While I believe that the influence of the Tea Party on our national politics and economy is extremely pernicious and destructive, I tend to agree with Thom Hartmann, who claims that we should consider emulating their tactics.

Here’s how Hartmann explains it:

“I have a mission for you – and it’s not impossible. Progressives shouldn’t just be FIGHTING the Tea Party – we should be LEARNING from the Tea Party too. No – not learning from their bizarro economics – or selfish morality – or destructive idealism – but instead learning from how they took control of the Republican Party and forced the entire Conservative establishment to lurch so far to the Right that they’ve even dumped people like David Frum. If progressives hope to have any shot at influencing today’s Democratic Party – and kicking out the corporate Blue Dog Democrats and replacing them with real-deal progressives – then we need to get to work right now – and do exactly what the Tea Party did a year and a half ago to take power. And it starts in our own backyards. Let me introduce you to the Concord Project – a right-wing organization in charge of getting out the vote for Republicans. Last year – the Concord Project expanded their get out the vote strategy beyond just traditional phone banking – canvassing – and putting up “vote Republican” signs – they decided to infiltrate local politics by encouraging Tea Partiers to become Precinct Committeemen.”