We participated in the first tea party here in Chicago, which was an impromptu assemblage of people, in early 2008, who saw what Liberals were doing in Washington and rose up against that. We even got to speak at the Tax Day Tea Party, here in Chicago, which was a much more organized event, and helped Chicago Young Republicans with their own Navy Pier Tea Party later that same day, Tax Day, last year.
What we’re about to say next is difficult, and we don’t have time to do proper justice to what we want to communicate, but so many of you are asking us what we think about the Tea Party Convention in Tennessee that we’re taking some time away from phone-banking for Scott Brown today to address this.
We love the Tea Party spirit, as manifest in regular Americans who are taking to the streets, heading to Senators’ and Representatives’ offices, and marching on Washington. We are part of those people, too. We will not be silenced or tread upon by Liberals and their media enablers.
However, we DO NOT like the people behind the Tea Party Convention in Tennessee. The people running this convention are bad news. We know some of them, and they are slime. A surprising number of them worked here in Chicago in 2008. They are opportunists of the first order. What they have done is simple: they saw a business opportunity in the Tea Party movement, which is very real, and decided to install themselves in a new hierarchical organization of their own design that’s amateur and destined for some forthcoming scandal. The people we know, from Chicago, involved in all of this are unstable, backstabbing, and more than a little crazy.
So, we are truly torn, because anything that gets more people on their feet and into the streets protesting what the Liberals are doing is a good thing — but we are VERY WARY of the people running this convention in Tennessee. We’ve never had good experiences with these people before, so why would we think they’ve changed because they now have this entity they created to capture the enthusiasm of a grassroots movement?
Our fear is that these opportunists will hurt the cause and turn many people off spontaneously grassroots protesting because they’ll think it’s all Axelrod-grade astroturfing. We’re turned off by it, but like we said, we’ve peaked behind the curtains and know who’s pulling the strings on all of this.
We urge people to be very, very careful whenever trumpeting any third party nonsense.
Eeyores and Concern Trolls aren’t the only weapons Democrats use against Republicans remarkably well.
Third Party Cheerleaders are also wonderful for Democrats — these are people who are so misguided and self-destructive, they’re like alcoholics in a bar we see all the time throwing all their money away, destroying their health, and yet they never face the mirror and realize what they are doing. It’s clear as day to us that when people say a Republican is “not conservative enough”, and vote Libertarian or some other crazy third entity instead “to teach the GOP a lesson”, all you are doing is electing the Liberal lunatic whose supporters trolled the internets stoking you up to vote third party.
This trick has worked marvelously well since 1992, when Democrats encouraged conservatives to vote Perot so that the Clintons could squeak into the White House with 43% of the vote. That was wonderful back then, because we love the Clintons, and were happy that Republicans stupidly got distracted by Perot in large enough numbers for us to win. Whenever someone we like is running on the Democrat side, we hope everyone out there falls for whatever tricks are being used against you, but not when Liberals are on the Dem ticket and we want them beaten.
We know for a fact Democrats fund third party candidates that will steal votes from Republicans — the kind of voters who won’t ever vote Dem, and won’t stay home on Election Day, but will vote for some crazy Libertarian or Green Ticket or whatever, “to send the GOP a message”.
Have another bottle of scotch, Liza Minnelli, and keep drinking yourself to death.
Democrats are actively planning on using third parties to give Dr. Utopia a second term. That is the strategy. They want to create some sort of credible third party, Ross Perot-esque, spoiler that will stop the GOP from taking back the White House in 2012. That person will be either a Libertarian candidate, or maybe a Green or some new entity that will steal just enough votes from the GOP to ensure Liberals have a full 8 years under Dr. Utopia to wreck as much havoc upon this nation as possible.
Our fear is the Tea Party Convention is falling right into that trap…as so many of you that get excited by it also start talking about “being sick of both parties” and “thinking it’s time to start a third party”.
No, it’s not time to do that.
Doing that gives Dr. Utopia a second term.
Wait until he’s defeated, and America is safe from socialism, and screw around with spoilers when Hillary Clinton gets to run on the Dem ticket and we want you to self-inflict wounds that will give her the White House.
Don’t engage in this craziness now, when it can only help Dr. Utopia.
What we’d prefer the Tea Party energy was focused on was removing Liberals from office. That should be the only goal of this movement. To go after every Liberal donor and cut off the money stream into the DNC that’s pushing Liberals into office. The Tea Party movement also needs to launch a full frontal assault on George Soros, and all the puppet organizations he funds, like ACORN, Moveon.org, etc.
Cut off the funds, and you snip the head off a treacherous snake.
Liberals are the greatest threat to our democracy in this nation’s history. George Soros is up there with Stalin, Hitler, Hussein, Mao, Hirohito, and other villains in history who wanted to see this nation destroyed. Unlike those others, Soros is actually succeeding — perhaps beyond his wildest dreams.
Every vote for a third party candidate helps Soros inch his plan closer to reality.
People have to start realizing this.
For the rest of our lives, we are always going to vote for the best person in the race, whether that person is Democrat or Republican, man or woman, straight or gay, white or black, etc. But we are not going to throw our votes away on people who have no legitimate shot at winning, but who are being propped up by one candidate just to take votes away from the other. Do the math on this, and always think about who has the best chance of defeating the person you DON’T WANT to win. Give your vote to that person, so that lunatics like the one in the White House now don’t keep getting elected.
We don’t think the Tea Party Convention in Tennessee is a good idea. Many of you have been encouraging us to go to that, and we say from the bottom of our hearts how flattered we are that you want us to go. That’s incredibly kind, and we’re truly honored many of you want to meet us or want us to speak at that Convention. That’s amazing to us.
But, we just don’t trust the people running this. We also are scared these people are really being propped up by Soros, in some way, as a plot to distract voters in 2012 and take votes away from the Republican and create a spoiler that will hand the second term to Dr. Utopia. That’s just so incredibly dangerous.
Sarah Palin, as usual, is incredibly smart and forward-thinking about all of this. It is a brilliant move on her part to speak at this Tea Party Convention. Why? Because Tea Party enthusiasts will see her as one of them, so if she indeed, as we believe, seeks and wins the Republican 2012 nomination, it sure will be hard for mischief makers to run a third party candidate against her, because she’s already been embraced by those most inclined to jump onto a third party. It is, yet again, another brilliant tactical move on her part. She proves to us again she will indeed be our next president, as she’s thinking three steps ahead of everyone else, on a daily basis. THANK GOD IN HEAVEN FOR THAT.
Unemployment in 2012 will be 12% or more. Dr. Utopia’s approval ratings will be in the 30s. Democrats will not be able to muster any groundswell of support in the next election — certainly not enough to counter the swell of Republicans (who sat out the 2008 race) who head back to the ballot box to drive the Liberals from Washington. The ONLY way Democrats win in 2012 is to use a third party, Perot-esque spoiler.
Every time one of you goes on about third parties, we clearly see this plot working, and it scares us. Living in Chicago, not much scares us anymore, but man alive, this does.
