Does Ron Paul represent the Tea Party?

Does Warner Todd Huston help our cause with this piece?

It is going to get rough out there as the field of Republican candidates takes shape.  Here is just one example I see in my alerts this morning.  Although Ron Paul has some good ideas on the economy and I agree with some of his libertarian ideas, I’m troubled by his pro-choice and open borders positions just to name two.

However, when I read this piece by Warner Todd Huston I agree with his thesis that Ron Paul had little to do with the creation of the Tea Party movement, and that AP was trying to discredit the movement, but thought that the writer has gone too far with the name calling—Mr. Huston you could at least get your spelling consistent, is it Paulinuts or Paulienuts? 

And, the first thing I thought was, o.k. so who is Warner Todd Huston’s candidate?  Who is he shilling for?

From Chicago Now:

In a story by Jay Root for the Associated Press, the news wire service tries to tar the entire Tea Party movement with guilt by association claiming that it was somehow fathered or “grandfathered” by Texas Representative Ron Paul, the cranky uncle of the GOP. The fact is Ron Paul had nothing at all to do with the Tea Party movement. The claim that he did is a calumny, one that the AP hopes will discredit the Tea Party movement.

In the Story, the AP claims that Ron Paul is “both a spiritual father and actual father in the tea party movement.” It mentions that his son, Rand, is a “tea party darling” (that one is true, at least) and claims that since Paul had a 2007 event he called a “‘Tea Party Fundraiser’ aboard a shrimp boat near Galveston,” that must make him the father of the Tea Party movement.

Then AP finds some Paulbot to claim that, to him, “Ron Paul is the tea party.” Well, that settles it, huh? Because a Paulienut says it’s so, why it must be. At least that is what the AP wants its readers to believe.

Problem is, Ron Paul has precisely nothing to do with the Tea Party movement. His folks are a distinctly separate group from the general population of the Tea Party movement. Sure some Paulies attend Tea Party events, but they are not integral to that movement and never have been. Paulinuts are for Ron Paul and that is it. They don’t support anything or anyone outside Paul as a general rule.

The actual progenitors of the movement rarely mention Ron Paul. You can read about any of the books on the Tea Party movement and you’ll find Ron Paul barely mentioned if at all. Few if any actual Tea Party organizers will say that Ron Paul was their influence.

Fine, so this (below) is probably what is going on with AP, but Mr. Warner Todd Huston does all conservatives a disservice by the nasty tone of his screed.  Most real Tea Party-minded people are sick of this Republican back-stabbing.  Just allow all candidates to join the race and debate the issues and then WE decide!

So, why is the AP trying to push the meme that Ron Paul created the Tea Party movement, or was at the least instrumental therein? Because Ron Paul is viewed by most people as a crank and if the AP can drape such an albatross around the necks of the Tea Party movement, well that will help the left discredit the movement that helped bring a Republican revolution to Washington the likes of which hasn’t been seen in over 60 years.

P.S. to Mr. Warner Todd Huston,  speaking of draping something around a neck, some of us don’t necessarily think all the conservative NGO’s you listed can claim the mantle of Tea Party originators either since some are headed (and funded) by the old Republican ruling class who just had the cunning to get out in front and appear to be the engine driving the Tea Party train that was already moving down the tracks.

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