This is true. Unfortunately for us, that pragmatism doesn’t exist in the general populace. The Democrats will eventually lose as well, and I would expect something similar from them when they lose control. It will certainly not take the same form, but it will exist.
Here’s the thing: It’s entirely possible for Clothahump’s claim:
to be one which he is making in an honest and well-intentioned fashion, and for Clothahump himself to in fact not be racist or violent, while simultaneously for Amulet’s question
to be a meaningful and interesting one which deserves a response. The conversation between the two of them is a very interesting one which gets at the root of the tea party movement, and I’d very much like to see where it plays out. And, frankly, I’m quite suspicious of a lot of tea partyers, and of many of the apparently organic roots of the tea party movement.
The point I’m trying to make in this thread, however, is that neither the existence of Amulet’s question nor individual instances of TPers being extremist are somehow trump cards which prove something about the TP movement as a whole.
In other words, it’s important that the question be more like:
“It seems to me that you only became fed up to the gills with the unresponsive attitude of our government after the election of Obama. Given that he’s a black man, and given the virulently racist nature of signs carried by at least some members of the tea party, it’s easy for those of us not in the TP to get the impression that the movement as a whole has roots in racism. How do you respond to or address that issue?”
as opposed to something like
“So how come you only became fed up to the gills with the unresponsive attitude of our government after a black man was elected? Haha, I have proved that all TPers are racist”
or
“So how come you only became fed up to the gills with the unresponsive attitude of our government after a black man was elected? lol ur a hypocrite”
Not if it’s Ireland.
Golly, they sure are inventing a new concept. Up until now I’ve been for irrational fiscal policy, dishonest government, more favoritism and especially favor-buying, but now I’m not so sure.
Of course, if you actually laid out a specific policy, I might just not agree. In fact, I’ll bet a whole lot of people wont agree once you get beyond that BS. Instead, they deliberately remain vague so that they can sucker everyone into thinking that they are speaking for them. It’s a political cold reading.
[quote=“WarmNPrickly, post:44, topic:536893”]
Golly, they sure are inventing a new concept. Up until now I’ve been for irrational fiscal policy, dishonest government, more favoritism and especially favor-buying, but now I’m not so sure.
Unfortunately, you seem to do exactly that when pushg comes to shove.
We don’t claim to speak for anyone but ourselves.
Senator DeMint to Brody File: Tea Party Movement Will Bring On “Spiritual Revival”
This is not something new under the sun.
This is the same shit Reagan, a Republican, pulled in suckering the “Moral Majority” to vote for him.
Quite right. In fact, thus far you don’t seem to be claiming to be anything at all but a group of concerned citizens in favor of common sense who are angry with the government. How handy. Hard to find controversy with views like that. Even harder to challenge them. Political cowardice at its finest.
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Tea party tour -> Many of the policies of Bush, without any responsibility for Bush
Sorry guys, TANSTAAFL. You’re gonna have to take responsibility for the sins of your past before anyone sane’ll give you any respect.
Max, let me save you a buncha bother. Idiots are just gonna be idiots. That’s what idiots do. I’ve tried to point out the very thing you are pointing out, and the idiots didn’t want to listen. And you know why? Because they are idiots, and that’s what idiots do.
Must’ve missed where you tried to point that out amid all your “liberal douche” comments. Idiots will be idiots indeed.
Mister Ed? Is that you?
So what, lambasting the Tea Party is the same as lambasting Conservatives? Is it one and the same? What I’m getting really, really sick of is the constant complaint from Conservatives about Liberal trashing of anything on the right, while they refuse to call out obvious crazyness in their own house. As someone in another current thread said, Tea Party attitudes are being fostered and tacitly supported by Republican political leadership. Own it or fix it, but don’t pretend like you don’t support it and then get contrary when people criticize it.
Complaints about the Tea Party don’t have to be about Conservatives or the Republican party, if only Republicans who know better would stand up and call these people out on those ideas of theirs that are idiotic, prejudiced, and plain wrong, instead of sitting back and just getting pissy when folks without the political capital invested in the Tea Party do it instead.