January 12, 2010 at 3:42 pm
You’re right. Thanks for saying it!
January 12, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I live in Nashville, so I’m seriously concerned about this particular Tea Party. I Googled “Tennessee Tea Party” and received a few results. Can you be more specific as to which Tennessee Tea Party I should avoid? Thanks!!
January 12, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I live near Nashville…there are a lot of tea party events here…I stick to the individual parties. I’m wary of anything too big or organized. It defeats the purpose of a tea party if it’s all organized and controlled by unknown people. It should be grassroots.
January 13, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Scott -
The convention has nothing to do with any of the various Tennessee Tea Parties. We are not happy about the convention in Nashville – and I don’t know anyone who is going. Unfortunately the media will pay attention it.
January 12, 2010 at 3:46 pm
That’s a great heads up about the convention. I really feel though being a part of my local Tea Party, that any bad elements are gonna get flushed out pretty quick. From the people I have met in the Tea Party, it’s a very no-nonsense crowd that are NOT going to put up with much BS. As far as a third party, no one I have talked to is even interested in it even being a third party at this point, the main goal is to elect officials that will support our ideals of low taxes, non-government intrusion, etc. Anyway, just my 2 cent opinion.
January 12, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I agree with your read on it.
I saw Palin being taken to task about this over on Red State and other conservative blogs and my response was that Palin herself has warned about the danger of a 3rd party movement and has advocated for the GOP to return to its roots.
What I see here is her seeing these trends and getting in front of them to identify herself among the Tea Partiers (she already is recognized pretty much as the de facto “leader” of the Tea Party) and take a more active leadership role by steering their passion in the right direction.
January 12, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Here’s the article from Red State.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/01/11/im-afraid-sarah-palin-might-be-ruining-herself-unintentionally/
Erick is one careful guy. I believe he is truly concerned Sarah Palin got bad advice to do this. But, I kind of like the boyz’ take on this. I don’t know, I’m not sure.
That said, Red State does not permit ANY talk of a third party on their site, which I like. Their take is it’s either one or the other, jump into the game or bugger off. These guys are serious about defeating Dr. Utopia and supporting conservative Republican candidates. So I know Erick’s concern is if there is some kind of problem or scandal with this group, Palin will forever be tied to it. But he’s basically saying the same thing as the boyz, that there is something fishy about these people. Of course he does not have the inside info the boyz have, but his instincts and what he’s heard are good.
That said, I am absolutely delighted that the boyz wrote this article. It is imperative that we do not embrace third party candidates. NY-23 was a fluke; there was no primary and Hoffman was screwed by the state GOP, that’s why he ran as a third partier.
It’s already starting to happen. Please tell your family and friends not to fall for this – this is that important. Remember, our enemies hate us and will do anything to not lose power.
January 12, 2010 at 3:59 pm
I am SOOO glad you guys said this. It’s absolutely true…the Democrats are hoping upon hope that this happens. They are trolling the internet trying to convince people that Sarah Palin is going to split and go to the “third party” and “be president”. This is NOT going to happen. I have seen Sarah Palin myself say she was not interested in forming a third party yet this keeps popping up and it’s the DEMOCRATS doing it. They would LOVE for people to start cheering her on to run as a third party candidate. She is too smart for that.
I think of the Tea Party as a movement..not a party…not a candidate…but a movement. It is a collective frustration by all people who are sick and tired of the crap going on in Washington. People who are tired of the politicans –all of them– who don’t listen to the people. This is the spirit of the Tea Party. There are those who will forever try to suck the blood out of any anything they can make money on. And the Democrats KNOW how gullable the Republicans can be.
We need to take it one day at a time. Electing Scott Brown is the next target. It has NOTHING to do with Sarah Palin.
January 12, 2010 at 4:00 pm
This reminded me of an article about some slimy “Tea Party” peeps here in Florida. Truly just a bunch of Dems trying to make sure they stay in power..
http://www.changefor2012.com/2010/01/phony-florida-tea-party-part-ii/
January 12, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Most of the people on the sites that I visit are not for a third party. They would be, possibly, in a few years but certainly not right now. Mostly, I think, we are working toward gathering support for the conservative candidates so that they can win the primary. If they don’t, then we vote R in the election. (Or D, if you live in a state where conservatives pretend to be Democrats because that’s the only way they can win *ahem* like WV).
As for us trying to get you to the Tea Party, Hillboyz, for my part that was more about you than the venue itself.
Give you and opportunity to go and possibly meet and talk to Sarah Palin and blogging everything to us the whole time.
True, I don’t speak for anyone other than myself because most of us TP people aren’t really a part of an organization per se. Just a group of people who have strong beliefs that this country is heading in the wrong direction and a determination to change course.
You have piqued my curiousity about this group that is holding the TP conference, though. You and Redstate. I think I need to go research, now.
January 12, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Angela,
We meant it when we said how touched we were that people like you wanted us to go to this. That meant a lot. Really. We’re not emotional guys, but things like that make us feel like we’re getting big hugs sent to us, and we smile and tear up a little. It’s amazing.
But, like we said, we just don’t trust the people behind this. We’ll totally make a trip to a Palin or Michelle Bachmann event in 2010 that we will live blog and get all the scoop on and maybe even get to interview Palin herself. That is a goal of ours, and we hope to see that happen. But Tennessee for this trip does not feel right in our gut.
We hate to say that, and be so nebulous, but something just feels wrong about the direction this is going. Whenever we have a bad feeling about something, we trust it.
The Tea Party spirit is great…but like we said, these people behind the convention give us great pause.
January 12, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Always go with your gut feeling. There’s a reason it’s there. Heck, probably the only reason we humans survived before we learned how to forge weapons. Think about it; no claws, scanty hair, dull teeth, can’t see/hear or smell at all compared to the rest of the animal kingdom. We can’t run very fast and have no camoflauge. So, yes, trust your gut. It’s a gift.
And, yes, I know you will get your chance. You are wracking up Karma points in so many ways.
We all love you guys.
January 12, 2010 at 4:51 pm
i am so glad you’ve said this. i’ve felt leery about this convention… it just… FEELS wrong. now that i’ve heard about some of the people you know who are working on it, i know why.
on the other hand, i’m going to be really sorry when the leftists are purged and you hillbuzz guys and i aren’t on the same side anymore.
January 12, 2010 at 4:53 pm
We will always be on America’s side.
So as long as you keep loving this country and doing everything you can for it, then we’ll always be on the same side.
Country over everything, always.
January 12, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Those who support this movement need to work from the inside, shining a light on those that scheme to co-op it. It’s not going to be easy or perfect. But just as Americans across the country showed up at the town halls, we have to keep showing up, speaking out and refusing to let our liberties go.
January 12, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Thanks for the heads up, Boyz – I had no idea about the people behind this; when I read stuff over at RedState the other day, I started to worry.
The offer still stands, you know. You guys just say the word, and we will find the funds to get you to the places where you can do the most good for our country.
You Boyz are a treasure to all of us!
