A couple of years ago, thousands of folks crammed Kanawha Plaza in Richmond, in cool, overcast and sometimes rainy conditions for the tea party rally. Last year’s rally featured nice warm conditions, but far fewer people, in the same spot. This year, it was “hundreds” who made the trek.
It does make one wonder whether the juice is going out of the tea party movement, at least in Virginia. Not because its over-arching concerns with the nation’s fiscal direction have been solved, let alone addressed, but because anger is very hard to sustain, particularly in Virginia.
No, it’s not because Virginians are supposed to be more reserved than others, or even somewhat courtly. In Virginia the reason some of the anger toward the political class may be diminishing has to do with annual elections.
Each year, Virginians go to the polls to select officials for office. In even numbered years, it’s Congress, or the president. In odd years, there are either races for statewide candidates (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and the House of Delegates) or, as is the case this year, all 140 members of the General Assembly.
This does not count local races for boards of supervisors, mayors and council members, school board members, sheriffs, clerks of court, conservation district members and many more.
Each year, we go to the polls, meaning each year, Virginians have an opportunity to vent their frustrations at the real, perceived and possible shortcomings of their elected officials.
So how might this reflect on the strength of the tea parties in the state?
The high-water mark for tea party agitation: 2009. Huge crowds gather across the commonwealth to protest what they believe is a government that’s grown too large and too remote. The 2009 election results? Thumping victories for GOP statewide candidates and the party reverses its losing streak in the House of Delegates.
2010 features a very large and successful tea party convention in Richmond. Tea party candidates, like-mined organizations, national media, local media, and even a few members of the political establishment are all on hand. 2010 election results? Two incumbent Democratic congressmen are bounced from office and a third old bull is sent packing. But the tea party candidates themselves don’t survive the primaries. Even so, it’s still quite a record.
But 2011 will find all 140 General Assembly seats on the line. The Democrats’ last stronghold, the Senate, could be stormed and with it the last opportunity for Virginia Democrats (who increasingly resemble their federal cousins) to keep the expansionist flames lit.
It must be taken. However, if the Senate remains Democratic, the tea party may be over, done in by the relentless election calendar, and by the constant demand to stay active, even when the stakes seem small.
Or…maybe the tea party in Virginia is just taking a breather before the really big show in 2012. We shall see.
