The Tea Party is back in business! (1 Viewer)

[TPW]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I never said that I thought those elections would have turned out any differently than they did. I'm quite aware that the majority of the American populace has rejected Constitutional republicanism (little 'r') in favor of an ever expanding, centralized, European-style welfare state.

That doesn't mean I and those like me are ever going to reject our values in favor of what we consider a vastly inferior system and fundamentally flawed word view. History will record who is right.

 

[Kasparov]

A "delusional anti-gay bigot"? TPW is like "Where do I sign up??"

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I think the results will be worse but imagine this.

A candidate that:

1. Fully support immigration reform.

2. Legalize pot and make drug possession a misdemeanor.

3. Want to cut defense spending by 25%.

4. Support women right to abortion.

5. Want to fully fund NASA.

6. Want to get rid of the TSA.

7. Want to close tax loophoels for corporations.

8. Wants to stop corporate welfare.

9. Wants college tuition tax deductible.

 

[RCon]

What's ironic about the term RINO is that the Tea Party by their own admission really should be calling themselves that with pride. How many times have you heard them say, "We care nothing about the Republican party, we care about our conservative ideals!" etc. Aren't they therefore the RINOs?

Yeah, but CINO (conservative in name only) would be a bit unwieldy. I mean, phonetically, you'd think it would be see-no because I after C and all, but "Conservative" has that hard K sound and you'd want to keep that, so would you say key-no? And neither of those rhymes with rye-no, which is how we pronounce RINO, so that confuses things even more. I mean, sigh-no? That would be dumb. And kigh-no; well that just sounds like something a hippie would say, so that's out. So, really, what choice do they have but to stick with calling establishment GOPers RINOs?

 

[timschochet]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I never said that I thought those elections would have turned out any differently than they did. I'm quite aware that the majority of the American populace has rejected Constitutional republicanism (little 'r') in favor of an ever expanding, centralized, European-style welfare state.

That doesn't mean I and those like me are ever going to reject our values in favor of what we consider a vastly inferior system and fundamentally flawed word view. History will record who is right.

No they have not. The majority of Americans still want much more individual freedoms than the European type state will ever allow.

But what they also don't want are extreme solutions, like shutting down the government, or not raising the debt ceiling. They don't want extremists telling women that when they're raped they can't have an abortion. They don't want extremist ANYTHING.

Moderate Republicans are fighting the good fight to keep government limited, to promote free trade, to fight against excessive regulations and taxation when it becomes too high. These are all struggles that can be won in the long run, but you're not helping us. By behaving like a martyr (which you're not) you're only helping the other side.

 

[RCon]

Both sides seem determined to go to whatever length is necessary here. How it plays out could very well decide the future of the GOP.

Yeah, but you say that kind of stuff about everything. How many "turning points" were there in the 2012 election again?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I never said that I thought those elections would have turned out any differently than they did. I'm quite aware that the majority of the American populace has rejected Constitutional republicanism (little 'r') in favor of an ever expanding, centralized, European-style welfare state.

That doesn't mean I and those like me are ever going to reject our values in favor of what we consider a vastly inferior system and fundamentally flawed word view. History will record who is right.

That is just it Constitutional republicanism - does not exist because I have never heard it defined. It sounds like a Beckism.

Which means it is a lie like this country being founded as a Christian nation (see
Treaty of Tripoli).

 

[timschochet]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I think the results will be worse but imagine this.

A candidate that:

1. Fully support immigration reform.

2. Legalize pot and make drug possession a misdemeanor.

3. Want to cut defense spending by 25%.

4. Support women right to abortion.

5. Want to fully fund NASA.

6. Want to get rid of the TSA.

7. Want to close tax loophoels for corporations.

8. Wants to stop corporate welfare.

9. Wants college tuition tax deductible.

Add in wants free trade, less restrictions on new business, and supports a national energy policy, and you'll get my biggest endorsement ever.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

What's ironic about the term RINO is that the Tea Party by their own admission really should be calling themselves that with pride. How many times have you heard them say, "We care nothing about the Republican party, we care about our conservative ideals!" etc. Aren't they therefore the RINOs?

Yeah, but CINO (conservative in name only) would be a bit unwieldy. I mean, phonetically, you'd think it would be see-no because I after C and all, but "Conservative" has that hard K sound and you'd want to keep that, so would you say key-no? And neither of those rhymes with rye-no, which is how we pronounce RINO, so that confuses things even more. I mean, sigh-no? That would be dumb. And kigh-no; well that just sounds like something a hippie would say, so that's out. So, really, what choice do they have but to stick with calling establishment GOPers RINOs?