January 12, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Well…you have to wonder about a grass-roots movement being transformed into some sort of formal convention. The movement was never about coming to a consensus about candidates or anything else. It’s about education ourselves and learning how to hold politicians responsible. I think that some people got confused because the name Tea Party (in reference to Boston) contains the word “party.” It’s not about parties…it’s about Washington D.C. and ALL of the politicians who refuse to listen to the people they represent.
Thanks for the heads-up about the convention. I don’t think many of us would have even thought to look into who was organizing it. I had just assumed it was one of the local groups that decided to do it. Hopefully, I won’t make that mistake again.
January 13, 2010 at 8:03 am
Well boys, when that opportunity does come to attend an event where Gov Palin (or the also awesome Rep Bachmann) is speaking, and it’s an event that you feel good about, and requires paying for travel – we’re here for ya to help in any small way we can.
January 12, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Just say NO! to 3rd party efforts. I agree 100%. Saw it in the 90s with Perot, as you guys rightly just stated in your post.
This is one area where I do agree with Rush – who is adamently against 3rd party ideas and condidates. More often than not, they take votes away from the non-Liberal candidate. And I hate to pan on “Liberals” in general, so let’s just say that I mean the 2008-2010 incarnation of Liberals, which has come to mean the far left fringe. I have no problem whatsoevah with center-left folks, because they and the center-right folks keep each other honest (which I think is how the Forefathers wanted it). It’s the far far left/right folks I take issue with – they more often than not represent our closest brushes with genuine fascism.
January 12, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Just a note –
Like you, I often though that the far left / far right folks represented the closest brushes with fascism. I once commented that it was odd how if you went far enough left, you came back around full circle to the far right. I essentially felt that the far right was representative of oppression, racism, etc.
However, if you study fascism throughout history, and racism within this country, you will find something totally different.
Fascism is essentially the presence of government in everything. Total government control. But the further right you move, the closer you get to anarchy, which is actually the polar opposite of fascism.
It is only on the far left that fascism really exists. This is echoed throughout all the major fascist regimes in modern history. Pretty much all of them were either communist, socialist, or some combination of the two.
With regards to racism, I did not know until about a year ago that it was REPUBLICANS who wrote the original Civil Right Act, and DEMOCRATS who set a Congressional record for filibustering that bill.
DEMOCRATS were in charge of the KKK.
Somehow, the Democrat party pulled the most amazing switcheroo in the history of U.S. politics, by branding themselves as the party of minorities, and the Republicans as racists.
So just remember that the next time folks talk about “fascist” neo-conservatives. Fascism is the end result of an all-present government. Name a conservative who wants the government in everybody’s lives, and I’ll show you a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
January 12, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Ditto EricP. You said it perfectly.
January 12, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Thanks for saying this. My 7th-grade civics teacher used that circle analogy (far right/far left are closer to each other than anybody else) and I believed it for a long time. I was wrong.
January 12, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Exactly. And, may I throw in, beware any party or organization that uses the word neo-con. If you don’t know what a neo-conservative is, google it. And read, read, read. It’s your only defense.
January 13, 2010 at 12:12 am
AMEN! I don’t allow anyone within earshot of me use that disgusting word!
January 12, 2010 at 9:18 pm
The Democrats accomplished that by creating Welfare and Affirmative Action, both of which the Republicans were adamently opposed to. Of course, the Democrats claimed that the Republicans were racists because these programs were designed to benefit minorities. The Republicans were opposed to these programs because they knew that, in reality, they would do more to hold minorities down than to boost them up.
Ever since then, the Democrats play that race card every chance they get.
January 12, 2010 at 5:41 pm
“It’s the far far left/right folks I take issue with – they more often than not represent our closest brushes with genuine fascism.”
YES! And I just want to add that I am SICK AND TIRED of the MSM etc. referring to people like us as far right and extremist.
The positions we are espousing are traditional and centrist.
Moreover, they are polling in the MAJORITY.
It makes no real sense that we are deliberately depicted as wing nuts, practically fascists and RAAACISTS.
[Picture me chewing nails over the latest incidence of "You can say and do whatever you like and be forgiven PROVIDED you're on the Currently Approved List of Far Left Liberal Democrats."]
January 12, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Because they actually sit so far left, and have surrounded themselves with others at that end, when they look at us who are moderate and/or conservative, we appear to be “far right and extremist”. It’s not where we sit that’s the problem; it’s where they sit.
January 12, 2010 at 11:19 pm
So true!
January 12, 2010 at 4:11 pm
The wisdom in this post is true.
It’s also unfortunate.
I would prefer that the GOP return to its conservative roots. But in lieu of that, I’m incredibly torn.
I object to the notion that an entire swath of folks are relegated to voting AGAINST a particular candidate, instead of FOR a particular candidate.
I HATE the fact that I can’t feel good about voting for the man or woman who best exemplifies my own ideology — instead, I have to vote for the “party” candidate with the best chance of beating the man or woman I fear most.
I also guarantee that both the GOP and the Democrats are fully aware of this partisanship. While politicians appear on TV calling for an end to blind partisan politics, their parties continue to propagate that very same blind partisanship to the maximum extent possible.
It’s a power play by both parties. While it’s true that Democrats love a minority party conservative candidate (Ross Perot), and probably true that Republicans would love a minority party liberal candidate (Ralph Nader), one thing BOTH parties fear is a CREDIBLE, POWERFUL third party.
I wish we did have a third party in this country, and that it was roughly representative of one third of our population.
However, I’m also a realist. I understand that – under normal circumstances – the development of such a party would mean many elections (perhaps even decades) of Democratic rule.
Democrats are better politicians than Republicans. As such, they’re better at stamping out “rogue” factions within their own ranks. You don’t see much talk of a third “liberal” party… only talk of a third “conservative” party.
So the rise of that third conservative party will, as the HB guys say, probably ensure Democrats keep winning elections for quite awhile.
If a third party were to develop, it could only happen in a few ways. One of which is, slowly, over time, with the result I’ve described.
The other way is quickly, in an instant, because of a major event or serious crisis.
Hence, my inner struggle. On one hand, I feel our country is so much closer to fielding a legitimate third party, and if only there was the proper third party candidate to take the helm (Sarah Palin, perhaps?) it would catapult that party into prominence.
On the other hand, I feel our country is in such danger at the hands of the progressives that now is not the time to be fooling around with a third party. Instead we should be solidifying against the Democrats.
January 12, 2010 at 4:27 pm
It’s not the person per se…it’s the infrastructure. It would have to put into place a HUGE system to support a third party that was in all areas of the US and that is not something that one popular person can just do. Even Ross Perot, with his billions of dollars did not have the resources to put into place that big of a system. So the whole “Sarah Palin to the rescue” idea is just an emotional whim and it’s a whim the Democrats are going to be pushing.
January 12, 2010 at 5:05 pm
When I think of a third “party” I don’t expect there to be a “TEA Party” candidate running for mayor of my local town.
