Who Would the Tea Party Support?
January 7, 2010 – 6:35 pmIf the Tea Party becomes an actual party this year, one poll shows their generic candidate beating the Republican and Democratic nominees in a hypothetical match-up. The GOP finishes third, as they haven’t since the Bull Moose year of 1912. Going into the election season, perhaps it would entertain and inform to consider which past presidents would be most likely to win tea Party support if they were running for their hypothetical nomination in 2012.
The exercise presumes that the Tea Party’s principal focus would be anti-Establishment, opposing taxing, borrowing and spending equally, against bailouts, stimuli and meddling with the economy in general. A libertarian streak, sans specific issues, can be presumed, as can opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants. No assumptions are made about military or foreign affairs, aside from a general commitment to keeping America defended against terrorism.
Given the above, this writer nominates the following candidates:
1.) Andrew Jackson: Anti-Establishment, populist, opposed to central banks and for hard money.
2.) Grover Cleveland: ”Old Bullion” was the last hard-money Democrat to win the Presidency. He also opposed the annexation of Hawaii and other business-driven attempts to manipulate the government to their own ends.
3.) Calvin Coolidge: Silent Cal balanced the budget, cut taxes, and presided over the last non-interventionist administration.
4.) Warren Harding: Cut spending and taxes by over 40%, balanced the budget, signed a major arms-control treaty, and his hands-off policy toward the Depression of 1920-21 is the reason it ended quickly, and is thus un-remembered.
5.) Your write-in……
Comments, anyone?
3 Responses to “Who Would the Tea Party Support?”
Not Jackson. He was anti-republican in the extreme. His universal manhood suffrage has ensured that the tax receivers outnumber the tax payers as voters and is the root that has allowed the corruption of government by politicians in the “name of the people”.
My vote is for Calvin Coolidge.
Cleveland was as good as any Dem ever was but he fostered the bureaucratization of government (albeit to eliminate “spoils”)
Harding was a very poor judge of character and allowed himself to be loyal to corrupt people. While my ancestors were friends and associates of his others were less savory.
Cool Cal had it all. Understanding of Government’s proper scope, unimpeachable character and sound political and personal judgment.
By Nik on Jan 7, 2010
I’d like to add a Presidential candidate to the list as well:
1.) Al Smith – the former Tammany pol who championed reform and who broke with Roosevelt over the New Deal, which he thought anti-freedom. He was really the last Democrat to be an apostle of limited government to any degree who they nominated.
While Coolidge may be the best overall – I won’t argue that – Harding’s faults pale next to his virtues, and Andy jackson hated the Bank of the United States, which definitely puts him on the side of the angels. (The point you make about giving the vote to non-taxpayers is well-taken, but I’d include honorably-discharged vets, too, a la Heinelin.
It’s a pleasure to discuss history with someone who takes such a keen interest in it.
CPT reply on January 12th, 2010 9:47 pm:
Jackson’s ant-bank crusade was a good thing but much else of his political philosophy was very antithetical to true republican government. I love the Heinlein political model of “Citizens, Taxpayers and Residents”.
Al Smith is a good choice. The Socialization of the Demoncrats is remarkable though. Look at the difference between Obamaism and what JFK proposed as policy. What continues to amaze is that so many seek to kill the very golden goose that gives them the prosperity to lament the evils they purport to correct.
By ssgconway on Jan 12, 2010