Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks has gone into crisis mode overnight. After cultivating the Tea Party’s “brand” over the past three years as an organically spawning libertarian movement, they now have to deal with Mitt Romney stepping on their (astro)turf. Romney plans on attending a Tea Party rally this weekend in New Hampshire to begin his new strategy of gaining Tea Party support. FreedomWorks reacted angrily:

“We have to defend our brand against poseurs,” said Steinhauser.

[…]

“If we can’t make any distinction between any of the candidates, if we’re just going to provide cover for the establishment candidates, then what is the point of having the tea party?” Steinhauser said. “We’ve got to have a brand, and we can’t water down our brand.”

He’s got a good point: any association between the Tea Party and Mitt Romney could bring down the entire grassroots façade. I just can’t believe that an establishment manufactured anti-establishment movement would even dare bring up the words “brand” and “poseur” in their defense. That’s bad brand management.