It’s true that it would require billions of dollars to set up even a semblance of an infrastructure, just to promote candidates in major federal races like the House & Senate, let alone State races.
However, with the power of the Internet, that amount of fundraising is possible, ***IF*** the right person is at the helm.
I’m not going to make a prediction here, but I do have one possible scenario by which a third party could arise and become viable, simply by grassroots.
Sarah Palin is a contender for the 2012 Presidency. But the GOP establishment does NOT like her. She is a threat to the “politics as usual” mentality of the GOP.
So, if Palin is going to be a possibility for 2012, either the GOP has to come around, or she’s going to run as an Independent.
Which seems more likely?
As of this moment, if Palin runs, it seems more likely that she will run as an Independent.
IF Palin runs as an Independent, she can still win. And if she does win, it will effectively end the GOP. A third party will spring up around her virtually overnight.
January 12, 2010 at 6:08 pm
She is not going to run as an independent and she is not interested in forming a third party…she has said this many times. It CANNOT be stressed enough…what you are saying is not possible. It would split the vote…ROSS PEROT. No third party.
January 12, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Keep in mind that the GOP can’t keep her out of a primary. With that in mind, the only way this scenario plays out is if she loses that primary.
January 12, 2010 at 9:41 pm
As of this moment, if Palin runs, she will run as a conservative Republican.
I will vote, and will always promote voting party over the man (or woman). It’s our responsibility to find out what each party stands for – I can’t say enough how important this is – and how that party matches your own philosophy and belief system.
Personally, I could never vote for a Democrat because I am pro-life and abortion support is part of their party platform.
Everyone must discover their own principles and expectations before they choose a party. But I think that’s the responsibility of each voter.
And I have always thought voting strictly “for the man not the party” is extremely naive and not very realistic – the candidate will do what his party wants more often than not.
January 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm
I’ve come to the very disappointing conclusion that anyone who advocates a third-party bid by Sarah Palin (or really, anyone else who can beat a liberal) is either delusional or a Concern Troll or operative.
I’ve been a libertarian since college, and I have always voted for the Libertarian Party candidate. But a couple of years ago, when I heard Ron Paul was going to run for president on the GOP side, I went down to the Board of Elections and changed my registration to GOP so I could vote for him in the Primary. (I’ve followed him for years and love the man.)
Ron Paul is one smart cookie. He persuaded me that the elections process in this country is so systematically rigged against 3rd parties that it’s literally pointless to run as a third party candidate. In some states it may as well be illegal. Other states have insane petitioning laws (which the vile ACORN plant Jennifer Brunner used to manipulate the Primaries here in Ohio).
Here in Ohio, third party candidates have to run two separate, expensive campaigns–the first one, just to get on the ballot. You cannot believe how much effort and money it took Ron Paul volunteers to slog through that process in the dead of winter (it was almost exactly two years ago this week.) Then, after your guy (or gal) is on the ballot, you have to fundraise and activate volunteers all over again for the primary, and again for the general.
And the Presidential Debates Commission is staffed by equal members of *Democrats* and *Republicans*, so you can bet your @ss that no third party candidate will be included in a debate.
The only hope is to do the same thing to the GOP that the radical socialists have done to the Dems: take over their party from the inside by stealth, strategy and just showing up and working harder. Especially on the GOP side, they’re desperate for people to get involved on the local level.
Considering he was treated almost as badly by the MSM as Sarah Palin and Hillary, Ron’s campaign made quite an impact (it was one of his supporters who invented and implemented the Money Bomb, after all.) People don’t remember that he beat the “chosen” GOP candidates Rudy and Mitt in several primaries/caucuses, because Ron Paul voters took the time to educate themselves about the process and *just showed up* in greater numbers than the apathetic Rudy and Mitt voters.
Ron Paul proved to me that grassroots people like us can have a huge impact when we THINK and ACT strategically, and JUST SHOW UP.
Okay…I’m getting down off the soapbox now. :)
January 12, 2010 at 4:12 pm
I’m a proud local tea party attendee, but your point about KNOWING WHO IS THROWING A PARTICULAR EVENT is something that cannot be underemphasized.
Same goes for what you read in the media? Who wrote ‘that’? Where did they get their information? How was the information obtained.
“Know your sources” and “follow the money” are good life tenants regarding anything.
I have no problem with my local groups (at least, thus far), but I can easily see how this movement could be co opted by either idiots or political subversives.
And God forbid, worry less about sending a message and worry more about winning and cutting of the legs of the liberal left.
January 12, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Thanks Hillbuzz, for your again common sense and keen awareness of what is really going on here in Chicago and elsewhere. I believe that Americans are seeing first hand (myself included, a former staunch loyal Democrat) and really getting it, that LIBERALS, LEFTISTS are radicals who are just as bad (and sometimes worse) than far right wing conservatives and these LEFTISTS led by Barack Obama are doing terrible damage to the country we all love. You are right, not every tea party is well-intended and “one rotten apple spoils the bunch”. Thanks again for your insights and hard work.
January 12, 2010 at 4:15 pm
I’ve also registered the doubts expressed at Red State and Riehl World View about the organizers of that convention, but leaving them aside it should give Palin (and Bachmann) another opportunity to meet the attendees, and I can’t really see any downside there. (Of course, I do wonder why the attendance fee is set at around five hundred dollars.)
More than that convention, though, it’s the Tea Party Express that I find interesting; this is the group which is organizing the tour that will kick off in Searchlight, Nevada at the end of March. Their website is here:
http://www.teapartyexpress.org/
How great would it be if Palin (in her new capacity as a network commentator?) as well as the best of the Congresspeople (Bachmann, DeMint, etc.) were to show up for it — in Harry Reid’s hometown!
January 12, 2010 at 4:25 pm
From what I’ve read elsewhere from an organizer of this kind of event, the $500 will just about cover the costs of the I think 3-day convention.
January 12, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Political parties probably spend a lot to underwrite the costs at regular conventions. Just a supposition on my part, but makes sense to me.
January 12, 2010 at 4:39 pm
IMO The Tea Party Express is not interest in running 3rd party candidates just conservative Americans. One of the people invovled is Lloyd Marcus who writes over at American Thinker from time to time.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/01/harry_reid_trashed_white_ameri.html
January 12, 2010 at 9:31 pm
The Tea Party Express has already done at least one tour (possibly two, can’t recall). I believe their intention is just to hold rallies mainly to keep people motivated and active. They have a lot of performers, authors, etc. Most of the speakers are grass-roots type people, not big celebrities. Anything’s possible, though.
January 12, 2010 at 4:21 pm
I have to agree. A third party will do nothing but give the current President a second term. What would be better would be a “conservative” or “tea party” faction organized within the GOP, and if possible, within the Democratic Party. maybe called Take it Back, or something. To take this great Republic away from the powers that be, and give it back to the people. I am convinced most people are within 15 degrees of center left or right. We need to unite, and kick the current progressive liberalism to the dustbin of AMerican History.
