How the Tea Party Sunk Itself

[cajuncocoa]

The Tea Party emerged about a year after I first got interested in libertarian politics, and I was proud to see people protesting against taxation and supporting individual freedom. They seemed committed to a vision of how to return our country to its roots. Slowly, though, the issues became less pronounced. The movement became little more than a roasting of all things Obama—ACORN, Van Jones, etc.—with no evident purpose beyond producing nifty Republican campaign tactics.


Here are the Tea Party’s eight worst political mistakes:

<snipping out the part of the article where the following people are named, along with the reasons given: Bachmann, Cain, Perry, Santorum, Gingrich, etc>



8. Rand Paul. Rand was the only spinal column holding up the Tea Party—and then he endorsed Romney for president. Mitt—the regulation-friendly, war-prone corporatist—getting an endorsement from Rand Paul was a swift punch straight to the gut. A few people have defended his decision on the grounds that it’ll help his standing with establishment Republicans, but I fail to see how it’ll be possible to keep this up for the next four years without compromising actual principles.









More: http://takimag.com/article/how_the_tea_party_sunk_itself_brian_lasorsa#ixzz1x mpH9tlr

[donnay]

The tea party was deliberately hijacked to be discredited after the 2008 elections.

[cajuncocoa]

The tea party was deliberately hijacked to be discredited after the 2008 elections.I agree.

[Carlybee]

And before it was hijacked by neocons it was hijacked by rednecks

[cajuncocoa]

Completely agree about the hijacking, but don't miss what the article had to say about Rand Paul. He might have been the last honest man standing in the Tea Party...and then, the endorsement. :(

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

And before it was hijacked by neocons it was hijacked by rednecks

I'll accept a hijacking by rednecks because they largely mind thier own business, and ask that others do too. Sounds like many of us, whether you'd accept the redneck label or not.

[Sola_Fide]

<snipping out the part of the article where the following people are named, along with the reasons given: Bachmann, Cain, Perry, Santorum, Gingrich, etc>







More: http://takimag.com/article/how_the_tea_party_sunk_itself_brian_lasorsa#ixzz1x mpH9tlr


He "fails to see" how he can remain principled? Why? Rand has a good record so far, and has worked with both sides of the aisle while remaining principled.

[Mr. Perfidy]

Did the Tea Party ever have any legitimacy? It appeared at the exact moment that there should have been a populist Ron Paul movement. Instead the Joe Sixpack Rightwinger was seduced over to the flag-waving mobs of america-firsters. It was always ever only shameful and gross.

[jay_dub]

I went to a Tea party rally in my hometown just as the movement was getting started. It was pretty mindless overall as none of the speakers were doing much of anything but parroting Glen Beck. Nothing has changed my opinion since then except that I now see it as an extension of the Grover Norquist pledge.

The Tea Party is a Trojan Horse designed to make us peons feel like we have skin in the game IMO. It plays right into the hands of the Corporatists.

[donnay]

I went to a Tea party rally in my hometown just as the movement was getting started. It was pretty mindless overall as none of the speakers were doing much of anything but parroting Glen Beck. Nothing has changed my opinion since then except that I now see it as an extension of the Grover Norquist pledge.

The Tea Party is a Trojan Horse designed to make us peons feel like we have skin in the game IMO. It plays right into the hands of the Corporatists.

Yes, but the tea party was hijacked from the 9/11 truth movement who started the Tea party protests all around the country. The truth movement and liberty movement were working well until the hand wringers and panty wetters started whining that the Truth movement will hurt Dr. Paul's chances of winning the election. Then the tea party was infiltrated by the neocons right after the 2008 elections to co-opt it to the GOP platforms.

[ohgodno]

He "fails to see" how he can remain principled? Why? Rand has a good record so far, and has worked with both sides of the aisle while remaining principled.

Rand voted for an act of war. He lost all standing in my eyes with that vote. Do you have an excuse for him selling out then also?

Now he's everywhere touting his toothless new bill that doesn't do what he says it does. Nothing good comes of this endorsement. This movement is being co-opted by the establishment before our eyes.

Apologists that are willing to put up with this endorsement are welcoming it. This is the same thing that happened to the Tea Party — we were different because we NEVER compromise. WHY do we never compromise? Because we're on the side of truth.

[HOLLYWOOD]

The Tea Party people were played like a Grand Piano... Remember the 1st Nationwide "Tax Day and Obama Protests"?

