> Tea Party vs. Moderate RINO

When I was a Republican who thought anyone running with an R next to their name was a conservative I had to drop by the well known RINO's campaign headquarters to pick up some signs and flyers.

The campaign office was in a nice office building downtown with a very hot secretary at the front desk. Everything was professionally run and I could tell they didn't get many volunteers in there. In fact they were a bit taken aback that anyone not in their employ would want to put up signs and leaflet a neighborhood. It was nothing but paid staff. I saw almost no signs for this RINO among the grassroots, but he was reelected easily. This was a long time ago when RINOs could still win uncontested primaries.

Compare the Tea Party. Meetings are held at diners, VFW halls, picnic grounds, people's houses. Nothing is professional, no one is paid, and the candidates they support are unscreened to put it mildly.

That's the difference between astroturf and the grassroots.

RINOs are now and have always been astroturf, fake campaigns financed by corporate donations and the party machine. The Tea Party is the real deal.