Tea Party Shows Split in GOP Primary Choice

The Tea Party proved Sunday that it doesn't want to be told who to vote for as audience members shouted down a speaker who said the Tea Party needed to rally behind former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The S.C. Tea Party Convention began Sunday with rallying addresses from the state's GOP Congressional Delegation, but the gathering splintered in a brief exchange after speaker Mike George, creator of the Strong America Now PAC, began questioning primary front runner Mitt Romney's bona fides.

"He still defends Romneycare as a good thing," George said, rattling off criticisms before saying that Gingrich is the candidate who can beat Obama.

"We need a million Tea Party members to walk the precincts," George said. "If we don't have a Republican candidate you're fired up about, we've lost." 

But George's comments sparked fire from the audience. "Get off the stage," one man shouted out. A woman asked George why he wanted to destroy capitalism. Another audience member shouted in response, "Mitt drew first blood."

Lowcountry 9.12 member Linda Ensor said the outburst was indicative of the movement. "I don't think there is one candidate for the Tea Party," she said.

Ensor is excited about recharging during the convention. "You really get tired," she said of the hours each week spent furthering the cause. "We're here for group inspiration."

Make Them Feel The Heat

Sen. Jim DeMint opened the convention with a thank you to the voters who rallied behind conservative candidates in 2010 and charged them with the same cause in 2012.

"If they can't see the light, make them feel the heat," DeMint told the crowd of hundreds. "People ask, 'What can I do?' What you can do is what you are doing today."

Speakers spent much of their time talking about President Barack Obama. 

"If you think King George was bad, we're facing King George to the 20th power," said Apostle Claver, editor of the conservative RagingElephants.org.
George told the crowd President Obama is trying to make people dependent on the government to be his "peasant masses."

The message from congressmen was about challenging the mindset in Washington.

Rep. Jeff Duncan from the Upstate told the crowd a story about glasses of water available for House members in the chamber. "The South Carolina delegation was sent to Washington with the instructions not to drink the water."

Rep. Mick Mulvaney, who has endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry, didn't mention the candidate, but he told the crowd to support a conservative. 

"The worst thing to me is to have President Obama re-elected," he said. "The second worse thing is to elect someone else who isn't ready to make the changes needed."

Rep. Joe Wilson was surprised looking out at the large crowd — registration for the conference exceeded 500. "I came here expecting an intimate crowd of 30," he said.

The second day of the event will include comments from Gov. Nikki Haley, Charleston "Fair Tax" organizer John Steinberger, S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis, Attorney General Alan Wilson and Education Superintendent Mick Zais.

The convention will close with comments from three presidential candidates: Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.