How Fox News and the other corporate propagandists covered it in cities across the nation. Amazing how FOX NEWS, Manhattan based lead anchor and NEWSCORP board executive, Neil Cavuto, with a slew of guests from Michael Reagan, Michele Malkin, Mark Meckler, etc... just all happen to travel and show up on TV/Radio from Sacramento, California. Sponsors included Tea Party Patriots, who's leader Mark Meckler, was ousted years later, for his close ties with the NEOCONS and corporate sponsors flying him around the country in their Lear jets. Ultra right zealot orgs, like Pajamas Network, PNAC, the well funded TEA PARTY EXPRESS all were there together. BTW, included all of the above and more like Sarah Palin, your TEA PARTY Profiteers, who sucked time, life, and money from the unsuspecting Tea Party goers. Hey where's those morons with the Sarah Palin song again... since we're talking about another phony

Here's a one stop shop if you want a little more info: http://battlebornpolitics.wordpress.com/sal-russo-the-tea-party-express-and-corrupt-intentions-part-1-of-3-2/


TPX – Sal Russo, The Tea Party Express & Corrupt Intentions (Part 1 of 3) (http://battlebornpolitics.wordpress.com/sal-russo-the-tea-party-express-and-corrupt-intentions-part-1-of-3-2/)
NOTE 1: I do not normally do this but I am asking that you please SHARE THIS THREE PART SERIES with friends in any way you can. Facebook, e-mail, however. I believe exposing corruption is necessary.
NOTE 2: I support the Tea Party Movement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement) 100% and the original goals set forth: a) to promote fiscal responsibility b) to promote government accountability and c) promote government transparency.



By coincidence the national NEOCON GOP marketing firm, Russo, Marsh, & Rogers, just happens to be based out of Sacramento too. ( http://www.rmrwest.com/ & http://www.rmrweb.com/ ) Sal Russo of R,M, & R, also rallied up laundered backroom money for the False Flag Phonies, like; @ RESISTNET, Tea Party Express, and Patriot Action Network, all backed by Fascists/Globalists/Neocons.

Russo Marsh + Rogers, Inc. exposed: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Russo_Marsh_%26_Rogers

Move America Forward
(MAF), part of a pro-war lobby (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pro-war_lobby), is headed by California Republican activists, talk show hosts and staff members of the public relations (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_relations) firm Russo Marsh & Rogers (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Russo_Marsh_%26_Rogers), which has strong ties to the Republican Party (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Party). PR professional Sal Russo (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sal_Russo) is the chief strategist for MAF. It is a conservative (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Conservative&action=edit&redlink=1) 501c3 (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=501c3) not-for-profit organization formed in early 2004 by Howard Kaloogian (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Howard_Kaloogian) and "acclaimed radio and television personality" Melanie Morgan (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Melanie_Morgan) (formerly of KSFO 560 AM -- San Francisco). As a non-profit organization it is not required to reveal its funders to the public

Our Country Deserves Better
A political action committee (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Political_action_committee) formed to oppose Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama), called "Our Country Deserves Better (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Our_Country_Deserves_Better)," has several officers currently or formerly leaders of MAF. These include MAF co-founder and former chair Howard Kaloogian (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Howard_Kaloogian), who chairs the PAC; PR executive Sal Russo (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sal_Russo), who serves as chief strategist for both MAF and the PAC; Russo Marsh & Rogers (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Russo_Marsh_%26_Rogers) principal Joe Wierzbicki (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joe_Wierzbicki), who serves as grassroots coordinator for MAF and coordinates the PAC; and Marine mom Deborah Johns (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Deborah_Johns), who is MAF's director of military relations and the PAC's spokesperson.

Non-partisan, bi-partisan or neocon lobbyists?

Funded by Republican Jewish Coalition (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Jewish_Coalition) / Freedom's Watch (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Freedom%27s_Watch)
"Working behind the scenes through most of the summer" 2007, Freedom's Watch president Bradley A. Blakeman (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bradley_A._Blakeman) "assembled big-dollar donors and quietly helped pro-war groups ranging from the American Legion (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Legion) to Rolling Thunder (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rolling_Thunder&action=edit&redlink=1) make a case for Bush's war strategy. Freedom's Watch also formed partnerships with other groups backing the war, such as Families United (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Families_United_for_Our_Troops_and _Their_Mission), Vets for Freedom and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Veterans_of_Foreign_Wars)," Jim Kuhnhenn reported September 28, 2007, for the Associated Press.

VFF staff and members have extensive ties to George W. Bush, Bill Kristol, and Neoconservative Republican Party

Too bad the Tea Party attendees spent more time watching FOX NEWS and listening to NEOCON radio puppets, then doing their research/homework.

Welcome to the MATRIX... Americans are played like Red & Black ANTS fighting over a crumbs of bread.

[cajuncocoa]

Rand voted for an act of war. He lost all standing in my eyes with that vote. Do you have an excuse for him selling out then also?

Now he's everywhere touting his toothless new bill that doesn't do what he says it does. Nothing good comes of this endorsement. This movement is being co-opted by the establishment before our eyes.

