I went to a Tea Party rally today.

[RandomGuy]

Being stuck, for the moment, in rural Louisiana, I noted signs proclaiming a Tea Party rally at the small town square.

Parking my car with its rather obvious "Obama '08" bumper sticker a couple of blocks away, I hoofed it to the meeting in time to hear the first of three speakers, plus a couple of songs about Jesus sung by a nice tween girl.

It was about what I expected.

Pretty much all white, in a county that is 34% black, with a lone hispanic gal at the end, who tried to hold a quiz-show with the audience using some really badly worded questions and whose prize was a 2 hour DVD explaining all about "creation science".

The speeches were all rather general, filled with logical inconsistencies, a couple of factual errors, and regurgitated propaganda, heard somewhere else.

The main thrust of the thing seemed to be "the goverment is telling you not to believe in God", which I found rather odd. No specific examples were given to support this theory.

There was gentleman with a sign saying "remove Obama". I didn't ask him how this would be brought about within the bounds of the Constitution.

A local radio host of a Christian talk show got up and said that "we were paying too much in taxes". I resisted the urge to point out that about 50% of Americans don't pay income taxes, nor that the total % of GDP that went to the Federal Government in income taxes both corporate and individual was only about 20%.

I asked him after he was done speaking what that % was, but he didn't know the answer, which dovetails rather well with other informal polls done at such gatherings.

All in all, I was not really all that impressed with the overall level of rationality.

"goverment bad, bla bla bla, taxes bad, bla bla bla, we're a christian nation, bla bla bla.

They spent a lot of time talking about how politicians should listen to them because of their views, but didn't mention how those politicians should deal with anybody who might not agree with them.

All emotion and ignorance, with a smattering of self-righteousness, and intolerance for dissenting views.

I feel icky.

[ChumpDumper]

I would have given you a large amount of cash had you made a "Generic Angry Slogan" sign.

[RandomGuy]

I would have given you a large amount of cash had you made a "Generic Angry Slogan" sign.

Next time, I might just do that. I would then be a real live infiltrator, instead of an interested observer.

I did offer a good-natured proof-read of one gentleman's sign. I might not have agreed with him, but that doesn't mean I couldn't offer a bit of help.

When they passed around the donation pail, I made myself scarce though. Editing is one thing but material support to spread ignorance... not my thing.

[Nbadan]

:rolleyes

Louisiana gets more FED money than they can ever hope to pay into the system - stupid!

[EVAY]

RG, the 'icky feeling' may just have been your location.

[EmptyMan]

Pawns serve a purpose brah


And no, not for the evil corporate astro-turf gods.

[RandomGuy]

:rolleyes

Louisiana gets more FED money than they can ever hope to pay into the system - stupid!

Yet another thing I didn't mention.

[Stringer_Bell]

I feel icky.

Yea brah, the humidity is killer there.

I'm waiting for a Leftist infiltrator to show up dressed like a Klansman and shoot video of it similar to how that one kid did talked to ACORN when he dressed up as a pimp. Go around talking to people and notice how they don't think you're out of place or inappropriate in your hatred. It'll rawk!!

[BRHornet45]

son was it similar to these ignorant morons??? ...

9NkoWIH8_wA

[BRHornet45]

son was it similar to these ignorant morons??? ...

9NkoWIH8_wA

[LnGrrrR]

Son, no need to double post.

[DarrinS]

Being stuck, for the moment, in rural Louisiana, I noted signs proclaiming a Tea Party rally at the small town square.

Parking my car with its rather obvious "Obama '08" bumper sticker a couple of blocks away, I hoofed it to the meeting in time to hear the first of three speakers, plus a couple of songs about Jesus sung by a nice tween girl.

It was about what I expected.

Pretty much all white, in a county that is 34% black, with a lone hispanic gal at the end, who tried to hold a quiz-show with the audience using some really badly worded questions and whose prize was a 2 hour DVD explaining all about "creation science".

The speeches were all rather general, filled with logical inconsistencies, a couple of factual errors, and regurgitated propaganda, heard somewhere else.

