Four Antidotes for the Four Major Themes of the Tea Party Movement

There are numerous questions left answered towards the many different problems that plague the nation. The victories of the Tea Party in various GOP primaries is just a testament to the many lessons the Republicans can get from the scorching anger that the Tea Party activists are displaying. In being able to identify the 4 main themes of the movement, Bradford Kane also gave the antidotes for each theme. It is very important that whoever gets those seats this November, should give their attention to the concerns of this movement or suffer the same fate that Democrats will soon have.

On Fiscal Responsibility

Being the central theme for these upcoming midterm elections, fiscal responsibility should be on top of everyone’s agenda. It is very important for these lawmakers to focus on job creation as this is the only way for the economy to experience growth. There should be an effective and inexpensive way to conduct job skills training. The bulk of unspent stimulus money can be used for e-learning programs which will further widen the skill set of unemployed workers. To ensure the long-term sustainability of our economy, deficit reduction should also be prioritized. The bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform will recommend ways to reduce the debt and deficit such as reducing defense spending, increasing taxes on large corporations and phasing out spending for certain programs.

On the Role of the Government

The role of the government remains to be a legitimate topic for debate, and can best be addressed by specifically identifying what the American people would lose if the federal government were limited or controlled. The voting population may still be unease with the proposal of privatizing social security and Medicare, eliminating civil rights laws and financial companies taking advantage of consumers. They may not also be in favor of dismantling unemployment insurance and educational programs. This remains to be a major topic for discussion and evaluation. While some roles of the government should be better off handled by U.S. states, others are still better addressed by the federal government itself.

On Anger

Voters should be critical enough and must know that, whoever they choose, that candidate will be bringing along a wide range of political views, not only the few that they usually reiterate during the campaign. Each race should be localized, with a focus on the choice between the particular candidates, rather than on national trends. Radical proposals which stem from anger can be countered with sound policies toward shared objectives. Voters should realize that the sound policies of Obama will only take effect in the coming months. The upcoming elections should be nationalized, giving full attention to what the Tea Party candidates say they would do.

On Demonization

Demonization is quite destructive in nature based on distrust and prejudice. Americans of all political beliefs should strongly condemn attacks that are based on baseless allegations and false accusations. There is now, more than ever, a greater need for decency and civility rather than hateful and antagonistic rhetoric behavior. The recent issue with regards to the planned construction of an Islamic center right near the ground zero site is a perfect example of the destruction that demonization may bring. By practicing collaboration, civility and dialogue, a compromise can be done in order to avoid conflict and have a more harmonious society.