How about PINO? Principled I name Only.

How about BINO? Bigot in Name Only.

How about LINO? Liberal in name only.

How about GINO? Gay in name Only.

How about DINO?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I think the results will be worse but imagine this.

A candidate that:

1. Fully support immigration reform.

2. Legalize pot and make drug possession a misdemeanor.

3. Want to cut defense spending by 25%.

4. Support women right to abortion.

5. Want to fully fund NASA.

6. Want to get rid of the TSA.

7. Want to close tax loophoels for corporations.

8. Wants to stop corporate welfare.

9. Wants college tuition tax deductible.

Add in wants free trade, less restrictions on new business, and supports a national energy policy, and you'll get my biggest endorsement ever.

Salivating isn't it.

 

[humpback]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I think the results will be worse but imagine this.

A candidate that:

1. Fully support immigration reform.

2. Legalize pot and make drug possession a misdemeanor.

3. Want to cut defense spending by 25%.

4. Support women right to abortion.

5. Want to fully fund NASA.

6. Want to get rid of the TSA.

7. Want to close tax loophoels for corporations.

8. Wants to stop corporate welfare.

9. Wants college tuition tax deductible.

Add in wants free trade, less restrictions on new business, and supports a national energy policy, and you'll get my biggest endorsement ever.

 

[Sand]

When people in our own party start calling you a fraud or totally incompetent then I would say it is time to leave the party.


08:37 PM ET

Peter King on Ted Cruz: "Either a fraud or...totally incompetent...he can have his choice"Coming up this evening at 9, "Piers Morgan Live" invites U.S. RepresentativePeter King to share his thoughts on the ongoing government shutdown, and the rapidly approaching debt ceiling deadline.

Joining Piers Morgan from Washington, D.C., the former Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security pulls few punches when expressing his dissatisfaction with the recent tactics employed by Ted Cruz.

"I lay almost all of it at his feet because he's the one who started this," says King, when asked how much blame he personally places on the Republican Senator from Texas. "Ted Cruz is the one behind it, and I've said from the start he was a fraud, because this strategy never had a chance to work, he knew it wasn't going to work...this was just a stunt by him, and as a result of that, the country is on the verge of default and the government is shut down."

As the host suggests that Cruz's plan is a symbol of the GOP's new guard trying to establish itself, even potentially with an eye towards the 2016 presidential election, King denounces the attempt as entirely flawed:

"The fact is, if you come up with a strategy that's going to shutdown the government of the United States, and you have no way of winning, you're either a fraud, or you're totally incompetent. So he can have his choice as to what he is."

Tune in at 9 for the full interview with Peter King, as the Republican from New York says of Cruz, "we have to go after him...we are not going to allow Ted Cruz to hijack this party, and bring the country to the edge of ruin. It's just wrong."

Oh, please. 140+ Repubs voted against the deal that finally went through.

 

[RCon]

What's ironic about the term RINO is that the Tea Party by their own admission really should be calling themselves that with pride. How many times have you heard them say, "We care nothing about the Republican party, we care about our conservative ideals!" etc. Aren't they therefore the RINOs?

Yeah, but CINO (conservative in name only) would be a bit unwieldy. I mean, phonetically, you'd think it would be see-no because I after C and all, but "Conservative" has that hard K sound and you'd want to keep that, so would you say key-no? And neither of those rhymes with rye-no, which is how we pronounce RINO, so that confuses things even more. I mean, sigh-no? That would be dumb. And kigh-no; well that just sounds like something a hippie would say, so that's out. So, really, what choice do they have but to stick with calling establishment GOPers RINOs?

How about PINO? Principled I name Only.

How about BINO? Bigot in Name Only.

How about LINO? Liberal in name only.

How about GINO? Gay in name Only.

How about DINO?

Well, LINO, GINO, and DINO don't make any sense if you're referring to would-be conservatives. Those all are more of a slur that pinko-commies would use when referring to moderate Democrats.

You might have something with PINO, though. If you pronounce it pee-no instead of pie-no, then it sounds like the first part of pinot-noir, which sounds French, and really, calling someone French is a pretty good insult. I vote for PINO.

 

[timschochet]

You know FSM, you kind of described John Huntsman there...

 

[RCon]

You know FSM, you kind of described John Huntsman there...

Which one: PINO, DINO, LINO...?

