The Tea Party Is Lost...

[TheAmazingJimmy]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here it goes...

What the heck is going on with the Tea Party? I've been hearing my local Tea Party leaders fawning over Cain's higher taxes plan, yet they thought I'd become an Obama supporter when I brought up Ron Paul's plan to cut spending and didn't tell them who's plan it was.
This group that once protested government spending and higher taxes is now for higher taxes and against cutting spending. The Tea Party is lost.

How do we get the Tea Party back to what it once was?

[RDM]

You can't. They've been hi-jacked and brainwashed.

[Okie RP fan]

The Tea Party has been co opted by neoconservatives.

It's nothing new, this happened the last election cycle when they started selling out to establishment Republicans.

[ONUV]

start a new group?

[TheAmazingJimmy]

start a new group? Sounds good. What should we be called? The Liberty Party?

[klamath]

Of the 70 house republicans elected only a handful were really any good while the rest was only a cog to throw in the Obama runaway train.

[Inflation]

How do we get the Tea Party back to what it once was?

With the same methods that Ron Paul has used to great success:

1. smile
2. have fun
3. educate
4. persist
5. when tempted to give up, proceed to step number 1

[Carole]

With the same methods that Ron Paul has used to great success:

1. smile
2. have fun
3. educate
4. persist
5. when tempted to give up, proceed to step number 1

Step 6 Ask them what they originally joine the Tea Party to accomplish. :D

[CaseyJones]

”Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." --Calvin Coolidge

[willwash]

The fact is that the same frustration that gace rise to the Tea Party is still present and the rise of the Tea Party will do nothing to alleviate that frustration. It will find its way to the surface again as the Tea Party continues to falter on its mandate in Washington.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

The media painted Libertarianism to mean the same thing as Liberal. The Tea Party is no longer about revolution, it's about face-value hatred for a blurred label.

[Okie RP fan]

The media painted Libertarianism to mean the same thing as Liberal. The Tea Party is no longer about revolution, it's about face-value hatred for a blurred label.

This is a major problem that I know many of us face. And I understand we are not all libertarians or even full fledged libertarians.

But, most registered Republican types think that liberals and libertarians are the same. Some think that libertarians are 75% liberal, and 25% conservative. And I've seen other silly percentages thrown up, but that is the general sense.

They don't understand.

[ONUV]

Sounds good. What should we be called? The Liberty Party?

The Free Party

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

This is a major problem that I know many of us face. And I understand we are not all libertarians or even full fledged libertarians.

But, most registered Republican types think that liberals and libertarians are the same. Some think that libertarians are 75% liberal, and 25% conservative. And I've seen other silly percentages thrown up, but that is the general sense.

They don't understand.


This really is a major problem. Tea Party Right-Wingers think anything with the words "Liberal" is a leftist ideology and should be condemned and hated.

[AlexG]

Tea Party 2: Electric Boogaloo

[ONUV]

The Free Party

looks like it has already been taken by marxists.

http://www.6hourday.org/freeparty.html

[KEEF]

This really is a major problem. Tea Party Right-Wingers think anything with the words "Liberal" is a leftist ideology and should be condemned and hated.

They all have to read The Road to Serfdom and understand what the real meaning of liberalism is.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

They all have to read The Road to Serfdom and understand what the real meaning of liberalism is.

Tea Party? Read?

About as likely as Obama actually earning his Nobel Peace Prize.

[TheAmazingJimmy]

Tea Party 2: Electric Boogaloo
Offtopic. but I have a love hate relationship with Breakin' 2. I'm a MST3K fan.

[GunnyFreedom]

I wish people would stop labeling the Tea Party as if it were a unitary block. Painting with a broad brush is never a good idea. Most of the Tea Parties in NC are still right on the money (excepting the national org's astroturf encroachments) specifically because of my continued interfacing with them. I presume that most of the Tea Parties in Kentucky are also still right on the money because of Rand Paul.

So whether the individual Tea Party groups are #fail or #win depends largely on our willingness to interact with them and act as a 'preservative' so to speak.

IMHO

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

I wish people would stop labeling the Tea Party as if it were a unitary block. Painting with a broad brush is never a good idea. Most of the Tea Parties in NC are still right on the money (excepting the national org's astroturf encroachments) specifically because of my continued interfacing with them. I presume that most of the Tea Parties in Kentucky are also still right on the money because of Rand Paul.