January 12, 2010 at 5:14 pm
I like your idea, but think we need to take the country back first, then restore and police party players on an ongoing basis. Unite against the progressive so we can live to argue another day.
January 12, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I see no names associated with the Tennessee group – who are they? Why should I believe you when I don’t know about whom you are talking?
January 12, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I was wondering the same thing.
January 12, 2010 at 8:02 pm
@Judy & Diane:
Here’s the thing. Most of us here have been ‘at’ HillBuzz for quite some time. We have established a rapport and trust with the Boyz and they haven’t let us down yet.
Honestly, they’ve provided a great service sharing their little personal ‘nuggets of information’ that they have collected over their life in BoyzTown doing behind-the-scenes political work and various political and non-political events. I, for one, am very grateful for this background, behind-the-curtain kind of info, so I am a little taken aback by your rudeness.
But the short answer to your question is, you don’t. You’re free to go research it yourself. It should be fairly easy to find the information.
It’s a little like visiting a friend from out of town and getting their opinion on where a good place to eat is. When they recommend one, and mention the ones to avoid– you wouldn’t instantly go into “why should I believe you?” mode. Right? If you still weren’t convinced, you’d grab a computer and google the info. Right?
January 12, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Fascinating how these hostiles pop up on conservative sites, isn’t it? I get that they don’t get that conservatives/repubs/rightists and even recovering demos are independent thinkers, whereas they are conditioned bots a la Pavlov. They follow the line they’re given. We trust, but also verify. Then we decide.
January 12, 2010 at 9:49 pm
ROFL – major, major ROFL!!
Google and read, girls, google and read.
January 12, 2010 at 4:37 pm
O/T
Anybody know about this? Is there any truth to the allegations or is it just garbage gossip?
Huffington Post Writer Hid Bill Clinton’s 2008 Affair to Protect Hillary
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/01/huffington-post-writer-hid-bill-clintons-2008-affair-to-protect-hillary/
January 12, 2010 at 5:02 pm
I am not sure who Mark Halperin is, one of the guys who wrote the new book coming out that exposes what Harry Reid, the Clintons and others did during the 2008 campaign. But it is funny that Obama comes out “smelling like a rose” and the bad ones are everyone else. Until the “real” story is released about Obama and his lies to the American public “I was never a muslim”, “I was born in Hawaii”, etc etc etc (they make Harry Reid’s comments look like kindergarten) and his fraudulent representation that he is eligible to be president, I am not interested in anything about Bill’s alleged affairs, Reid’s comments, or anything else this guy is doing to make Hillary look bad.
January 12, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Amen
January 12, 2010 at 6:23 pm
I was never a Bill Clinton supporter, but I would take that old hound dog over the current crop of fascists any day! Bill had some bad habits, but he was a smart politician.
January 12, 2010 at 8:30 pm
No joke.
January 13, 2010 at 3:51 am
I hear ya. I never supported Clinton but would vote for him right now if the choices were him or Dr. U.
I can’t believe I’m typing that……….
January 12, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Does anybody think these guys will ever be trusted again?
And I agree with the Dr. Utopia rose thing. Rush brought that up today on his show. Hmmmmm.
January 12, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Hillbuzz – Your intuition and insights are amazing. And with so much heart and soul. I love reading your blog. And hugs sound good, too.
January 12, 2010 at 4:57 pm
It’s sold out, btw. Look around – it’s a working convention to help train local tea party groups.
http://www.nationalteapartyconvention.com/home.aspx
January 12, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Looking at this a bit more, wondering why RedState and Riehl et al are squawking. Both CPAC and the TPconv are 3 day events. CPAC is $750. TPconv is $549. CPAC has Ron Paul, Pawlenty, Gingrich, Romney and a few others. TPconv has Palin, Bachmann, Blackburn and a few others.
TPconv is already SOLD OUT. CPAC is not but they do have 12 days after TPconv until it begins.
My question is how many slots does CPAC have yet to sell? If they are only half sold, that would explain the squawking (esp. for some of the illogical things that have been proffered.)
January 12, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Sounds like the women are a hotter ticket (double entendre noted) among the realists who make up the Tea Party movement. Also, apparently SP turned down an invite to CPAC because of a controversy surrounding someone involved.
January 13, 2010 at 12:19 am
My guess would be David Keene. He runs a lot of CPAC and had a confrontation with John Ziegler. John Ziegler and Sarah Palin have been allies together to get the truth of who she really is out there.
January 12, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Thanks hillbuzz, this blog post answers some questions that have been bugging me. Remember that recent survey finding tea parties had more support than either established party? Couldn’t figure out why the dems keep throwing hate and kerosene on teh tea party fire. This deliberately offensive approach to over 1/3 of voters only makes sense if they plan that the tea party voters will somehow not unite with the Rs.
So 2/3 (R and Tea) need to stay united against that remaining 1/3. Tea parties need to work within the system through primary challenges and presence within the R party.
January 12, 2010 at 5:23 pm
“Every time one of you goes on about third parties, we clearly see this plot working, and it scares us.”
Boyz, THANK YOU for writing this. (I already sent it to my hubby’s printer so he will be sure to read it asap.)
He and I have had this “third party” conversation many times and, while we believe in Tea Party principles, we have decided to commit our efforts to working within the GOP system to fix what we don’t like, get GOOD candidates nominated by the party and help them get elected.
We’re character voters, always have been, and see the appeal of being Independent. But a major party candidate pretty much always wins and, in our state, only registered members of a party can vote in that party’s primary.
There is nothing about being registered Republican that prevents us from working and voting for a Democrat candidate in a particular election if the GOP nominates a dud, but if we stay outside the party system, we have no say at all in who the party nominates. So we’re going to not just register, but be active.
(Hubby got a certificate from the local GOP committee for “Most Valuable New Volunteer” last year … I’m so proud!)
My own political journey began as Dem in college, worked for Carter, but left over abortion. I stayed hunkered down in the Right to Life party until it folded and only because THEY told me to register Republican did I finally, teeth gritted, join the “selfish, rich, white guy” GOP … the party that my self-employed, always waiting ’til Tuesday for a check, would give his shirt away if you asked him to hubby had been registered in for ages.
What can I say? Prejudice dies hard.
Then the first of my kids enlisted and went to war. I began obsessively learning about the Army. When she was in Basic, I followed her progress week by week at the “Family and Friends” website. When she was in Iraq, I stared for hours at Google images of the area where we thought she was working.
Time and time again, I would learn something new and realize to my shock and chagrin that I still had numerous old liberal prejudices lurking in the recesses of my mind. I started hanging out at sites like American Thinker. I tuned into Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager. And I bought a LOT of books.
I was shocked to learn what Conservativism really is — i.e., NOT what the media- and locally-dominant Democrats had been telling me for 5 decades.
I am slowly losing my discomfort with the idea of being an honest to goodness Republican, even though I can’t like the current leadership in the national GOP or the way some of our elected Republicans porked themselves up at the public trough when they had the power to do so.
The two authors who MOST influenced me were Thomas Sowell and Arthur C. Brooks.
