It’s kind of like watching midget wrestling — there seems to be a real fight going on, but it’s funny!
Yesterday, a group of Tea Party activists tried to hold a news conference to denounce the Florida Tea Party political party for fielding phony candidates in the midterm elections, but members of the Florida Tea Party out-activisted the Tea Party activists when they showed up and turned the press conference into a town hall meeting. Apparently, there was a whole lot of hollering going on. Just like last summer, during the health care “debate!”
The Orlando Sentinel sums up the situation this way:
The Central Florida Tea Party Council, a loose alliance of leaders in the local movement, have accused Florida Tea Party founders Fred O’Neal and Doug Guetzloe of being in league with Democrat U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson to help his re-election. The Florida Tea Party has put forward a candidate against Grayson, Peg Dunmire, but the activists think she is simply a spoiler candidate meant to siphon votes away from Grayson’s Republican challenger.
That theory widened last week, when a slate of previously unknown candidates came forward under the Florida Tea Party banner. State Republican Party leaders say it’s a Democratic Party conspiracy.
The Florida Tea Party says it is a legitimate party that is now being targeted by the Republican establishment. O’Neal, the party chairman, said some of its candidates have been threatened by representatives of the Republican Party. Guetzloe, a longtime Orlando political consultant, was kicked off his own radio talk show this week by the owners of 810-AM (WEUS), which he attributes to GOP intimidation. The station’s owner said the reason was low ratings.
I’m curious as to what a “phony candidate” is. So far as the law is concerned, these are, in fact, real candidates who filed the required paperwork, paid the required fees and apparently wish to participate on their own free will in these campaigns. My Gawd, d00d! You’re right! As phony as a three dollar demopublican campaign promise!
Hey PeoplePower: I think a phony candidate is one who enters a race with no real expectation of winning. Like many things, it might be legal, but that doesn’t make it right.