Apologists that are willing to put up with this endorsement are welcoming it. This is the same thing that happened to the Tea Party — we were different because we NEVER compromise. WHY do we never compromise? Because we're on the side of truth.+1 rep

[Weston White]

And before it was hijacked by neocons it was hijacked by rednecks

lolol

Golly gee, I can hear it now... If you have ever "open-carried" at a Tea Party, you might be a redneck. Now, that be good stuff there. Go Jeff Foxworthy!

[angelatc]

And before it was hijacked by neocons it was hijacked by rednecks

I don't even know what this means. That's a very liberal remark.

Oh wait - Feb 2012....

[Mr. Perfidy]

defending the Tea Party is stupid- why did it ever exist? To distract from ron paul, duh. It literally started as there should have instead been a ron paul populist emergence. Instead we lost a significant chunk of support to the tea party.

[thoughtomator]

Rand voted for an act of war. He lost all standing in my eyes with that vote. Do you have an excuse for him selling out then also?

Personally I was more disturbed by the fact that he allowed the TSA to detain him like a sheep instead of asserting his explicit Constitutional privilege as a Senator.

[Southerner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QsY2r7HbTM

The Tea Party HAS been hijacked from its original intent and focus on FISCAL CONSERVATIVE / ANTI SPENDING Principles... but it has brought THAT message to millions of Americans.

As an aside, using words like "rednecks, crackers, hillbillies" on internet forums is about as bright as using the "N word or trailer trash", its just not a good idea.

[Victor Grey]

I went to a Tea party rally in my hometown just as the movement was getting started. It was pretty mindless overall as none of the speakers were doing much of anything but parroting Glen Beck. Nothing has changed my opinion since then except that I now see it as an extension of the Grover Norquist pledge.

The Tea Party is a Trojan Horse designed to make us peons feel like we have skin in the game IMO. It plays right into the hands of the Corporatists.

I attended two of them, when the tea parties started coming out. Back in 09' before the elections, I mean. Protested, actually.

First one I went to, they'd set it up in a park. I still believe that the ones that set that one up were probably some honest grassroots type people.
I'm sure there are others that are honest. I tend to speak of the movement in general.

Had the protest line, along the sidewalk.
I got up on the roof of my car with a lawn chair and an american flag. Wrote on my protest sign, "Taxed through the roof!"

Heh. I remember this one guy there, he was a Libertarian. Had a nolan chart out there, surveying people.
Wanted to take a picture of me. I remember him saying "yeah, you're one of us."
Guess he might of been on to something.

I thought the movement was going to be a real move toward fiscal conservatism, and shrinking the government.

I was wrong.

Turns out, the liberal criticisms were in large part right. It just turned into an anti-obama reactionary movement. People complaining that the democrats were in power, really.

After the elections and the debt ceiling deal, I don't have much for the whole theme. They aren't serious.
It was all about disliking Obama, and cheer leading for Team Republican. Any republican, really.

2012 election canned it with me on the Tea Party. That no one but Paul even offered to close a single executive department, sealed it for me. (No I don't count Perry)
They had every opportunity to get behind someone, anyone, who was a least a fiscal conservative. Even if it wasn't Paul.

Instead they've fell in behind Santorum, and Newt, and Romney and all the others. It proves what I say exactly; they aren't serious. They don't really like Romney, the lack of enthusiasm is clear they don't. However the Tea Party movement's all really just about fuming at Obama being the President. They want Team R to win, for nothing but the sake of Team R being who wins. So mindless.

The empty rhetoric beyond that is just so lacking in presence it's clownish. It's a joke, it never was really there. That "crazy uncle" many of them dislike, was the only one around that lives up to what they all say.

Bachmann-style rhetoric of laser focusing on the Obamacare just doesn't do it for me anymore. I see the bulk of the Tea Party at large, as just aging republicans that want to keep social programs, ("hands off my medicare" signs come to mind) unless a democrat pens them. Yet if it's a Bush or well, a Republican, they could add new social spending programs and they'd not raise a fuss at all.


If the Tea Party aren't for shrinking government, then they aren't conservative. If they aren't for electing people who are going to, then they're not genuine. If they aren't for cutting spending, to allow for those lower taxes, then they aren't moral.

& if they aren't for doing anything but beating Obama with anemic alternatives, even if it means not beating was Obama represents

then they're useless.

[John F Kennedy III]

Yes, but the tea party was hijacked from the 9/11 truth movement who started the Tea party protests all around the country. The truth movement and liberty movement were working well until the hand wringers and panty wetters started whining that the Truth movement will hurt Dr. Paul's chances of winning the election. Then the tea party was infiltrated by the neocons right after the 2008 elections to co-opt it to the GOP platforms.

