JerseyPatriot
04-23-2010, 07:23 PM
*This is not a copy and paste, but original content for Liberty Forest
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/2931/soundghostmanpullinghai.gif...Aaaaarrrghhhh!
OK. Thank you for letting me get that out of my system so that I am in a position emotionally to coherently express myself.
I am a 40 year old male Conservative, center-right Libertarian, and life-long Independent, or do we now have to say 'unaffiliated'?
I recently had my first face to face encounter with the American Tea Party Movement, with whose general sentiments I would describe myself as sympathetic. First at several local group meetings, and then as a participant at the Trenton New Jersey Tax Day Rally.
I am left feeling rather ambivalent about my experiences to say the least. What I have discovered, and admittedly already suspected, is that what we might describe as: 'Tea Partier' unrest, anger, and dissatisfaction; is an absolutely genuine phenomenon arising from the people themselves. However, and this is a big 'however', most organised Tea Party activity, at least in my State, is controlled and financed by special interests. The big four of these special interests, to which I refer collectively as the Tea Party Incs., would be #1 Dick Armey's multitude of Freedomworks subsidiaries including the ubiquitous Tea Party Patriots, the number one search result for the term: 'Tea Party'. #2 The despicable profiteers Tea Party Nation. #3 The hybrid profiteer/Republicanfest 'Tea Party express', which may or may not be affiliated with the TPN, but is definitely in bed with the GOP. #4 The billionaire Koch Brothers 'Americans for prosperity foundation'. Who'd be more likely to serve you a cup of oil than earl Grey. And of course #5 the GOP.
I have heard liberals describe Tea Partiers as gullible, dupes, and a mindless and anti-intellectual mob that can be led anywhere by anyone. When describing the small minority of self-identifying Tea Partiers who are being led around by the nose by the local organizers here in my home state, I think the description is valid. But thankfully, on a national scale, most Tea Partiers are fiercely independent and wary of such individuals and their groups, to which the growing divide within the Tea Party Movement, so adamantly railed against by Dick Armey, gives proof. A deepening schism between the Tea Party Incs. and the genuine, grass-roots, community based citizens Tea Party Movement which tricky Dick warns will weaken Tea Party influence, but which I say will only weaken the influence of himself, the Tea Party Incs., and separate the wheat from the chaff.
I literally found myself pulling my hair out from the roots trying to reason with a particular local organizer who had named her group the 'Tea Party Patriots of SJ', distributed the Tea Party Times - a FreedomWorks backed publication -, at her meetings, and made it a personal crusade to register unaffiliated voters as Republicans. The woman had no clue who and what she was serving (or did she?), or that the agenda and principles espoused on her own website were largely in conflict with Dick Armey's personal - and thus Freedomwork's- agenda. All the Tea Party groups in my area are named 'Tea Party Patriots' of this or that, and yet their members rattle on about illegal immigration and border security, career politicians and lobbyists, big government and term limits, seemingly oblivious to the fact or at the very least unconcerned that their strings are being pulled by the consummate career politician/corporate lobbyist, and open borders friendly: Dick Armey.
I watch with growing consternation as Freedomworks through its high profile Tea Party Patriots juggernaut, and through a multitude of shadow domains disguised as independent, locally run websites deftly manipulates the Tea Party Movement like a conductor leading an orchestra, accruing to itself a perceived status, legitimacy and influence that will be used as currency in its bid to assume the mantle of 'official' Tea Party and position Dick Armey as the National Tea Party leader. Take a look at this website here, which audaciously proclaims itself the 'official' website of the New Jersey Tea Party. Uh, what is 'the' Tea Party let alone the 'official' Tea Party? What makes this entity the 'official' anything? The sleazy tactics of those behind such propaganda would warm the heart of ACORN or any liberal-progressive. And have any of you seen FreedomWork's new petition for making Dick Armey's personal agenda the official agenda of the Tea Party Movement? The so-called 'contract from America?'...lol No mention of illegal immigration or border security of course. It could easily have been written by the American Chamber of commerce.
My welcome amongst my local Tea Party groups has proved somewhat short-lived, after having, out of sheer frustration, put up my own websites containing content which is, shall we say, not entirely flattering to the organized Tea Party Movement. I can picture our local organizers being instructed by FreedomWorks and GOP advisers to regard me as a liberal infiltrator. A five minute conversation with me would convince even the most hardened skeptic that I am anything but. But what I'm not for certain is a gullible dupe or tool of Dick Armey or the GOP. The Tea Party is and will remain a non-partisan community based Movement. If not, we will as the Democrats predict, fade quickly into history remembered only as a passing fad. The whigs of 21st century America.
I try and take comfort in knowing I am far from alone in my sentiments or skepticism, and that there is a growing awareness of the Tea Party Incs. and their attempt to hijack the Tea Party Movement. But I sometimes feel a like a lone voice crying in the wilderness. So I'll end where I began. Aaaaarrrghhhh!
