Yesterday,  I read the Tea Party article saying that we lost the election because the Republican Party foisted on us “a weak moderate candidate, hand-picked by the Beltway elites and country-club establishment wing of the Republican Party.”

I am deeply disappointed in the Tea Party for making such a statement.  First, I am thoroughly convinced that Romney is an honorable man with a long record of service to others.  I also think that he worked tirelessly to make a difference and nearly did it.  It would be more reasonable to say that we lost this election because of fragmentation in the Republican Party and constant sniping by Republicans against other Republicans.  Sometimes, we don’t even need the help of Democrats to shoot ourselves in the foot.

We were not helped by Chris Christie, a Governor who first made himself the focal point at the RNC and then made Obama the favorable focal point during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

We are not helped by a failure to tenaciously pursue answers on Benghazi and the death of four Americans, or “Fast and Furious” and the death of a Border Patrol agent, or to aggressively educate and inform the public in clear terms about how the national debt manifests itself in the personal budgets of American families. We are not helped by letting people forget about a Black Panther “Dead or Alive” poster, or by the divisive and often racist language used by Obama in his own book.   We are not helped by the failure to confront the barrage of lies and deceit coming from this Administration.

We are not helped by failing to expose the hateful language of Obama, e.g. “Punish our Enemies,” “Voting is the best Revenge,” and many worse statements, or by ignoring the fact that Obama’s training is that of a community organizer.  He was a professional agitator and according to one of his early mentors, “the undisputed master of agitation.”  In short, he is a man trained to create discord, confrontation and hate among people.  As President, he has done this job well.

We are certainly not helped by the absolute silence on Obama’s promise that he would have more flexibility after the election.  Flexibility to do what?  Did anybody care?

Look at the celebration last night at Obama HQ in Chicago.  Look at middle-class people dancing and laughing as they are about to have their personal finances destroyed by inflation, further job loss, government growth; a healthcare program that will cost jobs, reduce services to the elderly, dissuade  doctors from handling Medicare cases, and perhaps reduce the right of the elderly to lifesaving tests and treatments.  Look at what amounts to pure hate and divisiveness coming from our Executive branch.  Look at the absolute collapse of credible journalism in our country.

All of these things and many more are to blame for our loss in yesterday’s election.  As we begin to address these issues; hopefully, to seek impeachment for Obama’s Benghazi failure; and start building a solid case for 2016 that will not allow a Biden, Clinton, or any Democrat victory – as we start to do these things – I ask the Tea Party to applaud and honor, rather than denigrate and marginalize the sincere, patriotic efforts of people like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.  These are outstanding Americans, who gave everything they had to provide America with a better path.  Each of them worked tirelessly for months, taking time from their families and exposing themselves to ugly critiques that keep so many good people from the political arena.   We should not be criticizing them.  We should be thanking them – and I do.

Thanking them – and with true gratitude – is what Americans do.  I expect no less of the Tea Party.