Tea Party v. McCain

Criticize them if you choose but there is no denying the enormous influence of the Tea Party movement. This protest of big government and bureaucracy gridlock is sweeping through the nation like a brush fire and has every moderate, Republican and Democrat, wondering if he ought to upload his resume onto monster.com.

It seems as though no one can escape the wrath of the tea baggers as John McCain, the face of the Party less than two years ago, is engaged in political warfare fending off J.D. Hayworth in a heated primary challenge.

Hayworth claims to be fighting for the conservatives in the GOP in his bid to defeat the Maverick. The tea baggers tempers' appear to be hotter than the deserts in Arizona but if they are not careful, the repercussions could be harmful to their cause.

As we witnessed in New York a short while ago, tea baggers split the Republican vote between a moderate and a conservative, thereby handing the seat to the Democrat challenger.

McCain is admittedly moderate but this mood of "die hard conservatism" must be put on the back-burner. Ronald Reagan said that Republicans represented a "big tent" Party; one in which all are welcome to join.

Many people still believe in the big tent theory, as prominent conservatives Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin have already endorsed McCain in the race.

It is refreshing to witness conservative activism on the rise once again but the movement needs to be preaching messages of tolerance and acceptance.

The Tea Party movement ought to remember this:

There is a reason ours is called the Grand Old Party.