This ^

[Mr. Perfidy]

Victory Grey, do you find in your experience with the Tea Party people that there is a connection between it as a movement and the fact that Fox News advertises for pills to treat erectile dysfunction like every 4andahalf minutes?

[Victor Grey]

Victory Grey, do you find in your experience with the Tea Party people that there is a connection between it as a movement and the fact that Fox News advertises for pills to treat erectile dysfunction like every 4andahalf minutes?

Considering what it became, and being how there's more likely to be flacid old white guys watching, yeah. I'd say they would be advertising smiling bob's peckerpills during the coverages.

[whippoorwill]

bump!

[Carlybee]

I don't even know what this means. That's a very liberal remark.

Oh wait - Feb 2012....

By redneck I am referring to the "Kill em all let God sort em out" types who certainly don't embrace non interventionism or other Ron Paul principles. I'm a native Texan and I know what my version of redneck is. If you think that makes me a liberal thats your own incorrect assumption. As for my join date, I originally joined in 2007.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Yes, but the tea party was hijacked from the 9/11 truth movement who started the Tea party protests all around the country. The truth movement and liberty movement were working well until the hand wringers and panty wetters started whining that the Truth movement will hurt Dr. Paul's chances of winning the election. Then the tea party was infiltrated by the neocons right after the 2008 elections to co-opt it to the GOP platforms.

That pretty much sums it up. Any Tea Party post 2008 has been astroturf as I understood it, or would certainly not receive any real news coverage.

Anyone talking about it sinking itself now is just using the myth of it for their own purposes.

[cajuncocoa]

I don't even know what this means. That's a very liberal remark.

Oh wait - Feb 2012....Don't let the join date fool you. Carlybee has been a Ron Paul supporter for many years; I've known her for about 7-8 years and she's been an advocate for RP and liberty at least that long. (she already posted that she originally joined here under another name but lost log-in details).

[cajuncocoa]

I attended two of them, when the tea parties started coming out. Back in 09' before the elections, I mean. Protested, actually.

First one I went to, they'd set it up in a park. I still believe that the ones that set that one up were probably some honest grassroots type people.
I'm sure there are others that are honest. I tend to speak of the movement in general.

(snip)

I thought the movement was going to be a real move toward fiscal conservatism, and shrinking the government.

I was wrong

.Your experience with them sounds like my own. I remember thinking the same; actually thought we might be making inroads with the rank-and-file GOP types. I was proven wrong too.

[AuH20]

The Tea Party is still alive and well. There were elements of it that were corrupted but for the most part it is has been a positive change for good. Long time sycophants Lugar and Bennett were ousted because of the Tea Party. Rand Paul and Mike Lee were directly elected because of the tireless efforts of the Tea Party. What was extremely frustrating that the Tea Party never had that fresh vibrant individual to vote for in the Republican Primary. That's where Rand really could have shone, grabbing the votes of many disgruntled folks who had to settle for questionable republicans like Gingrich, Santorum and other perennial losers.

[donnay]

Yes, but the tea party was hijacked from the 9/11 truth movement who started the Tea party protests all around the country. The truth movement and liberty movement were working well until the hand wringers and panty wetters started whining that the Truth movement will hurt Dr. Paul's chances of winning the election. Then the tea party was infiltrated by the neocons right after the 2008 elections to co-opt it to the GOP platforms.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHhQ71I_fwI

[vechorik]

Rand voted for an act of war. He lost all standing in my eyes with that vote. Do you have an excuse for him selling out then also?

Now he's everywhere touting his toothless new bill that doesn't do what he says it does. Nothing good comes of this endorsement. This movement is being co-opted by the establishment before our eyes.

Apologists that are willing to put up with this endorsement are welcoming it. This is the same thing that happened to the Tea Party — we were different because we NEVER compromise. WHY do we never compromise? Because we're on the side of truth.

This one isn't "toothless"

Congressman Ron Paul's H.R. 459 is scheduled for a vote THIS JULY in the U.S. House, and Senator Rand Paul stands ready to advance S. 202 in the Senate.
We should be busy getting our representatives to sign up (if they haven't already).

Here are a list of representatives that are already on board: http://www.auditthefed.com/cosponsors/

If your representative doesn't appear on the list, then WORK ON THEM!

[jay_dub]

I attended two of them, when the tea parties started coming out. Back in 09' before the elections, I mean. Protested, actually.

First one I went to, they'd set it up in a park. I still believe that the ones that set that one up were probably some honest grassroots type people.
I'm sure there are others that are honest. I tend to speak of the movement in general.

Had the protest line, along the sidewalk.
I got up on the roof of my car with a lawn chair and an american flag. Wrote on my protest sign, "Taxed through the roof!"

