Boston is hosting (rather, enduring) a Tea Party on Boston Common this morning with Sarah Palin speaking no less. I find the tea-party movement to be a remarkable political phenomenon ... primarily because of the vitriol it elicits from many liberals:- being called "tea-baggers" (a lewd reference to a homosexual act). My reaction to anyone using this epithet is utter revulsion. This population unfortunately includes many on network and cable news programs.
- being castigated for not having enough blacks in attendance (Obama did get 96% of the black vote for heavens sake) ... ergo they are racists. This is akin to calling Israelis xenophobes for not having any Iranians in their Knesset.
- being labeled radical right-wing nutty moon bats. I thought "moon-bat" was a word reserved for those who think Republicans stole both Bush elections.
- being named "Astroturf" (i.e., rent-a-mob) by the White House to denigrate the tea party's grassroots origin.
- being compared to Tim-McVeigh-style terrorists. Is it accidental that MSNBC is running a Tim McVeigh retrospective at this time?
- being labeled "birthers" (those who believe that Obama wasn't born in the U.S.A.). There is a group of lefties who have even threatened to infiltrate tea-party rallies with signs to this effect ... and to the other slimes mentioned above.
As far as I can ascertain, these tea parties are a genuine grass-roots reaction to the fiscal excesses of the current (and past) administrations. And any politician who ignores or disparages this movement does so at considerable career risk.
The tea party would have done well to not invite Sarah Palin. She's a lightning rod, a certified quitter who chatted up with Glenn Beck how they are both reluctant to lead. The TPs could build a platform for the GOP if they can stay focused on the present, their three point agenda, and grooming a real candidate like Ron Paul.
ReplyDeleteThe tea party would have done well to not invite Sarah Palin. She's a lightning rod, a certified quitter who chatted up with Glenn Beck how they are both reluctant to lead. The TPs could build a platform for the GOP if they can stay focused on the present, their three point agenda, and grooming a real candidate like Ron Paul.
ReplyDeleteYesterday a caller into local talk radio said, "Let's drink the tea and throw the politicians into Boston harbor."
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