The main thrust of the thing seemed to be "the goverment is telling you not to believe in God", which I found rather odd. No specific examples were given to support this theory.

There was gentleman with a sign saying "remove Obama". I didn't ask him how this would be brought about within the bounds of the Constitution.

A local radio host of a Christian talk show got up and said that "we were paying too much in taxes". I resisted the urge to point out that about 50% of Americans don't pay income taxes, nor that the total % of GDP that went to the Federal Government in income taxes both corporate and individual was only about 20%.

I asked him after he was done speaking what that % was, but he didn't know the answer, which dovetails rather well with other informal polls done at such gatherings.

All in all, I was not really all that impressed with the overall level of rationality.

"goverment bad, bla bla bla, taxes bad, bla bla bla, we're a christian nation, bla bla bla.

They spent a lot of time talking about how politicians should listen to them because of their views, but didn't mention how those politicians should deal with anybody who might not agree with them.

All emotion and ignorance, with a smattering of self-righteousness, and intolerance for dissenting views.

I feel icky.




Let me see if I understand this.

There is this group of people that have similar characteristics, and you are morally and intellectually superior to them?

Is that what is meant by tolerance?

Maybe you should go to the Appalachia and show them that you have a full set of teeth and can spell words?

[TeyshaBlue]

I've been to a number of political rallies, even a couple in '08 for Obama.
For whatever reason, I didn't feel the need to post a critique of it. Odd, really but I guess I didn't have a point I needed to make?

[RandomGuy]

Let me see if I understand this.

There is this group of people that have similar characteristics, and you are morally and intellectually superior to them?

Is that what is meant by tolerance?

Maybe you should go to the Appalachia and show them that you have a full set of teeth and can spell words?

I think this is a fair criticism.

More on this on my lunch hour.

[TeyshaBlue]

Let me see if I understand this.

There is this group of people that have similar characteristics, and you are morally and intellectually superior to them?

Is that what is meant by tolerance?

Maybe you should go to the Appalachia and show them that you have a full set of teeth and can spell words?

Teef are overated.:lol

[RandomGuy]

I've been to a number of political rallies, even a couple in '08 for Obama.
For whatever reason, I didn't feel the need to post a critique of it. Odd, really but I guess I didn't have a point I needed to make?

I have been to a couple of Democratic/lefty rallies that had many similar characteristics to the Tea Party gathering when Bush was president.

I wonder if the left had a TV network as obviously biased as Fox, with talking heads like Beck and Limbaugh stirring things up what would have happened.

Next time I visit one of them, I will post some impressions.

Hell, I might even say something nice about the Tea Party gathering a bit later.

[TeyshaBlue]

I have been to a couple of Democratic/lefty rallies that had many similar characteristics to the Tea Party gathering when Bush was president.

I wonder if the left had a TV network as obviously biased as Fox, with talking heads like Beck and Limbaugh stirring things up what would have happened.

Next time I visit one of them, I will post some impressions.

Hell, I might even say something nice about the Tea Party gathering a bit later.

You know, that's a fair point. Where is the left version of Fox? Furthermore, why isn't there one?

[boutons_deux]

a fucking false equivalence, just like MSM faking "balance"

anti-war-for-oil demonstrators (aka traitors) with legit grievances against the oilmen in the Whitehouse had/have merit in reality. The lawlessness has since been proven beyond a doubt, justifying the protestors.

tea baggers financed and inflamed by capitalists, corps, VRWC, and Fox Repug Network about totally false, paranoid boogeymen like socialism, marxism, birth certs, Muslim, "my baby", "death panels", govt takeover of health etc, etc. have no grounds in reality.

[MannyIsGod]

MSNBC can be fairly biased and I think its fair to portray Olberman as the Anti fox although I obviously don't think he's as bad as say Hannity or Beck. Then again I never want to compare Madow to anyone on Fox because I think she's actually incredibly fair.

[Stringer_Bell]

For whatever reason, I didn't feel the need to post a critique of it. Odd, really but I guess I didn't have a point I needed to make?

