How real is the Tea Party?
There has been a lot of talk in the news in the past several days about the ongoing war between the Tea Party and the NAACP. This war is primarily over the claims of the NAACP that the Tea Party is racist and their demand that the party rejects anyone who acts in a racist manner. In yesterday’s post, I talked about these claims and demands and about how a lot of us have been accused of racism, when all we were doing is opposing the big government policies of the current administration. Today, I want to take a different track, because of two reasons. The first is a story from our local paper and the second is Mike’s comment on yesterday’s post.
I was unable to find an online archive from the local paper, so I will use the same article from The Kansas City Star. Here is how the article starts out.
Billy Roper is a write-in candidate for governor of Arkansas and an unapologetic white nationalist.
“I don’t want non-whites in my country in any form or fashion or any status,” he says.
Roper also is a tea party member who says he has been gathering support for his cause by attending tea party rallies.
“We go to these tea parties all over the country,” Roper said. “We’re looking for the younger, potentially more radical people.”
I think it’s fair to say that comments like that, from people who associate with any group you care to mention, are bound to raise concerns over the goals of said group. Couple that with the satirical letter published by Mark Williams and it makes it hard to overcome the charges of racism against the Tea Party, no matter how untrue they may be.
Now, let’s look at Mike’s comment on yesterday’s post, in which he raises what is an important point.
I think you guys are calling this wrong. First of all there is no Tea Party. There are lots and lots of groups who call themselves Tea Party and are extremely loosely affiliated with a few core beliefs including a smaller federal government, increased power to the states, and fiscal responsibility. But there is no one Tea Party and plenty of the groups within that loose affiliation are run by extremists. That does damage to the credibility of groups that honor the core beliefs of the Tea Party. At the same time it gives credibility to the equally ridiculous comment that “the” Tea Party is racist because there are undeniably groups within that umbrella that are in fact racist. I really think there is a need for a central Tea Party that speaks with one voice and echoes the spirit of the core concepts. Without it the whackos voice gets too loud and the criticism from the left demands an answer from cooler heads.
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I want the Tea Party to be a serious contender in the American political system. I have never been a fan of a third party, simply because I failed to see how they could break into the system of control that is exercised by the Democrat/Republican system we have in play now, but I think the Tea Party holds promise. If a suggestion such as Mike’s is taken seriously and measures are taken to weed out people like Bill Roper and other idiots who make such stupid statements, we could see that promise come to fruition.
Trust me when I say, they have an uphill battle to get this done and the struggle is not just against the Democrats. Matt Ross, from Conservative Hideout, has an excellent interview he conducted with a local Tea Party organizer in Pennsylvania. I think you would do well to read the interview, as it gives a lot of insight into how the current political system works and how the Tea Party is working to make the voice of the people be heard.
I believe our political process is in drastic need of change. The voice of the people is being drowned out by the voice of the politicos and extremists from both parties, but seeing the real Tea Party at work gives me hope that this can be rectified. If the Tea Party can get this done, we could start seeing results as early as November.
I had to get fairly involved with liberty movements to realize the inherent flaw that seems to spoil their ability to accomplish very much. The flaw being that the more free the members of a group become , the less cohesive they are as a group. I’m sure the authoritarians have known this fact for the entire time and feel quite comfortable in their relatively unassailable positions. The TEA party can make a lot of noise, but they can’t make laws.
Thanks for the comment, metaltiger. While it is true that the Tea Party can not make laws, they can affect the process by which those laws are made. I suggest you read the interview that Matt conducted with one of their local Tea Party leaders in Pennsylvania. It should give you an idea as what they are doing and how effective they can be.
Actually, the NAACP didn’t say that the Tea Party movement is racist. It called on the national leaders of the Tea Party to repudiate the racist elements within it.
That’s actually the kind of responsible response I’d like to see from groups.
As Metaltiger noted, there is a wide variety of people in the Tea Party movement. While it’s supposed to be a non-partisan anti-tax kind of thing, it has been filled with birthers, bigots, conspiracy theorists, establishment Republicans, and all kinds of other people, too. The fact that Glenn Beck has decided to latch onto this (and got dubbed one of its leaders) helps make sure that the Tea Party will be associated with craziness.
When it comes down to it, the Tea Party Express did get booted from one of those national federations because of the racist garbage being written by one of its leaders. That doesn’t hurt the Tea Party movement in any way … if anything, it helps bring focus on its real point.