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/2931/soundghostmanpullinghai.gif...Aaaaarrrghhhh!
OK. Thank you for letting me get that out of my system so that I am in a position emotionally to coherently express myself.
I am a 40 year old male Conservative, center-right Libertarian, and life-long Independent, or do we now have to say 'unaffiliated'?
I recently had my first face to face encounter with the American Tea Party Movement, with whose general sentiments I would describe myself as sympathetic. First at several local group meetings, and then as a participant at the Trenton New Jersey Tax Day Rally.
I am left feeling rather ambivalent about my experiences to say the least. What I have discovered, and admittedly already suspected, is that what we might describe as: 'Tea Partier' unrest, anger, and dissatisfaction; is an absolutely genuine phenomenon arising from the people themselves. However, and this is a big 'however', most organised Tea Party activity, at least in my State, is controlled and financed by special interests. The big four of these special interests, to which I refer collectively as the Tea Party Incs., would be #1 Dick Armey's multitude of Freedomworks subsidiaries including the ubiquitous Tea Party Patriots, the number one search result for the term: 'Tea Party'. #2 The despicable profiteers Tea Party Nation. #3 The hybrid profiteer/Republicanfest 'Tea Party express', which may or may not be affiliated with the TPN, but is definitely in bed with the GOP. #4 The billionaire Koch Brothers 'Americans for prosperity foundation'. Who'd be more likely to serve you a cup of oil than earl Grey. And of course #5 the GOP.
I have heard liberals describe Tea Partiers as gullible, dupes, and a mindless and anti-intellectual mob that can be led anywhere by anyone. When describing the small minority of self-identifying Tea Partiers who are being led around by the nose by the local organizers here in my home state, I think the description is valid. But thankfully, on a national scale, most Tea Partiers are fiercely independent and wary of such individuals and their groups, to which the growing divide within the Tea Party Movement, so adamantly railed against by Dick Armey, gives proof. A deepening schism between the Tea Party Incs. and the genuine, grass-roots, community based citizens Tea Party Movement which tricky Dick warns will weaken Tea Party influence, but which I say will only weaken the influence of himself, the Tea Party Incs., and separate the wheat from the chaff.
I literally found myself pulling my hair out from the roots trying to reason with a particular local organizer who had named her group the 'Tea Party Patriots of SJ', distributed the Tea Party Times - a FreedomWorks backed publication -, at her meetings, and made it a personal crusade to register unaffiliated voters as Republicans. The woman had no clue who and what she was serving (or did she?), or that the agenda and principles espoused on her own website were largely in conflict with Dick Armey's personal - and thus Freedomwork's- agenda. All the Tea Party groups in my area are named 'Tea Party Patriots' of this or that, and yet their members rattle on about illegal immigration and border security, career politicians and lobbyists, big government and term limits, seemingly oblivious to the fact or at the very least unconcerned that their strings are being pulled by the consummate career politician/corporate lobbyist, and open borders friendly: Dick Armey.
I watch with growing consternation as Freedomworks through its high profile Tea Party Patriots juggernaut, and through a multitude of shadow domains disguised as independent, locally run websites deftly manipulates the Tea Party Movement like a conductor leading an orchestra, accruing to itself a perceived status, legitimacy and influence that will be used as currency in its bid to assume the mantle of 'official' Tea Party and position Dick Armey as the National Tea Party leader. Take a look at this website here, which audaciously proclaims itself the 'official' website of the New Jersey Tea Party. Uh, what is 'the' Tea Party let alone the 'official' Tea Party? What makes this entity the 'official' anything? The sleazy tactics of those behind such propaganda would warm the heart of ACORN or any liberal-progressive. And have any of you seen FreedomWork's new petition for making Dick Armey's personal agenda the official agenda of the Tea Party Movement? The so-called 'contract from America?'...lol No mention of illegal immigration or border security of course. It could easily have been written by the American Chamber of commerce.
My welcome amongst my local Tea Party groups has proved somewhat short-lived, after having, out of sheer frustration, put up my own websites containing content which is, shall we say, not entirely flattering to the organized Tea Party Movement. I can picture our local organizers being instructed by FreedomWorks and GOP advisers to regard me as a liberal infiltrator. A five minute conversation with me would convince even the most hardened skeptic that I am anything but. But what I'm not for certain is a gullible dupe or tool of Dick Armey or the GOP. The Tea Party is and will remain a non-partisan community based Movement. If not, we will as the Democrats predict, fade quickly into history remembered only as a passing fad. The whigs of 21st century America.
I try and take comfort in knowing I am far from alone in my sentiments or skepticism, and that there is a growing awareness of the Tea Party Incs. and their attempt to hijack the Tea Party Movement. But I sometimes feel a like a lone voice crying in the wilderness. So I'll end where I began. Aaaaarrrghhhh!