I think the moral of this story is that it's funny how the Louisiana Tea Party, this one sounds grassroots (not part of the Express), seems to forget - somewhere in all their complaining about Federal Government intrusion - that they recieve more money from the Federal Government than they put in.

There's really no point to make if the Tea Party folks are saying "take away every entitlement I have and take back your Federal dollars, I just want my freedom"...but that doesn't appear to be what's happening in this social uprising.

PS: Maddow is not fair, I've seen her push talking points just as blatantly as anyone on Fox. I like her more than Fox, but over the last few months my opinion of her "fairness" has gone down the shitter.

[LnGrrrR]

You know, that's a fair point. Where is the left version of Fox? Furthermore, why isn't there one?

It's online, and it's called the Daily Kos. :)

[admiralsnackbar]

Then again I never want to compare Madow to anyone on Fox because I think she's actually incredibly fair.

She also does some great fact-based investigative work and policy critique which nobody else I can think of off the top of my head is doing... on any political wavelength, at any major network.

I don't always agree with her politics, but she does always (I know -- strong word -- but accurate, in my experience) articulate her rationale such that you can follow her logic and determine at what point you take issue. A lot of sane conservatives could watch her, I think, without fuming too much (unless she's in the grips of a liberal meltdown, like she was recently with her state senator).

Finally, she has an interesting interviewing style that is simultaneously sheepish and ruthless.

I honestly wish one of the networks could produce a fiscal-conservative-oriented program that was as well-researched, open to real discussion, and fair-minded as hers.

[panic giraffe]

you know i was just going to post something about those....
whenever i've been to one, or even when i see the pic's from them, it just seems so random.
just random anger.
i mean i thought they were about taxes, but then you see people protesting health care, or against immigration, or abortion, or religion, every now and then you see the racist signs but every group has their loonies. i just don't get it. why don't they just pick one subject and run with it?
it really gives the appearance of blind anger the way the have it set up.

[DarrinS]

MSNBC can be fairly biased and I think its fair to portray Olberman as the Anti fox although I obviously don't think he's as bad as say Hannity or Beck. Then again I never want to compare Madow to anyone on Fox because I think she's actually incredibly fair.


She began her show last night almost exactly like RG's OP.

[RandomGuy]

you know i was just going to post something about those....
whenever i've been to one, or even when i see the pic's from them, it just seems so random.
just random anger.
i mean i thought they were about taxes, but then you see people protesting health care, or against immigration, or abortion, or religion, every now and then you see the racist signs but every group has their loonies. i just don't get it. why don't they just pick one subject and run with it?
it really gives the appearance of blind anger the way the have it set up.

That was precisely my impression.

There was an older couple there with signs that pretty much laundry lists of conservative talking points.

"YES" to a list of things
"NO" to a list of things (such as "bleeding heart liberals")

Railing against ALL taxes, state, local, but primarily federal.

As I have stated before, I truly wish that these people would pick a state, congregate there, and get rid of all the big bad state/local taxes that they hate.

I would guess that they would start imposing those taxes pretty quick once they realize how many services like 9-11 response and so forth they had to give up.

Wouldn't that be a criminal's paradise for all sorts of scams and cons?

How fast would they go crying for the FBI when some organized crime sets up shop, and their underpowered state police force can't compete with the Bn's backing up the drug cartel that has taken over county X's airport to ship stuff in.

[RandomGuy]

The one thing I pretty much agreed with was the need for a flat tax and a MUCH simplified tax code.

I think the current tax system has passed into the realm of being so complex that it is virtually impossible for the average person to even begin to contemplate filing his/her taxes without outside assistance.

[RandomGuy]

Let me see if I understand this.

There is this group of people that have similar characteristics, and you are morally and intellectually superior to them?

Is that what is meant by tolerance?

Maybe you should go to the Appalachia and show them that you have a full set of teeth and can spell words?

Perhaps you could explain how we could "remove Obama" within the realm of legality/constitutionality.

Perhaps you can explain how exactly "government is telling us not to believe in God".