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I think that Mike made some valid points in his comment on you last post. There is no national Tea Party, we are a mostly local or state groups that have the same ideas but no national organization. I don’t think that this is a bad thing, as long as we remain focused. Mike is also right that because we are smaller organizations we may be more easily infiltrated by racists and other with whom we disagree. But on the whole the Tea Part movement is real, there are many Americans fed up with the system and even if we are not organized on a local level we can still be heard in November.
Steve Dennis´s last blog ..Massachusetts moves to circumvent the electoral college
Thanks for the comment, Steve. I believe you are spot on, especially with your last sentence. I have a feeling the entire electoral system is in for a big surprise in November and that goes for both parties.
Yeah, I don’t think either party is safe. If there are legitimate “non-esablishment” candidates on the ballot, I think many of them will win. There could be some shocked esablishment politicians after the election.
Steve Dennis´s last blog ..Massachusetts moves to circumvent the electoral college
I was interested in Mike’s comment as well. A national umbrella organization could be a blessing, or a curse. The positive would be more cohesion and consistency. However, a national “HQ” would immediately turn the movement into something less responsive, and more hierarchical. We don’t need a charismatic leader, we need concerned citizens to act. And they are. Also, the national organization, as well as it’s leaders, would also become a target. IRS audits, investigations, accusations, and so forth, could all be targeted towards a few at the top, and would threaten to discredit the movement.
By keeping the movement decentralized, there are few “hard targets.” Also, there will be infiltrators, as we saw with the “crash the party” actions. In fact, Think Progress (ironic name is ironic) made a video using infiltrators to “prove” that the Tea Party is “racist.” They selectively edited and showed people that the Tea Party folks followed with signs indicating that they didn’t belong there.
Considering that nation wide protests have been coordinated via blogs and forums, and that we are supporting candidates at a national level via activities like “Ten Buck Fridays,” the Tea Party doesn’t need a national “base.” We need to stick with simple, Constitutional ideas, and promote the relentlessly.
As for metaltige’s point that the movement isn’t accomplishing anything, I would suggest that he read my post that is linked in the article. There is a nationwide effort to take control of the GOP. They are in a fight, but they are already obtaining results. Just ask Bob Bennett.
The Tea Party is more than about mass, peaceful protests. It’s also about becoming more educated, and being politically involved. There may not be as many people on the streets, but they are there, working behind the scenes. In a few years, they will transform the GOP.
Well said, Matt. Thanks for the comment and thanks for posting the interview.
Michele Bachmann (who along with Nancy Pelosi are the two most dangerous people in the House) actually did something smart — she organized a Tea Party caucus in the House and told Republicans you’re either with us or against us. That will help draw a stark line in the sand; but I hope it will also come with a pseudo Tea Party platform that explains both what the Tea Party is for and what it is against. And I very much hope it would denounce racism, extremist militia groups, and other destabilizing forces that should not be welcomed under the Tea Party umbrella.
Funny, I was about to mention the same thing but not say it is smart.
Bachmann, indeed, organized a Tea Party caucus and then proceeded to post a list of Congress members who “joined”. Problem? Several of those Congress members denied being a part of the Caucus-even one who attended the meeting but says he has a “policy of not joining Caucuses”. After being called on the inaccuracy of the list, Bachmann took it down, then put it back up again with some deletions and some additions.
So-we have a sitting Congresswoman who is trying to court a movement and give it legitimacy and at the same time making representations for other Congress members that they are uncomfortable with. What sort of governing is that?
Sorry Mike- why I don’t think this was “smart” at all, especially not at this date:
Several of the Congress members who may/may not have attended the meeting but definitely have been forced to deny today that they are part of the Tea Party Caucus are Republicans up for reelection in 2010 (John Mica and John Fleming are 2). Not every GOP voter-nor Independent- either supports or understands the Tea Party, and this could put votes in swing, not to mention campaign contributions.
Bachmann, in her infinite wisdom, has just given fuel to these Congressmen’s opponents and has possibly given each something they will have to run from. Not smart. Not smart at all.
