So - what is the Tea Party Movement?

[namvet]

I'm posting my opinion and asking for the opinions of others. Thank you for yours.

It is most.....informative.

Don't you have some homework or something to work on?

the end of democraps in Nov.

So you will vote Retardican then I presume?

and you'll vote for more change again ?????

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

It's a movement that started out legit. It stood for small government, fiscal responsability, troop withdrawl and against police the world, legislating morality, and forcing the government upon peoples lives. This started during the neo-con administration with the Libertarian Party and a few other groups reacting to the wreckless policies of the Bush administration.

That group is bound to continue during the Obama administration, because there's been very few differences between Obama and Bush so far. However, the "tea party movement" got into high gear as soon as Obama stepped into office, because a bunch of christian rightist nutjobs grabbed signs and started calling themselves "tea-partiers". If you ask them what they're concern is, it's mostly Obama's redical leftist agenda, meaning he threatens our "christian values" that we want to force down people's throats.

The tea partiers were hijacked by the christian right and the white backlash that came with the election of a black president. Obama represented everything the christian right hates during the campaign: liberty, choice, freedom and all that good shit (now what he's done in office is a different story, but I'm talking about the campaign).

It all breaks down to this: the tea party "movement" before Obama was a small group of young, intelligent intellectuals, the same people that were behind Ron Paul in 2008. The tea party after Obama became a large group of old uneducated rednecks and "christian rightists" that believe in "small government" unless it conflicts with their so-called "values". I've seen Ron Paul rallies, there are usually nice, clean-looking people (literally like they took a shower before the rally). The one tea party event I've been too or stopped by because I was interested it was in Charles County, Maryland... not so much.

It's kind of sad, but I judge it like this, any group that existed before 2008 is legitimate to me and worth listening to, any group that came in existance AFTER is just a group that's jumping off the opportunity to exploit the right-wing christian nut hysteria. This isn't astro-turf as much as it's blatant exploitation of stupidity.

That actually sounds pretty true.

I remember on a board I posted on during the second term of the Bush admin...the libertarians were much more aligned with the liberals and against the policies of the Bush administration. But their numbers were few. The one's that post here, with the exception of Pilgrim (who has his own silly quirks) seem to me more right wing than actual conservatives.

Ravi are you trying to work another 3x rep day out of me . I totally thought we went way over your head now it sounds like you DID understand where I was coming from on this subject all along.

I am a unique snowflake Ravi

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

The Libertarians and like-minded groups were holding Tea parties and Tax Day protests for many years before Obama. Some groups date back at least to the Clinton Administration if not before. They were mostly small, local and not in the national spotlight, but those people I can respect even if I disagree with them.

The new Tea Partier movement is obviously a mixed bag. I have a hard time sorting out who's real and who's riding the bandwagon. Normal, regular people peacefully protesting for principle (how's that for alliteration?) always get my respect if not necessarily my agreement. The wanna-bes, bandwagoners, usurpers, those advocating violence and various pols wanting to co-opt it or profit from it don't. But as to which groups are which anymore, got me. There's too many to keep straight.

But back then we were called anti-bush protestors by the MSM not "Tea Party Protestors"

I personally feel the bandwagoners and the "Anti-Obama ONLY (that means they show up just to put their thumb in obama's eye)" are what ruin the spirit of the gatherings for many people who would otherwise like to attend one. Much of what they put on signs is distasteful.

That reminds me of the Boston rally me and KGB went to. I got in a verbal shouting fight with an older couple who was there over their anti-abortion sign. I told them their sign offended me and had nothing to do with the spirit of the event, the lady then flipped the sign over and it said "reduce the debt" on the other side which I liked .

I tried to explain to them that this wasn't an abortion or anti-obama rally but a pro-people and responsible government rally to which they told me "We have the same rights to express our views in public as you". That kinda shut me up but I still didn't like their anti-abortion sign.

 

[goldcatt]

Real Libertarians are a mix of liberal and conservative. If you ask me, in recent years every party and movement has been co-opted to some degree. Everything "neo" is new again.

 

[Coyote]

the end of democraps in Nov.

So you will vote Retardican then I presume?

and you'll vote for more change again ?????

I vote for the candidate that best represents my interests and concerns at the time and that changes.

Neither party is appealing.

 

[ihopehefails]

Real Libertarians are a mix of liberal and conservative. If you ask me, in recent years every party and movement has been co-opted to some degree. Everything "neo" is new again.

This I agree with a little.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

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.

There's a lot of stupid people in the DNC, and the GOP. So what? Do you dismiss either party because of the fools that it attracts?

Fact is the TEA parties are not about race, or the democrats, they are about Government of the People, for the People, by the People. If you don't agree with them, that is fine but it seems to me that most people (certainly here) are anti-TEA parties and don't have a fucking clue what they are about. That is ignorance.

Excellent Point

 

[sboyle24]

Yet they embrace liars and nutbags.

.

and rapists with grenade launchers

its obvious you don't live in this coutry numb nuts[/CENTER]

I don't live in any "coutry". There is no such thing. I to live in a country called the United States.

 

[Coyote]

The Libertarians and like-minded groups were holding Tea parties and Tax Day protests for many years before Obama. Some groups date back at least to the Clinton Administration if not before. They were mostly small, local and not in the national spotlight, but those people I can respect even if I disagree with them.

