Tea Party IDEALS in candidates. The Republican Party has many candidates vying for the Republican Presidential nomination and many of them are claiming to hold Tea Party ideals. There is no Tea Party ticket and no true Tea Party candidate. We must each do our homework and find out who best represents those ideals we want in a presidential candidate.

Second, and this is where I will get the hate mail, even a non-Tea Party type of Republican candidate will be better than our current president. While many will swear that the only person deserving of a vote is a candidate upholding those principles of the Tea Party, in the long run, withholding a vote or voting out of spite will only insure that Barack Obama gets another four years in the White House. Considering the harm he has done to our country in the past three years, one can only imagine what devious schemes he has in store for the United States if left in power.

Primaries are important in that, hopefully, we can winnow down to the best candidates for public office. Unfortunately sometimes we don’t get the best but get what is served to us. It is necessary that we all become involved in elections, learn about candidates, campaign for the best, and encourage others to vote. And although closed primaries are restrictive (voters can only vote in primaries as registered Democrats or registered Republicans), not allowing the opposing party to chose our candidates for us is important. There have been many primary elections ‘won’ by someone running for office because they were deemed the weaker candidate and a candidate who could be beaten in a general election.

Politics is dirty. Sometimes all the candidates stink. In that case, we must hold our nose and vote for the one who is the least offensive. To sit at home and petulantly refuse to vote for anyone only allows someone like Barack Obama a win.

~ Patty