Jim Chiodo, the founder and organizer of the Holland-Zeeland Patriot Tea Party
Jim, what’s your role in the Tea Party?
JC: I prefer to consider myself an organizer, somebody that helps other people speak up. We have no roles or titles or anything like that. You can call me the guy with the big mouth.
What are the main principles of the Tea Party, and what is its goal?
JC: Fiscal responsibility, smaller government, and constitutional adherence. The goal is to affect policy and influence the election of officials who will defend and protect the original meaning of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Now that said, when you say “affect the election,” that doesn’t mean we’re going to go out and knock on doors saying, “Vote for Joe Blow.”As a Tea Party member I will not do that. As Jim Chiodo, John Q. Citizen, I can say to vote for anybody I want.
Explain the difference between the Tea Party and a standard political party.
JC: The Tea Party is not in any way, shape or form a registered political party. With that said, there is a nefarious group in Michigan that has collected petitions to put a political party on the ballot with the name “Tea Party.” Since we do not have the name registered or copyrighted and it’s a free country, the Secretary of State is obliged to register the party.