From Sowell, I learned that Conservative economics are not only BETTER for the poor, but that Liberal economics actually do incalculable HARM to the poor.
From Brooks, I learned that Conservatives are not just MORE charitable than Liberals, but we are more charitable IN EVERY WAY. We volunteer more time, more money and more goods, even to blood donations and giving up a seat on a bus. Even more important, Brooks’ research showed unequivocally that where Liberal government policies are enacted, charitable activity drops to such a degree that there is a very real possibility that FEWER people are helped.
It should be noted that Brooks was raised in a charitable Liberal home and totally expected his professional research would prove what Liberals believe to be GOSPEL – i.e., Liberals are Generous, Conservatives are Selfish. He was so shocked when he found the opposite to be true … again and again … that he kept on researching for ten years, doing studies over and over, even going abroad, until he reluctantly accepted that the whole “Liberals are Generous” schtick is a big Fat LIE.
January 12, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Two anecdotal data points:
In the big Paris heatwave of (2003?), lots of people left for vacation expecting the government to care for their elderly relatives. After all, that was the government’s job, wasn’t it? Over 10,000 people died that August from lack of care.
Remember the charitable push after the big tsunami? Europeans made a big deal about how their governments were donating more money than the US government. But private American donations through organizations like the Red Cross blew every other level out of the water.
Private action and private responsibility is always more effective than government. Always.
January 13, 2010 at 3:57 am
Great point! It is rarely reported by the dinosaurs how much private charitable donations are to international causes.
Why?
Conservatives are far, FAR more generous than liberals.
January 13, 2010 at 1:28 am
Chrissy,
I also read “Who Really Cares?” by Brooks. A great read.
Sowell and Walter Williams are my favorite economists too.
Have you read anything from William F. Buckley or Russell Kirk?
Kirk’s “Politics of Prudence” is a great conservative primer if you are looking for another great read. I think Sarah may be a Kirk conserative, at least from what I read of hers and her record. I know Sarah reads Sowell.
January 13, 2010 at 3:59 am
Dr. Sowell is a national treasure.
Not just because he’s black…..
He was a Marine, too! :-)
January 12, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Make sure you watch Glenn Beck on Jan. 22.
He is doing a special on Communism so that people know the truth about what various dictators did and all the people they had killed.
He is sick of people wearing Che T-shirts and
saying stupid things like “they admire Mao’s philosophy” blah, blah, blah.
He is sick of people cleaning up the history of monsters like Stalin.
Watch it learn. I know I will.
January 12, 2010 at 6:00 pm
I have learned a LOT from Glenn Beck. The only thing he has ever said that concerned me was about third party candidates. But I haven’t seen him talk much about it since.
He does his homework and honestly I have seen what he has said proven true over and over again.
January 12, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Here’s the thing about third-party candidates that I’m pretty sure Glenn Beck understands (and this is in response to everybody, not just Bev’s comment)…It’s not about voting for any particular party, it’s about voting SMART.
It’s a bit simplistic to say never vote for thirds parties, they never win, they only split the vote, etc. While historically, this has sometimes been true (especially for Presidential races), it is not always the case. In fact, we have seen increasingly more and more independent or third-party candidates being elected to office over the years. Now, don’t get me wrong, the numbers are still very small and probably nowhere near high enough to see a third-party President elected anytime soon. However, we have had some very significant events happen in this country and a lot will depend on what happens between now and the next Presidential election.
In today’s age, we have the benefit of technology that allows us to share information like never before. And, while election polls do not always accurately predict the winner, they do give us a lot of insight into which candidates are more likely to win. With that in mind, I think it’s fair to say that the decision to/not to vote for a third party candidate is a bit premature, when we haven’t seen the candidates or the polls yet.
Here’s a relevant real-life example. Let’s take the current Senate race in MA. Despite his stunning good looks and the fact that he was a Cosmo Centerfold, would we all be pushing and fighting for Scott Brown to win if his poll numbers were showing him at 5% or less? I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
On the other hand, if “the new Kennedy’s” poll numbers were coming in at 40% or higher, wouldn’t it make more sense for the Brown supporters to support Kennedy instead in order to defeat the evil Coakley? That, in a nutshell, is what I mean by voting SMART.
I think this sentiment was somewhat expressed in the original post, but only in the sense that third-party voters should give up on their “ideal candidate” in order to support Repubs or Dems. In reality, however, I’m pretty sure that it works both ways.
So, while I will agree with the concept of not splitting the vote, I do not assume that the Republican candidate will always be the one who is the stronger choice. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed to read this section of the post immediately following all of the recent posts on eeyorism and concern trolls. I believe it is this negative attitude of “a third-party candidate could never win” that keeps many people blindly voting with their party of choice, rather than electing “good” politicians into office. A third-party candidate may win someday, but we have to play our cards right and keep the socialists out of office whenever we can.
January 13, 2010 at 12:05 am
It’s not being a concern troll to note that the corrupt elements of the two main parties have rigged ballot access laws across the US to make it incredibly difficult for third-candidates to get on the ballot. And ACORN has helped install a number of corrupt Attorneys General (like Jennifer Brunner here in Ohio) who will do whatever they can get away with to keep their party in power. That’s just a fact. Part of winning is picking your battles and knowing your enemy.
January 13, 2010 at 10:34 am
I don’t believe that’s what I said. In fact, I reread the post and I don’t see that in there anywhere. It discusses ACTUALLY voting for a third-party candidate, which carries with it the implication that they are indeed on the ballot.
As for the AGs (and SOSs), if they’re going to some way cheat and/or rig the election, they can do that without a third party, so I fail to see the significance. I stand by my original comment. Vote SMART.
January 12, 2010 at 5:37 pm
If you miss a Beck show, you can see them posted at Glenn Beck clips a day or so later.
January 12, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Yes, isn’t it suspicious that Obama comes out smelling like a rose in the new book that has dirt on everyone else.
Isn’t it suspect that the author never bothered to investigate all of Obama’s locked up documents?
And how about Michelle Obama’s law license; what was that all about? Is there something to it or not?
When the Obamas smell like a rose, you know something’s rotten.
By the way, I don’t care if Bill cheated on Hillary. That has nothing to do with her ability to become a good president.
January 12, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Yes this is typical Utopia-machine. In fact, in the politico article on HRC, it talks about all her intimates turning on her and trashing her, and the only person to say good things about her – Utopia himself.
BS!
January 12, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I wouldn’t be so sure that someone isn’t writing that book about Obama right now. There is blood in the water and they will be tripping over themselves to be the first. Of course, David Freddoso and Jerome Corsi have already written books like this. I have read them.
January 12, 2010 at 6:22 pm
I am one of those who has voted for third parties in the past. I do live in a very conservative state, so doing so is relatively ‘safe.’
