By Tom Tillison
Orlando Political Press

TEA For Two?

Florida Tea Party Political Party and the Tea Party Movement –

Are they one and the same?  NO!
Does the Movement support the Party?  NO!
Does the Party represent the Movement?  NO!
Is the Party taking advantage of the Movement?  ABSOLUTELY!

So, yet another third party has been formed here in Florida, this one being the Florida Tea Party.  On the ballot, it will appear as TEA, and, henceforth, should always be referred to as the TEA Party – it’s important, as you will see.

Did you know that there are 30 other ‘minor’ parties registered as political parties in Florida?  At the end of the day, each is a third party, including the TEA Party.  Third parties historically have essentially one role, that of a spoiler.  And it will be no different this time.  In fact, I submit that if both the Republican and Democrat options withdrew in district 8 after the primary, the TEA Party candidate would still lose to a ‘write in’ of your choice.

So, TEA for two? 

This third party was registered in the state by Fred O’Neal, a local attorney best know for representing the nefarious Doug Guetzloe.  It has always been suspected that Guetzloe was behind the formation of the Florida TEA Party, although, until recently, he has not presented himself as being officially involved with the party.  That changed this week, with Guetzloe now referring to himself in the media as a “consultant” of the party.  On a side note, Guetzloe has done as much to make ‘consultant’ a dirty word as Obama has with ‘community organizer’!

Doug Guetzloe’s reputation proceeds him, as anyone involved in politics in Central Florida can attest to.  But, who is Fred O’Neal?  Trust me, it doesn’t matter.  Reports are that Mr. O’Neal had his last original thought back in 1987, so, other than a penchant for filing frivolous lawsuits, the man is harmless. 

Why does it matter?  In following Alinksy’s ‘Rules For Radicals’, one must know who the target is…

Registering the Florida TEA Party with the state was a brilliant idea, which alone brings to mind thoughts of conspiracy, as one struggles to accept the use of the word ‘brilliant’ and ‘Guetzloe’ in the same sentence.  Nonetheless, by forming this party, it suddenly puts these individuals in a great position to re-establish any relevance they might have ever had…if only there was MONEY to support the endeavor.

As always is the case, follow the money and you will find the answers.  So, what is the source of funding for the Florida TEA Party?  I saw a report in Sunshine State News where Guetzloe claims the party has $250,000.  Knowing his skill at spin, and seeing the rapid development of his prize ‘student’ in the fine art, there is much cause to question this figure, however, where did the party come up with the money to pay the registration fees for the 12 dupes, er… pawns, er… candidates that filed this week in the state races? 

It goes without saying that Guetzloe is not paying these fees out of his own pocket.  Thinking back to the ’08 Presidential Election, I recall that Barack Obama had thousands upon thousands of contributions of $200 or less, which is significant in that donations of this amount are not required to be identified.  It will certainly be interesting to see, when 2nd Qtr figures come out, if the Florida TEA Party shares the same good fortune that Obama did.

So, again, TEA for two?

Do these candidates running under the TEA banner have a realistic chance of winning any of the races they’ve entered?  Absolutely not!  If you believe that, drop me a line because I have this incredibly beautiful bridge that I’ve been trying to unload for a while now.  And, you won’t believe how reasonable the price is!

So who stands to benefit from this endeavor known as the Florida TEA Party?  Guetzloe?  Possibly, as he rarely enters into anything without applying his ‘entrepreneurial skills’.  Without question, though, and any seasoned politico will confirm, the two entities that stand to benefit most are – Alan Grayson and the Florida Democrat Party.

TEA for two?

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Tom Tillison

Senior Staff Writer
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.

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