Heh. I remember this one guy there, he was a Libertarian. Had a nolan chart out there, surveying people.
Wanted to take a picture of me. I remember him saying "yeah, you're one of us."
Guess he might of been on to something.

I thought the movement was going to be a real move toward fiscal conservatism, and shrinking the government.

I was wrong.

Turns out, the liberal criticisms were in large part right. It just turned into an anti-obama reactionary movement. People complaining that the democrats were in power, really.

After the elections and the debt ceiling deal, I don't have much for the whole theme. They aren't serious.
It was all about disliking Obama, and cheer leading for Team Republican. Any republican, really.

2012 election canned it with me on the Tea Party. That no one but Paul even offered to close a single executive department, sealed it for me. (No I don't count Perry)
They had every opportunity to get behind someone, anyone, who was a least a fiscal conservative. Even if it wasn't Paul.

Instead they've fell in behind Santorum, and Newt, and Romney and all the others. It proves what I say exactly; they aren't serious. They don't really like Romney, the lack of enthusiasm is clear they don't. However the Tea Party movement's all really just about fuming at Obama being the President. They want Team R to win, for nothing but the sake of Team R being who wins. So mindless.

The empty rhetoric beyond that is just so lacking in presence it's clownish. It's a joke, it never was really there. That "crazy uncle" many of them dislike, was the only one around that lives up to what they all say.

Bachmann-style rhetoric of laser focusing on the Obamacare just doesn't do it for me anymore. I see the bulk of the Tea Party at large, as just aging republicans that want to keep social programs, ("hands off my medicare" signs come to mind) unless a democrat pens them. Yet if it's a Bush or well, a Republican, they could add new social spending programs and they'd not raise a fuss at all.


If the Tea Party aren't for shrinking government, then they aren't conservative. If they aren't for electing people who are going to, then they're not genuine. If they aren't for cutting spending, to allow for those lower taxes, then they aren't moral.

& if they aren't for doing anything but beating Obama with anemic alternatives, even if it means not beating was Obama represents

then they're useless.

Your post pretty much sums it up for my experience, too. I went in April of '09. A few 'real' people there, but mostly just simplistic rhetoric. I've gone to my local tea party's website a few times since, and it's positively become a mindless neo-con pig sty.

[AuH20]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHhQ71I_fwI

That Tea Party certainly brought up some interesting questions. But the one that emerged after the Santelli Rant/TARP debacle was equally relevant.

[FSP-Rebel]

The TP meeting I went to on Monday was quite vibrant as far as attendance even if most of the attendees were seniors. The insider trying to take on Bentivolio wasn't received very well received even if she was a meek elderly lady. The only problem with the TP as it stands is that they get their news from Fox and the radio mafia. Most of the views line up with us absent the RP name being involved. Coalition building is still possible. The main way we get them back to our side (in full) is showing the significance of the FED and how it crushes their investments, retirement/pensions, savings and the effects on their SS. Money talks.

[acptulsa]

Did the Tea Party ever have any legitimacy? It appeared at the exact moment that there should have been a populist Ron Paul movement. Instead the Joe Sixpack Rightwinger was seduced over to the flag-waving mobs of america-firsters. It was always ever only shameful and gross.

Um, the first Tea Party was never legitimate, happened in 1773 in Boston Harbor, and ultimately had its meaning perverted and diluted for political ends.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

The TP meeting I went to on Monday was quite vibrant as far as attendance even if most of the attendees were seniors. The insider trying to take on Bentivolio wasn't received very well received even if she was a meek elderly lady. The only problem with the TP as it stands is that they get their news from Fox and the radio mafia. Most of the views line up with us absent the RP name being involved. Coalition building is still possible. The main way we get them back to our side (in full) is showing the significance of the FED and how it crushes their investments, retirement/pensions, savings and the effects on their SS. Money talks.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Unfortunately, it is a harder subject to grasp than "they're takin' our jobs!" and other manipulation tactics.

[KingNothing]

Yes, but the tea party was hijacked from the 9/11 truth movement who started the Tea party protests all around the country.


I'm not sure which group would be more annoying, or more damaging.

[Captain Shays]

The tea party was deliberately hijacked to be discredited after the 2008 elections.