I am genuinely perplexed at some of this.

[RandomGuy]

Can anyone who calls themselves conservative tell me:

Is it really a good thing to only get your news from Fox News?

That is all they talked about when they were talking about getting news/information "watching Fox News".

"when you watch on Fox News that...."

[RandomGuy]

What does it say about the conservative movement when the definition of "fair and balanced" for all practical purposes is "it must be heavily biased to the right"?

[boutons_deux]

No need to be perplexed.

Many of these teabaggers are the perplexed, confused ones. Completely illogical, irrational, full of free-floating, omni-directional frustration and hate, ideal dupes for Fox Repug Network and VRWC agitators/manipulators.

Flat tax and simplified tax code will never be fixed, because there's an entire legal and accounting industry making living off interpreting/exploiting it for the benefit of the corps and capitalists. The complexity is intentional, to increase loopholes and opacity for the people and corps who can buy the expertise to exploit the loopholes.

[panic giraffe]

underpowered state police

paid for by how?

[TeyshaBlue]

No need to be perplexed.

Many of these teabaggers are the perplexed, confused ones. Completely illogical, irrational, full of free-floating, omni-directional frustration and hate, ideal dupes for Fox Repug Network and VRWC agitators/manipulators.


Wow. Just like you, except for the omni-directional frustration and hate. Yours is pretty focused.:lol

[boutons_deux]

"Yours is pretty focused"

yes, it is. GFY :lol

[TeyshaBlue]

"Yours is pretty focused"

yes, it is. GFY :lol

:toast:lol

[admiralsnackbar]

Flat tax and simplified tax code will never be fixed, because there's an entire legal and accounting industry making living off interpreting/exploiting it for the benefit of the corps and capitalists. The complexity is intentional, to increase loopholes and opacity for the people and corps who can buy the expertise to exploit the loopholes.

Sounds about right.

[panic giraffe]

Sounds about right.

true that. if we had a fraction of the money thrown by h&r block and the like to stop something like a flat tax then we would be rich men indeed.

[spursncowboys]

I doubt any of you liberals went to a tea party. Not too long ago most of yall thought they went by tea baggers.

[ChumpDumper]

I doubt any of you liberals went to a tea party. Not too long ago most of yall thought they went by tea baggers.No, they used the term for tea bagging the White House in a failed political stunt, then we started using the name for them.

[Blake]

What does it say about the conservative movement when the definition of "fair and balanced" for all practical purposes is "it must be heavily biased to the right"?

http://www.phuckpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/conspiracy_theories.jpg

[MaNuMaNiAc]

http://www.phuckpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/conspiracy_theories.jpg

is this real? damn that is so fucking pathetic

[EmptyMan]

lol at these fucking faux intellectuals who think they are anything special still using elementary generalizations and not realizing people are free-thinking individuals.

[ChumpDumper]

So members of tea parties don't agree on anything?

[Nbadan]

...loonies...


GvvnHK_wM8k

[Nbadan]

:lol Faux News

WKH5rLVhxK4

[LnGrrrR]

You know if that Senator did not have an R by his name, Bill O'Blowhard would've cut him off consistently and then claimed a victory.

I'd have a lot more respect if he owned up more consistently.

Nice clip Dan.

[panic giraffe]

...loonies...


GvvnHK_wM8k

wow. that shows exactly what their goals are, at least for that crowd. non-partisan movement my ass. enough of them in the primary and obama coasts it to term two.

[xrayzebra]

I've been to a number of political rallies, even a couple in '08 for Obama.
For whatever reason, I didn't feel the need to post a critique of it. Odd, really but I guess I didn't have a point I needed to make?

Well drool from the participants along with twitching legs would just about
cover Obama supporters. Along with "kill Bush" signs.:lol

[Stringer_Bell]

...loonies...



GvvnHK_wM8k



Holy shit, that was amazing. Free thinking, grassroots, non-partisan movement to restore the Constitution my black ass!

[RandomGuy]

I doubt any of you liberals went to a tea party. Not too long ago most of yall thought they went by tea baggers.

