Trust me when I say that these guys are in power mostly because of the Tea Party movement. I have been really surprised to read that these major candidates are just not going to the convention.
Florida Tea Party Convention Snubbed By Leading RepublicansTea party allies Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), Attorney General Pam Bondi (R-Fla.) and the leading Republican candidates for president have all declined invitations to the 2011 Florida Tea Party Convention. Senate candidates Adam Hasner and George LeMieux and Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) are not attending either.
Planners say it is the first time members of Florida's sizable tea party movement have convened at a conference of their own and believe the event will help galvanize the state's loosely affiliated chapters. Around 1,000 activists are expected to make their way to this balmy seaside resort town for the function, which features keynote addresses and seminars given by right-wing academics, political strategists, businesspeople, theologians and other conservatives.
The absence of marquee GOP officeholders or seekers has irked many high-ranking local tea party officials. Pamela Dahl, the convention's chair and president of Florida's Tri-County Tea Party, said she had hoped a live presidential forum would be one of the highlights of the three-day gathering.
The Tea Party leaders are not very happy.
"They're making a big mistake," said Tina Altic, a member of the Highlands County tea party. "We have power. They saw what we did in the last election and they need to support us."
"Remember 2010? I guess that's all I need to say," Dahl said. "Remember 2010, what the tea parties did and there's more tea parties now than there's ever been."