Yes, elbows, you may ask.
It’s difficult to say. My intention was to go as a detached observer which is what I did. I can say that I certainly wouldn’t have felt comfortable standing in any crowd which displayed signs of that nature and probably wouldn’t have stayed.
As far as being “comfortable” confronting intolerance I can hardly imagine it as a comfortable situation ever, particulary if it’s fairly obvious that a person is seeking negative reaction.
At my age my fiery idealism is at a mild simmer and I’ve learned not to go to every battle to which I’m invited. It’s best to save my energy for the big stuff (like getting out of bed in the morning and finding my glasses. :D)
Have I ever spoken out against ignorance or intolerance? Yes.
I’ll also add that it’s usually lurking somewhere in nearly every group of people no matter their political bent. I consider confronting it an art involving living comfortably in my skin and not a political obligation.
Holy crap, you’re right! I never noticed that before. Thanks man.
That was the night Ben Franklin stuck his balls in the mouths of the English right? Is that how he got syphilis?
Thing is, there is no “us.” You yourself said there’s really no unifying idea behind all this other than I very basic concepts that pretty much 99% of the world would agree on when you get right down to it. But I can’t meet with “us” because I live in Kansas City and you don’t and me going to a Tea Party event here would be a completely different thing than your Tea Party event or the Tea Party events in a dozen other cities. Because there’s no unifier. It’s a bunch of random people who are all angry at…something…and a bunch of billionaires and politicians manipulating you into being angry at Democrats as Republicans had nothing whatsoever to do with bad government for the last decade and a half.
But I can try. Maybe. I’d go to a Tea Party protest and see what it’s all about up close and personal.
Problem is there’s no real official website is there? That’s because there’s no real official Tea Party with actual leaders either elected or appointed who head the organization. I have the option of donating to the Tea Party causes I suppose but where does that money go? To what purpose? Ah, quibbling details.
So if I wanted to find out when the next Tea Party event is here in KC, help me out. Because I’m at a loss on where to turn and how to find out more about my local organization up close and personal.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Agreed. We should not dismiss the Tea Party movement as bigoted wingnuttery based on anedotal evidence.
Who’s “we”? The Tea Partiers certainly do claim to speak for all “real Americans”.
There are certainly Tea Party groups that are not spouting violence and racist shit. The problem is that many of these same groups claim that their aim is to curb government excess by both Democrats and Republicans, and yet their meetings often end up being little more than a political rally for the Republican Party. Which sort of gives lie to their claims that the protests are not narrow party political exercises.
There was a so-called Tea Party tax protest here in San Diego on April 15, at which one guy said that they were “trying to bring the Democrats and the Republicans back into control.” And yet there were a whole bunch of Republican Party signs at the protest, a Republican candidate for US Senate spoke at the rally, and the main organizers of the rally seemed to be members of the Republican parties of various local colleges. Signs included “We 
Carly” (Carly Fiorina, Republican candidate for Senate), “Students for Carly” and “NOBAMA.”
I have no problem with people who want to vote against Obama and the Democrats, and no problem with people who want to vote Republican. I just wonder where all these folks were when Bush was racking up the deficits, and am skeptical, to put it mildly, of their claims that they are just as concerned about Republican spending as Democratic spending.
When are y’all gonna start calling out the assholes on your own side, right here on this very board? People that say things like all Christians (feel free to substitute conservatives, gun owners, Republicans, people that aren’t fucking crazy) are inherently evil, stupid, mean, nasty, and otherwise unpleasant company. Stop them from sniping at us, and maybe we can talk about other stuff.
Here ya go:
http://teapartykansascity.ning.com/
It’s an obvious Republican front; eg “WHAT WOULD REAGAN DO?” on page 1.
Running from responsibility for the Bush disasters must feel really good when it’s cloaked in such noble sounding rhetoric! It’s probably as addictive as heroin, if not more so.
And if we don’t, you stop talking to us? Well, damn, you drive a hard bargain…