So - what is the Tea Party Movement?

[Coyote]

Initially, I saw it as an astro-turf movement, nationally coordinated and heavily promoted (and in some cases) funded by leading conservative media groups and pundits, and leading rightwing public figures. I don't think it was any more "grass roots" than Code Pink. I also viewed them as incredibly rude and bellicose based on their behaviors at "town hall" type meetings where they brought in out-area people and made sure no one else's opinions could be heard over their own.

Maybe that is too narrow a view - but those actions strongly colored my perception and still do.

So...are the Tea Partiers the same group as they started out as? They seem more confusing then coherent. In fact, rather than one movement they seem to be many and not necessarily with the same agendas. As the movement coelesces with the aid of professional organizers, it seems to have split from one to many each claiming to be the official Tea Party group.

Thus far their common traits seem to be:
Oppose Obama regardless of what he does
Oppose Big Government
Wasteful spending
Increased deficits and debt
Oppose taxes
Mostly white ethnicity (very little diversity)


But that is where it ends.

You have some groups taking on the stances and rhetoric of some of the more extremist views on anti-illegal immigration and nativism. You have some groups attracting the interest of White Supremacy movements. You have some groups taking on conservative social issues like abortion and religious values as part of their platform. You have Tea Party groups that are Palin supporters.

So - if you tell people they don't know anything about Tea Partiers, maybe it's because there is no single "Tea Party" group representative of the movement. If you deride them for not knowing - then ask yourself which of the many incoherent messages being put forth represent the Tea Party?

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Initially, I saw it as an astro-turf movement, nationally coordinated and heavily promoted (and in some cases) funded by leading conservative media groups and pundits, and leading rightwing public figures. I don't think it was any more "grass roots" than Code Pink. I also viewed them as incredibly rude and bellicose based on their behaviors at "town hall" type meetings where they brought in out-area people and made sure no one else's opinions could be heard over their own.

Maybe that is too narrow a view - but those actions strongly colored my perception and still do.

So...are the Tea Partiers the same group as they started out as? They seem more confusing then coherent. In fact, rather than one movement they seem to be many and not necessarily with the same agendas. As the movement coelesces with the aid of professional organizers, it seems to have split from one to many each claiming to be the official Tea Party group.

Thus far their common traits seem to be:

1. Oppose Obama regardless of what he does
2. Oppose Big Government
3. Wasteful spending
4. Increased deficits and debt
5. Oppose taxes
6. Mostly white ethnicity (very little diversity)

But that is where it ends.

You have some groups taking on the stances and rhetoric of some of the more extremist views on anti-illegal immigration and nativism. You have some groups attracting the interest of White Supremacy movements. You have some groups taking on conservative social issues like abortion and religious values as part of their platform. You have Tea Party groups that are Palin supporters.

So - if you tell people they don't know anything about Tea Partiers, maybe it's because there is no single "Tea Party" group representative of the movement. If you deride them for not knowing - then ask yourself which of the many incoherent messages being put forth represent the Tea Party?

The movement started right around the time GWB won his re-election and it was in response to his out of control spending and defecit growth. With the passage of tarp, the election of Obama and his agenda, along with the stimulus spending this same irresponsible spending by the government vastly increased. This swelled our ranks to ridiculously larger proportions. Many anti-obama people who just don't like him also joined the movement as they saw it as a way to express their feelings politically, these people are a minority in the group. Also Obama is now the President, and much like bush did over Iraq, he represents all that we see as wrong with the government, he is at the top and the buck stops at his desk.

Excellent Observation Coyote. You are fairly accurate here in your observation. We are not an organized group but instead just regular americans of all political, socio-economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds who share a love of country and a concern that our congress and presdients over the last several years have just not been good at their jobs. We see the defecit and its crushing interest and impact on our nations economy and want it reduced.

Some people are trying to make it an official party or claim they started it or claim they are the original. In my opinion those people are the ones who want to use the sentiment for their personal, political, and/or financial profit. Its hard for an outsider to distinguish the difference.