Laurie,
One thing you might want to consider is that the GOP establishment is not very happy with the Tea Parties. We’ve been pointing out their failures, and are attempting to take over the party, starting at the local level. We’re doing things like directly supporting candidates via Ten Buck Fridays (one small example). The RNC and related committees are actually losing donations as people directly support candidates instead of the RNC. The Tea Party members in Utah helped “retire” Bob Bennett, and have influenced other races all over the country, defeating establishment candidates in primaries, for example.
I think many GOP members in Congress are torn between getting support from the Tea Parties, and (my conjecture) being warned away from it by the party leadership. As we continue what I hope will be a successful takeover, and it will take years, we will see some of this behavior. No one likes to lose power, and the GOP leadership is starting to feel the heat.
I think you have made a very important point, Matt. It is one that I have been trying to stress all along. The Democrats are not the only ones in danger from the Tea Party and in fact, I would say the Republicans are in more danger. The leadership does not like the direction this is going and I really believe we may see major changes happen in November, as much or more for the GOP than for anyone else.
I wanted to add a slightly different voice to your discussion. I lead a tea party in Vista CA, was medical coordinator for last years’ 912 Washington DC tea party and am the same for the United In Action events this year.
There is a video being circulated, and that I have seen, of a white supremist at a teat party rally. The video is a major source of commentary about tea parties and racism.
Unfortunately, the video was edited to remove the spontaneous encircling of this person, a few moments later, by participants of the event who then demanded he leave and made it completely clear he was unwelcome. I have personnally seen this happen again and again at our events all over the country.
Seeing that tea party events, and tea parties themselves, have no authority to tell anyone to do anything. It is the spontaneous action of the crowd that so important in this narative. Everyday Americans at a tea party event were unwilling to have this person express his views about racial supremicy. They reflect our founding fathers belief that being created equal is so obvious they called it’s truth “self evident”.
The tea party leadership has, I have as a tea party leader and I have been present when thousands and millions have expressed with us that we belive in the Delaration of Independence and our constitution… all of it includng the “self evident” bits.
As for Mark Williams, he and the Tea Party Express were created by a political consultant on the payroll of the Republican Party in San Diego County and has nothing to do with the tea party movement.
Kenneth,
Thanks for commenting and adding your voice to the discussion. It’s good to hear the thoughts from someone involved in the Tea Party process.
I think it is important to note that the Tea Party is made up of a lot of normal, everyday Americans who are just tired of the way our government is ran, that it seems to be a government of the people and for the people, no longer. That is one reason the GOP leadership feels threatened by the movement.
A few things:
My nationality is natural born American. My ethnicities include half Asian(Laotian), 1/16th Cherokee, and 15/16th European. As you might imagine, I too believe that racists and race supremacists should not be given a place of refuge in the Tea party movement.
However…
I have a serious problem with this statement: “While it’s supposed to be a non-partisan anti-tax kind of thing, it has been filled with birthers, bigots, conspiracy theorists, establishment Republicans, and all kinds of other people, too. The fact that Glenn Beck has decided to latch onto this (and got dubbed one of its leaders) helps make sure that the Tea Party will be associated with craziness.”
Birthers? If you mean people who believe that the President of the United States should have been born on U.S. soil (mainland, Alaska, Hawaii or embassy), those people believe in the Constitution, just as I hope you do if you claim to be part of the Tea Party movement. The Constitution is a core belief of the Tea Party movement, which includes the “natural born” clause.
Bigots are essentially racists, so I agree they should not be there.
Conspiracy theorists? If you mean people that have observed that the current administration rarely fails to appoint Marxist radicals who believe in blood in the streets to key government positions, and people who are educated concerning both communism and socialism, then yes. There are conspiracy theorists, and they are doing the Tea Party a great service by keeping their eyes open and being watchmen on the wall and educating generations like my own who suffered through public school in the 1990′s and had revisionist history thrown at us as though it were candy on Halloween. I’m 26 if you need a point of reference.
And what’s wrong with Glenn Beck? What’s wrong with Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann? What’s wrong with Mike Huckabee or David Barton? NOTHING is wrong with them except they represent everything the secular humanistic socialists hate and despise and have nightmares about. Contrary to how the liberal-stream media portrays them, they are NOT fascists. However, they do know the philosophy that our Founders were using as a point of reference. In so many accounts, when snags of dissension were hit during the Constitutional Congress, they turned to the Christian bible to settle it. I realize Beck is a mormon, and no, I’m not comfortable with it, but we are free to practice whatever belief system in the U.S. that we want to provided that it does not violate Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness. Therefore, human and animal sacrifices to pagan idols must necessarily be excluded.
