Podcast 456

Bad Omens. A special primary election in Minnesota's 35th Senate District results in a blow out for Jim Abeler, once described as the 'most moderate' of Minnesota Republican State Representatives. Abeler defeated the Republican and Tea Party endorsed candidate Andy Aplicowski, to face the democrat in the special election in February. With the Iowa Precinct Caucuses approaching on February 1st, a spate of primary elections and caucuses in the presidential race, and the Minnesota Caucuses on March 1st, 2016, the national media spends a lot of time speculating on the Republican Party 'Civil War', the impact of the Tea Party on the potential for candidates like Ted Cruz. It seems, though, as if the Tea Party is long on talk, and short on action. Tea Party groups are consistently unable to get out the vote for so called 'principled' conservatives. Maybe the so called conservative voters don't agree with the Tea Party message? Maybe Tea Party groups don't work hard enough. Or, maybe Tea Party groups are ignorant of what real political organizing means. If this is the case nationwide the emergence of a grassroots surge of 'principled' conservatives in the Republican Party, supported by Tea Party chapters all over the country, may turn out to be one of the biggest busts, and thus biggest stories of 2016. Currently the story line of the Tea Party as kingmaker serves the mainstream media's interests, but if the Tea Party can't produce results what the media gives will be taken away, mercilessly. What's wrong? This might be considered a harsh analysis for some, but when the Tea Party candidate loses by sixty percent of the vote, its a criticism that should be heard and a story that's not being told. Sponsored by Hydrus, Pride of Home and Luke Team Real Estate.