Tea Party Movement Dissolved, Party Officially Suspends All Activities
Â In what can only be described as unprecedented and earth-shattering political news, Tea Party Leaders have announced the official dissolution of the Tea Party Movement, and the end to Tea Party-approved candidates and sponsored political endorsements.The bombshell announcement was issued through a joint press release from Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator for Florida, and Representative Ted Cruz (R-Texas).Â  The statement reads in part:In recent months, growing tensions and increasing divisions within the party have led us to make the difficult but necessary decision to halt all Tea Party political activities. We just canât keep up with all the nonsense we spew on a daily basis, and itâs gotten to the point where nobody even listens to our crap anymore. Once people stop listening, then the crap just seems that muchâ¦crappier. We have taken this action because we feel it is crucial for the future health and political success of our current and seriously divided mainstream GOP.Over the last several years, there have been many setbacks to the Tea Party movement. Original Tea Party member Eric Cantor lost his bid for re-election in June 2014 to newcomer and college professor David Brat.Â  Florida Representative Allen West narrowly lost his bid for reelection to political novice Patrick Murphy in November 2012. Plus,Â former Alaska Governor and 2008 GOP Vice-Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin also aligned herself with the movement and remains highly vocal â which might be the biggest setback of all for the party.The Tea Party unofficially got started during a February 2009 speech from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange when CNBC commentator Rick Santelli made reference to the original Boston Tea Party revolt of 1773.Â  Santelli proposed a Chicago âTea Partyâ style uprising to oppose government intrusion into the housing market.Â  At the time, President Barack Obamaâs mortgage relief bailout plan faced widespread opposition and criticism.A faction of the new party used racially-charged symbolism and rhetoric aimed directly at Barack Obama, the nationâs first African-American President, causing further divisions and contributing to the partyâs demise.âAt a time when our GOP leadership was achievingÂ limited success in attracting a more diverse base,â explained Rubio, âunfortunate events were taking place, with no clear direction toward party cohesion.Â  The sooner we get back to the work of repairing todayâs GOP, the stronger the party and the entire nation will be.âCurrent Speaker of the House John Boehner was reportedly against the move, but was overruled in what is seen as a further weakening of his political power and influence. Several members of the House were reportedly overjoyed by the decision for the group to disband. Others, though, were just concerned about whether or not theyâd still be able to enjoy their Chai.