a

[The Snake Brotherhood]

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[Arkinesia]

Life sucks when your movement is choked by retards.

[Consaria]

100% Agreement

[Bydlostan (Ancient)]

My prediction: the GOP will dispose of the TPM as it will have become a useless appendix by then. And things will continue like usual.

It's sad because this could've really become that movement which could bring real Hope and Change (not that slogan which Obama used to sell his candidacy with). But it wasn't meant to be. It's just how the system is designed.

A grassroots movement in a democracy will not be "disposed of" like a some night-of-long-knives thing. The movement will simply dissolve on its own or part of it will break off into say, a libertarian mob that will still complain.

[SaintB]

All they are accomplishing is further splitting the ideological divide in the and so they achieve absolutely nothing any good for the nation.

[The Snake Brotherhood]

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[Bydlostan (Ancient)]

And a question to the TPM supporters: where were all those angry people who "want their country back" (from where: unknown), when their country was being taken away? I'm referring to the 2001-2008 period. Why did they come out of the woodwork just now? Why not earlier?

I think these people were upset with the expanding government controls, spending deficit seen during the Bush administration only to see an even bigger proponent of statist come into power, losing the chance to reverse the trend for another 4 years.

I think they'd rather see a reduced government like from the 80's and early 90's.

[Innsmothe]

And a question to the TPM supporters: where were all those angry people who "want their country back" (from where: unknown), when their country was being taken away? I'm referring to the 2001-2008 period. Why did they come out of the woodwork just now? Why not earlier?

I think these people were upset with the expanding government controls, spending deficit seen during the Bush administration only to see an even bigger proponent of statist come into power, losing the chance to reverse the trend for another 4 years.

I think they'd rather see a reduced government like from the 80's and early 90's.

It was Reagan that gave America it's deficiet in the 80's, so I doubt they want to go back to that.

[Farnhamia]

I think these people were upset with the expanding government controls, spending deficit seen during the Bush administration only to see an even bigger proponent of statist come into power, losing the chance to reverse the trend for another 4 years.

I think they'd rather see a reduced government like from the 80's and early 90's.

It was Reagan that gave America it's deficiet in the 80's, so I doubt they want to go back to that.

I believe the size of the Federal government also increased during the Reagan Administration.

I suppose all these people were sitting in their living rooms, stunned at the way the Bush Administration was spending money like a drunken sailor, and it's only now that they've been able to rouse themselves enough to take to the streets. Right.

[Ashmoria]

This leads us to the next situation. Suppose the GOP wins Senate and House majority, and Obama serves just one term, exactly as the Tea Party wants. OK, so far so good. We could even go crazier and assume Palin becomes president, perfect! First female president, a breakthrough. OK, but then what? Where does the Tea Party Movement... move, from there? Will they have "taken their country back" if the above conditions are satisfied?

you cant know what they would do. they are too disorganized and too stupid in their (koch brothers' mandated) platform

in theory they would get rid of social security and medicare, get rid of the epa and dept of education, end all regulations on business, cut taxes and balance the budget.

that would all be quite a disaster if it should be able to be done. some of it is impossible to do together--cut taxes and balance the budget.

so what would they compromise on, if anything? would they become as "corrupt" as current politicians before their offices are decorated? woudl they obstruct all government until they acquiesce to their demands?

there is no way to know.

[Bydlostan (Ancient)]

It was Reagan that gave America it's deficiet in the 80's, so I doubt they want to go back to that.

I believe the size of the Federal government also increased during the Reagan Administration.

I suppose all these people were sitting in their living rooms, stunned at the way the Bush Administration was spending money like a drunken sailor, and it's only now that they've been able to rouse themselves enough to take to the streets. Right.

Well my best analysis, its either that or its because there is a scary brown person doing the spending now.

[Farnhamia]

I believe the size of the Federal government also increased during the Reagan Administration.

I suppose all these people were sitting in their living rooms, stunned at the way the Bush Administration was spending money like a drunken sailor, and it's only now that they've been able to rouse themselves enough to take to the streets. Right.

Well my best analysis, its either that or its because there is a scary brown person doing the spending now.

I didn't want to go there but I suspect that for many of them, yes, that is certainly a reason. It wasn't so bad when it was a recovering alcoholic/cokehead doing the spending but Lord! save us from the brown-skinned community activist!

[Teabaggerstan]

I support the Tea Party and its goal to liberate America from socialism.

[Thevenin]

They'll probably complain about something else. I'm all for standing up for what you believe in, and demanding action from your government, but it seems that some people just want something to protest. Maybe it makes them feel important, and part of something greater than themselves, or maybe they're just miserable and want to let everyone know they're miserable. The way I see it, even if the dissolve because they get what they want, another group will take their place. You can't please everyone.

[Illithar]

Honestly, I just think they're all idiots. Given the fact that I'm (shudder) related to several tea partiers, I'll give my two cents on the movement. First off, they are angry about an increasingly statist and centralized government. Now remember, Tea Partiers tend to be uneducated, so "statist" and "centralized" mean "socialism" to them and as we all know, "socialism is bad".

Also, a lot of Tea Partiers are older and are on the lower end of the socio-economic ladder. Now, the ones that I happen to know had thought that they would be fairly weathly and succesful at this point in their lives and rather than blame themselves, they blame the government for everything crappy that's happened to them. They live in a fantasy world.

This crap has been brewing for a long time, it's just that with the economy in the shitter, a (brown) leftist in the White House and unemployment up, a lot of anger and dissapointment has brewed into the retarded shitstorm we see today. The Tea Party will never acheive all its goals, because the Tea Party is built on anger.

[Horsefish]

I support the Tea Party and its goal to liberate America from socialism.