You have my sworn word that I attended a Tax Day Tea Party rally.

I even bought a couple of sodas and talked rather nicely to a couple of people.

[PixelPusher]

...loonies...


GvvnHK_wM8k


wow. that shows exactly what their goals are, at least for that crowd. non-partisan movement my ass. enough of them in the primary and obama coasts it to term two.

They are who we thought they were. (http://www.salon.com/news/the_numerologist/2010/03/27/tea_party_is_a_republican_movement/index.html)

[RandomGuy]

Holy shit, that was amazing. Free thinking, grassroots, non-partisan movement to restore the Constitution my black ass!

Dang man, they turned on him the second he had the temerity to criticise Sarah Palin.

[RandomGuy]

They are who we thought they were. (http://www.salon.com/news/the_numerologist/2010/03/27/tea_party_is_a_republican_movement/index.html)

Is anybody really, honestly, surprised by that?

[panic giraffe]

Is anybody really, honestly, surprised by that?

about as much as i think fox news is fair and unbalanced.

[Spursmania]

so what?

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

:rolleyes

Louisiana gets more FED money than they can ever hope to pay into the system - stupid!


So does the dumb teabagger old slut who said, "get your government hands off my medicare."

[spursncowboys]

So does the dumb teabagger old slut who said, "get your government hands off my medicare."
Who said that exactly? Which congressperson was that towards? Do you even know what state that was in? NO. Because it probably never happened. Like when a tea party person allegedly yelled ###### ten times.

[baseline bum]

...loonies...


GvvnHK_wM8k

Like I said, the Tea Party movement's only message other than anger is our shit doesn't stink.

[ChumpDumper]

Who said that exactly? Which congressperson was that towards? Do you even know what state that was in? NO. Because it probably never happened. Like when a tea party person allegedly yelled ###### ten times.At a recent town-hall meeting in suburban Simpsonville, a man stood up and told Rep. Robert Inglis (R-S.C.) to "keep your government hands off my Medicare."

"I had to politely explain that, 'Actually, sir, your health care is being provided by the government,' " Inglis recalled. "But he wasn't having any of it."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072703066_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009072703107

SnC, this is what is expected when someone asks you questions.

You're welcome.

[Winehole23]

Yeah. That old teabagger slut.

[Winehole23]

:lol

[ALWAYS bet on BLACK]

forum run 2010

[Wild Cobra]

Well, I didn't go this year, but here is last years Tea Party in Downtown Portland:

Wild Cobra's Photobucket - Teaparty 2009 (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Portland%20Tea%20Party%202009/)

[panic giraffe]

why was it in front of a mall?

[Wild Cobra]

why was it in front of a mall?
It's not in front of a mall. It was at Pioneer square, a city block of downtown Portland:

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/satellite%20view/pioneersquaresatellite.jpg

[Duff McCartney]

Well, I didn't go this year, but here is last years Tea Party in Downtown Portland:

Wild Cobra's Photobucket - Teaparty 2009 (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Portland%20Tea%20Party%202009/)

Wow..that is some scary shit. I'm more afraid of people like that than any terrorist in the world. At least with terrorist they are halfway around the world, these people are in cities all over the U.S.

Nothing but hyperbole from all those people. None of those freaking idiots know a god damn thing about being a slave or a serf. So stop with the bullshit signs. It's so exaggerated it's not even funny or making a point. It's nowhere near the reality of what's going on now.

[ChumpDumper]

White people were indeed pissed.

[Stringer_Bell]

Well, I didn't go this year, but here is last years Tea Party in Downtown Portland:

Wild Cobra's Photobucket - Teaparty 2009 (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Portland%20Tea%20Party%202009/)

Don't worry about the haters, sure there's some dumb signs but it's not like the garbage we see today. I think the reason most are against this type of stuff is because "the angry white people" only got angry when the black dude came to office. If we'd seen "the angry white people" standing next to the "smelly hippies" and "libtards" to form a unified front against overspending government...I don't think most people would be laughing at the Tea Party Express.

