It's been two days now since angry conservatives hosted a series of tea parties across the country, and the fallout has some Republicans nervous. While the anti-tax sentiment of some of the protests may have been sincere, the images pulled from the events have often been offensive, embarrassing, or politically problematic.
It is a development that has tripped up the GOP before. The rallies outside McCain-Palin events included some of the same bile that was seen at the tea parties: charges of fascism, terrorism and other malicious criticisms leveled at Barack Obama. And it did the Republican ticket little good in its efforts to bring moderate voters to the cause.
Not everyone sees the connection. But some Republicans and Independents do view the fallout between the tea parties and the McCain-Palin rallies in a similar way: bad for the GOP.
"It is not clear-cut that the tea-party phenomena helps the GOP, unless they have a specific measure or policy (like Prop. 13 in 1978, and income tax cuts after that) to coalesce around," said Steven Hayward, a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "Right now it reminds me a bit of the free-floating 'angry moderates' of 1992 who fueled the Ross Perot candidacy, and that is the hazard for Republicans I think. I think the crazies at the rallies are a problem, but probably out of proportion (they always get the media attention) to the real breadth of sentiment underneath, which I think is largely authentic."
Self-professed middle-of-the-road political types were even more biting in their critiques.
"It is not clear-cut that the tea-party phenomena helps the GOP, unless they have a specific measure or policy (like Prop. 13 in 1978, and income tax cuts after that) to coalesce around," said Steven Hayward, a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "Right now it reminds me a bit of the free-floating 'angry moderates' of 1992 who fueled the Ross Perot candidacy, and that is the hazard for Republicans I think. I think the crazies at the rallies are a problem, but probably out of proportion (they always get the media attention) to the real breadth of sentiment underneath, which I think is largely authentic."
Self-professed middle-of-the-road political types were even more biting in their critiques.
"My own sense that is I don't see anything going on that is good for Republicans," said Doug Bailey, a longtime Republican consultant who helped co-found the centrist reform movement Unity08. "I just don't get it. It may be, and I don't doubt this, that there is a large segment of the American public that can and is riled up about taxes and can be riled up about one thing or another. But a large segment, in terms of numbers, doesn't amount to a couple hundred people demonstrating in Washington or wherever. That's a non-event ... Nobody likes taxes. So, of course, I'm sympathetic myself. I might throw a tea bag myself. But the fact is, that it is particularly ineffective for the Republican Party when it is Rush Limbaugh and the likes stirring it up. That just doesn't speak to the middle."
Of course, because the series of nationwide tea parties were geared towards a specific day (Tax Day), the political ramifications of the events seem naturally limited. "Those tea parties will be long forgotten by, oh, say tomorrow," said Stu Rothenberg, of the Rothenberg Political Report. "Do you really think that next November, when people go to the polls, the April 15 tea parties will be on their minds?"
That said, plans are in place for a next wave of protests in July. More significantly, as the GOP continues to stake their future on a wave of populist anger at the government and economy (witness: Texas Gov. Rick Perry talking about secession), the likelihood only increases that the most vocal and offensive elements of that anger will come to personify the party.
"Cons[ervatives are] finding out why I generally don't like protests on my side," Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsos said in a post-tea party tweet. "[T]hey bring out the wackos."
Of course, because the series of nationwide tea parties were geared towards a specific day (Tax Day), the political ramifications of the events seem naturally limited. "Those tea parties will be long forgotten by, oh, say tomorrow," said Stu Rothenberg, of the Rothenberg Political Report. "Do you really think that next November, when people go to the polls, the April 15 tea parties will be on their minds?"
That said, plans are in place for a next wave of protests in July. More significantly, as the GOP continues to stake their future on a wave of populist anger at the government and economy (witness: Texas Gov. Rick Perry talking about secession), the likelihood only increases that the most vocal and offensive elements of that anger will come to personify the party.
"Cons[ervatives are] finding out why I generally don't like protests on my side," Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsos said in a post-tea party tweet. "[T]hey bring out the wackos."
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17 comments:
Taxation is always a serious issue. Today we have a very complex tax code but the tax rates are rational except for the those which result in rebates to those who have paid no taxes. That is welfare pure and simple and should be labeled as such and handled outside the tax code.
The concern of many is that we or our children and grandchildren will have to pay the piper when all the deficit spending begins to be felt and the national debt balloons by trillions of dollars. There is also the specter of hyperinflation waiting in the wings that will wipe out everyone who is not already wiped out by the current financial crisis. I recommend everyone re-acquaint themselves with the hyperinflation in Germany following WW I.
It wasn't about taxation for most of the extremists. It was about ANTI Obama HATE Speech. Look at their posters.
If you were so concerned about your children, you would have been protesting the wrongful war in Iraq, the deregulation of banking/business and the Trillions of debt to China we incurred over the last 8 years. I saw none of this WHINING when Bush in office. No whiny tea pity parties, no hateful protest signs, nothing!! from you whiny cry baby Republicans. Get a stiff upper lip people and vow to help our President fix what the last President got us into!!
Az,
Comparing Obama to Hitler and Stalin? You don't call that HATE Speech? Or to Sadam? Showing him slitting Uncle Sam's throat? I you ask about the HATE Speech?
I thought the tea party days were about the bi-partisan grassroots protesting taxation. What happened to that?
Then you have parents exploiting their children, having them wear Indian feathers or sombreros? Do the children even get the message their parent's want them to deliver? Atrocious!
Dee :
Janeane Garofalo calls teabaggers "racist rednecks"
I love Janeane Garofalo and never miss her movies, since I saw the Cats and Dogs stuff. She is so spontaneous, natural, human, suffering human being but a loving one.
