Tea Party: 28%

[Kissinger]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35395.html

So, how is this going to factor in to the elections? (both congressional, presidential)

Questions, questions.

-Will the Conservative split hurt Republicans on election day?

-Will tea partiers realign with Republicans, whom the majority share more in common with?

-Will the tea party actually form into something substantial in and of itself?

28% is a serious question, protest movement or not.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Kissinger

[maple_leafs182]

I'm thinking a new 3rd party will emerge, they know they can't trust either democrats or republicans.

Maybe an Internet candidate.

[Sir Bandelot]

I'm thinking, this is a fake protest movement funded by GOP millionaires.

[ToadBrother]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35395.html

So, how is this going to factor in to the elections? (both congressional, presidential)

Questions, questions.

-Will the Conservative split hurt Republicans on election day?

-Will tea partiers realign with Republicans, whom the majority share more in common with?

-Will the tea party actually form into something substantial in and of itself?

28% is a serious question, protest movement or not.

What it means is that the GOP will lose their bid for the presidency in 2012 for the same reason that Al Gore lost in 2000. The Tea Party represents a far greater threat to the GOP, because if the GOP does indeed essentially let the Tea Party types to dictate policy, it means a lot of modern Republicans are going to head on over to the Democrats, or just stay home.

[eyeball]

I'm thinking, this is a fake protest movement funded by GOP millionaires.

Not Democrat millionaires?

[Jack Weber]

What it means is that the GOP will lose their bid for the presidency in 2012 for the same reason that Al Gore lost in 2000. The Tea Party represents a far greater threat to the GOP, because if the GOP does indeed essentially let the Tea Party types to dictate policy, it means a lot of modern Republicans are going to head on over to the Democrats, or just stay home.

This is probably closer to the truth.The farther to the extreme right the GOP is dragged,the farther away elected office will become.That's in the short term....

The long term is more interesting,as it relates to the Supreme Court decision a few months ago equating corporations with people and political donations....

Edited April 5, 2010 by Jack Weber

[Shady]

Survey: Four in 10 Tea Party members are Democrats or independents

Four in 10 Tea Party members are either Democrats or Independents, according to a new national survey.

The findings provide one of the most detailed portraits to date of the grassroots movement that started last year.

The national breakdown of the Tea Party composition is 57 percent Republican, 28 percent Independent and 13 percent Democratic

Link

And no, the Tea Party won't be forming a 3rd political party. Everyone knows that would only hurt fiscal and constitutional Republicans or Democrats in elections, which is who they want in control of the government.

[ToadBrother]

This is probably closer to the truth.The farther to the extreme right the GOP is dragged,the farther away elected office will become.That's in the short term....

The Obama Administration's wet dream is that Sarah Palin or someone along those lines, gets the nod. If the GOP surrenders itself to the Tea Party types, that seems much more likely.

The other possibility, if the Republicans don't want to be taken over by a bunch of complete nutjobs, is that they promote divisions in their ranks, and let Palin, a person you can be sure virtually no one in the GOP leadership wants anywhere near them, go down in flames with the crazies she so clearly loves to court.

The Republicans seem awfully close to grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory here. Whatever victories they gain in November will be Pyrrhic if they surrender the party to the Tea Party types. America may be right-of-center, but after eight years of Evangelicals owning an administration, I'm not sure they would want an even more loonier pack running the show.

[ToadBrother]

And no, the Tea Party won't be forming a 3rd political party. Everyone knows that would only hurt fiscal and constitutional Republicans or Democrats in elections, which is who they want in control of the government.

It's not so much the specter of a third party, it's the specter of the Republicans being saddled with, to put it bluntly, a bunch of frothing maniacs, and basically having to surrender every moderate position to keep them happy. The Tea Party is the best gift the Democrats could have asked for, it does little damage to them, and instead is an arrow straight into the heart of the GOP, a party which has a poor record of managing the fringe movements like the Evangelicals.

[Shady]

bunch of frothing maniacs

Well, your premise of the Tea Party as so-called frothing maniacs is complete nonsense. If that was the case, then I'd agree with you. But it isn't, so I can't.

[ToadBrother]

Well, your premise of the Tea Party as so-called frothing maniacs is complete nonsense. If that was the case, then I'd agree with you. But it isn't, so I can't.

Just look at pleasant little protests peppered with words like "faggot" for Barney Frank and "nigger" for President Obama. It's a pack of morons, racist goons and your standard ideological puppets making a lot of noise.

