It hasn’t. At least here in Florida and in South Carolina, where the tea party movement and the principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility are concerned. And could very well change the landscape in the GOP presidential campaign.
South Carolinian tea partiers will be holding their first ever statewide conference in Myrtle Beach ahead of next week’s presidential primary. BlogTalkRadio host Ann of Southern Sense, Beaufort, SC, interviewed SC Rep. Tim Scott today on her radio program to discuss the upcoming debate, campaign, and primary. (You can listen here.)
S.C. tea party to hold convention in Myrtle Beach before GOP debate
By Brad Dickerson
The Myrtle Beach Sun
The South Carolina Tea Party Coalition is hosting its first-ever state Tea Party Convention in Myrtle Beach prior to the GOP presidential debate.
Joe Dugan, state coordinator for the S.C. Patriots and chairman of the Myrtle Beach Tea Party, said there will be 500 seats available at the Springmaid Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach for the convention, which runs Jan. 15 and 16.
“I was going to limit it to 500. We’re almost there now,” said Dugan.
Jameson Cunningham, with Shirley & Banister Public Affairs, said Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are scheduled to appear, as are U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint and Gov. Nikki Haley.
Dugan added that Gingrich and Santorum have confirmed they’ll be appearing at the convention. The presidential hopefuls are set to go on at 3 and 3:25 p.m. on Monday, the 16th.
Gingrich and Santorum will be given 20 minutes each, and they can use the timeslots any way they wish, Dugan said.
The convention kicks off at noon Sunday, with remarks from DeMint and U.S. Congresman Tim Scott.
On Monday Haley will start things off shortly after 9 a.m.
Despite the number of political names on the roster, Dugan hopes attendees will get more out of the convention.
“This is meant to be an educational convention, rather than a political convention,” he said.
As for who is attending, Dugan said the convention was never opened to the public, but to grassroots organizations from across the state.
Cunningham added that these groups would come together to share ideas, encourage the formation of new Tea Party group and provide an educational forum from nationally known experts.
For instance, on Sunday night, a counter-terrorism expert is scheduled to speak. The co-founders of the National Tea Party Patriots are also going to give a talk.
“I hope, for one thing, to have members of the coalition and members of other Tea Party groups in the state … to have a chance to meet one another face-to-face,” Dugan said.
And with national and international media in town for GOP presidential debate, Dugan hopes to show other states how active the Tea Party is in the Palmetto State.
“There are a lot of reports that say the Tea Party has gone away,” he said. “I would state that the first phase of the Tea Party is probably behind us.”
That first phase, Dugan added, were large rallies that attracted lots of media attention. Phase two consists of networking and preparing for this year’s presidential race, which he said is the most important in the country’s history.
Dugan said the country has lost the respect of the world, and cultural decay has destroyed a lot of America’s greatness.
“We’re either going to get that back, or we’re going to become a second-rate nation,” he said.
To read more, visit www.myrtlebeachonline.com.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/13/2587636/sc-tea-party-to-hold-convention.html#storylink=cpy
” Proud Barbarian SOB,
We’re Not Fading, We’re Just Waiting!”
I wanted to let you SC and Florida Tea Party Patriots out there know where one NJ Tea Party Patriot stands. During this primary season, I was originally for Newt as my Non-Romney choice for President…I believed that he had changed and that he would do as he claimed for the American people…I still think that…however I believe that Romney & his Legions have already near destroyed Newt and that with the kind of money that Romney wields as well as the full power of the Pub Elites and the Elite Conservative Media, all of which back Romney, is so powerful that Newt will go down eventually even though he is doing well in SC right now…
Once this occurs, I will whole-heartedly support Ron Paul…I am more Hawkish then Paul but I can live with that fact much more then I can ever live with the Status Quo Rino Romney…
As a Tea Party tru-believer, I will never vote for a Romney…The propaganda that we must vote for the nominee of the party is just that …propaganda…I have bought into that for years and I will no longer do it…I would rather ride with Ron Paul, who I respect…into the Convention then vote for Romney like a Rove Ridden Drone…
If Ron Paul is abused in anyway or destroyed by ROVE and his Minions…if the Tea Party folds and betrays its principles and votes for Big Government Romney en masse…I will simply withdraw my support for the Tea Party and move into the Libertarian Camp… I will vote for Gary Johnson for President from the Libertarian Party.
I do not believe the Rino Media Hype that We must vote for Karl Rove’s Boy Mitt…I will never do that and I truly believe that there are many like me out there…How can the Tea Party be the Tea Party and Support Romney! It will cancel itself out…and don’t think Rove and the Rinos don’t know it…