REPS. In one sentence Donnay sums it up perfectly. I will only ad that it's our own fault for allowing it to happen. We should have been there protesting the Glenn Becks who formerly called us terrorists just one month before the Tea Party Money bomb when we raised $4.3 million on Guy Faulks day. No doubt we got the attention of the establishment when we raised another $6.5 million with the Tea Party money bomb a month later. Before that they were saying "no way did Ron Paul win that debate" and they were gaming their own polls to divert away from the massive and growing support Ron Paul's positions had.
Then all of a sudden and by stealth, our enemies started to latch on to us and co opt us and take over part of our message while ignoring the meat of it which was Ending the Fed, and a non interventionist foreign policy. They coaxed and baited the new recruits with the typical limited government, low taxes arguments and a faux support of the Constitution with a few minor things left out. The Patriot Act, TSA, DHS and Military Commissions Act which ALL subvert the Constitution that they said they stood for.

It's obvious to all of us who was behind it. The bankers and the military industrial complex. Two of the most powerful influences in our country and we also know that the five largest media conglomerates are all owned by members in the CFR. So with control of the money supply and control of the media it wasn't difficult for them to take over the Tea Party Movement. It might have been a lot harder if we stayed with it and kept our message on point. Non interventionist foreign policy and sound money.

But my guess is that they would have incorporated another tactic to diminish our influence. They might have reverted back to the "they are dangerous" meme or "they are crazy isolationists putting this country in danger" theme. Who knows?

[Mr. Perfidy]

yeah foreign policy is their cop-out. Predictable considering the TP is like a clerical order that masturbates the war god. Hahaha they fell for SARAH PALIN

[Captain Shays]

Yes, but the tea party was hijacked from the 9/11 truth movement who started the Tea party protests all around the country. The truth movement and liberty movement were working well until the hand wringers and panty wetters started whining that the Truth movement will hurt Dr. Paul's chances of winning the election. Then the tea party was infiltrated by the neocons right after the 2008 elections to co-opt it to the GOP platforms.
Donnay, look at your join date and my join date. I think most of us who were here in 07 and saw the whole thing get started and we were part of it originally have a way different perspective of the whole chain of events than others who came later. I'm not trying to sound like some kind of Ron Paul elitist or put anyone down. I'm only making an observation. We were there. We saw it. We were part of it. We saw what was happening. We recognized the take over and it's ourown fault for stepping back and shrinking into the liberty movement or YAL and not standing our ground against the neocons.

[Captain Shays]

yeah foreign policy is their cop-out. Predictable considering the TP is like a clerical order that masturbates the war god. Hahaha they fell for SARAH PALIN
They fell or Sarah Palin and some of us did too. I clearly remember in 07 when it looked like RP was doing great and we were raising money, drawing huge crowds, winning straw poll after straw poll and that we completely owned EVERY online poll so we all started to speculate who might be a good VP choice for RP if or, when he was nominated. MANY of us noted Palin as a great choice for him. We knew about her LONG before the rest of the country did. I think others around here who might have been attracted to the possibility of a real conservative like her as VP were really disappointed when McInsane chose her. From that point on, she was tainted forever. Of course we didn't know as much about her then, as we do now. All we knew was her record of integrity, and courage and real conservative policies in Alaska. None of us knew at that time what a ditz she was

[Mr. Perfidy]

I think that I have pointed this out on the boards before but it is worth mentioning again; Rick Perry gave a speech to Tea Party type of idiots in Texas that I saw clips of on television in '08. The crowd literally cheered enthusiastically when he mentioned secession; not 30 seconds later, he said something patriotic, and the same crowd chanted enthusiastically, "U! S! A!" When I saw the Tea Party on TV, I kept praying that black panthers would eat them, or the Red Brigade would pipe bomb them.

[TIMB0B]

I'll accept a hijacking by rednecks because they largely mind thier own business, and ask that others do too. Sounds like many of us, whether you'd accept the redneck label or not.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yohB-IXxl7I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yohB-IXxl7I

[Carlybee]

I'll accept a hijacking by rednecks because they largely mind thier own business, and ask that others do too. Sounds like many of us, whether you'd accept the redneck label or not.

Depends on what your definition of redneck is. Most of them that I know that call themselves Tea Partiers are all for bombing Iran and doing something about the "Islamo-Fascists". These are the ones that the likes of Glen Beck and Sarah Palin reached out to before the more neocon branch of the Republicans got their claws into the movement. Now does that mean I think all Tea Partiers are rednecks? No of course not. I donated to the original Tea Party money bomb and as far as I can tell it wasn't long after that, that the "Tea Party" movement was born and had little to do with the philosophy of liberty or the Ron Paul Revolution. If anything they were fiscally conservative but not really non-interventionist or concerned with civil liberties and the government's move toward fascism. I don't recall the Joe the Plumbers of the movement complaining about the Patriot Act.

[CaseyCBenn]

Some real perspective is needed in here.

Many people are making statements about the Tea Party that are based on a completely reactive observation.

The Tea Party has always been really similar, almost exactly like, the Liberty movement.