The new Tea Partier movement is obviously a mixed bag. I have a hard time sorting out who's real and who's riding the bandwagon. Normal, regular people peacefully protesting for principle (how's that for alliteration?) always get my respect if not necessarily my agreement. The wanna-bes, bandwagoners, usurpers, those advocating violence and various pols wanting to co-opt it or profit from it don't. But as to which groups are which anymore, got me. There's too many to keep straight.

But back then we were called anti-bush protestors by the MSM not "Tea Party Protestors"

I personally feel the bandwagoners and the "Anti-Obama ONLY (that means they show up just to put their thumb in obama's eye)" are what ruin the spirit of the gatherings for many people who would otherwise like to attend one. Much of what they put on signs is distasteful.

That reminds me of the Boston rally me and KGB went to. I got in a verbal shouting fight with an older couple who was their over their anti-abortion sign. I told them their sign offended me and had nothing to do with the spirit of the event, the lady then flipped the sign over and it said "reduce the debt" on the other side which I liked .

I tried to explain to them that this wasn't an abortion or anti-obama rally but a pro-people and responsible government rally to which they told me "We have the same rights to express our views in public as you". That kinda shut me up but I still didn't like their anti-abortion sign.

The unfortunate thing is those people then go on to define a movement as a looney fringe group.

 

[WillowTree]

The Tea Party group are a group the left should continue to ignore. You don't see em you don't hear em you don't know em.. You leave town when they come to town? That's all you lefties ever need to know. And the are tiny tiny tiny in numbers..

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

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.

My impression is the core of the Tea Party movement - is more libertarian/fiscal conservative then anything else?

As far as I'm concerned they are, but I may be projecting my own personality into the movement. Probably why I got into an argument with the anti-abortion sign people .
'
The movement is really about fiscal responsibility from the government and reducing the defecit, IMO. That is the core....then you have all the ancillary stuff and people co-opting it to express their own outrage and positions.

 

[goldcatt]

The Libertarians and like-minded groups were holding Tea parties and Tax Day protests for many years before Obama. Some groups date back at least to the Clinton Administration if not before. They were mostly small, local and not in the national spotlight, but those people I can respect even if I disagree with them.

The new Tea Partier movement is obviously a mixed bag. I have a hard time sorting out who's real and who's riding the bandwagon. Normal, regular people peacefully protesting for principle (how's that for alliteration?) always get my respect if not necessarily my agreement. The wanna-bes, bandwagoners, usurpers, those advocating violence and various pols wanting to co-opt it or profit from it don't. But as to which groups are which anymore, got me. There's too many to keep straight.

But back then we were called anti-bush protestors by the MSM not "Tea Party Protestors"

I personally feel the bandwagoners and the "Anti-Obama ONLY (that means they show up just to put their thumb in obama's eye)" are what ruin the spirit of the gatherings for many people who would otherwise like to attend one. Much of what they put on signs is distasteful.

That reminds me of the Boston rally me and KGB went to. I got in a verbal shouting fight with an older couple who was their over their anti-abortion sign. I told them their sign offended me and had nothing to do with the spirit of the event, the lady then flipped the sign over and it said "reduce the debt" on the other side which I liked .

I tried to explain to them that this wasn't an abortion or anti-obama rally but a pro-people and responsible government rally to which they told me "We have the same rights to express our views in public as you". That kinda shut me up but I still didn't like their anti-abortion sign.

They had a point about the right to expres their views. But it makes it hard not to see them as trying to hijack somebody else's movement and effort for their own agenda.

 

[namvet]

and rapists with grenade launchers

its obvious you don't live in this coutry numb nuts[/CENTER]

I don't live in any "coutry". There is no such thing. I to live in a country called the United States.

which one of the 57 ????

 

[Coyote]

It would be better to dismiss people based on fact instead of a just ignoring things you don't like to hear.

Yes. It would wouldn't it?

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

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.

You helped a great deal Pilgrim - and I thank you for taking the time. It does seem though that like the anti-war movements, the Tea Party movement has becomed defined in the public's eye by it's most strident and extreme voices and media pundits with an agenda.
Often those aren't the voices that really represent it.

Another astute observation

 

[Ravi]

I am a unique flake

 

[sboyle24]

its obvious you don't live in this coutry numb nuts[/CENTER]

I don't live in any "coutry". There is no such thing. I to live in a country called the United States.

which one of the 57 ????

 

[Coyote]

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.

My impression is the core of the Tea Party movement - is more libertarian/fiscal conservative then anything else?

As far as I'm concerned they are, but I may be projecting my own personality into the movement. Probably why I got into an argument with the anti-abortion sign people .
'
The movement is really about fiscal responsibility from the government and reducing the defecit, IMO. That is the core....then you have all the ancillary stuff and people co-opting it to express their own outrage and positions.

I was listening to something on NPR a while talking about the Tea Party movement and interviewing different people. Most were adament that social issues were not part of the Tea Party movement but were creeping in as the movement was splitting and taking up other causes under the Tea Party banner. They actually had an interesting assortment of interviews and they treated them quite respectfully. One lady though - just could not come up with anything deeper than it's Obama's fault, he's ruining the country etc. but she really couldn't say why. I think she memorized talking points.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

I am a unique flake

I'm in love with pilgrim

Ravi is like a pimp....she is real nice to you then beats you down the second you feel good

 

[Coyote]

I am a unique flake

I'm in love with pilgrim

Ravi is like a pimp....she is real nice to you then beats you down the second you feel good

That's because she doesn't know about.....chocolate