Just heard were Andrew Breitbart just recently said on a radio show that "I have tapes…tape of racism and it’s an NAACP dinner. You want to play with fire? I have evidence of racism and it’s coming from the NAACP."

 

This is starting to get ugly, yet interesting.

A few random thoughts regarding the problem with Tea Partiers:

 

• They actually believe that the American government is intented to protect us, not to provide for us.
  
• They actually believe that politicians and government are meant to serve the citizens... not in the enslavement of citizens in the form of overly punitive taxation to the government.
  
• They believe that the role of government is to assure Equal Opportunity... not Equal Outcomes.
  
• They are completely misunderstood by the media and the politicians currently in power. (How could anyone be so stupid as to disagree with all the GOOD things we are TRYING to DO TO this country? Who doesn't want FREE health care? Who could be so stingy as to fight against FREE programs for the down and out? Who could be against embacing as many poor souls from neighboring nations that want to live here? )
  
• They actually believe that it is a great privilege to be an American... that the goal and honor should be the assimilation into our society... NOT the perpetual hyphenation and divisions that lead to greater separations among our people.
  
• No matter how hard the media tries to paint them as ignorant, narrow-minded, racist bigot, anti-progressive, homophobes, their numbers keep growing.
  
• They actually believe that politicians are out of control, spending beyond our means, depleting our future and security and sovreignty.
  
• They are weary of the growing stream of politicians willing to prostitute themselves and too willing to spend our money to keep their cushy jobs and grasp on power.
  
• They don't understand that the best way for our country to get out of debt is to keep spending more and more money we don't have. (Why worry about tomorrow when we have such important things to do today?) (I mean, afterall, isn't that how you handle your personal debt?)
  
• They are a huge threat to the agenda of the powers that be and their willing pawns in the media.
  
• The fact that they have no central offfice or organizational head that may be attacked and defeated.

 

I'm sure someone could word things better, and may add or subtract key points... but this thread validates just how miserably the genuine intents of the Tea Party have been distorted and smeared.

 

Half or more of those points are true for all Americans - Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Tea Party, whatever.

Just heard were Andrew Breitbart just recently said on a radio show that "I have tapes…tape of racism and it’s an NAACP dinner. You want to play with fire? I have evidence of racism and it’s coming from the NAACP."

 

This is starting to get ugly, yet interesting.

 

Those instances aren't racism, they're "progress"....

Half or more of those points are true for all Americans - Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Tea Party, whatever.

AND therein lies "The problem with the Tea Party" my friend... it is not made up of one fanatical group with a narrow extremist agenda.... it is a broad cross section of Americans representing many walks of life weary of a bloated, out-of-control government. The repeated attempts of the media to paint the Tea Party with a jaded, fear-mongering, racist brush is simply disingenuous and agenda driven. :thumb:

AND therein lies the problem with the Tea Party my friend... it is not made up of one fanatical group with a narrow extremist agenda.... it is a broad cross section of Americans representing many walks of life weary of a bloated, out-of-control government. The repeated attempts of the media to paint the Tea Party with a jaded fearful is brush simply disingenuous and agenda driven. :thumb:

 

My point is that often in politics one side wants to act like they "own patriotism" when all Americans believe in many of the same things and have the same viewpoints with the differences between groups (including the Tea Party) being much more subtle.

I understand the anguish and concern over spending and its effects on the deficit and national debt, but it's the timing of the recent "outrage" that speaks volumes ... where was this movement when the Bush administration and the Republican-dominated Congress were spending like drunken sailors a few years ago?

 

Clearly, in my mind, the Tea Party is an anti-Obama movement, and that's fine. But there are unseemly elements within its ranks, and those naturally draw a lot of attention.

I understand the anguish and concern over spending and its effects on the deficit and national debt, but it's the timing of the recent "outrage" that speaks volumes ... where was this movement when the Bush administration and the Republican-dominated Congress were spending like drunken sailors a few years ago?

 

Clearly, in my mind, the Tea Party is an anti-Obama movement, and that's fine. But there are unseemly elements within its ranks, and those naturally draw a lot of attention.

 

I wasn't happy with the Bush admin spending, but their worse year was half or less than half of the Obama admin. If the Bush admin spent like drunken sailors then Obama admin spends like crackhead sailors.

 

And spending is only a part of it. What has everybody that I'm around in an uproar is the government takeover of as many things as they can. Healthcare, banks, auto industry along with things like cap & trade

AND therein lies "The problem with the Tea Party" my friend... it is not made up of one fanatical group with a narrow extremist agenda.... it is a broad cross section of Americans representing many walks of life weary of a bloated, out-of-control government. The repeated attempts of the media to paint the Tea Party with a jaded, fear-mongering, racist brush is simply disingenuous and agenda driven. :thumb:

 

By broad cross section do you mean male, white, over 35 and middle to lower middle class people who are mostly conservatives? The are not a broad cross section, they are the right of the right who are upset that the GOP hasn't moved far enough to the right. The are a shrinking demographic and upset about it.