I voted for Reagan in ’80 and ’84. Didn’t like GHWB, so voted libertarian in ’88, and again in ’92 and ’96. I actually voted for Nader in 2000 – didn’t want him to win, but wanted him to break 3% so he could get federal election funding and come back in 2004. So not ALL the votes for Nader were “stolen” from Gore :-)
9/11 changed all that for me. I voted FOR BUSH in 2004 because I thought he would keep safe (as much as possible, anyway). I voted FOR PALIN in 2008 (McCain was along for the ride, imo), but was fairly sanguine about the outcome.
I thought O would be bad for the country, but I couldn’t imagine how far he’d try to push things to the left and how fast. That’s been a godsend, in some ways. They overplayed their hand, and now the majority of Americans are on to them AND against what they’re trying to do.
Scott Brown is evidence of that.
I went to my first political demonstration ever on 4/15/2009 – the local tea party. The tea parties can wield the most power by giving their enthusiasm to fiscally conservative candidates of either party. Trying to set up an actual third party would be the fastest way to be marginalized.
As a former 3rd party voter, I’m absolutely certain of that.
January 12, 2010 at 6:23 pm
By definition, this Tennessee shindig is organized top-down, not bottom up. It is the antithesis of what the tea party protests are about.
January 13, 2010 at 1:20 am
It is NOT a Tea Party Protest.
It is simply a working conference for people to network and exchange information and ideas, and get some inspiration from some speakers, most notably Sarah Palin.
It is not designed for ALL tea partiers but representatives of local groups.
We’ll see how it turns out. Afterwords, we can give all the feedback in case any organizations want to hold another one.
It will probably be a little awkward sometimes and not as smooth as say something that happens every year.
January 12, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Looks like comments might be going into limbo again. Sorry if you see this twice.
I am one of those who has voted for third parties in the past. I do live in a very conservative state, so doing so is relatively ‘safe.’
I voted for Reagan in ’80 and ’84. Didn’t like GHWB, so voted libertarian in ’88, and again in ’92 and ’96. I actually voted for Nader in 2000 – didn’t want him to win, but wanted him to break 3% so he could get federal election funding and come back in 2004. So not ALL the votes for Nader were “stolen” from Gore :-)
9/11 changed all that for me. I voted FOR BUSH in 2004 because I thought he would keep safe (as much as possible, anyway). I voted FOR PALIN in 2008 (McCain was along for the ride, imo), but was fairly sanguine about the outcome.
I thought O would be bad for the country, but I couldn’t imagine how far he’d try to push things to the left and how fast. That’s been a godsend, in some ways. They overplayed their hand, and now the majority of Americans are on to them AND against what they’re trying to do.
Scott Brown is evidence of that.
I went to my first political demonstration ever on 4/15/2009 – the local tea party. The tea parties can wield the most power by giving their enthusiasm to fiscally conservative candidates of either party. Trying to set up an actual third party would be the fastest way to be marginalized.
As a former 3rd party voter, I’m absolutely certain of that.
January 12, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I am one of those who has voted for third parties in the past. I do live in a very conservative state, so doing so is relatively ‘safe.’
I voted for Reagan in ’80 and ’84. Didn’t like GHWB, so voted libertarian in ’88, and again in ’92 and ’96. I actually voted for Nader in 2000 – didn’t want him to win, but wanted him to break 3% so he could get federal election funding and come back in 2004. So not ALL the votes for Nader were “stolen” from Gore :-)
January 12, 2010 at 6:27 pm
9/11 changed all that for me. I voted FOR BUSH in 2004 because I thought he would keep safe (as much as possible, anyway). I voted FOR PALIN in 2008 (McCain was along for the ride, imo), but was fairly sanguine about the outcome.
I thought O would be bad for the country, but I couldn’t imagine how far he’d try to push things to the left and how fast. That’s been a godsend, in some ways. They overplayed their hand, and now the majority of Americans are on to them AND against what they’re trying to do.
Scott Brown is evidence of that.
January 12, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I went to my first political demonstration ever on 4/15/2009 – the local tea party. The tea parties can wield the most power by giving their enthusiasm to fiscally conservative candidates of either party. Trying to set up an actual third party would be the fastest way to be marginalized.
As a former 3rd party voter, I’m absolutely certain of that.
January 12, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Amen LibertarianMom, as much as it pains me to say it. Recapturing the heart and soul of the GOP is the only way. Until the ballot access laws make it possible for third parties to be truly competitive, a third party candidate has *no chance*. I don’t care if Jesus ran with Elvis as his VP, he’d never make it on the ballot on all 50 states (or 57, if you ask Obummer).
January 12, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Ditto…If you vote for a third party candidate you are handing your vote to re-elect a Democrat. It does not matter what “message” you want to send…it would be a vote for the Democrats.
January 12, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Libertarian Mom;
When WordPress gets busy, it seems that comments and esp. comments on comments go into queue. Many of mine show up next day.
So we should’t hit send four times, trying to overpower the system. That just adds to the overload.
January 12, 2010 at 7:53 pm
RonPaul=CreepCity.
January 12, 2010 at 8:21 pm
@TheJane,
Why is Ron Paul “CreepCity”? You don’t like Austrian economists? Or you just don’t like OB/GYNs? Or Constitutionalists? Or people from Texas??
January 12, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I agree. Too many people who WORSHIP the ground he walks on use the term “neo-con” constantly. Ugh.
January 12, 2010 at 11:47 pm
@CaliforniaJo I guess I’ll respectfully disagree. What most folks on the “outside” don’t understand is that WE DON’T WORSHIP Ron Paul. We leave the cult of personality stuff to the experts–the Obamatrons. Bless his heart, Ron is the anti-slick and even after a year of practice, he hasn’t quite learned how to speak in the content-free sound fragments the MSM prefers. What we love about Ron is the fact that he has spent the past 30 years supporting the Constitution and promoting individual liberty, and has a stellar Constitutional voting record and immense personal integrity. We find his love of country and public service inspiring. We don’t worship Ron. We respect and admire him.
January 13, 2010 at 12:08 am
I’ve never supported him, but I have to say when H1N1 first became a huge flipping deal, he made the best little web-based informercial with the facts and nothing but the facts. I appreciated him and his knowledge and his sharing of it. He earned my respect in just a couple of minutes, and now I can listen to him speak his piece even when I don’t agree. And sometimes I even find out that I do agree. (TV has influenced us in a neg way re. how we perceive people. We look when we should be listening.)
January 12, 2010 at 9:52 pm
For those interested in the tea party movement in Tennessee, please visit:
http://www.teapartynation.com
This is a non-profit (for the admins, too) that is committed to true change within our state & nation. Judson & Sherry Philips are class act people who have donated every ounce of their time. They believe our cause is just. They have helped to establish the tea party movement throughout the entire state of TN.
BTW, y’all hi-jacked the thread into Libertarianism. Which does this cause, of over-throwing the government establishment in TN, or in DC, absolutely ZERO bit of good.
January 17, 2010 at 1:04 am
Sorry, Shayne, but TPN is *FOR* profit.
http://superkev.net/2010/01/12/on-the-backs-of-tennessees-middle-class-or-the-story-behind-tea-party-nations-dishonest-beginnings/
January 12, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Brilliant – thank you for this. Was not aware that the people behind this convention were shady. Thanks so much for the head’s up.