1. Considering I have applauded Obama for a few of the decisions he made that I agreed with (Search threads started by me and you will see several where I actually thank him) I think this assertation is false. There are some who joined the movement just to "kick obama in the balls" which is where I think you get this impression from.
2. We definately oppose any further growth of our government or its role in our lives
3. Spot on and I think this is an area you probably agree with
4. Definately.
5. We dont oppose taxes, as we all know some are necessary, we just dont support raising them any further than they already are.
6. I disagree with this one as the one I went to in hyannis was about 25% hispanic 15% black and 50% white(yes the majority were white but so is the majority of american citizens). The one I went to in boston had a lot of cubans and one of the main speakers was a cuban immigrant who was railing against Obama's plans calling them "Just like what I left in cuba under castro" I've posted video of several black key-note speakers on the forum too but i can get more if you want.

I really like how you presented this last part as it is highly accurate again. The movement encompasses americans of all backgrounds which is why you find such diversity in the differing view between groups. Unfortunately populism has attracted some nefarious individuals and even more unfortunate is the MSM has propped them up as representative of the group as a whole.

In the end you are asking what the main message of the tea parties is so I will try and give you a mission statement below.

The main objective of the TEA parties is to bring back accountability to our elected officials. It is to hold the politician's feet to the fire caused by the decisions they make. The out of control spending of Bush and Obama is not acceptable, nor is the congress going right along with it. We want our government to become fiscally responsible and to stay out of our individual lives. Basically we want them to stay out of our way and to be responsible with the tax dollars they take from us.

Fiscal Responsibility (keeping taxes down, balancing budgets, reducing the national defecit) and accountability to the voters. That is the agenda IMO



I hope I helped you Coyote.

 

[Ravi]

Another similarity that they all share is that they sat by happily watching the wasteful war in Iraq and the spending by the previous administration without saying anything much.

 

[VaYank5150]

The Tea Party "movement" in a nutshell:

 

[Murf76]

The reporters and pundits keep calling it a "movement"... and Lord knows, all sorts of politicians and hucksters are trying to co-opt it ... but what it really is, is raw energy. It's America, waking up from her political apathy and noticing that the foxes are living in the henhouse.

This has nothing to do with Obama in a personal way. He's just the face of Big Intrusive Government, taking our money and micromanaging our lives. He's the straw that broke the camel's back... doubling, tripling, quadrupling down on everything Americans already hated about Washington politics.

If you try to make it about Obama... you won't be able to understand it. It only appears to be about Obama. It's really about what he stands for.

 

[California Girl]

Initially, I saw it as an astro-turf movement, nationally coordinated and heavily promoted (and in some cases) funded by leading conservative media groups and pundits, and leading rightwing public figures. I don't think it was any more "grass roots" than Code Pink. I also viewed them as incredibly rude and bellicose based on their behaviors at "town hall" type meetings where they brought in out-area people and made sure no one else's opinions could be heard over their own.

Maybe that is too narrow a view - but those actions strongly colored my perception and still do.

So...are the Tea Partiers the same group as they started out as? They seem more confusing then coherent. In fact, rather than one movement they seem to be many and not necessarily with the same agendas. As the movement coelesces with the aid of professional organizers, it seems to have split from one to many each claiming to be the official Tea Party group.

Thus far their common traits seem to be:
Oppose Obama regardless of what he does
Oppose Big Government
Wasteful spending
Increased deficits and debt
Oppose taxes
Mostly white ethnicity (very little diversity)


But that is where it ends.

You have some groups taking on the stances and rhetoric of some of the more extremist views on anti-illegal immigration and nativism. You have some groups attracting the interest of White Supremacy movements. You have some groups taking on conservative social issues like abortion and religious values as part of their platform. You have Tea Party groups that are Palin supporters.

So - if you tell people they don't know anything about Tea Partiers, maybe it's because there is no single "Tea Party" group representative of the movement. If you deride them for not knowing - then ask yourself which of the many incoherent messages being put forth represent the Tea Party?

Honestly, get information from sources outside the mainstream media. Then you would get a much more honest view of what the TEA parties are.

