I think it would prove very interesting to have the names and addresses of those volunteers, the neighborhood political team members and the field organizers. The FBI might find some very interesting links with foreign powers, Islamists and the communist party.

Greenfield might be right if there was an actual "Tea Party" that could be dispatched to various places to perform various vote turnout operations. But, there is no such thing. There is a loose movement of folks who began by mobilizing for smaller government and fiscal responsibility, with great success in 2010. But now, the movement has splintered into smaller groups who are focused on a myriad of social issues in addition to the original intent. How to bring them together again? Mr. Greenfield doesn´t have a suggestion, I´m afraid.

More to the point, knock out the "Republican elite."

It is written: elections are now won by whomever gives away the most stuff. All else is jaw flapping.

Romney said, “If you want free stuff, vote for the other guy.” They did.

The sorry story is that The Sheeple didn´t have their minds made up after one year of Zero´s pathetic performance . The creep is such a walking disaster only a moron would re-elect him . Nope , all the Tea Parties combined can´t fight the numbers we´re facing now .

If the Republicans agree to raise the debt ceiling limit and to higher tax rates then I will leave the Republican Party and support a new party based on Tea Party principles. We don´t have a taxing problem we have a spending problem. We are spending a trillion dollars a year of money we have to borrow on programs that we don´t need. It´s a simple as that!

The primary motivator for Obama voters was "he gives us free stuff". As long as 3/4 of Americans are irresponsible enough to believe this is permanently possible, then it will be very hard to get Republican senators and president.

A pre-election survey done by none other than AP showed that the largest single ´identifying´ group in the overall universe of all adults, was Tea Party members and their supporters. A whopping 23% compared to 17% Liberals.
A deliberate decision after the 2010 success by the Beltway Republican leadership not only to shun and distance themselves from this storehouse of political power but to actually oppose and weaken this base and its new leaders has brought us to this juncture. They still don´t get it!
The above mentioned survey also showed that this 23% shot up to a staggering 34% among likely voters. They were ready to go....but didn´t show up in the end. Atleast not in numbers to overcome the swarm of leeches unleashed by the Democrats.
There is still time and opportunity for ´14.

#2 has it right. It´s also true the establishment has always had some hostility to the tea party. But the main problem is social conservatives hijacked some races and lost badly. If tea party candidates focus on smaller government and lower taxes we have a good chance of future success.

#10 - that won´t happen within the Repub party. It will require a third party - the GOP has crossed a line in 2012 that they will be unable to recover from with many tea Partiers.

I´m hoping Jim DeMint is stepping down to begin his campaign for 2016. The Tea Party will never succeed without a true leader. He can be the one we are waiting for.

The republican political class, as dependent upon the teat of big federal government as any liberal, wishes to deny the existence of "tea Party" ( dismissive air quotes added), because their own power is at stake. They share with our current beloved One a disdain for those "bitter clingers" who just won´t shut up and sit in the back like so many disruptive small children. A lack of unity among T partiers? Funny, I seem to remember a number of conservative voices in the early days of the republican primary who had little difficulty rousing crowds and getting over that magical 26% popularity rating with a positive message, but I´m sure that was just so much boo bait for Bubbas. Money, planted articles and a well funded and coordinated negative campaign took them out, leaving the power, surprise, in the hands of the well funded political class and their etch a sketch candidate. But hey, they get to hit the free shrimp table at those fundraisers! They get Holiday cards from the Bushes and Nicole Wallace, thereby justifying their existence.
The republican party will not respect the T party until somebody finally moves over and runs as a small government, maverick democrat and takes T partiers with them.

The alternative is to have Tea-Partiers, Blue Dogs, Reagan Democrats, and other conservatives to break away and form a party of their own. The objective is not to be a majority party in the short-run, but to deny majority status to either of the "big-tent" juggernauts. That would provide leverage for their conservative principles. There is a difference between a multi-party system and a parliamentary system - look it up.

If it were true, it would be great for Tea Partiers to euthanize the GOP by voting "present", but I´m afraid the movement is being co-opted by the Military Interventionist/Moral Majority wing, thereby becoming indistinguishable from the GOP.

Repubs as such will never respect the grass roots conservatives or Tea Party people. We pose a threat to their bank accounts, power and cocktail party invitations. I am sicken unto death of the GOP. All the phone calls I made for Romney, giving twice what I actually could afford, writing letters in my Blue city that causes many to deride me in the paper. All that because I was a ´big girl´ and let the moderates force me to vote for their candidate. I knew Romney was not a winner but suspended my doubts to work hard. Now all we thought actually happened: Romney was not tough enough, smart enough, canny enough or likeable enough to win. And, we ar left getting the blame with nothing good to show for all our efforts. Never again will I hold my nose and support a GOP liberal/estab candidate. Never.Posters who scorn me for turning away from the party of stupid who expect me to always support the elites who betray us over and over can lump it.

I think the headline is backwards. It should read WHy the Tea Party cannot win with the Republican Party.

Must agree with #14. There is a party who´s platform and the tea party go hand in glove. The Constitution Party, check it out, doesn´t cost you anything.

I have got to go with the sentiments of
#16 and #17. The republicans and their establishment are so self righteous to the point they don´t know they are. The tea party movement provided them the House in 2010 and have sneered at ever since. Thank you. No. We will go our own way and if needed form a wedge voting block to stifle any big spending or cutailment of freedoms.#1 priority is collabotator Boehnor, he must be replaced ASAP.

Here´s how you win elections: We have a two party system; when it gets down to two candidates, go and vote for the candidate who most nearly represents your views. That is the only criterion. That´s all you have to know and do. Too many non-Democrats, for whatever stupid reasons, didn´t do that. Shame on them. I am embarrassed at having to share this planet with them.

The Tea Party is the REAL Republican Party. The current Republican Party is nothing more than a demonrat lite party. I say to hell with them.