And who knows, maybe there was a time when all those people did protest together? That'd be cool to see, maybe it'd lead people to see how big of a problem we're in when all the crazies agree that we have the same problem. :toast

[Oh, Gee!!]

good pics, WC. I esp. like the pre-teen kids preaching to us about about slavery when their biggest concern is most likely which abercrombie jeans they should buy to match with the american eagle t-shirt they just bought at the mall with their parents' money.

[Winehole23]

If we'd seen "the angry white people" standing next to the "smelly hippies" and "libtards" to form a unified front against overspending government...I don't think most people would be laughing at the Tea Party Express.Sadly, that's very, very true.

[RandomGuy]

Well, I didn't go this year, but here is last years Tea Party in Downtown Portland:

Wild Cobra's Photobucket - Teaparty 2009 (http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Portland%20Tea%20Party%202009/)

Where were these people when Bush was running up massive deficits after the Clinton-era surpluses?

[Wild Cobra]

Where were these people when Bush was running up massive deficits after the Clinton-era surpluses?
I have squashed that lie in the past. I need not again.

[DarrinS]

White people were indeed pissed.


Like most ultra progressive cities, there aren't many non-white people in Portland.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/001110-the-white-city

[boutons_deux]

"Where were these people when Bush was running up massive deficits after the Clinton-era surpluses?"

quashed only in WC's own fantasy world.

The Repugs ran up huge deficits, with unfunded wars and tax cuts for the super-wealthy.

GQY

[George Gervin's Afro]

I have squashed that lie in the past. I need not again.

In other words no one said anything

[ChumpDumper]

Like most ultra progressive cities, there aren't many non-white people in Portland.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/001110-the-white-cityI wasn't talking about non-white people, genius.

[awaits other non sequitur post with or without YouTube]

[EDIT: Serious lol at your article trying to say Austin has no minorities.]

[ChumpDumper]

I have squashed that lie in the past. I need not again.:lol

Sorry -- they, and you, just didn't care back then because your side was in control.

[RandomGuy]

Like most ultra progressive cities, there aren't many non-white people in Portland.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/001110-the-white-city

The county/parish in the OP was 34% black, yet out of the 50 or so people there, there were no black people at all.

One of the very explicit points I made in the OP was that they were complaining that "nobody represented them" and spent a lot of energy/time saying that their representatives needed to listen to them, but never really acknowledged the fact that a good chunk of America (ok more than half) might disagree with them. "Everybody in Washington needs to pay attention to and act on our views, we don't really care about what anybody else who might disagree thinks or if they should have someone representing their views."

This country is made up of a lot of people who disagree with the Tea Party platform.

Don't they count when it comes to deciding poliy?

[RandomGuy]

I have squashed that lie in the past. I need not again.

Were there, or were there not Tea Party rallies during the Bush era budget deficits?

Yes or no?

[ChumpDumper]

Were there, or were there not Tea Party rallies during the Bush era budget deficits?

Yes or no?That was different, man. We had an American citizen as president back then.

[DarrinS]

Were there, or were there not Tea Party rallies during the Bush era budget deficits?

Yes or no?


Had they been nearly as high, there probably would have been.

http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wapoobamabudget1.jpg

[ChumpDumper]

Had they been nearly as high, there probably would have been.So you were fine with merely enormous deficit spending during a time of economic expansion, but not larger deficit spending during a deep recession.

[DarrinS]

So you were fine with merely enormous deficit spending during a time of economic expansion, but not larger deficit spending during a deep recession.


If people weren't fine with Bush' enormous spending, why would they be fine with quadrupling it?

[ChumpDumper]

If people weren't fine with Bush' enormous spending, why would they be fine with quadrupling it?It's the right time to spend.

Later it won't be, just as it was the wrong time during the Bush years.

[Wild Cobra]

In other words no one said anything

If Clinton had a surplus, the debt would have decreases.

Just that simple.

[word]

Being stuck, for the moment, in rural Louisiana, I noted signs proclaiming a Tea Party rally at the small town square.

