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Ellen Ratner and Thomas Basile discuss the future of the Tea Party after Allen West concedes his re-election bid.
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You gotta love that photo out hey this is on the hunt would do all the time but he's not here on or cream filling in for Johnson who is on assignment right now that a lot of stuff to talk about but.
Before we do -- in -- in his the panel because we're talking about a lot of things that are on other news topics today as I -- introduce the panel -- with me today.
Ellen Ratner who is being here is keep our talk radio news service she is in DC eight.
Coming -- live and here in the studio is tunnels facilities the former executive director of NYS the Republican Party -- -- -- Republican Party -- -- both.
Good to be here thank you really talk about it.
The fiscal -- in just a few minutes but -- talk about some of the things that as sort of still fallout from the presidential election a few weeks ago a couple weeks ago one is.
-- -- Representative Allen west lost the Republican who lost his bid for his congressional seat.
And -- I think about this because you know he was like the most popular.
Of the Tea Party one of the most popular the Tea Party candidates who were -- -- in 2010.
What is his vote for Tea Party politics do you or does -- -- anything.
I don't think it -- anything you know things were done in terms -- redistricting etc.
I mean Allen west and I could not agree on what day it is but he does have -- very electric kinda personality.
And so I think that that is something that had won him over with the voters I would not be surprised if you don't see Allen west.
Running in that district again in two years it was a very close election.
-- what you think -- -- using this has -- Do with the Tea Party has lost sort of it's it's it's fervor.
No I really don't but I think that all politics is local and a one of the things I think west did from a strategic standpoint that -- -- serve him terribly well.
Is that any spent a lot of time trying to be the voice of the Tea Party whenever you turn on the TV someplace whether it's here on fox or CNN or MSNBC.
You heard Allen west -- this fall though is that because the media does go -- goes after.
People now who are a little -- right in this -- on the -- well that's -- -- that's sure he made for very good television but the fact of the matter is is that.
You know Alan west needed to spend more time in his district.
-- doing when he needed to do to get reelected to service constituency instead of trying to you know prepped himself to be a Fox News contributor after he was done being being a member of congress.
And I you know it's interesting -- Press Secretary has two letters they can say and the answer is no right and if you want your person to be seen as from that district.
You get a lot of national TV interviews and news saying now on -- the congressman is busy in the district this weekend or whenever I mean do you think that the redistricting actually worked in the favor of his democratic rival -- Was his name Patrick Murphy.
That to sort of -- in his favor he -- advantage of the west being sort of that.
The media spokesperson there are a lot of people maybe this -- is in his district that didn't even know that Alamos was represented them.
Alan -- yes you know it's interesting I I had decimate and I knew that ran for congress.
And they did it all on TV and when asked about it they sent and they lost.
They said well you know I wanted to keep a low profile well.
-- if you wanna keep a low profile in your district you're gonna lose the actors is no -- -- -- about right.
Meantime what about -- Unless I mean he has a presence about him do you you thing.
It was just a fluke of redistricting.
Do you think he has.
A presence in the GOP for the future and and what will that entail.
I think that listen you're gonna see him up at C pac.
From the next C -- conference he's not going away -- it's a very powerful speaker is a very powerful voice for fiscal conservative values.
And he's spent a lot of time becoming a national figure like like like a set I think that impacted his ability maybe to serve his district maybe that was used against him.
Because you can't be an absentee freshman congressman that just doesn't work.
And but but I don't think he's I don't think he's going away and and I I certainly hope that the that he doesn't -- it.
After all you know TV right yes.
A look at senator Al Franken I mean -- is essentially a national figure it was a on TV radio etc.
And you know he is really kept his nose to the ground.
-- and has been basically the senator from Minnesota he is not trying to be a national figure and had.
Congressman west followed that with his own district he may be in a different position today.
Yet there there was I wanted to have a mention -- a -- that Dallas is conceding the election because it's.
There was some issues he was challenging the vote because it was getting close but.
Officially he is giving up the fight he concedes the reelection bid and now he is that.
Heading back.
To his.
His regions that day I guess is gonna regroup and figure out what -- goes when he sees that he was basically guessing you know I had I'm gonna be right now right now wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving and then -- -- and be with my family has.
As it wouldn't surprise me if if -- right.
And and he and he ran for congress again.
It also would surprise me we see Allen -- with his own conservative radio syndicated radio talk show -- to be paid contributor to one of the major.
Major news networks in the very near.
