No Pilot At The Helm

by Mark Kevin Lloyd - October 18th, 2010 - The Hill

In February I had the honor to emcee a debate that the Tea Parties of the Virginia 5th District hosted for the GOP primary. I didn’t know what to say when I went to the microphone. I was new to this sort of thing, and I was obviously nervous. An elderly gentleman with years of political experience was amused with my nervousness and he said “don’t worry about it, just speak from your heart and these people will understand.” That was some great advice, I think. When I took the microphone I asked the crowd “how many of you are looking for a leader, please raise your hand” and about half of the 600 raised their hands, and some cheered. I was taken aback. I said, “you’re wrong!” The crowd went silent. I had to explain that this debate was a job interview for an employee. The fact that many in this “conservative” crowd were looking for a “leader” was disturbing. I told the crowd, “if you are looking for a leader, then look in the mirror.” This is the attitude of the Tea Party patriot that is completely missed by the “smart kids” that are currently calling the shots in Washington.

Great article. I love the analogy at the end of the article on what the Tea Party represents. Read and see if you agree.