And you’re so right – Palin running would not splinter the conservative vote. I too think the economy is going to get way way way worse (all direct thanks to Obama’s abysmal economic decisions). The elitist republicans who think they’re too good to be governed by a state schooler like Palin will be scared enough by then to vote against Obama, even if that means getting over their stupid, elitism-driven Palin hate and voting for her.
I would also think Gov Palin is incredibly charismatic in person, and that any speaking engagement she does affords the opportunity for more people to grow to like her. At the very least – there will be people in that Tea Party Convention audience (or even working at the event) who might still be wary of her. But they will leave that event liking her.
For her, this is a no risk event to headline.
January 13, 2010 at 12:22 am
I think we need to find a way to get Michael Moore to run on a 3rd party ticket. He is the only one I know of who would have the ego to do it and boast about being more liberal than the ONE.
January 13, 2010 at 1:14 am
While I’m there, I will be doing everything I can to discourage 3rd-party talk.
Reform the GOP. That is the path. Become the alternative to the statist Dems.
Sure, the promoters may get profit, but since when was profit a bad thing?
This conference is for networking and ideas to help strengthen Tea Party groups.
It has a Dodge City atmosphere so far so it should really be interesting and a riot too.
January 13, 2010 at 7:39 am
Thanks for the heads-up. I met a dozen of you in Erie, PA for Sarah’s microscopic short stop impromptu event. My gosh you are as supportive of Hillary as we support Sarah! I met this super nice photographer (maybe she’s reading this), plus more on the “line” behind me. I respect you a lot, and I salute you!
We went through this in Puerto Rico in the last elections. I was the main webmaster for the write-in movement (PRican Tea Party) for the Democrat candidate, Pedro Rosselló. I helped from the US with the website, prepared documents, faxes and phone calls. He is the Democrat ex-Governor, and has a great relationship with the Clintons. Those who followed the D campaign in PR know that Hillary won by a huge margin, and that’s because Hillary did and complied with all that was told to do by the PR campaign organizers, plus Bill and Chelsea and Hillary made multiple trips.
Remember the MSM was confused as to why the D primaries could be held in US Territories, but not in PR (for that, ask Geraldo). I don’t get why the DNC does not have that rule. This must be changed, and that is a message I’d like to give to Sarah.
Asides from that, the movement we had in PR was not successful, because people at the very top claimed leadership from the beginning, and it was part grassroots, but they wanted to grasp control of everything. Contrary to what’s going on here, but I understand your message. I am in the NE so I can’t attest to this, nor see with my own eyes. If that is the case, then they have to be uncovered and overthrown; I call my sister who lives in PR and I have been telling her about the lack of “leadership” here, and how I admire that.
When I blew the whistle, it backfired big time. I shut down the website, closed the email account and don’t support Rosselló anymore. Besides, he’s for national healthcare because he believes it’s a right.
I don’t know if that’s in the PR Constitution (US trumps PR’s) but it has sunk PR’s finances into an incredible debt and deficit.
January 13, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I also live in TN. We know what you are talking about. We don’t let it concern us. We are selective with whom we associate.
I would like to point out one thing about the “3d Party Spoilers” comments. There is an alternative to get a Non-GOP, Non-Dem into the House of Representatives, THAT IS NOT IN A 3D PARTY CANDIDATE!
I won’t waste space explaining here. Just check out (thoroughly) http://www.goooh.com. It stands for Get Out Of Our House. In fact, since you are “Chicago Patriots”, you may have seen the founder (Tim Cox) on WGN recently. The interviewer did his research, and gave a fair interview. I could tell he was impressed with what GOOOH has to propose.
So you’ll know…it is pronounced, “go”, not “goo”. The Tennessee Liberty Alliance had Tim conduct a 2.5hr mock candidate selection process in Aug 09. It was fascinating. I was hooked. Our Program Chairman is now the TN State Coordinator for GOOOH.
If you want to “join” something that WILL make difference, sign up and answer the 100 ISSUES BASED QUESTIONS THAT A PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR ALL OF THE 600k plus constituents. No Party. No Platform. Just Issues! And may the best man/woman win, and TRULY represent us all, whatever our political leanings. Take your time on the questions….they AIN’T easy. Put yourself in a Congressman’s chair, and think….now, how would I vote on this?
Check it out.
Robert H.
Citizen of the SOVEREIGN State of TN
January 13, 2010 at 4:43 pm
As always, the boyz at Hillbuzz are right again. I have been a vociferous supporter of the TPM but I have my doubts. I fell in love with Sarah February 2008 and I have to agree with Eric at RedState that she needs to be careful here. I am very concerned. I really enjoyed organizing my small TP back last 4th of July & attending the 912 DC Rally, but this scares me.
January 14, 2010 at 12:36 pm
[...] 1) I have received many questions regarding the nature of the Tennessee Tea Party Convention next month; and, 2) The gentlemen from HillBuzz, who I follow closely, have expressed deep concerns about the nature of that convention. [...]
January 16, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Four points:
1) you’re right to be concerned with who is heading up a movement. Tennessee’s tea party movement has been quite turbulent and it wouldn’t shock me in the least that these guys are dunderheads. (although I know nothing of them directly)
2) A Tea Party movement is not a third party. It’s simply not the same thing. People who show up at protests do not necessarily belong to the same political party and nor should they. This is why we do not believe a Tea Party protest movement can be or should be morphed into a political party that officially primaries or caucuses candidates. It’s a recipe for disaster.
3) Third Party “craziness” does not equal running a Third Party candidate for President in 2012. To equate the two is just silly. Just because most Third Parties are started by political has-beens and opportunists who make it all about a Presidential campaign every four years doesn’t mean that Third Parties HAVE to be developed that way.
4) Anyone know what happened two years after Ross Perot let the Clintons “squeak into the White House?” The Republicans took over Congress for the first time in…what…40 years? Then they took half of Perot’s playbook and created the contract. Two years later when the threat of a Third Party was gone, they systematically began to bail on that contract and became as corrupt as their Democrat counterparts had done.
The point here is not what we do in 2012. The point is what do we do between now and the time that Republicans have retaken control of Congress and proceed to spend us even more into oblivion and violate the Constitution at every turn. When that happens shouldn’t we have created a LEGITIMATE (i.e. not “crazy”) alternative so that maybe our political process over the NEXT 75 years can be something other than:
Roosevelt Progressives fighting with Roosevelt Progressives over whether Big Business should control the Federal Government or the Government should control Big Business…
We are willing to fight for a third party that stands for Limited, Small, and Enumerated Government, but we’re not going to do it by staging protests and inciting the masses. We’re going to do it by systematically taking back America starting with our school and county boards, town and city councils, and State legislators…then one Congressional district at a time.
It may take 20 years; it may take 6. But it’s not going to done by protesting.
Butch Porter
National Chairman
The American Conservative Party
January 19, 2010 at 7:24 am
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