The Tea Party is a splintered movement with no elected leadership, which makes it hard to generalize about how supporters are leaning, or whether the trend will hold. But interviews with activists around the country suggests a shift toward Romney is underway since his impressive win in Florida.
Even the person who has been running the “Anybody But Mitt’’ website has climbed aboard, grudgingly conceding that it is time to end the very public war within the party and make sure ideology does not trump unity.
“After the primary in Florida, it’s over. He’s the nominee. You can grouse about it and whine about it - as I’ve been doing for months - but the fact is he’s the nominee now,’’ said Michael Graham, the website pundit and a conservative talk radio personality at Boston-based 96.9-FM. “For Republican primary voters, even the most conservative who are very unhappy with Mitt, there’s something binding us all together, and that is ending the presidency of Barack Obama.’’
Around the country, Tea Party activists voiced similar sentiments. They had long hoped a conservative alternative could inspire them and give them a reason not to support Romney. At one point, they rallied behind Michele Bachmann, then jumped to Rick Perry. When he faltered, Herman Cain surged. All three are now former candidates.
Jack Rogers, a lay Baptist minister in suburb outside Minneapolis and a co-coordinator of the North Metro Tea Party Patriots, had favored Bachmann. “In reality, the Tea Party people I know . . . are going to support any candidate who stands against Barack Obama,’’ he said.
One reason for the gradual acceptance may be that while Romney has long been distrusted by Tea Party activists, his message of smaller government, less debt, and fewer regulations has resonated with some supporters.
Romney has also adopted a far scrappier tone in recent weeks, sharpening his criticisms of Obama and Gingrich as he tries to demonstrate that a measured businessman can still provide some of the fervor that animates the activists.