So whether the individual Tea Party groups are #fail or #win depends largely on our willingness to interact with them and act as a 'preservative' so to speak.

IMHO

I can be rather persuasive, but so many of these people are so stubborn it's just impossible to deter them away from Cain/Romney.

[klamath]

This really is a major problem. Tea Party Right-Wingers think anything with the words "Liberal" is a leftist ideology and should be condemned and hated.
Whoa, whoa, whoa weren't you the guy that was talking about not using labels and here you are trying to pigeonhole teaparty people??? I guess that didn't last long.

[CJLauderdale4]

The SEA Party...Spent Enough Already...

[eleganz]

Does the Tea Party not have any charter or mission statement that they abide to? I would start walking around with one and just bust it out on the new hi-jacked tea party drones.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

Whoa, whoa, whoa weren't you the guy that was talking about not using labels and here you are trying to pigeonhole teaparty people??? I guess that didn't last long.

When I say "Right-Wingers," it's insinuating the extremists that consider anything with the word Liberal to be a bad thing. I'm a conservative and can say that.

[Theocrat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKZmIzEMUN8

[GunnyFreedom]

I can be rather persuasive, but so many of these people are so stubborn it's just impossible to deter them away from Cain/Romney.

That's because too many of us left them alone to their own devices in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Because of that power vacuum effect, it'll take a year or two of effort to get them completely back on track. Now, if we had stuck with them consistently in 2009, 2010, 2011, we wouldn't be faced with such a monumental task, but it is what it is.

[JohnGalt1225]

The "TEA" Party is over. It's all a front group for Faux News and corporate interests. It's just neocons trying to take back and keep the GOP.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

That's because too many of us left them alone to their own devices in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Because of that power vacuum effect, it'll take a year or two of effort to get them completely back on track. Now, if we had stuck with them consistently in 2009, 2010, 2011, we wouldn't be faced with such a monumental task, but it is what it is.

I don't blame us, we've been trying for years. They won't turn off the damn TV! They need to know about these forums to gather more facts!

[GunnyFreedom]

I don't blame us, we've been trying for years. They won't turn off the damn TV! They need to know about these forums to gather more facts!

So how come the non-corporate-sponsored Tea Parties in NC don't match the broad-brush description above then?

[klamath]

When I say "Right-Wingers," it's insinuating the extremists that consider anything with the word Liberal to be a bad thing. I'm a conservative and can say that.
This is a blanket statement condeming a whole group or people as Gunny pointed out. Very bad broad brush labeling.
The Tea Party is no longer about revolution, it's about face-value hatred for a blurred label This proves my point that we have a long ways to go before we can get rid of the 'us versus them wars' when the guy that made a speach against it not an hour ago is now pitting libertarians agains the tea party. It is deeply engrained in human nature.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

I'll one up you. At the Campaign for Liberty meetup tonight in Pasco County, half the group were literally fawning over Cain. I tried to educate them, so we'll see how it turns out, but seriously...at a Campaign for fucking Liberty meetup that has Alex Snitker as its head honcho WHAT THE FUCK. I thought I was going to a brainstorming RP strategy session, but instead I had to spend my time educating these folks and some were even approving of Gingrich. WHAT THE FUCK. Though on the flipside, they were mostly 60+ so, that is our worst demographic, but again CfL meetup. :/

I had fun though, but it is quite disappointing.

PS: The one argument I got into which I wasn't suspecting was there were actually TARP supporters there, and they also said supporting TARP was not a disqualifying policy position for the candidates (specifically brought up to educate them about Cain, Romney, Perry, Gingrich, etc.). Come on man. At a Campaign for Liberty meetup. wut. :/

[thomas-in-ky]

Just pulled in the driveway, coming back from a well attended tea party meeting in Kentucky. (2.5 hour drive) The timing of this thread is uncanny. I agree with Gunny, engagement is key. After the scheduled portions of the meeting, during informal discussion, I discovered that most of the attendees favored Cain. :( These are all great people, and not deserving of some of the labels put forward in this thread. We just need a better way of reaching out to them with Ron's message. Rand is very good at it.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

So how come the non-corporate-sponsored Tea Parties in NC don't match the broad-brush description above then?