Future but we've got some checks coming in for a on the subject of Allen west a JD -- point says isn't the next move for western run for senator or governor what do you think -- It's hard coming off of a loss I think that -- need some time to rehabilitate and and regroup.
Before.
Before -- be able to really consider doing that and particularly Florida is is a very expensive state to run and it's a very difficult landscape.
He needs some rehabilitation time before you consider do that.
Alan what do you think.
Out I'd agree you know you never want to have a lost their -- he has -- perhaps write a book.
I he has student -- -- very involved in his district may be raising money for some of the nonprofits in his district.
If he wants to run -- where he asked to focus being in his district -- -- JS as blasting.
He says when they stop pulling the race card you may not realize we have a black president do you think Allen was really did.
I I don't know who pulled the risk of reasoning is something about race Alan that I missed or not at all OK not that I didn't have you are now I -- I don't think and I actually don't think race is that affect here I think his ideology is a factor and again the fact that he did not it's.
And as much time as he should have in his district that was another one from.
Came in in any way -- this read this can you read this about sort of sense of I think those congresswomen are right at the Republicans don't like Susan Rice because she's black and a woman it's part of the republicans' war on women I've -- if the Republicans well let's get this because you know is that.
Is there a Republican war on women -- -- -- just -- sort of something manufactured or the for the campaign season Allen.
Well you know something look I think that the it their comments about abortion did not help the Republican Party.
And -- in the rape and abortion I mean specifically certainly did not help the Republican Party.
On the other hand I don't think that Susan Rice.
He is a war on women's issue I understand that is how many of -- -- lives are playing it but I think her candidacy.
As a lot more complex than that and if she was to have hearings I think would find some opinions of -- that some of the limbs would not necessarily agree.
-- download anything.
Well I think that it's a substantive issues and for anybody who's just saying oh this is because she's a woman.
Or she is -- cut because -- an African American woman.
-- remember we had an African American secretary of state under president George W.
Bush we've had.
Senior members of of administrations -- an African American women.
And in in both parties.
There is a substance -- -- here about her credibility and her ability to serve as say as an effective secretary of state and in this something wrong with having that debate.
-- -- -- under the this and the topic Chris Christie because there's a lot of flak coming out about but you know.
Now he wants a big hug from the GOP after he gave up President Obama big hugs following -- this Andy hurricane sandy and also.
Via rock camp is is saying -- pretty confident that that Chris Christie in his embrace of President Obama after the hurricane sandy.
Basically -- election for Romney -- -- think about that you think -- I -- I honestly listen I am from the great state of Ohio and I don't really think even -- Ohio was affected by the hurricane to some degree.
I don't think that Ohio.
I'll or Michigan or in those states were affected by the president getting a big hug from Governor Christie.
I think there are a lot of other issues again it's very complex.
And I think to reduce and to blame.
Governor Christie for losing the election for governor Romney come on that's really stretch.
I don't mean this this is so -- kind of a damned if you do damned if you don't mean it was a national disaster at least -- it's -- -- north east.
Obama is the president of the United States this is his job what do you do in a situation like that you do your job -- -- the governor you do your job.
And I just you know I always love it when you have this finger pointing that goes on after a presidential election.
And the strategists all sit down the people actually ran a campaign all sit down and they do an autopsy on the campaign and it always just seems to happen.
That the cause for the death never has anything to do with the doctors who were actually working on the body.
There I -- without a higher percentage I mean it is unbelievable how much denial.
And you know just.
I not -- -- -- do anything you know when in fact they get out the vote operation on Election Day failed give -- there and there that run campaign they did they crunched the numbers.
And it showed that there was some follow -- a lot of fallout.
A -- from the undecideds and everybody knows is the -- -- -- undecideds were going to really decide this election they saw right around the time of -- -- and President Obama and Chris Christie embracing.
That be they made the decision on -- do what they sought after hurricane sanity.
Obama increased his turn out to Miami Dade County over his 2008.
Levels by far by 5% if you look at the counties where were where Obama.
Really focused on his get out the vote I mean how how -- -- in Ohio right yeah you're the you're probably talking about a dozen counties.
Where they mobilize their base far more effectively than the Republicans mobilize there's.
And those people were voting for Mitt Romney under no circumstances and -- by -- -- by Chris Christie or not they were in voting for Mitt Romney.
They needed to get out to the polls to vote for for Obama and that's what Obama for America did.
And the and the Romney campaign did not have the coalition's operation -- the GOP or the geo TV operation it needed to mobilize its own people.
