While the Tea Party movement has often been dismissed as a crank movement manufactured by the folks at Fox News, it does seem to have the potential of being both a significant and a positive movement.
On the negative side, the Tea Party movement does have some unpleasant elements that play to base fears and various prejudices (racism, anti-intellectualism, and so on). There is also the concern that the movement is a political tool that has been manufactured as a weapon against the Democrats and to serve the good of certain Republicans rather than the country as a whole.
On the positive side, folks in the Tea Party movement has presented some legitimate criticisms of the folks in power and its shows that there seems to be a growing independent movement. Since I have long been critical of our two party system that enables the scoundrels in the two parties to merely swap power back and forth, the idea of some serious competition is very appealing.
Of course, the Tea Party is not yet a political party in a meaningful sense. In fact, some Tea Party folks are explicitly against political parties (of course, some are not). There is also considerable conflict and infighting among those claiming membership in the movement. This conflict is further exacerbated by the fact that the Republicans seem rather inclined to try to get control of the allegedly independent movement. If the movement becomes a mere attack dog for the Republican political machine, then that will be a rather sad end to what could have been a revitalizing political movement.
While the Tea Party is generating a great deal of media attention it might turn out to be a mere flash in the media pan. After all, the movement was inspired (in part) by Fox and seems to be partially sustained by the media attention. But, like all media darlings, it might simply fade away into obscurity. Or not-as always, time will tell.
Currently, the Tea Party seems to be advantageous to the Republicans. After all, the Republicans seem to be running some parts of the movement and Republican politicians like Sarah Palin are very popular with the Tea Party folks. Of course, the Republicans do not have mastery over the party and there has been some criticism of Republicans from some Tea Party folks.
For now, the Tea Party seems to be an aid to the Republicans. However, the Tea Party folks seem to be often driven by a genuine dislike of business as usual in politics. So, when the Democrats hand power back to the Republicans, they might find that the tea is no longer quite to their liking.
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They are absolutely awful people.
What are you basing that statement on, other then the fact that you hate capitalism?
One thing’s for sure. If I were a political opportunist I’d want to get in on the ground floor of this. The fruit is ripe for the picking.
Hijacking movements has a long and glorious tradition. Of course, movements generally can only be hijacked if enough folks really want to go along for the ride.
For you Olberman fans:
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/countdown-special-comment-tea-parties-and
Just been scanning some vids and pics of tea party gartherings.
http://dancody.org/archives/video-from-milwaukee-tea-party-protest-crowd-size-again-over-stated.html
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/nashville-tea-party-june-29-2009
A libertarian party vid. The guy at 2:09 must be thinking What the hell? The only other black in the vid at 2:57 is an ‘entrepreneur’.
http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/more-videos-and-pictures-from-the-national-tea-par
Now in this one there are two or three members of minorities present. But they’re notable as being the small exceptions in a much larger crowd.
Olberman’s right about the relative absence of black and brown faces. Of course that’s probably because those people don’t pay taxes? And they haven’t lost jobs? Because they don’t work. But maybe the movement will attract more minorities as time goes on. Until they represent as large a fraction of the movement as they represent in our general population. That would be a good thing.
So sayeth KO
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/countdown-special-comment-tea-parties-and
Just been scanning some vids and pics of tea party gartherings.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/nashville-tea-party-june-29-2009
A libertarian party vid. The guy at 2:09 must be thinking What the hell? The only other black in the vid at 2:57 is an ‘entrepreneur’.
http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/more-videos-and-pictures-from-the-national-tea-par
Now in this one there are two or three members of minorities present. But they’re notable as being the small exceptions in a much larger crowd.
http://dancody.org/archives/video-from-milwaukee-tea-party-protest-crowd-size-again-over-stated.html
BTW: I’m doing it this way because of link-loading problems on my original post.
Go to freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/more-videos-and-pictures-from-the-national-tea-par
This may have been the bad link.
More than two or three members of minorities present. Small exceptions in a much larger crowd.
I had another set of vids from freedomworks.org that showed a few more minority participants. But generally KO’s not far off the mark. About the relative absence at this point of black and brown faces. Maybe they don’t pay taxes? Or they haven’t lost jobs? Because they don’t work? Perhaps the TP’s will attract more minorities as time goes on. Maybe at some point minorities will represent the same fraction of the movement as they represent in our general population.
Birth of the Tea Party on CNBC right around 2:12…
Makes ya wonder doesn’t it? Where Santelli was in 08. O7. 06. 5.4.3.2.1. etc? When these problems were festering, bubbling and boiling over. He speaks here with such authority! Complete confidence that the new administration/as opposed to the old one?/in office for are wrong. Also what about his assertion that the group in that room are representative in any way of the american population?
Doesn’t anybody remember anything?
Remember the Porkbusters movement and how it helped the Dems take Congress?
Instead the Porkbusters represent what is arguably the only grassroots movement since 1994 to gain traction and build momentum on the core American principle of limited government. The Porkbusters movement is not particularly concerned with the electoral fate of Republicans or Democrats, but they are concerned with the fate of the Republic and their own tax dollars. Quite simply, Porkbusters is a movement comprised of individuals who are just plain sick of their money being wasted, quite often in secret, by self-serving politicians.
http://article.nationalreview.com/315686/theres-no-defending-pork/tom-coburn
Mike,
Please clarify the racism allegation.
Thank you for being so polite as to use ‘please’.As you probably understood from the Olberman vid, his allegation is based on KO’s observation that very few blacks attend tea parties. I’ve provided a few videos that would seem to support the claim about the numbers. I’ve got at least one more that didn’t load the first or second time. Of course,his observations alone don’t prove racism is at the heart of the movement. It’s likely an ‘unhappy’ coincidence that the movement started during the Obama administration. Merrily bypassing the soaring debt and legislative swindling of the public during the Bush years.Medicare Part D unfunded for example. It’s likely an ‘unhappy coincidence’ that a more direct racism raised its head during some Palin 08 campaign rallies. Ex: You Tube. ‘Racism at Sarah Palin Rally in Ohio’ And who’s the current Tea Bag favorite? Sarah Palin.
http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/more-videos-and-pictures-from-the-national-tea-par
Thank you.
m, My deepest apologies. I missed the fact that you addressed your post to Mike. Please forgive.I have a link from freedomworks that just won’t upload. It has ‘videos and pictures of the national tea party’. You’ll we see two or three members of minorities present. Exceptions in a larger crowd.Maybe blacks don’t attend because they don’t pay taxes? And they haven’t lost jobs because they don’t work.So they’ve got nothing to protest about. Whatver. Maybe the ‘movement’ will attract more minorities as time goes on. Until eventually minorities represent as large a fraction of the movement as they represent in the general population. That would be a good thing.
One of the better ones…
I’m not sure how being limited government and spending excludes a minority.
k. Depends if your definition of limited government includes getting rid of some of those pesky governmental “regulations” like the 14th amendment and the laws that come with it.
tj: Here’s the other side of reduction ad Hitlerum and labeling
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm
Guess we need another party. And since no one can agree on 100% of anything, perhaps we should start with The Anarchy Party. And work backward from there.
Folks in the Tea Party have been accused of racism, in part because of the images of Obama that have been used. I am not claiming that the movement is racist or even that any significant portion of the folks involved are racist. My point was that this is a negative view that some folks have of the movement.
Brilliant vide. Love it.