In the Republican debate the other night did they actually call it the CNN/Tea Party Debate on tv?

Because the Tea Party sponsored the debate and provided the audience (in studio at least). Why else would they laugh and say yes when asked if they should just let an uninsured man in a coma die?

The Republican party has been taken over by right wing nut jobs, is what it means.

Wowsa. I knew about the audience thing. But it strikes me odd that every Republican candidate would show up to a tea party sponsored event. Why doesn’t the GOP hold their own debates? And why doesn’t the Tea Party actually run on the ballot as the Tea Party? The Socialist figured out how to have Socialist next to their names on the ballet. Wht can’t the Tea Party?

@tedd Wow, really? Are you sure? That’s kind of a big deal…..lol.

The debate was sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express.

I thought the tea party was supposed to be a branch of the GOP? Wouldn’t it be detrimental to associate yourself primarily with the tea party? They don’t have the best track record…..

@Blackberry :: That is what I was wondering. Especially Romney, it seems like he would want to distance himself from the loons.

@johnpowell Regardless of the fact that the Tea Party is a bunch of self serving nutjobs, they are still a large and very active part of the GOP base. It’s just not smart for a Republican pres. candidate to dismiss them.

As for why they don’t branch off entirely—they’re trying to “repair” the Republican party. Bring it back to what it once stood for… or something. Also, Ron Paul (who really lit the fire for Tea Partiers in the first place) is a Republican. They could definitely just become Libertarians, but we all know third parties don’t affect jack shit so I imagine that’s another reason for latching on to the Republican party.

I also think it’s a bad sign when people within your party have to criticise it because even they are noticing it’s going crazy. Staff members saying “enough is enough”, and Ronald Reagan’s own daughter saying “what the hell is wrong with you guys” says something to me lol.

@missingE The irony of them trying to bring it back to “what it once was”.... Originally the Republican party was the liberal party, and when it first transformed back in the late 1800’s early 1900’s, it gave us 3 presidents in a row that slammed the economy into the ground because of crappy economic management. Or maybe they mean the Reagan/Nixon/Eisenhower eras… when half our national debt was racked up, the EPA was founded, or the highest tax bracket was 90%.

Not sure what they’re going for.