You clearly think they are a very new movement - post-Obama. In fact, they have been going for about 5 years, admitted much smaller and they have definitely grown since Obama took office.

In some states, I suspect they are mainly white but certainly not in California. My parent attended a TEA party locally and said that whites were actually the minority in attendance.

There is no actual evidence, although the MSM certainly claimed, that they bussed people in to town halls. Unlike the supporters, who actually did bus people in, and that was ignored by the MSM. Go figure.

I find Code Pink to be rude and obnoxious. I think the TEA parties were certainly vocal and loud... but rude? No. Mad? Yea. They are plenty mad - not at Obama - at Government. Time and again, the MSM insist on making it about Obama. It is NOT about Obama - no matter who the POTUS was, the TEA parties would be equally as vocal.

I think it's a shame that so many people seem to just accept the line taken by the media instead of finding out for themselves.

 

[California Girl]

The Tea Party "movement" in a nutshell:

In fact, the morons are those who use this kind of image to make a point.

 

[☭proletarian☭]

If you try to make it about Obama... you won't be able to understand it. It only appears to be about Obama. It's really about what he stands for.

WTF DOES Obama stand for?

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Another similarity that they all share is that they sat by happily watching the wasteful war in Iraq and the spending by the previous administration without saying anything much.

Ding ding ding. And quite a few of them voted back in the GOP that spent money like drunken sailors during the 2000-2006 Bush/DeLay/Frist era.

I have very little respect for Johnny Come Lately's to the fiscal responsibility scene.

 

[California Girl]

I think it's a shame that we are unable to have any thread about any topic that does not have to result in idiotic behavior and silly photoshopped images instead of actual debate.

On the bright side, it reminds me of why I use actual debate forums.

 

[California Girl]

Another similarity that they all share is that they sat by happily watching the wasteful war in Iraq and the spending by the previous administration without saying anything much.

Ding ding ding. And quite a few of them voted back in the GOP that spent money like drunken sailors during the 2000-2006 Bush/DeLay/Frist era.

I have very little respect for Johnny Come Lately's to the fiscal responsibility scene.

Some of them no doubt did. Does that make them less legitimate that they have finally woken up and seen the light? Is it not better to see the error of your ways and start working to change it?

What a stupid fucking post.

 

[Claudette]

The Tea Party movement is just plain everyday Americans. These Folks are Dems, Reps and Indi's who are disgusted with whats going on in DC. The bailouts, the earmarks the deficit. They don't want a Govt takeover of healthcare and they are sick and tired the politicians who seem to represent everything except the folks they are supposed to be representing.

They are sick of the same old same old.

I think many of them voted for OL"BO after buying his Change message. Problem is it wasn't the change they were expecting. Just sayin.

 

[Murf76]

If you try to make it about Obama... you won't be able to understand it. It only appears to be about Obama. It's really about what he stands for.

WTF DOES Obama stand for?

Whatever the polls tell him to. ...


Seriously though, Obama IS an ideologue. His entire biography tell us that much. He believes the whole collectivist "social justice" routine, that 'government is the only entity large enough to solve social problems'.

But... he gives off these mixed "populist" messages, because he sees holding power and political capital as necessary to promoting the leftist agenda. He has to at least give the appearance of governing from the center on most days... and on some, he has to actually move there. Otherwise, he's toast and he knows it. His whole sctick requires keeping people fooled into a sense of complacency, to keep them watching one hand... while he moves the pea with the other.

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Some of them no doubt did. Does that make them less legitimate that they have finally woken up and seen the light? Is it not better to see the error of your ways and start working to change it?

What a stupid fucking post.

There's a lot of stupid people in that movement.

They're going to line up behind the same GOP talking heads that promised them small government (and gave us the Patriot Act), greater security (and forced email providers to provide backdoors the Chinese are using to hack our emails), and lower spending (besides the Medicare Prescription Program and two incredibly costly wars).

If they were serious they'd be forming a third party now. They're not. They are far and away motivated by purely partisan politics. That's a shame as partisan politics is exactly what got us here in the first place.

