By Elyse Clonan, Contributing Writer
Electability is more important than conservative orthodoxy, according to one prominent Philadelphia-area Tea Party.
Despite Pennsylvania native Rick Santorum’s surge in popularity, some in his own home state are choosing to instead throw their support behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The Independence Hall Tea Party Association PAC threw their support behind him this week.
According to PAC President Dom Adams, Romney is the man the man they believe “can win the Republican nomination and defeat President Barack Obama.”
The endorsement was made on Monday, after Santorum’s surge but before the results in Iowa.Romney won in Iowa by a mere eight votes. Santorum finished a surprisingly strong second.
The Independence Hall Tea Party PAC, a regional group representing members from Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, says it is the first Tea Party organization in the country to publicly endorse Romney.
PAC co-founder Teri Adams argued that Romney is an embodiment of conservative Republican values, and also the sole GOP candidate who has polled successfully or on an even par with President Obama.
“It discounts the good sense of millions of Tea Party folks nationwide who have come to realize, or will eventually realize, that the only way to defeat President Obama, whose policies are an anathema to conservatism and the Tea Party Movement, is to rally around his strongest opponent-Mitt Romney-the man who, we believe, will become the next president of the United States,” Adams said.
Santorum is likely to face much more scrutiny – conservative and otherwise – now that he has entered the top tier of the race.
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9 Responses
So what happens when “When M R came to town” hits
Your fav cable news channel ?
I smell RINO meat
And his conservative??? Endorsers
Then we need to elect a NEW BOARD
Here’s is the original press release from which the above story was taken. Notice any differences?
Independence Hall Tea Party PAC Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Don Adams, XXXXXXXXXXXX
Bill Green, XXXXXXXXXXXX
Independence Hall Tea Party PAC Becomes First Tea Party To Endorse Mitt Romney; Predicts Romney Will Become 45th President of the
United States
Philadelphia, PA (January 2, 2012) — The Independence Hall Tea Party PAC, a tri-state (DE, NJ, PA) regional group, announced today that its 27-member Board of Delegates has voted overwhelmingly to
endorse Mitt Romney for President.
The Independence Hall Tea Party PAC is the first Tea Party group in the nation to formally endorse Mitt Romney.
“Over the past several weeks, a consensus has been building among our Board of Delegates that Mr. Romney is the most electable Republican candidate,” said PAC President, Don Adams. “We, as a Tea Party PAC, have set winning the White House as our number one priority in 2012. We believe Mr. Romney is the one candidate who can win the Republican nomination and defeat President Barack Obama in November.
“Mr. Romney is the only Republican candidate who has consistently polled even or ahead of President Obama in national surveys. He puts a number of 2008 blue states in play, including Michigan and New Hampshire. He also appeals to large numbers of independent voters.”
“Mr. Romney, a devoted family man, is an incredibly talented, well-rounded individual with in-depth knowledge and experience in both the private and public sectors of the economy,” said PAC New Jersey Vice President, Bill Green. “Ultimately, we believe Mr. Romney is a man of principle who, once elected, will lead our nation back to prosperity.”
PAC Delaware Vice President, Kevin Street, said, “His vision of a strong America, one built on the foundations of free enterprise and meritocracy, is most compatible with the principles of the Tea Party movement.
“Mr. Romney has stated time and again that he believes in a limited role for the Federal government–emphasizing that the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution delineates between the powers of the national government and that of the states.”
“Mr. Romney will pursue a policy of energy independence, lower taxes, and less government spending. He has promised to secure our borders and redirect our foreign policy,” added PAC Pennsylvania Vice President, Sean Carpenter. “Under his presidency, the United States will no longer prostrate itself before other nations. We believe in a strong America–an America that is respected for its economic vibrancy, its military strength, and its constitutional values.”
PAC Co-Founder, Teri Adams, said, “We realize that a number of fellow Tea Partiers are not yet where we are in supporting Mitt Romney for President–and we respect their varied positions.
“However, we felt compelled to make an endorsement in light of a counter-productive effort to stop Mitt Romney among some disparate elements on the right–often based on a religious intolerance of Mr. Romney’s Mormon faith.
“We also think the notion that the Tea Party will support a 3rd party candidate after Mitt Romney becomes the Republican nominee, a notion most often advanced by the mainstream media, must be discredited,” Ms. Adams said.
“It discounts the good sense of millions of Tea Party folks nationwide who have come to realize, or will eventually realize, that the only way to defeat President Obama, whose policies are an anathema to conservatism and the Tea Party Movement, is to rally around his strongest opponent–Mitt Romney–the man who, we believe, will become the next president of the United States.”
# # #
PS Most of us are in the Tea Party movement to save our nation–not to win poplularity contests or to serve our own self-interest.
Hopefully, come November, most of us will be able to unite behind the Republican nominee, whoever he is, to defeat Barack Obama.
In the meantime, let’s not shred the candidates or each other.
Terri and Don are sellouts! Always the safe bet. They claim members in 3 states but really have email lists they have bought. PAC? It stands for Putrid Alternative c
Candidate.
Quite honestly, any Tea Party organization that backs a candidate other than Ron Paul is a sham. The other candidates like Romney, Perry, Santorum, and Gingrich are Big Government types who have favored things like TARP, bailouts, the budget-busting wars, Pelosi-style environmental policies, infringements on privacy rights, universal health care, and the notion what we exist to serve our masters in Washington. Ron Paul is the original Tea Party patriot and should have all of the TP groups supporting him this year!
Mitt Romney is not a Constitutional Limited Government Economic Freedom conservative. Mitt Romney supports Ethanol subsidies and mandates and worst of all Individual Healthcare Mandate, the Obamacare mandate.
Mitt Romney is the Republican Establishment’s choice and it is the same Republican Establishment that is complicit in the mess we are in.
Mitt Romney is, however, a better choice than Earmarking Bush Big Government Big Spending Compassionate conservative who supported the Bush Establishment’ Big Government initiatives.
Rick Santorum has no experience in job creation
Rick Perry is The Guy with the record of governing Texas an energy state which is a job creator.
Teri/Don, you really want to be loved THIS MUCH?
The fact that Mitt has consistently eschewed the TEA {Taxed Enough Already} Party Movement would, to most TPM-activists, virtually disqualify him from even being considered for such an endorsement.
Also, that Mitt has spurned even attending events sponsored by Iowa Evangelicals reflects a deficiency that isn’t shared by his competitors, namely, the ability to share self-perceived faults.
This is Mr. Establishment, as illustrated by the ~25% polling-ceiling that he has continued to experience.
Fortunately, there are other TPM-entities in the Delaware Valley that haven’t decided to sell-out their principles.
what is so electable about a lying, plastic vulture capitalist?
“Santorum is likely to face much more scrutiny …”
They’ll be looking up his ass with a microscope (figuratively speaking)