Joe Day at the Portland Tax Day Tea Party

[Angel Heart]

OregonTeaParty : Joe Day at the Portland Tax Day Tea Party

Joe Day at the Portland Tax Day Tea Party

So the first thing I see when I get home from the Portland Tax Day Tea Party is an AP story that says that “tens of thousands” showed up for various tea parties nationwide. Yeah, maybe as of early this afternoon in the eastern time zone. There were damn near that many at this one, and there were over five hundred more just like it across the nation today, in all fifty states (maybe even in the seven extra ones that exist in Obama’s mind). According to the early estimates, at least ten thousand showed up in Oregon alone - a sparsely populated, not-terribly-conservative state. Two thousand showed up in Medford. If they had two thousand in Medford, I can only imagine how many showed up in, say, Tuscaloosa.

And let me tell you, when I rounded the corner to enter Pioneer Courthouse Square, I was absolutely gobsmacked by the mass of humanity that I saw - not just the number, which was staggering, but the variety. I saw families with young children. I saw professionals in suits and good ol’ boys in Carhartts. I saw grizzled old veterans and twentysomething hipsters in skinny jeans. I saw every race and ethnicity of people, and I saw every rung of the economic ladder represented. I saw horrified and regretful Obama voters, carrying signs begging our forgiveness. I saw individuals who were all there for their own reasons, but with a common purpose. I saw a cross-section of America that could not have been cast any better by Hollywood. (I also saw a grossly outnumbered cadre of counter-protestors who looked stunned, if not horrified, by the turnout.)

More...

 

[editec]

'Bout damned time these people woke up.

Now if they only had a clue what they were protesting that would help, too.

 

[KittenKoder]

'Bout damned time these people woke up.

Now if they only had a clue what they were protesting that would help, too.

Baby steps .... baby steps ...

 

[NOBama]

'Bout damned time these people woke up.

Now if I only had a clue what they were protesting that would help, too.

I fixed that typo for ya

 

[Ravi]

I saw horrified and regretful Obama voters, carrying signs begging our forgiveness

 

[Bullypulpit]

FiveThirtyEight.com estimates the Portland crowd at about 1,000 tea-baggers.

Now as for this being a "grass-roots" movement, that seems a bit unlikely, especially since it was heavily advertised by FOX Noise and funded by groups like Dick Armey's 'FreedomWorks', Exxon-Mobile and others. 'Astroturf' would be a more appropriate appellation for this synthetic movement.

 

[Angel Heart]

Oregonian numbers for 1000... They didn't even send a reporter.

Oh and... Does my siggy look like 1000 people? I got more photos just like it. We had anywhere from 5000-7000 people.

If you want to believe the rag they call the Oregonian... Fine... Take it from someone in Oregon, it's a piece of crap paper.

 

[Angel Heart]

OregonTeaParty : Molly's Tea Party Adventure

Molly's Tea Party Adventure

I took off work early and we went into Portland for the Tea Party in Pioneer Square. We arrived about 5pm and there was a noticable crowd. We found some seats and enjoyed the comraderie and reading signs. It was a very mixed group - lots of older folks, particularly at first, but by the time the event started there were lots of younger adults, too, as well as some families with their kids.
By 6pm when the agenda started the entire square was packed with people carrying signs protesting the wasteful spending by our government of our money and that of future generations. (The radio reported there were over 5,000.) Some signs were anti-Obama, but most were focused on the passing of excessive spending bills without reading them first, bailouts to everyone with their hand out, and the near dismissal of “We The People”. One sign said “It’s time to vote them all out of office!” A very good idea indeed! Jeff had a sign that read “Our Government Can’t Take Away: our prosperity, our security, our property, our savings, our freedom… President Obama and Tim Geithner say YES WE CAN!” My sign had FannieMae, FreddieMac, AIG, Citigroup, GM, Chrysler, Tim Geithner, Barack Obama scattered around the perimeter and in the middle it said “Only GOD Is Too Big To Fail”. I had 3 people come specifically to tell me they liked my sign, and many more who took a picture of it. On our way home on the train, a young woman asked us what we were protesting and when we explained, I noticed 2 other young adults nodding their heads in some semblance of agreement. I would have guessed all three to be Obama supporters, and I hope I’m right. Maybe the outrage over what is going on with the out of control spending is bothering people from all sides. All in all it was an amazing energizing event. Totally peaceful, full of enthusiasm, and from what we were told, it was just one of 22 events held throughout Oregon on April 15th. (I also heard there was a group on or near campus here in Forest Grove!) I have no idea how many were held throughout the country, but I can assure you the event in Portland was not an “astro-turf” (Pelosi) event.

