The Tea Party Express 2012 Game Plan

Eleanor Clift – Tue Apr 5, 11:36 pm ET

NEW YORK – The largest Tea Party group is co-sponsoring a presidential debate with CNN, vetting more viable candidates for 2012—and sticking with the GOP. Eleanor Clift on how the organization is coping with its waning support.

For a collection of political newcomers, the Tea Party Express is rapidly coming of age.

The largest of the Tea Party groups, it is partnering with CNN to sponsor a presidential debate on Sept. 12 in Tampa. Signing on with the mainstream media outlet requires the group to stay neutral in the Republican primary contest until after the event. Then it is free to endorse, but if its preferred contender doesn’t win the nomination, would the Tea Party field its own candidate?

The Tea Party touts its independence from the two major political parties, and it targets some Republicans with the same zeal it does Democrats. But when it comes to offering a third-party candidate, Amy Kremer, chairwoman of the Tea Party Express, says flatly, “No, we need to work from within.” With a third party, “all you do is split the vote.” She’s right, and that kind of pragmatic assessment will reinforce the Tea Party’s role as a kingmaker for the GOP in 2012.