# Petard? Hoisted! Business groups can't control House GOP **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932 "2013-10-10T23:56:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/21 "2013-10-13T02:40:36Z")
If the Koch Brothers turn off the money spigot, the Libertarians will make a move to muscle in on their territory. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/22 "2013-10-13T03:09:47Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > PS: for shits and giggles, google your local Tea Party, see when and where their rallies are scheduled. The Central Minnesota Tea Party is scheduled to screen some films about the evils of collectivism in a local library this month. And that’s it. One \*room \*at the local library. For the whole month. Err… I tried Googling “Boston Tea Party” but it didn’t exactly give me a lot of relevant information. Some big event back in 1773 seems to be the latest from them. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/23 "2013-10-13T12:01:34Z")
Wow, I went to check my local Tea Party groups and they are pretty quiet, too- Three posts, 56 members, two events since last May at one of them. My groups are split between the TeaPartyPatriots and TeaParty dot org. I believe the two groups don’t get along well. And also the TexasTeaParty which has gone nutty with a bunch of “Christian Heritage” and “Secret Planning of the World Government” stuff and no events that I can see, just a bunch of referrals to other places and websites. How messy! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/24 "2013-10-13T18:35:23Z")
Isn’t the fact that business can’t control the Tea Party a note in their favor? BTW, I’ve been arguing that the Tea party isn’t beholden to corporate interests for years, and people have laughed at me. Good to see I’m right about some things. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/25 "2013-10-13T18:51:11Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Isn’t the fact that business can’t control the Tea Party a note in their favor? BTW, I’ve been arguing that the Tea party isn’t beholden to corporate interests for years, and people have laughed at me. Good to see I’m right about some things. [The TP is beholden to certain **class** interests.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704287) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/26 "2013-10-13T18:54:46Z")
I’m not sure what the hell they are anymore(aside from them being uncontrollable by business), so I’ll concede your point until they become something, assuming voters give them the chance. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/27 "2013-10-13T18:57:01Z")
Checked the Dallas county Tea Party page. No events scheduled. There’s a post about a town hall meeting with US Rep Pete Sessions, but no date associated with it. Below that is an add for a Newt Gingrich thing on Thursday, October 20th. That was 2011. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/28 "2013-10-13T20:39:43Z")
Dallas? No Tea Party in fucking _Dallas_, the Vatican of the reactionary right? Oh, my Lord, they’ve gone underground! Or maybe… Have you noticed an unusual frequency of helicopter overflights? Like, black? No, wait, forget it, that would take thousands, working 24/7. The truth is out there. Way, way out there… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/29 "2013-10-13T20:42:17Z")
Forming a Tea Party in Dallas seems a bit pointless. How would you distinguish a Tea Party meeting from any randomly selected group of Dallas citizens? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/30 "2013-10-13T20:43:49Z")
Alternate joke: There was a Dallas Tea Party, but they got run out of town for being too socialist. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/31 "2013-10-13T21:40:13Z")
THE Stupid Right-Wing idea, back again. Fund the lunatics and fanatics in the name of special interest advantage, then see them drag the country into ruin. Yep yep. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/32 "2013-10-13T21:42:35Z")
Weimar Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/33 "2013-10-13T23:16:07Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dallas? No Tea Party in fucking _Dallas_, the Vatican of the reactionary right? Oh, my Lord, they’ve gone underground! Or maybe… > > Have you noticed an unusual frequency of helicopter overflights? Like, black? No, wait, forget it, that would take thousands, working 24/7. The truth is out there. Way, way out there… Dallas, like many large urban areas, is rather blue. Tea Party types are much more likely to be in the northern suburbs–I just found the Facebook page for the Frisco Tea Party–the feed is pretty active, mostly with just posts of the usual expected links and such, but I did see a post on 10/3 reminding of a meeting that was scheduled for 10/7. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/34 "2013-10-13T23:45:07Z")
You might advise the reader that the Frisco of which you speak is Frisco, Texas, an effluent suburb of Dallas. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/35 "2013-10-14T04:28:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You might advise the reader that the Frisco of which you speak is Frisco, Texas, an effluent suburb of Dallas. Just how bad do they stink? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/36 "2013-10-14T04:48:09Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > PS: for shits and giggles, google your local Tea Party, see when and where their rallies are scheduled. The Central Minnesota Tea Party is scheduled to screen some films about the evils of collectivism in a local library this month. And that’s it. One \*room \*at the local library. For the whole month. The local \*public \*library? With the government-funded collection of books? On the AV equipment paid for by tax dollars? Walking on the carpet installed by fat-cat government employees? The only thing better would be if this library was named after FDR. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/37 "2013-10-14T05:37:20Z")
Aside: Can’t remember the movie, but there was a shot of the local high school and it was Eugene V. Debs High School. Laugh? I thought I’d surely die. Anyway, this all got me wondering if there even is a Tea Party as such anymore. Other than people responding to pollsters saying, yeah, sure, i’m in the Tea Party… ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/38 "2013-10-14T08:24:28Z")
To make life easy for other foreigners: Debs was a union leader and several times Socialist presidential candidate. So, yeah, definitely not the kind of guy Tea Partiers would invite over for dinner. Pretty interesting sounding guy, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932/39 "2013-10-14T11:44:06Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > To make life easy for other foreigners: Debs was a union leader and several times Socialist presidential candidate. So, yeah, definitely not the kind of guy Tea Partiers would invite over for dinner. > > Pretty interesting sounding guy, too. Including one presidential run [from the inside of a prison cell](http://socialismartnature.tumblr.com/post/34857682053/on-nov-2-1920-socialist-eugene-v-debs-received) (he’d been arrested for protesting against the WW1 draft). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petard-hoisted-business-groups-cant-control-house-gop/670932.md?page=1)