 

[Angel Heart]

[youtube]PqZHLHGirAs[/youtube]​

 

[Indiana Oracle]

'Bout damned time these people woke up.

Now if they only had a clue what they were protesting that would help, too.

The group I helped with in Chicago were pretty much galvanized by what is outlined in the dvd/book, IOUSA: I.O.U.S.A.: The Movie

 

[WorldAHope]

3,000 attended the one in Salem, and "more than 1,000" were in Portland, according to local tv station,
Thousands in Oregon protest taxes and bailouts, tea party-style - Oregon, Northwest and National Politics & Elections News - Oregonlive.com

2,000 were at Portland according to a couple faithful enthusiastic Portland OR Tea Party attendees who said the plaza was full and that is about all it could hold.
Portland, Oregon Tea Party

That ain't 5,000 - 7,000, no matter how many times you say it. Your pic show what I estimate to be 2,000. The wide angle lens doesn't add people to the event.
I've been on stage at enough concerts and rallies where I knew the attendance.
That crowd isn't anywhere close to 5,000.

Maybe if you pumped in more silicon and stuffed them into a lift brassiere you can make the Tea Parties seem larger, and hide that they were half fake.
Thanks to modern technology, anybody can find muiltilple sources that describe each and every Tea Party.
1,000 - 3,000 were at Portland Oregon. Not 5,000 - 7,000.

Glad you had a good time. How many folks were there to protest government taxes and spending, and how many to protest Obama's election/heritage/birth certificate/"Socialism-fascism-communism" ?
Or are they the same thing

 

[DavidS]

FiveThirtyEight.com estimates the Portland crowd at about 1,000 tea-baggers.

Now as for this being a "grass-roots" movement, that seems a bit unlikely, especially since it was heavily advertised by FOX Noise and funded by groups like Dick Armey's 'FreedomWorks', Exxon-Mobile and others. 'Astroturf' would be a more appropriate appellation for this synthetic movement.

Shhh.... don't give them the facts. They're perfectly happy protesting lower taxes for the middle class!

 

[DavidS]

Oregonian numbers for 1000... They didn't even send a reporter.

Oh and... Does my siggy look like 1000 people? I got more photos just like it. We had anywhere from 5000-7000 people.

If you want to believe the rag they call the Oregonian... Fine... Take it from someone in Oregon, it's a piece of crap paper.

Your "siggy" is using a wide angle camera lens to make things appear bigger than they truly are. What is that? A Canon EOS 5D? That's a cheap one too... I'm sure I can find a better wide angle lens at B&H.

 

[Sinatra]

You know I had the same experience in my area.

I was actually impressed with the various local estimates of between 1500-3000 for the turnout. When I spoke to one of the County Sheriffs a few days ago about the event, he was surprised at that number. He said, "No way - there was well over 4000 people there at around 6:00, not to mention a ton of cars slowing down and honking horns both on the main street area and on the overpass - it was a mess." He said it was by far the biggest demonstration he had seen in the area since he joined law enforcement about 12 years ago.

And a couple others who attended said the same thing, and remarked like you did about the cross section of people. Young and old, white collar and blue collar, White, Asian, and Hispanic, it was a very diverse crowd. And yet despite the large numbers and this diversity, the entire event, while very loud, remained positive. There was no cursing, no damage to property, just a collective display of anger at the growing size and scope of government, and the tax bill inevitably looming to pay for all of it.

If these events do in fact foretell of what is coming July 4th, it will prove a remarkable display against the seeming incompetence and growing tyranny of Washington DC politics - and ALL politicians would do well to take heed of this growing sentiment, be they Republican or Democrat, America is getting pissed.

