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Ain't that the sad, sad story of elections in America today. I had high hopes for the Tea Party but it is rapidly fading as I see it co-opted by the Republicans and pulled into the particularly conservative brand of influence peddling.
If I may make an observation, you have a cynicism level of 110% when it comes to politics.
And good thing he's wrong too, because the Tea Party is rapidly RISING! ;D (thank you, Sarah Palin)
In the end I always considered the Tea Party to simply be conservatives who banded together at the grassroots level to emphasis a couple of key issue: taxation (or more specifically, over-taxation) and government spending/largess. It attracted some independents because people of different stripes recognized that a nation simply cannot spend, spend, spend without regard to the consequences. But in the end it was always conservatives who headed it.But as I believe I have said before, the Tea Party is not an actual political party, and shouldn't try to be. Rather, its strength is in motivating, influencing voters, and putting pressure on candidates within the Republican party to stay true to fiscal conservatism – something that has been lost over the past 10-20 years. It's more like a movement than a political party (its name notwithstanding) and I don't see it fizzling out so long as the level of government spending remains high.
To paraphrase the satiricist Mort Sahl's great remark: In each election we are confronted with the lesser of two evils or the evil of two lessers.
Ain't that the sad, sad story of elections in America today. I had high hopes for the Tea Party but it is rapidly fading as I see it co-opted by the Republicans and pulled into the particularly conservative brand of influence peddling.
Just as I predicted….
But as I believe I have said before, the Tea Party is not an actual political party, and shouldn't try to be. Rather, its strength is in motivating, influencing voters, and putting pressure on candidates within the Republican party to stay true to fiscal conservatism – something that has been lost over the past 10-20 years. It's more like a movement than a political party (its name notwithstanding) and I don't see it fizzling out so long as the level of government spending remains high.
Well put and I agree. I think the conservatives needed a marketable label, and the Tea Party seems to fit that. What I like about it are a few things. Namely, we can see who the real conservatives are…not that we didn't really know who the RINOs were, but they just stand out more now, and it's also getting people's attention, and it's not just the hard core Right who is a “member” it's all of us who are sick of paying high taxes and losing our jobs while the DC politicians are concentrating on silly crap like global warming and gay marriage. The more the media ridicules the Tea Party, the stronger it gets because more people are getting fed up and beginning to see the light.
Ain't that the sad, sad story of elections in America today. I had high hopes for the Tea Party but it is rapidly fading as I see it co-opted by the Republicans and pulled into the particularly conservative brand of influence peddling.
If I may make an observation, you have a cynicism level of 110% when it comes to politics.
Probably more like 150%. I agree that I am very jaded when it comes to politics. You may call it cynicism, I call it realism.Ski, so you think a tea party endorsement is lik a USDA label on a pack of beef, it means it is safe? I notice Sarah Palin is planning a rally with Glenn Beck. That lower my respect for her a little, I dont see how Beck is any less of a demagogue than saaay, Chris Matthews. Both are about as equally rabid if on opposite sides of the political spectrum. I actually like Palin, but I think she is making a mistake hanging with the likes of Glenn Beck, he is a flake.I still wish for a real 3rd Party, the Tea Party obviously aint it.
I notice Sarah Palin is planning a rally with Glenn Beck.
Yeah, an MLK rally which will also be attended by King's neice and other black conservatives. How can that be?!? Beck, Palin, and all conservatives are supposed to be racist. ::)
I dont see how Beck is any less of a demagogue than saaay, Chris Matthews.
I'm no fan of Beck at all, but the difference betweeen Matthews and Beck is that Matthews's facts are wrong while Beck is fairly accurate. Scout, yes, they are both nothing more than entertainers, but who speaks for the people more? Beck or Matthews?
I notice Sarah Palin is planning a rally with Glenn Beck.
Yeah, an MLK rally which will also be attended by King's neice and other black conservatives. How can that be?!? Beck, Palin, and all conservatives are supposed to be racist. ::)
Can you say “photo op”?
I notice Sarah Palin is planning a rally with Glenn Beck.
Yeah, an MLK rally which will also be attended by King's neice and other black conservatives. How can that be?!? Beck, Palin, and all conservatives are supposed to be racist. ::)
Can you say “photo op”?
No. But I can say “we're here, and Democrats are gonna lose big in November” ;D
I am unaffiliated (UNA is the designation on my voter registration) with any party, socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I have almost no one to vote for, but plenty of people to argue with. ;DI also would love to see a third party, though I suspect that would just give me the choice of the lesser of three evils instead of two. I forget who said it (Vonnegut?) but a cynic is someone who laughs at the world to keep from crying…
Ski, If you had actually read any of my posts on politics you would see that I join you in scoffing at claims of Tea Party or Republican racism. If either of the two parties have ever looked out for the interests of blacks n particular, it is the Republicans; the party of Lincoln are the ones that freed them from bondage after all as I have pointed out elsewhere on this board as well, here, and here.My main objection is a continuation of the choice between the lesser of two evils. The Republicans engage in deficit spending just as the Democrats do. The difference is the Republicans generally don't run huge deficits. How can a member of the Tea Party or someone who shares their views on Taxes and Spending in good conscience vote Republican? It is the choice between declaring national bankruptcy in 5 years or 20; both parties seem bound and determined to drive us there. I want to see a party or even a candidate that will advocate lowering taxes, cutting spending, and eliminating the deficit. Reducing the deficit just means we don't borrow as much, but we still borrow. Borrowing is why the federal budget includes so much INTEREST payments every year. The US is doing the equivalent of maxing the credit card and making minimum payments every year. The US also has the luxury f setting its own credit limit. At this point, I could care less about most of the cultural issues in politics, they are meaningless if the country implodes in a financial meltdown anyway.
I have read several pieces on the Rally Beck held in Washington including this one, and I have to say I am impressed with the way Beck handled the Rally. Perhaps he is not as extreme as I thought.I still think the Tea Party movement needs to distance itself from the Republican party. That being said, Republicans are not as bad as Democrats and I firmly believe one party should not control both Congress and the White House.I still want my Third Party.
There is no Third Party. Just “encourage” the old school Repubs to adopt some of the Tea Party's ideologies. That's the only chance we have (for now).Priority #1: STOP OBAMABeck and Palin only seem extreme because this president and this Congress are so far to the Left.
An analogy to explain what I dislike about the two party system and why even a third party doesn't necessarily fix it.Imagine going into a restaurant and ordering a steak with a salad and baked potato. The waiter tells you that the steak only comes with soup instead of salad. If you want a salad, you have to order the fish. But the fish comes with fries, not a baked potato. It gets worse. He will take your order now, but until all the orders are in he can't tell you if they will be serving what you asked for. They will only serve the most popular order. Even then, the cooks may change it so it only vaguely resembles the description in the menu. If you want a different menu selection, you are welcome to try to interest some of the other diners to band together and order it, but you will likely come up short and be disappointed.
