March 13 - Tea Party or Ostrich Stew?

We see you, Mr. Ostrich, so no use hiding! Image found online without source.

By Magdalena I. García

“For decades, faith and family have been at the center of the conservative movement. But as the Tea Party infuses conservatism with new energy, its leaders deliberately avoid discussion of issues like gay marriage or abortion,” thus affirms an article by Kate Zernike, written for the nytimes.com and published yesterday. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/us/politics/13tea.html?hp). The title of the article is “Tea Party Avoids Divisive Social Issues.” The article goes on to explain that the motto of the group is “fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets,” an emphasis that is quite different from the 1990s Contract with America manifesto, which heavily emphasized family values.

Why the switch? The article answers the question. “Tea Party leaders argue that the country can ill afford the discussion about social issues when it is passing on enormous debts to future generations. But the focus is also strategic: leaders think they can attract independent voters if they stay away from divisive issues.”

At first glance, this seems like ostrich politics: bury your head deep in the sand and pretend eveything is fine. But in defense of the poor ostrich, I just read an entry at nationalgeographic.com that says this is not true (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/ostrich/). “Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. The old saw probably originates with one of the bird’s defensive behaviors. At the approach of trouble, ostriches will lie low and press their long necks to the ground in an attempt to become less visible. Their plumage blends well with sandy soil and, from a distance, gives the appearance that they have buried their heads in the sand.”

So, what do you know! That’s even better. It is indeed a total case of ostrich politics: lie low and become less visible, in order to fool your enemy! Perhaps this political group should consider changing its name. How about “Ostrich Stew” instead of “Tea Party?”