Back in the 90s there were people like Aaron Russo, C.A.T.S. (citizens for alternative tax system), our own Ron Paul, Irwin Schiff, and many others that were getting together and recreating the Tea Party ceremony by dumping Tea into the Boston harbor.

This was a way to get like minded people together before the modern internet forums become the norm in the 90s.

Aaron Russo had been releasing his own Videos like "Mad as Hell" which I had helped him with. My uncle would go and make recorded videos of the Tea Party gatherings and these would be used in Aaron Russo's materials as well as to help the C.A.T.S. which was the group which eventually coalesced into what we now know as the FairTax movement. For some reason people got behind the FairTax movement much more then the C.A.T.S. even though the ideas were minimally different in approach.

It is quite amazing how Ron Paul was not the center piece of this Tea movement at the time but whenever people brought him up there was always a consensus. Also at the time the central idea was to get the govt to reduce the taxes and if possible change the entire tax system completely. Some where in it just to get taxes reduced, some wanted to remove the IRS and replace it with a better easier understood system and finally some wanted to remove taxation completely.

This focus on the tax was the primary goal of the Tea Party movement at this time in the 90s. We were under Bill Clinton and people didn't like the tax system and bloating govt at the time. Newt Gingrich became involved in the Tea Party movement much more during this time.

He was showing up to the Tea Dumping ceremonies and we then started to hear about this on the fledgling Fox News station. This whole movement was referred to as a grassroots conservative movement.

This momentum was used by George W. Bush during his campaign for election in 2000. He campaigned on the fact that he would reduce the taxes because there was such a huge groundswell for the idea at the time. Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and many others were also touting the now very familiar lower the taxes mantra used by Ronald Reagan 20 years earlier with the Tea Party movement as an identifier of public interest.

We had the 2000 elections..... we had the 8 years of George Bush...... we had Bush tax cuts which created the 8.0+ in GDP leap in 3 years after passing. The same as it did for Reagan in 1980.... and John F. Kennedy (Yeah, a democrat passing a tax cut) before him. This seemed like great success.

So what happened?

Well, I don't need to fill in what Ron Paul pointed out during the 8 years of the Bush presidency and even the Clinton presidency.

Even though we got the tax cuts and the economic growth we also got such a huge expansion of govt in all areas. Since 9-11-2001 we had many liberties taken away for the sake of security. Much more borrowing from China was taking place during the 2000s to compensate for the military expansion into oil countries to "stabilize" the oil economy.

I don't think that libertarians, true conservatives, Tea Party folks, knew that govt was going to explode into this huge military complex during these years while taking away our rights and liberties.

By the time we get to the 2008 elections many people were finally starting to see the truth. That there was a big status quo in the government regardless of if there were democrats or republicans. They both would grow govt and take away individual liberties while continuing to either raise taxes, grow debt, or print money (hidden tax) to devalue the currency. Devaluing the currency was a smart move by the government if their entire goal was to make the debt owed to China in US Dollar amounts (easily devalued) as opposed to the value in gold.

So Bush and co. used the Tea Party as a movement to help themselves get into power. The real tea party was starting to figure all these things out and was, again, wanting to focus on libertarian or liberty minded principles again so as not to be fed to the neocons again.

The neocons recognized this around the 2008 elections and even knew it would make a difference in the 2012 election. So you started to hear Fox News and Talk Radio report what the "Tea Party TM" was doing. They didn't really pay attention to what the Tea Party was really doing but rather injecting what they wanted the Tea Party to be and knew that less informed middle America would follow suit. Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, etc all started to report what "the Tea Party wanted" like electing Sara Palin and John McCain. Which was totally false as no sane minded Tea Party member would get behind those people. They have very different values then real Tea Party members.

How do I know this?

Well the REAL Tea Party was never really interested in having a huge military that was dominant around the world in hundreds of bases building up huge government debt to maintain.

Every single real Tea Party person I knew personally wanted nothing to do with John McCain or Sarah Palin. But there were all these news reports saying just that.

Fox News even had an "official Tea Party TM" debate in 2012 which featured the audience booing Ron Paul when he suggested we trim down our military to save our budget from debt and the value of our currency.

At this point it should have been obvious to every single true Libertarian, conservative, Tea Party person, Liberty minded individual that the news media had taken the "Tea Party" moniker for itself as was no longer reporting what the Tea Party wanted or was really representing but rather creating the dialogue to fit their own favored agenda.

At this point I knew that seeing Gingrich and Bush become involved back in the mid 90s was just laying the ground work to gain interest and later utilize to their own ends.

This may all sound a bit like conspiracy but I have watched it front row center over the last 17 years. No Tea Party member back in the 90s EVER had anything bad to say about Ron Paul. He was not the center of the movement at all but.... to see a room of people on TV boo Ron Paul when he suggested an idea that real Tea Party members adored was evidence enough.