 

"The individuals who make up the Tea Party movement are largely conservative and get their news from Fox; they're generally old and of moderate to low income; and they're fairly convinced that their taxes are going to rise in the next few years, even though they likely won't. "

 

"Those conclusions are part of a new study put together by The Winston Group, a conservative-leaning polling and strategy firm run by the former director of planning for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. And they provide a telling new window on the political force that has revamped the Republican Party and altered the landscape of the 2010 elections. "

 

"But on pretty much every defining political or demographic issue, the movement lines up with the GOP or conservative alternatives.

 

Sixty-five percent of Tea Party respondents called themselves "conservative" compared to the 33 percent of all respondents who did the same."

 

"All these data points suggest that the Tea Party crowd is comprised predominantly of conservatives. And, not surprisingly, the demographics of the movement seemingly align with those who traditionally vote for the conservative candidate as well. Fifty-six percent of Tea Party respondents are male; 22 percent are over the age of 65 (compared with just 14 percent who are between the ages of 18 and 34); and 23 percent fall in the income range of $50,000 and $75,000."

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/01/tea-party-survey-old-cons_n_522336.html

By broad cross section do you mean male, white, over 35 and middle to lower middle class people who are mostly conservatives? The are not a broad cross section, they are the right of the right who are upset that the GOP hasn't moved far enough to the right. The are a shrinking demographic and upset about it.

 

 

Is this the shrinking demographic you're talking about.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004.

By broad cross section do you mean male, white, over 35 and middle to lower middle class people who are mostly conservatives? The are not a broad cross section, they are the right of the right who are upset that the GOP hasn't moved far enough to the right. The are a shrinking demographic and upset about it.

No, I mean productive men and women of all ethnicities who feel they are Taxed Enough Already (The TEA in tea party... clever huh?) The only thing shrinking about the Tea Party demographic is that it appears there are fewer and fewer prople with what used to be called common sense... folks who understand the fallacy of "spending" ourselves out of debt. Folks who know there has never been a nation in the history of the world that taxed its way to prosperity. Folks who are not ashamed of the notion of American exceptionalism in a dark and evil world. Folks who still beieve in the idea of America as that "shining city on a hill."

 

I don't think it's necessary to be a disgruntled, middle-aged, caucasian male to recognize the train wreck headed our way as the result of Washington politics.

 

I won't impugn you, but I don't seriously consider the Huffington Post a source of "balanced" information.

Is this the shrinking demographic you're talking about.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

 

From your link:

 

The pattern is strikingly different on the basis of age, and this could have important political implications in the years ahead. Whereas middle-aged and older Americans lean conservative (vs. liberal) in their politics by at least 2 to 1, adults aged 18 to 29 are just as likely to say their political views are liberal (31%) as to say they are conservative (30%).

 

Yes that shrinking demographic, but let's look at methodology....

 

Results are based on aggregated Gallup Poll surveys of approximately 1,000 national adults, aged 18 and older, interviewed by telephone. Sample sizes for the annual compilations range from approximately 10,000 to approximately 40,000. For these results, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point.

 

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls

 

People who are 35 and under who have a land line phone to be polled on are as scarce as hens teeth.

No, I mean productive men and women of all ethnicities who feel they are Taxed Enough Already (The TEA in tea party... clever huh?) The only thing shrinking about the Tea Party demographic is that it appears there are fewer and fewer prople with what used to be called common sense... folks who understand the fallacy of "spending" ourselves out of debt. Folks who are not ashamed of the notion of American exceptionalism in a dark and evil world. Folks who still beieve in the idea of America as that "shining city on a hill."

 

I don't think it's necessary to be a disgruntled , middle-aged, caucasian male to recognize the train wreck headed our way as the result of Washington politics.

 

I won't impugn you, but I don't seriously consider the Huffington Post a source of "balanced" information.

 

That's funny because when I see pictures or video from tea party events I'm not seeing all races and ethnicities being represented, and I especially don't see many under 35.

 

Also it's a very common theme on BGP to question the source when the facts are on your side.

People who are 35 and under who have a land line phone to be polled on are as scarce as hens teeth.

Fortunately there is no shortage of people under 35 who identify themselves as liberals, or with liberal causes, only to later declare themselves as conservative (generally after they are more fully vested in their careers and raising children and trying to save for college and retirement while paying taxes out the backside only to realize that maybe all those causes that seemed so warm and fuzzy just a decade or two ago aren't as important as balancing the checkbook and putting affordable fuel in the family car.)

 

Where do you think all those aging conservatives came from? Many were wearing paisley tunics, rose-colored glasses, listening to Peter, Paul & Mary and voting for George McGovern in the 1960s and 1970s.

Also it's a very common theme on BGP to question the source when the facts are on your side.

I think you meant "...are NOT on your side."

 

I would be more torn up if I seriously thought your sources were even remotely accurate. I happen to know first-hand otherwise. :thumb:

I think you meant "...are NOT on your side."

 

I would be more torn up if I seriously thought your sources were even remotely accurate. I happen to know first-hand otherwise. :thumb:

 

Good for you just make sure your 3 corner hat doesn't fit to tight