Socialism...? Really?

[Les Drapeaux Brulants]

And a question to the TPM supporters: where were all those angry people who "want their country back" (from where: unknown), when their country was being taken away? I'm referring to the 2001-2008 period. Why did they come out of the woodwork just now? Why not earlier?

I think these people were upset with the expanding government controls, spending deficit seen during the Bush administration only to see an even bigger proponent of statist come into power, losing the chance to reverse the trend for another 4 years.

I think they'd rather see a reduced government like from the [18]80's and early [18]90's.

Fixed the dates.

Yes, the main objective of the movement ( Anyone remember "Alice's Restaurant" -- "... if three people sing a bar of Alice's Restaurant, they'll think it's an organization, if fifty sing it, then they'll think it's a movement...")

Anyway, the main reason the movement exists is that the political class has usurped the power of the people. It's easy to underestimate the power of the movement, considering none of the liberal MSM wanted to admit it even existed in the beginning. It's easy to overestimate the power of the movement, as well, because the most notable thing about American politics is it's unpredictability.

But the Tea Party movement does suggest very compellingly is the possibility for anti-systemic third parties to emerge. The movement's effects are there to see, and will continue to affect the elections in 2010 and 2012.

I'm all for it.

[Les Drapeaux Brulants]

...
This crap has been brewing for a long time, it's just that with the economy in the shitter, a (brown) leftist in the White House and unemployment up, a lot of anger and dissapointment has brewed into the retarded shitstorm we see today. The Tea Party will never acheive all its goals, because the Tea Party is built on anger.

What better building block than dissatisfaction with the way the government is being run? That's the reason you vote, isn't it? To make the best choice for who will represent you?

The Tea Party movement isn't going away any time soon. I'm not sure that even the Republicans can corrupt it. The establishment is just going to have to realize that they're not the only ones at the table, anymore.

[Bydlostan (Ancient)]

I think statism is an utterly backwards, misguided and deleterious policy and people should not be so cynical to promote it or naive enough to believe it is a good thing.

That said the teabaggers discredit themselves with their own public image. Fat angry people with misspelled placards, ignorant statements with contradictory goals with unstated, racist overtones then throw in the tin-foil-hat birthers and truthers to totally ruin their credibility. What is a normal, sane person to think of that? They allow the idiots to shit in their punch-bowl.

They surely have legitimate concerns but their opponents hardly even need to counter them.

[Illithar]

...
This crap has been brewing for a long time, it's just that with the economy in the shitter, a (brown) leftist in the White House and unemployment up, a lot of anger and dissapointment has brewed into the retarded shitstorm we see today. The Tea Party will never acheive all its goals, because the Tea Party is built on anger.

What better building block than dissatisfaction with the way the government is being run? That's the reason you vote, isn't it? To make the best choice for who will represent you?

The Tea Party movement isn't going away any time soon. I'm not sure that even the Republicans can corrupt it. The establishment is just going to have to realize that they're not the only ones at the table, anymore.

But if you're dissatisfied with the way the government is being run now, you need a rational alternative, something other than ranting about the "socialism" of the other parties.

[The Floridian Coast]

I think intelligent conservatives and the Republican power structure views the Tea Party with silent contempt, wanting to gain victories through their momentum, but are slowly being horrified as they see David Frum's words come to life. "We thought Fox News worked for us, but it turned out we were working for Fox News."

[The Floridian Coast]

The Tea Party movement isn't going away any time soon. I'm not sure that even the Republicans can corrupt it. The establishment is just going to have to realize that they're not the only ones at the table, anymore.

If you don't consider having Glenn Beck and by extension Fox News as your propagandist, the Koch Brothers' millions of dollars as your funding, and the support of politicians from Gingrich to Bachmann to Palin as the establishment, then I don't know what is the establishment.

[Daistallia 2104]

And a question to the TPM supporters: where were all those angry people who "want their country back" (from where: unknown), when their country was being taken away? I'm referring to the 2001-2008 period. Why did they come out of the woodwork just now? Why not earlier?

A good question indeed. And very telling of the empty rhetoric of anti-government expansion.

its because there is a scary brown person doing the spending now.

Truth in advertising.

[Farnhamia]

...
This crap has been brewing for a long time, it's just that with the economy in the shitter, a (brown) leftist in the White House and unemployment up, a lot of anger and dissapointment has brewed into the retarded shitstorm we see today. The Tea Party will never acheive all its goals, because the Tea Party is built on anger.

What better building block than dissatisfaction with the way the government is being run? That's the reason you vote, isn't it? To make the best choice for who will represent you?

The Tea Party movement isn't going away any time soon. I'm not sure that even the Republicans can corrupt it. The establishment is just going to have to realize that they're not the only ones at the table, anymore.

I don't see the Tea Party doing anything more than trying to push the GOP off its seat at the table and taking its place. If they wanted their own place there, they'd bring their own chair, run their own candidates and not dedicate themselves to recreating the Republican Party in their own image.

[Umbagar]

Ok, to start with I have to say I am a tea party supporter. I feel that just because some politicians may or may not be trying to further their careers from us is no reason for us to stop our movement. I'm not a big Sarah Palin supporter, but I feel she has the right general idea and believes in the essence of the tea party movement (remember when she sold the Alaskan governor's private jet?). In order to get our voices heard in Washington we will need politicians who can draft and pass legislation to help reform our country and she's probably as good as any that will come around. As far as the tea party being puppets for the GOP, there are a lot of people, both republicans and democrats, who have been shaken by the primary elections where tea party Republicans have upset the traditional republicans in the polls. As far as I see it, the Tea Party is going in the right direction as much as it reasonably can.