Parking my car with its rather obvious "Obama '08" bumper sticker a couple of blocks away, I hoofed it to the meeting in time to hear the first of three speakers, plus a couple of songs about Jesus sung by a nice tween girl.

It was about what I expected.

Pretty much all white, in a county that is 34% black, with a lone hispanic gal at the end, who tried to hold a quiz-show with the audience using some really badly worded questions and whose prize was a 2 hour DVD explaining all about "creation science".

The speeches were all rather general, filled with logical inconsistencies, a couple of factual errors, and regurgitated propaganda, heard somewhere else.

The main thrust of the thing seemed to be "the goverment is telling you not to believe in God", which I found rather odd. No specific examples were given to support this theory.

There was gentleman with a sign saying "remove Obama". I didn't ask him how this would be brought about within the bounds of the Constitution.

A local radio host of a Christian talk show got up and said that "we were paying too much in taxes". I resisted the urge to point out that about 50% of Americans don't pay income taxes, nor that the total % of GDP that went to the Federal Government in income taxes both corporate and individual was only about 20%.

I asked him after he was done speaking what that % was, but he didn't know the answer, which dovetails rather well with other informal polls done at such gatherings.

All in all, I was not really all that impressed with the overall level of rationality.

"goverment bad, bla bla bla, taxes bad, bla bla bla, we're a christian nation, bla bla bla.

They spent a lot of time talking about how politicians should listen to them because of their views, but didn't mention how those politicians should deal with anybody who might not agree with them.

All emotion and ignorance, with a smattering of self-righteousness, and intolerance for dissenting views.

I feel icky.

Call it even.

[btimsah]

Being stuck, for the moment, in rural Louisiana, I noted signs proclaiming a Tea Party rally at the small town square.

Parking my car with its rather obvious "Obama '08" bumper sticker a couple of blocks away, I hoofed it to the meeting in time to hear the first of three speakers, plus a couple of songs about Jesus sung by a nice tween girl.

It was about what I expected.

Pretty much all white, in a county that is 34% black, with a lone hispanic gal at the end, who tried to hold a quiz-show with the audience using some really badly worded questions and whose prize was a 2 hour DVD explaining all about "creation science".

The speeches were all rather general, filled with logical inconsistencies, a couple of factual errors, and regurgitated propaganda, heard somewhere else.

The main thrust of the thing seemed to be "the goverment is telling you not to believe in God", which I found rather odd. No specific examples were given to support this theory.

There was gentleman with a sign saying "remove Obama". I didn't ask him how this would be brought about within the bounds of the Constitution.

A local radio host of a Christian talk show got up and said that "we were paying too much in taxes". I resisted the urge to point out that about 50% of Americans don't pay income taxes, nor that the total % of GDP that went to the Federal Government in income taxes both corporate and individual was only about 20%.

I asked him after he was done speaking what that % was, but he didn't know the answer, which dovetails rather well with other informal polls done at such gatherings.

All in all, I was not really all that impressed with the overall level of rationality.

"goverment bad, bla bla bla, taxes bad, bla bla bla, we're a christian nation, bla bla bla.

They spent a lot of time talking about how politicians should listen to them because of their views, but didn't mention how those politicians should deal with anybody who might not agree with them.

All emotion and ignorance, with a smattering of self-righteousness, and intolerance for dissenting views.

I feel icky.

I'm a Tea Partier kinda person so I thought I'd explain to you why I like the potential for the Tea Party.

It's become cliche' to say that, "Washington spending is out of control". You hear it almost everyday. I'm very Libertarian. I believe in a small, limited government that follows the constitution, defends civil liberties, provides for defense and sound money. Anything more than that then it risks becoming tyrannical, bloated and usually resorts to destroying money.

Often times progressives will suggest that I'm an anarchist and that I hate the Federal Government. At least they understand the danger of anarchy. But I've rarely understood how progressives can fail to realize that it's their deficit spending which threatens our Federal Government more than anything else. So the truth is - if the Tea Party wants the Federal Government to destroy itself then they'd be best advised to just shut up and let the two party's continue spending itself into insolvency. Both the welfare and warfare state do this and both parties are responsible. We must share in the fail.