If you research you will find that Rupert Murdoch and the Koch bros began bankrolling a "Tea Party" movement of their own between the 2008 and 2012 elections. They knew Ron Paul or anyone else like him would definitely change the controls that were in place or at least expose them.

The Tea Party did not sink itself. It was dismantled from the outside.

It was bought.... redesigned.... and made into a propaganda tool for the neocons.

If it lost any national integrity it is because its easy to recognize the lack of integrity the neocon agenda forced onto its moniker "Tea Party TM"* on television and talk radio.

If you hear the term "Tea Party" on radio or television know that they are hoping you identify yourself with the movement and are awaiting info to parrot onto others to help them achieve their own political agenda.

Sadly, it looks like Rand Paul has been pulled into this now too.

Its going to be very hard to wrestle real honest perspective from the media in the near future. Even the internet is being threatened with control. The Ron Paul movement really exposed the voter fraud to some extent but it never really sank into the minds of the US citizenry.

Just remember that any moniker "Tea Party. liberty movement, FairTax. etc" can and will be attempted to be usurped by those in power.

DISCLAIMER : I am a Libertarian, Liberty, pro capitalistic, individual liberty minded person. I have leaned more right then left over the years. I do not hate corporations nor do I identify with the 99% or the 1%. I just see what is happening in our electoral process. Also that our rights and liberties are being taken away. What has happened in regards to the real Tea Party movement and am desperate to keep everyone informed and aware. I don't want to tell you what to think but rather give you information to help you think.

[Sullivan*]

But my guess is that they would have incorporated another tactic to diminish our influence. They might have reverted back to the "they are dangerous" meme or "they are crazy isolationists putting this country in danger" theme. Who knows?
Might have? Dude, where have you been? They've all but gone total "DOMESTIC TURRIST'S" on us.

[Sullivan*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yohB-IXxl7I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yohB-IXxl7I
In the future, everyone should replace redneck with metro jethro just to honor this guy. Those old Hemi commercials were awesome

[vechorik]

The TP meeting I went to on Monday was quite vibrant as far as attendance even if most of the attendees were seniors. The insider trying to take on Bentivolio wasn't received very well received even if she was a meek elderly lady. The only problem with the TP as it stands is that they get their news from Fox and the radio mafia. Most of the views line up with us absent the RP name being involved. Coalition building is still possible. The main way we get them back to our side (in full) is showing the significance of the FED and how it crushes their investments, retirement/pensions, savings and the effects on their SS. Money talks.

I agree and I'm participate in one in my town. It includes the GOP, Tea Party and Libertarians -- anyone else who agrees to avoid national issues/candidates and agrees to work on local and state issues ONLY-- one bill at a time = Freedom Coalition

[Captain Shays]

Might have? Dude, where have you been? They've all but gone total "DOMESTIC TURRIST'S" on us.
I guess I'm outa the loop on tha one. I would appreciate you getting me up to date

[Captain Shays]

It's my impression that the whole Tea Party Movement has been so severely tainted and their reputation slimed that we shouldn't want anything to do with them except to rmind everyone that they hijacked us and we don't want nothing to do with them. It's like when I tell people I'm a Republican I always say a Ron Paul Republican not the other kind

[Marky]

Most Tea Partiers I’ve seen have been successfully corralled by the pro-war Israel-firsters to push to ban Shariah law (essentially banning usury-free financing/Islamic banking…surprise surprise!), bomb Iran, and accuse Obomba of being an undercover Muslim. These seem to be their main causes.

In other words, the neocons have killed any hope for that movement gaining steam…hence “Tea Party support” for big government conmen like Cain, Santorum, Grinch, and Bachmann. I know there are many TPers who are not like that, but most seem to be more vicious versions of mainline Rebloodlicans.

[Southerner]

... When I saw the Tea Party on TV, I kept praying that black panthers would eat them, or the Red Brigade would pipe bomb them.

Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Depends on what your definition of redneck is. Most of them that I know that call themselves Tea Partiers are all for bombing Iran and doing something about the "Islamo-Fascists". These are the ones that the likes of Glen Beck and Sarah Palin reached out to before the more neocon branch of the Republicans got their claws into the movement.

I mean the "get off my property" types, kinda like the video. Many of them can be deprogrammed from the Iran stuff if you start talking to them about facts, like the things Israel has said about Iran, and the things our own CIA has said about Iran. Then hit them with the things leading up to the first Iraq war.

I keep repeating this lately... everyone is not as good at spotting fakes and liars as many of us here are. This is why we still see people falling victim to various street scams. But these people still really don't like being lied to. Once you make a convincing case for them that they've been scammed by both politicians and media, they start popping over to our side rather easily.