Want to see the Republicans go down in flames, then let them be taken over by these lunatics. Obama likely prays every night that they'll take over the GOP.

[Shady]

Just look at pleasant little protests peppered with words like "faggot" for Barney Frank and "nigger" for President Obama.

That's what the anti-Tea Party propagandists like perpetuate. But it's kind of funny. All those cameras, and cell phones, etc, and yet not one documented instance of such language being uttered. Weird huh?

But we did see this from the anti-Tea Party thugs!

[punked]

That's what the anti-Tea Party propagandists like perpetuate. But it's kind of funny. All those cameras, and cell phones, etc, and yet not one documented instance of such language being uttered. Weird huh?

But we did see this from the anti-Tea Party thugs!

Accept for this guy spitting on a black congressman right?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/28/congressman-spit-on-by-te_n_516300.html?page=110&show_comment_id=43375250#comment_43375250

[Shady]

Accept for this guy spitting on a black congressman right?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/28/congressman-spit-on-by-te_n_516300.html?page=110&show_comment_id=43375250#comment_43375250

You probably mean yelling. I admit that the guy was kind of a jerk, but yelling is much different than spitting.

[Michael Hardner]

I'm thinking, this is a fake protest movement funded by GOP millionaires.

No... it's crazier than that. The Texas candidate Deb Medina was advocating pulling out of national agreements such as NAFTA. Once that starts being put out there, the money will not support these people.

[Smallc]

That's what the anti-Tea Party propagandists like perpetuate. But it's kind of funny. All those cameras, and cell phones, etc, and yet not one documented instance of such language being uttered. Weird huh?

But we did see this from the anti-Tea Party thugs!

Right...comparing Obama to Mao, Hitler, and Stalin is so mainstream. And don't claim that doesn't happen, because it does...all of it. It was even better to watch them heckle the guy with the chronic disease who was at their protest. Nut jobs, nothing more.

[punked]

You probably mean yelling. I admit that the guy was kind of a jerk, but yelling is much different than spitting.

No I mean spitting the man was arrested by the police and everything Shady. The congressman was kind enough to not press charges. I know you don't know anything but can try to not lie about things that have been reported on by the AP?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20100320/us-health-care-overhaul-cleaver/

[Shady]

Right...comparing Obama to Mao, Hitler, and Stalin is so mainstream.

Yeah, there's always a few crazies on the fringe who like to use those types of comparisons. Just like all of the leftwing "Bush is Hilter" protestors while he was President.

[Michael Hardner]

That's what the anti-Tea Party propagandists like perpetuate. But it's kind of funny. All those cameras, and cell phones, etc, and yet not one documented instance of such language being uttered. Weird huh?

But we did see this from the anti-Tea Party thugs!

I can't tell who's who in that video. Lots of anger there, though.

[eyeball]

I can't tell who's who in that video. Lots of anger there, though.

It's almost like a crowd of Internet forum junkies come to life.

[Smallc]

Yeah, there's always a few crazies on the fringe who like to use those types of comparisons. Just like all of the leftwing "Bush is Hilter" protestors while he was President.

Well, considering that a quarter of Republicans (and you can bet those are the ones who are tea partiers) think that Obama could be the antichrist, and almost 60% think he's Muslim (not to mention that about 2/3 think he's a socialist)......this isn't just a fringe.

The Bush is Hitler protestors were just as crazy....but far less racist.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Smallc

[Shady]

The Bush is Hitler protestors were just as crazy....but far less racist.

I disagree. I think some of them were pretty racist too. I remember the term "Chimpy" being used a lot by them as well. Also death threats. Don't forget about the death threats.

PIC

PIC

PIC

PIC

But that was ok back then. Because dissent was the greatest form of patriotism.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Shady

[Smallc]

Of course it wasn't Ok. You're making things up, as usual.

[punked]

Of course it wasn't Ok. You're making things up, as usual.

He is just trying to get off track cause his point is moot.

[Kissinger]

Yeah, there's always a few crazies on the fringe who like to use those types of comparisons. Just like all of the leftwing "Bush is Hilter" protestors while he was President.

Exactly. There are frothing extremists on both ends.

None of us are so young not to remember the anti-war protesters of 3-4 years past.

That said, to pretend there haven't been tea party protesters who have hurled senseless bile, not to mention commit reprehensible acts, would be delusional. Role reversal.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Kissinger