The fiscal restraint that the Tea Party are demanding is the one thing that would save a progressives precious "big government", even though it'd have to be smaller. It's rather obvious this has not been thought out. Democrats, so happy they finally have control have completely ignored any idea of fiscal discipline. They don't care about spending. Because hey, the Republicans can spend on their wars (which Democrats vote for and support as well) so why can't we!? And BOTH SIDES RARELY RAISES TAXES. It's like they live in a fantasy land.

They're like children. The Tea Party movement, however, is an oddball? collection of Democrats and Republicans who realize that the welfare and warfare state cannot continue like this and that if we TRULY love our country. Would it not be prudent to take the steps today to save it from the debt of tomorrow? We need a candidate who will..


Bring our troops home from around the world.
Wind down our welfare state.
Restore our country to a sound monetary policy.


The very cool thing is that once you end the welfare and warfare state's, the "immigration issue" is no longer an issue at all.

[btimsah]

We have to stop hating each other. That's how the mainstream machine keeps in power.

[RandomGuy]

Had they been nearly as high, there probably would have been.

http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wapoobamabudget1.jpg

That may very well be the best, most logical point you have ever made here.

Touche.

[RandomGuy]

Interesting to return to this, in light of the post apocalyptic world that this movement spawned.

They never did get to remove Obama.

[baseline bum]

Interesting to return to this, in light of the post apocalyptic world that this movement spawned.

They never did get to remove Obama.

They were still wildly successful turning Washington DC into complete gridlock.

[DarrinS]

Damn. ChumpDumper hasn't posted since 3/25/2016

[spurraider21]

Damn. ChumpDumper hasn't posted since 3/25/2016
pulse nightclub shooting was in june 2016... rip

[Will Hunting]

They were still wildly successful turning Washington DC into complete gridlock.

Yup, they were somehow able to swing this country further to the right in spite of a Democratic president winning in a landslide.

[boutons_deux]

Yup, they were somehow able to swing this country further to the right in spite of a Democratic president winning in a landslide.

VRWC and their Repug and Christian Taliban whores have been swinging the country right for 40+ years.

USA is unstoppably degrading, by strategy not accident, into an authoritarian oligarchy.

[baseline bum]

VRWC and their Repug and Christian Taliban whores have been swinging the country right for 40+ years.

USA is unstoppably degrading, by strategy not accident, into an authoritarian oligarchy.

Degrading? It's there.

[boutons_deux]

Degrading? It's there.

yep, and it's getting a lot worse in the next few years under autocrat criminal Trash and the Repugs. unstoppable.

[RandomGuy]

Had they been nearly as high, there probably would have been.

http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wapoobamabudget1.jpg

wow, that post didn't age well.

Deficits don't matter to conservatives anymore, as long as they are driven by give-aways to the hyperwealthy.

[Spurtacular]

It was about what I expected.

Pretty much all white, in a county that is 34% black

You expected blacks to not be civic minded. :tu

[RandomGuy]

You expected blacks to not be civic minded. :tu

I expected Tea Party conservatives to be mildly racist. They didn't disappoint.

They have gotten more racist, or at least more openly so, since then.

[boutons_deux]

More stupid shit from Repugs

Kevin McCarthy claims a GOP House would get the national debt 'taken care of.' The 2017 tax law suggests otherwise. (https://theweek.com/speedreads/864580/kevin-mccarthy-claims-gop-house-national-debt-taken-care-2017-tax-law-suggests-otherwise)

https://theweek.com/speedreads/864580/kevin-mccarthy-claims-gop-house-national-debt-taken-care-2017-tax-law-suggests-otherwise

[RandomGuy]

I expected Tea Party conservatives to be mildly racist. They didn't disappoint.

They have gotten more racist, or at least more openly so, since then.

... and now we have the results. Yup. the Republican party is indeed full of racists.

BLM