There's a lot of wishful thinking in Washington. Beltway Democrats wish for more of our money to spend. Beltway Republicans wish no one would notice they've done nothing about the deficit.
President Obama is wishing from the 18th green that the economy will magically improve enough to make him appear competent. And his progressive allies wish the Tea Party, which defeated well-heeled liberal forces in 2010, would just go away.
The Left thinks it's getting its wish as Tea Party rallies fade into history. But that doesn't mean that the Tea Party is dead. In fact, what progressives have hoped was the demise of the most effective grass-roots movement in recent history has actually been a needed evolution.
Large, decentralized, authentic grass-roots movements are so often nothing more than flashes in the pan. Not so with the Tea Party. It remains a potent political force but just not in the same way as in 2009 and 2010.
Even the Tea Party name has slowly begun to fade as citizen-activists and citizen-politicians who first engaged in the national political discourse three years ago now are building political infrastructure to effect long-term, systemic reform.
They're ready to do something as much as say something. Being stuck in a 2009 mentality will not help build a counterforce to public employee unions and other well-funded progressive constituencies.
It is an uphill battle to be sure, but it was similar to the mountain progressives climbed against the corporatists 100 years ago. This time around, the fiscal conservatives and constitutionalists are beginning to drive hard against the statists.
Many of the Tea Partiers who made news headlining rallies across America have now taken the more tedious, thoughtful approach of education, organization and mobilization that looks far beyond even this November.
For Tea Partiers in Rhode Island, for example, that means investing time, energy and resources into educating members on issues, attending activist training seminars, and studying how to more effectively reach a broader audience.
Decades of cronyism and corruption in Rhode Island have led to a one-party system of government that is beholden to the left. In a heavily unionized state with a poor business climate, the Tea Party lobbying the State House, examining legislation, writing and delivering testimony, and coalescing with other groups against binding arbitration and new sales taxes, and backing comprehensive public employee pension reform.
In 2011, Wisconsin was ground zero for the reform debate with loud protests both for and against Gov. Scott Walker's budget reform bill. Tea Partiers, who propelled Walker to election and supported reforms that closed a massive budget deficit without raising taxes, are now in the middle of the fight keep him in office.
The Tea Party is also helping ensure the integrity of Wisconsin's electoral process with an unprecedented project called Verify the Recall. The joint effort of the Wisconsin Grandsons of Liberty and We the People of the Republic has attracted thousands of volunteers to counter Big Labor's "at all costs" mentality of gathering recall signatures.
The anti-fraud effort has helped build a sophisticated infrastructure of more than 12,000 people who will ultimately be mobilized to fight for an honest vote.
In Illinois, where Democrats have raised taxes more than 80 percent but still have a huge budget gap, Tea Partiers have been instrumental in forcing officials to acknowledge the need for reform by exposing undue public employee union influence and abuses in school boards and election boards.
In Ohio, local groups meet regularly seeking to spark some trickle-up Federalism. Some are active in local primaries for school boards and county commissioners, while others support a ballot initiative to make Ohio a right to work state.
Former Ohio Tea Party leader Mike Wilson is running for the Ohio House of Representatives and besides American Majority's training programs, a new Ohio group, Empower U, is conducting workshops on cutting property taxes and initiating local ballot issues.
Even in deep red Oklahoma and true blue New York, the transition from rallies to realities is taking place. Today, the Norman (Okla,) Tea Party is working with other organizations seeking common-sense conservative solutions to the city's challenges.
In the Big Apple, Tea Parties once known for loud events are now focusing on training seminars and classroom-style activities to give them a stronger voice on local issues.
The list goes on and to be sure, with the true effect yet to be felt.
So the Tea Party is alive in 2012, but very different from what it was in 2009. It may not be as good for television and street theater, but it's there and focused on the long haul for fundamental, generational change for this great nation.
While Occupy Wall Street will soon again fill the airwaves with burning flags and vitriolic placards, the next generation Tea Partier will be playing the thinking man's game. They know it's time to get something real done.
Ned Ryun is president of American Majority, a leading national conservative grass-roots training organization.