 

[user_name_guest]

New Political Party = Government Solution.

 

[Angel Heart]

3,000 attended the one in Salem, and "more than 1,000" were in Portland, according to local tv station,
Thousands in Oregon protest taxes and bailouts, tea party-style - Oregon, Northwest and National Politics & Elections News - Oregonlive.com

2,000 were at Portland according to a couple faithful enthusiastic Portland OR Tea Party attendees who said the plaza was full and that is about all it could hold.
Portland, Oregon Tea Party

That ain't 5,000 - 7,000, no matter how many times you say it. Your pic show what I estimate to be 2,000. The wide angle lens doesn't add people to the event.
I've been on stage at enough concerts and rallies where I knew the attendance.
That crowd isn't anywhere close to 5,000.

Maybe if you pumped in more silicon and stuffed them into a lift brassiere you can make the Tea Parties seem larger, and hide that they were half fake.
Thanks to modern technology, anybody can find muiltilple sources that describe each and every Tea Party.
1,000 - 3,000 were at Portland Oregon. Not 5,000 - 7,000.

Glad you had a good time. How many folks were there to protest government taxes and spending, and how many to protest Obama's election/heritage/birth certificate/"Socialism-fascism-communism" ?
Or are they the same thing

OregonLive is the Oregonian newspaper. I already addressed this. Look at my photos... Look at the video. They say only 1000 where in DT Portland and 2000 in Salem. That's not counting the other TWENTY events across Oregon.

You can try and marginalize us all you want. You will show yourself to be the fool.

Salem Oregon:
[youtube]CWivP7fi7Fg[/youtube]

More from Portland:
[youtube]ZRuK-cH84vM[/youtube]

 

[DavidS]

3,000 attended the one in Salem, and "more than 1,000" were in Portland, according to local tv station,
Thousands in Oregon protest taxes and bailouts, tea party-style - Oregon, Northwest and National Politics & Elections News - Oregonlive.com

2,000 were at Portland according to a couple faithful enthusiastic Portland OR Tea Party attendees who said the plaza was full and that is about all it could hold.
Portland, Oregon Tea Party

That ain't 5,000 - 7,000, no matter how many times you say it. Your pic show what I estimate to be 2,000. The wide angle lens doesn't add people to the event.
I've been on stage at enough concerts and rallies where I knew the attendance.
That crowd isn't anywhere close to 5,000.

Maybe if you pumped in more silicon and stuffed them into a lift brassiere you can make the Tea Parties seem larger, and hide that they were half fake.
Thanks to modern technology, anybody can find muiltilple sources that describe each and every Tea Party.
1,000 - 3,000 were at Portland Oregon. Not 5,000 - 7,000.

Glad you had a good time. How many folks were there to protest government taxes and spending, and how many to protest Obama's election/heritage/birth certificate/"Socialism-fascism-communism" ?
Or are they the same thing

OregonLive is the Oregonian newspaper. I already addressed this. Look at my photos... Look at the video. They say only 1000 where in DT Portland and 2000 in Salem. That's not counting the other TWENTY events across Oregon.

You can try and marginalize us all you want. You will show yourself to be the fool.

Riiiiight.

You wanna see a REAL protest, Angel?

ONE city. ONE event. ONE protest.

 

[user_name_guest]

They wanted to end the war in Iraq so it could turn into a nation like Somalia. That's their definition of a solution.

 

[Yurt]

FiveThirtyEight.com estimates the Portland crowd at about 1,000 tea-baggers.

Now as for this being a "grass-roots" movement, that seems a bit unlikely, especially since it was heavily advertised by FOX Noise and funded by groups like Dick Armey's 'FreedomWorks', Exxon-Mobile and others. 'Astroturf' would be a more appropriate appellation for this synthetic movement.

how often have you been tea bagged?

 

[Yurt]

ironically, these nay sayers about the tea party protest who babble on about numbers and that somehow numbers mean something....forget that the original tea party was small, yet had an enormous effect. the gay movement started out in closets, now look at it, they use public restrooms ...

it is myopic to view this as having failed based solely on numbers.