Topic: Amid infighting & lawsuits, "Minutemen" call it quits, absorbed by Tea Party

[IronDioPriest]

I'm sorry to see this happen. I think the borders may never be secured unless citizens secure them, and for a brief time in the mid-2000s, it looked like the Minutemen organization was a viable answer.

Of course, then came the demonization of them by both the Left and the establishment GOP, and clumsy public relations missteps and unsuccessful political aspirations of the originator Jim Gilchrist. And as we see even now with some Tea Party groups, people jockeying for control of the conservative message bickering and infighting led to lawsuits, and eventually the end of the official organization.

The article does indicate that the secure border movement itself is still strong under the Tea Party banner, but the "Minutemen" chapter is now closed.

The end of the Minutemen: Tea party absorbs the border-watching movement

[charlesoakwood]

So far the Communists ace this while we eat our own.
They will ruthlessly sacrifice one of their own or themselves.

It appears, by nature, there must be a strong leader or the system
will fail.  Our beginning had many strong leaders who understood
the necessary discipline and ceded to a hierarchy.  Until the various
Tea Party groups, each, establish a hierarchical system and honor it
they are doomed. 

[IronDioPriest]

So far the Communists ace this while we eat our own.
They will ruthlessly sacrifice one of their own or themselves.

It appears, by nature, there must be a strong leader or the system
will fail.  Our beginning had many strong leaders who understood
the necessary discipline and ceded to a hierarchy.  Until the various
Tea Party groups, each, establish a hierarchical system and honor it
they are doomed. 

Someone like Sarah Palin could perhaps form some kind of "umbrella" organization and make the Tea Party a unified, viable political force. Anyone with less bona fides and credibility would never be trusted.

[Libertas]

Yeah, that bites, it's too bad they couldn't maintain themeselves at their peak, the Minutemen were quite effective.  As for the Tea Party, I agree, without a central unifying figure of sufficient heft, the conservative movement no matter what it is called will be fractured and rudderless.

[Weisshaupt]

Yeah, that bites, it's too bad they couldn't maintain themeselves at their peak, the Minutemen were quite effective.  As for the Tea Party, I agree, without a central unifying figure of sufficient heft, the conservative movement no matter what it is called will be fractured and rudderless.

As soon as there is a leader, the media moves into full attack mode and libels them and their kids. , they get death threats against their loved ones, the IRS audits them and their friends, the democratic led county and city boards file frivolous complaints, etc. while the Unions will organize to boycott and silence anyone who stands with the leader, while helping to steal any elections that matter. 

The left will try to deny us a leader, and until that leader is carrying a rifle and shouting "fire",  there simply isn't any point to having a unifying  "political movement"

[AlanS]

Yeah, that bites, it's too bad they couldn't maintain themeselves at their peak, the Minutemen were quite effective.  As for the Tea Party, I agree, without a central unifying figure of sufficient heft, the conservative movement no matter what it is called will be fractured and rudderless.

As soon as there is a leader, the media moves into full attack mode and libels them and their kids. , they get death threats against their loved ones, the IRS audits them and their friends, the democratic led county and city boards file frivolous complaints, etc. while the Unions will organize to boycott and silence anyone who stands with the leader, while helping to steal any elections that matter. 

Palin has already been there, done that, got the T-shirt.