A congressional candidates’ forum in Theodore, Alabama (near Mobile), last Saturday should serve as a reminder of just how Tea Party political groups still do admirable, tireless work as good citizens serving our republic.
Eleven years after the beginning of the Tea Party and 10 years beyond the point when it became trite (although still true) to complain about rampant media mistreatment of the movement, this still bears repeating: Most Tea Party groups represent the very essence of small-“r” republican constitutionalism.
The southern Alabama Tea Party group known as the Common Sense Campaign certainly does.
For election after election and year after year, for races ranging from the most local all the way up to federal, the organization has hosted forums for candidates, ballot propositions, and pending issues. They are designed not just for Common Sense’s own membership, but for the broader public. All participants are treated fairly. Refreshments are often offered, creating a homey atmosphere. Love of country is palpable. Civic duty is taken seriously.
It’s a tremendous public service.
Granted, sometimes the audiences make their preferences perfectly clear. To be on the wrong side of what might be described as the “polite fury” of Common Sense members can be uncomfortable. But the emphasis is on “polite.” The group proves that frank exchanges of views need not involve intimidation or disruption of speech. This is participatory, representative democracy in the early-American “town hall” tradition.
This particular forum took place in the fellowship hall of Theodore’s Magnolia Springs Baptist Church. It is a fairly common practice for church halls to be used for events such as these. It is very much in the tradition of churches serving as community centers — not endorsing any one brand of politics, but serving as meeting places and safe spaces for a common culture.
In this case, candidates Jerry Carl, Wes Lambert, and Chris Pringle were remarkably cordial to each other. (Long shot John Castorani was a no-show, and co-front-runner Bill Hightower was out with the flu, with wife Susan given the chance to make a quick pitch for her husband.) There were plenty of boilerplate testimonials of fealty to the Almighty Trump, but some interesting substance, too. Asked whether a president should exercise carte blanche power to order, or interfere in, Justice Department investigations, Pringle, a longtime state legislator, offered a firm and decisive “no.”
“Look, I support President Trump,” Pringle said, “but what happens if you have a President Obama interfering in Department of Justice investigations? We have to protect the integrity of the judicial system.”
It was a good point, and it represented precisely the sort of opportunity for candidates to distinguish themselves from each other that these forums were designed for.
This particular forum, held on what turned out to be the only sunshiny Saturday afternoon in weeks, drew only about 40 attendees, but others have drawn hundreds. No matter the size, though, certain Common Sense stalwarts are almost always there, usually doing the hard work of organizing, hosting, or manning informational tables. As they rarely get the thanks they merit, I’ll name five of the regulars, the leaders, who were there Saturday, as they have been time and again for an entire decade: Lou Campomenosi, Kay Day, Linda King, Pete Riehm, and Steve Stone.
These five have counterparts in Tea Parties across the country, who continue to demonstrate a remarkable civic faith and commitment. If the United States is to last for centuries more, it will be because citizens such as these worked to keep it alive.
Well done, good people, well done.