Many people within the Tea Party see their central platforms based on 3 central documents.
The Declaration of Independence
The U.S. Constitution
The Ten Commandments as set forth in Exodus of the Holy Bible
One thing we must be careful of, and I observed it from a liberal blog, is that many liberals are attempting to infiltrate the Tea Party movement in order to destroy it and dismantle it from inside by focusing on our differences. The Tea Party movement is not a libertarian, independent, republican, or democrat movement. The Tea Party is a WE THE PEOPLE movement.
That being said, Bachmann is not a threat to our country, and she is only dangerous to secular progressives. Pelosi is dangerous, but not as dangerous as Republicans who are actually counterfeit conservatives. Pelosi can do nothing if the House doesn’t back her. Reid can do nothing if the Senate doesn’t back him. No, my friend (pun intended), McCain, Graham, Crist, Collins, Snowe, Brown, Whitman, and former Republican Specter are the most dangerous people because they are unpredictable and lack the moral fortitude to consistently choose the U.S. Constitution over their political aspirations.
The right thing to do is rarely the popular thing to do, but it needs to be done anyways.
Emily Shelley´s last blog ..She Said No
Emily,
Thanks for commenting on Political Realities. I appreciate you taking the time to do so. I will make a quick reply, since I have to clock in and go to work in a few minutes.
Although I am not the author of the statement you quoted, let me address the “birthers” part of it. I think Ken believes in all parts of the Constitution, as do I. Concerning the natural born clause and the possible issue with President Obama being born somewhere besides Hawaii, I think that has been beat to death already. Knowing the Clinton political machine like I do, I very much doubt there is anything to that issue. If there was, I feel sure the Clintons would have dredged it up during the primary campaign and they would have made it known to all the world. I think it is a legitimate conspiracy theory and one on which entirely too much time has been spent.
If we are to defeat President Obama and stop or slow down his agenda, we need to focus on the real issues, not conspiracy theories that will get us nowhere and accomplish nothing.
With respect, I can understand how one would want to move on from the issue if they believe there is no merit. But when you have a member of the Kenyan parliament claiming emphatically that Obama was born there, witnessed by his paternal grandmother, and that there is now a tourist attraction there for his alleged place of birth, that qualifies as “high crimes & misdemeanors” in terms of electoral fraud.
http://www.thepostemail.com/2010/04/11/kenyan-parliament-claims-obama-born-in-kenya/
I don’t think we should be kidding ourselves that just because Hawaii’s governor is a Republican, that she wouldn’t hide the truth. Honestly, I think someone blackmailed her into sealing Obama’s records. If Obama has gone outside of the law to run for president, then the American people owe Schwarzenegger an apology, because he too would have loved to run for president, but he didn’t because he wasn’t born here.
I think being elected due to electoral fraud qualifies for impeachment. I’m not a fan of Biden either, but he is an American. How does impeaching Obama accomplish nothing? We aren’t pursuing the birther arguments simply because we want to impeach Obama, but because we believe in the integrity of our Constitution and this president doesn’t seem to. Now either Obama doesn’t care because his heart is hardened, or he doesn’t care because he’s not from America in the first place. And the Clintons might have avoided exposing this issue because it would have lost Hillary the illegal immigrant and the Hispanic voting bloc. They aren’t looking to kill their own political future while aiming at Obama’s.
Emily Shelley´s last blog ..She Said No
Emily,
I really do appreciate you taking the time to comment on the blog, but I really do not want to go into a long discussion about the issue of President Obama’s birth certificate. I do not believe it was a pertinent issue during the campaign and it is no different now. Let’s keep the discussion about the Tea Party, shall we?
As long as we acknowledge everything that makes the Tea Party movement what it is, then I have no problem sticking to the discussion of the Tea Party movement (it’s not a political party yet).
Emily Shelley´s last blog ..She Said No
What always happens is these parties burn brightly for a short time, the two major parties co-opt their agenda, then the original party dies out. I doubt Democrats will co-opt too much of the TP’s agenda but unless Republicans totally ignore them they may be doomed as a movement… especially if the GOP wins in November then TP members don’t support the GOP and they lose big time in 2012.
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