 

[namvet]

The Tea Party "movement" in a nutshell:

that's YOU again ???!!! ​

 

[namvet]

Initially, I saw it as an astro-turf movement, nationally coordinated and heavily promoted (and in some cases) funded by leading conservative media groups and pundits, and leading rightwing public figures. I don't think it was any more "grass roots" than Code Pink. I also viewed them as incredibly rude and bellicose based on their behaviors at "town hall" type meetings where they brought in out-area people and made sure no one else's opinions could be heard over their own.

Maybe that is too narrow a view - but those actions strongly colored my perception and still do.

So...are the Tea Partiers the same group as they started out as? They seem more confusing then coherent. In fact, rather than one movement they seem to be many and not necessarily with the same agendas. As the movement coelesces with the aid of professional organizers, it seems to have split from one to many each claiming to be the official Tea Party group.

Thus far their common traits seem to be:
Oppose Obama regardless of what he does
Oppose Big Government
Wasteful spending
Increased deficits and debt
Oppose taxes
Mostly white ethnicity (very little diversity)


But that is where it ends.

You have some groups taking on the stances and rhetoric of some of the more extremist views on anti-illegal immigration and nativism. You have some groups attracting the interest of White Supremacy movements. You have some groups taking on conservative social issues like abortion and religious values as part of their platform. You have Tea Party groups that are Palin supporters.

So - if you tell people they don't know anything about Tea Partiers, maybe it's because there is no single "Tea Party" group representative of the movement. If you deride them for not knowing - then ask yourself which of the many incoherent messages being put forth represent the Tea Party?

let us know when your space ship arrives ok ????

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Some of them no doubt did. Does that make them less legitimate that they have finally woken up and seen the light? Is it not better to see the error of your ways and start working to change it?

What a stupid fucking post.

There's a lot of stupid people in that movement.

They're going to line up behind the same GOP talking heads that promised them small government (and gave us the Patriot Act), greater security (and forced email providers to provide backdoors the Chinese are using to hack our emails), and lower spending (besides the Medicare Prescription Program and two incredibly costly wars).

If they were serious they'd be forming a third party now. They're not. They are far and away motivated by purely partisan politics. That's a shame as partisan politics is exactly what got us here in the first place.

Didn't Obama renew the Patriot Act?

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Another similarity that they all share is that they sat by happily watching the wasteful war in Iraq and the spending by the previous administration without saying anything much.

Ding ding ding. And quite a few of them voted back in the GOP that spent money like drunken sailors during the 2000-2006 Bush/DeLay/Frist era.

I have very little respect for Johnny Come Lately's to the fiscal responsibility scene.

Some of them no doubt did. Does that make them less legitimate that they have finally woken up and seen the light? Is it not better to see the error of your ways and start working to change it?

What a stupid fucking post.

I was going to say something similar.

Some of the tea party people (me) were up in arms way back even before bush got re-elected...i was out in the street protesting the patriot act because it allowed the government to much access into my personal life, the governments job is to be fiscally responsible, protect me from foreign threats, and leave me alone.

The movie Network has a scene and the Band Rage against the machine has a song that sums us up very well.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qgVn-Op7Q]YouTube - Network - "I'm as mad as hell" speech [english subtitles][/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FdF1dDlW-A&feature=related]YouTube - Take the Power Back[/ame]

 

[Dr.Traveler]

[
Didn't Obama renew the Patriot Act?

Are you surprised that someone in Federal Government voted to give the Federal Government more power?

 

[Dr.Traveler]

Some of the tea party people (me) were up in arms way back even before bush got re-elected...i was out in the street protesting the patriot act because it allowed the government to much access into my personal life, the governments job is to be fiscally responsible, protect me from foreign threats, and leave me alone.

I have a great deal of respect for those that committed political suicide on the Right during the Bush/DeLay/Frist years and stood up to the GOP and their expansion of Federal Power.

My read on a great many of the Tea Partiers is that they aren't exactly that caliber of voter. They are, for the most part, sore losers who only now realize what they allowed to have happened on their watch and are hard at work to make sure the GOP comes back to power to do it again.

I have zero respect for Partisan voters.