Great Movie Actress and Comedian Janeane Garofalo talks with Keith Olberman
Janeane Garofalo's first critically-acclaimed starring role in film was in 1996 in "The Truth About Cats & Dogs"
April 18, 2009
Janeane Garofalo calls teabaggers "racist rednecks" on Countdown with Keith Olbermann." (4/16) It's definitely worth a watch.
There are other videos of Countdown, of Keith Olbermann and also his friend Rachel Maddow and Arianna Huffington showing the Great Imbecility of all these Tea Baggers.
Behind the Taxation ridiculous stuff there is only Racism and Hate against Minorities, because Obama has lowered the taxes of 95% less wealthy people.
Tea Bagging represents the interests of the Rich and only them, they pay for the organization and gather a few dozens of Racists and Haters.
I collect all these wonderful videos here :
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
The Arizonian has the most rational and objective view of all this. Dee, in her criticism of Gov. Perry, illustrates that she also is willing to "hate" but still objects when anyone else, like the TEA party participants, use strong language to express their disapproval of Obama.
The marches and street demonstrations against real immigration reform were another example of the right of citizens to express their views in whatever language they choose.
There is much about the Obama a Administration that we all should be worried about. So far no one expects that he will begin pogroms against caucasians and open concentration camps for those who disagree with him but otherwise there is a remarkable parallel between other evil but charismatic leaders of the past. The more worrisome aspects of his administration is that he is too inexperienced to really be able to solve the nation's problems. A little criticism from the right will do him a lot of good.
If anyone is interested in the remarkable parallels between Obama and Hitler, see Guess Who in the archive for March 11, 2009.
Dee wrote, "If you were so concerned about your children, you would have been protesting the wrongful war in Iraq, the deregulation of banking/business and the Trillions of debt to China we incurred over the last 8 years. I saw none of this WHINING when Bush in office."
Actually I did all of the above. Keep in mind that most in Congress voted for the war in Iraq. If your memory was better, you would know that. There are probably very few people in the U.S. who favor shipping our jobs to China and India and continuing to buy oil from the Middle East and Venezuela with money borrowed from the Chinese. Where is your outrage about the Neolibs failure to exploit all of our domestic oil resources, not as the final solution but as a money saving bridge to the alternate energy future? Somehow I have a hard time visualizing an airplane flying through the sky with a full load of passengers using solar or wind energy or any other alternative form of energy. There was plenty of invective from the left wing and plenty of criticism by Republicans when Bush was in office. But then you knew that and just found it convenient to overlook them as an inconvenient truth.
If you have any concern about your, personal liberty and freedom, you might be interested in this point of view expressed in an address in Kalispell, Montana and Spokane, Washington last month:
"I believe the American people and their every action, are being ruled, regulated, restricted, licensed, registered, directed, checked, inspected, measured, numbered, counted, rated, stamped, censured, authorized, admonished, extorted, robbed, hoaxed, fined, harassed, disarmed, dishonored, fleeced, exploited, refused, prevented, drilled, indoctrinated, monopolized,assessed, and taxed to the point of suffocation and desperation."
So, if it turns out that man-made global warming is a hoax, will you be willing to demand that all of the draconian regulations passed during the global warming hysteria be removed? At a Climate Change conference sponsored bythe Heartland Institute, more than 700 scientists from all over the world came together to testify that man-made global warming does not exist.
This is interesting because I believe to the contrary -- i.e. man contributes such a load of greenhouse gases that there is no way it cannot effect climate.
Az,
Bush took us into a wrongful war and destroyed our economy over the last 8 years.
Obama is trying to fix the problems created by Bush.
That is the difference.
Ultima,
How can you use a source like Heartland Institute in your attempt to dispell Global Warming. Exxon is a big contributor to them. They are a conservative group whose purpose is to debunk Global Warming and the affects of Tobacco.
Here is what wiki said:
"In April 2008, environmental journalist Richard Littlemore wrote that the Heartland Institute's list of "500 Scientists with Documented Doubts of Man-Made Global Warming Scares"[10] included at least 45 scientists who neither knew of their inclusion as "coauthors" of the article, nor agreed with its claims regarding global warming. Dozens of the scientists asked the Heartland Institute to remove their names from the list:
As I reported, very few minorities, liberals, independents or Progressives attended the Tea Parties. Most were extremist conservative Fox watchers:
"In Orange County, Syd Flatt noted a preponderance of anti-immigration signs and observed an absence of ethnic diversity in the crowd:
Noticeably absent were Asians, who comprise 16% of the OC's population. Historically, Asians were overwhelmingly Republican, yet there were few in attendance.
This could be an indicator of a decisive shift in the political structure of Orange County.
Many reporters underlined the fact that the crowds that gathered at the tea parties were NOT racially diverse."
Az,
Asian groups are in close partnership with all groups in the Immigration Reform movement. Many are very, very active.
Dee wrote, "Bush took us into a wrongful war and destroyed our economy over the last 8 years."
Would you believe 6? The Dems had control of both houses for Bush's last two years. Moreover, there is ample evidence that many Dems took campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to look the other way as they encouraged toxic mortgages. In fact the blame rest clearly at the feet of all of the Administration beginning with Jimmy Carter.
Dee wrote, "How can you use a source like Heartland Institute in your attempt to dispell Global Warming. Exxon is a big contributor to them. They are a conservative group whose purpose is to debunk Global Warming and the affects of Tobacco."
I don't personally agree with Heartland's position but always like to give another point of view a fair hearing -- especially if there are some reputable scientists (650?) who agree with that point of view. It's never a good idea to have a closed mind.
I wish you would stop using that hate word. Disapproving his policies and expressing that in the strongest terms has always be the right of Americans. You do remember the days of the flag burnings, don't you? I believe that was Lyndon Johnson who was in office at that time.
See parallel between Obama and another earlier leader.
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