I think we all know the truth regarding the Tea Party, it's divided.

[newyearsrevolution08]

We can make it what it once was. We DID start it back in 07 so why not TAKE IT BACK!

I went to a local tea party event here in fresno,ca and it is NOT what we stood for back in 07. It CHANGED and we need to put OUR tea party back on track.

[Philosophy_of_Politics]

This is a blanket statement condeming a whole group or people as Gunny pointed out. Very bad broad brush labeling. This proves my point that we have a long ways to go before we can get rid of the 'us versus them wars' when the guy that made a speach against it not an hour ago is now pitting libertarians agains the tea party. It is deeply engrained in human nature.

I'm not pitting an "us vs. them" war. It would be foolish to not consider the Tea-Party hijacked and divided at this point. As I stated earlier, there's this misconception among many Tea-Partiers that Liberalism and Libetarianism is the same thing; and they refuse to listen to many Ron Paul supporters. Many are fighting the good fight, but to ignore that many Tea Partiers don't act in the same beliefs as us would be naive.

[Brown Sapper]

Well since the RINOS took over the tea party and used it as an excuse to go extreme why don't we just call ourselves the real republicans and denounce them as being looney like the rest of the general population. If they can take over our base let's take theirs.

[NIU Students for Liberty]

Just pulled in the driveway, coming back from a well attended tea party meeting in Kentucky. (2.5 hour drive) The timing of this thread is uncanny. I agree with Gunny, engagement is key. After the scheduled portions of the meeting, during informal discussion, I discovered that most of the attendees favored Cain. :( These are all great people, and not deserving of some of the labels put forward in this thread. We just need a better way of reaching out to them with Ron's message. Rand is very good at it.

I've dealt with them too (Students for Liberty conference, College Republicans, neighbors, etc) and they don't want to budge. All I can say is that hopefully they'll figure it out on their own like many of us did after '08. Unfortunately it might be too late by then...

[klamath]

I'm not pitting an "us vs. them" war. It would be foolish to not consider the Tea-Party hijacked and divided at this point. As I stated earlier, there's this misconception among many Tea-Partiers that Liberalism and Libetarianism is the same thing; and they refuse to listen to many Ron Paul supporters. Many are fighting the good fight, but to ignore that many Tea Partiers don't act in the same beliefs as us would be naive.
Well if you had said "many", in the first place which you didn't I wouldn't have had a problem because that is true. But you made multiple posts broad brushing like this one.
Tea Party? Read?

About as likely as Obama actually earning his Nobel Peace Prize.

[Okie RP fan]

The first thing we can do is tell people that the media is pure propaganda. Whether it's Fox News or MSNBC, it's all propaganda for the establishment and corporate interests, ask them to please wake up to it and tell them to not let the media speak for "We the People."

If they want to get riled up about it, or demand proof, show them charts and statistics about Ron Paul's coverage. Show them how Fox Nation or Fox News will run story after story on their front pages about Herman Cain, Rick Perry, or Mitt Romney, all the ones so far who are entangled in corporate affairs and are sympathetic to the Federal Reserve.

[brenton]

I'll one up you. At the Campaign for Liberty meetup tonight in Pasco County, half the group were literally fawning over Cain. I tried to educate them, so we'll see how it turns out, but seriously...at a Campaign for fucking Liberty meetup that has Alex Snitker as its head honcho WHAT THE FUCK. I thought I was going to a brainstorming RP strategy session, but instead I had to spend my time educating these folks and some were even approving of Gingrich. WHAT THE FUCK. Though on the flipside, they were mostly 60+ so, that is our worst demographic, but again CfL meetup. :/

I had fun though, but it is quite disappointing.

PS: The one argument I got into which I wasn't suspecting was there were actually TARP supporters there, and they also said supporting TARP was not a disqualifying policy position for the candidates (specifically brought up to educate them about Cain, Romney, Perry, Gingrich, etc.). Come on man. At a Campaign for Liberty meetup. wut. :/
serious WTF there. how do they not support ron? why are they even involved with C4L if not because of the good dr? that is depressing. :(