South Carolina’s primary isn’t just the presumed last stand for the candidates who hope to stop Mitt Romney. It could also be the last stand for the Tea Party movement that was created to stop a candidate like Mitt Romney from ever getting the nomination in the first place.
A week out from votes being cast, the Tea Party shows no signs of coming together to stop Romney, who after all is the very architect of the type of health care law that helped bring tens of thousands out in protest in 2009.
Like they were in Iowa, Tea Partiers here are split among the several candidates vying for the title of anti-Romney and that means Romney has a path to victory right around them. And if the Tea Party fails to stop Romney, it will prove that the movement has failed to convert its electoral power in any real way beyond electing the 112th Congress (aka, The 9%).
The Tea Party's problem is they agree on two things: President Obama must lose, and the man to beat him can't be Mitt Romney. But that's all they agree on, and that's not enough to stop Mitt from winning primaries with 28-40% of the vote. If they can't stop Mitt Romney, they're done. And they know it. GOP social conservative leaders are meeting in Texas this weekend to hash out who will be the Anti-Romney.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and chief spokesman for the gathering, said he is unsure if the meeting will produce "unanimous agreement" behind a single candidate. But he said it could foster a "growing consensus" as the leaders air out their differing views on Romney and opposing candidates.
Another participant, speaking on condition of anonymity because of a confidentiality pledge, told McClatchy Newspapers that the conservatives are likely to hold additional meetings before trying to choose a consensus candidate in an attempt to block Romney from the nomination.
Conservative heavyweights hosting or invited to the event include James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of the Liberty Institute; Don Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association; and Gary Bauer, president of American Values.
"This coming election could prove to be the most critical of our lifetime," reads the invitation. "Conservatives of faith need to attempt to reach a consensus on which Republican presidential candidate or candidates we can support, in order to be most effective."
David Barton, president and founder of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization based in Aledo, Texas, said the hunt for a consensus may be difficult since many of the participants are torn between candidates. "It's split all over," said Barton, who said he was invited but probably will be unable to attend.
And if the leaders of the far right can't even get their act together long enough to get on the same page, then Mitt Romney and his billions in Bain baggage are going to have a really, really hard time winning in November.
The funny part is anyone these Tea Party folks pick? They'll fare even worse against the President. Either way, the Tea Party is about to find out just how little power they have.
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