 

[mr roboto]

You know FSM, you kind of described John Huntsman there...

####### BINGO!!!!!! But the far right didn't like him in the primary, so...

 

[mr roboto]

Are the 'centrist' R and D groups closer to each other than they are to their respective far left/right counterparts?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

You know FSM, you kind of described John Huntsman there...

He is anti-choice, also he seems to be a bit pro-gun. I have said before that he was an interesting candidate and I like some of his positions.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Are the 'centrist' R and D groups closer to each other than they are to their respective far left/right counterparts?

I would say yes.

 

[Slapdash]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I never said that I thought those elections would have turned out any differently than they did. I'm quite aware that the majority of the American populace has rejected Constitutional republicanism (little 'r') in favor of an ever expanding, centralized, European-style welfare state.

That doesn't mean I and those like me are ever going to reject our values in favor of what we consider a vastly inferior system and fundamentally flawed word view. History will record who is right.

It takes quite a bit of delusion to think that is what Mitt Romney and John McCain were advocating.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Are the 'centrist' R and D groups closer to each other than they are to their respective far left/right counterparts?

I would say yes.

I would say yes also.

 

[mr roboto]

Are the 'centrist' R and D groups closer to each other than they are to their respective far left/right counterparts?

I would say yes.

I would say yes also.

If this is true, can't we just combine the centrists and let the far side types have little fringe groups. The Tea Party, the crazy religious fundies, the Sierra Club enviros and the full-blown socialists could all just go pound sand.

 

[Statorama]

Sometimes listening to Sarah Palin is . Her word vomit on the Megan Kelley show is nonsensical and very funny

I think she is stoned. Her eyes are glassy and she has that dry mouth

Stoned like a fox

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

Nope it's all over. Dems have unchecked power going forward. That's good for America, right?

No way! BGP said that Obama's election would put a fork in the left forever.Actually what would be good for America would be if the left get to define the problems that require government solutions and the right devise the solutions. (Ouch, "saying that out loud" makes me need to rethink ObamaCare.)

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

Can we implement a "kick the can" tax? Maybe grant the IRS "publishing rights" or something to collect a few pennies in royalties each time it used? Should close our immediate budget hole pretty nicely. At least until people can break the habits to avoid using it to avoid the tax.

Been watching Fox all night, Hannity's on now. "Kick the can" is a mandatory phrase for the Fox team. Oh, and Hannity's head is about to explode. Great entertainment atm.

I understand that you guys on "Team Blue/Obama" feel you need to beat your chest about your victory. But do you really think the people who are using the phrase "kicking the can down the road" are being disingenuous when they use it? Are we not going to have a similar debate again in 3 months?

Nope. The expression is just tired. And those using it those most are the biggest hindrance to doing something about it.

 

[timschochet]

Are the 'centrist' R and D groups closer to each other than they are to their respective far left/right counterparts?

I would say yes.

I would say yes also.

If this is true, can't we just combine the centrists and let the far side types have little fringe groups. The Tea Party, the crazy religious fundies, the Sierra Club enviros and the full-blown socialists could all just go pound sand.

nolabels.org

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

There is a way to reduce the deficit without raising taxes or cutting spending- it involves creating 15 million new taxpayers.

Yeah, the poorest among us pay a bunch of taxes, right?

Actually yes. Our problems are largely with items paid by the payroll tax, the tax paid by most of us (whether directly or indirectly) that are not rich. These revenues have been raided to pay for income tax cuts which are largely paid by the rich.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

there are some very long posts in here

The FFA is surprisingly coming to a consensus that we will all rally around Elizabeth Warren. Sound good?

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

The Tea Party didn't exist until 2010. It was brought into existence primarily by three events TARP (approved by Bush), the February 2009 stimulus bill, and the push for Obamacare in Congress. Those events added trillions of dollars of immediate and future debt within a span of just a few months and became the proverbial straw which broke the camel's back.

Actually that was the tag team of two rounds of tax cuts and Medicare D. Yet you all remained silent until Obama was about to be elected! Oh! I guess Obama was the straw. I missed that the first time I read it.

 

[Boston]

I never wrote that they were stupid as individuals. In my experience, far from it. But their views are stupid. A majority of Tea Partiers believe that Obama is a Muslim, a Communist, a supporter of terrorism, who was not born in this country. A significantly large minority of Tea Partiers believe Obama is the anti-Christ. A strong majority of Tea Partiers believe that it's OK, if not preferable, to refuse to raise the debt ceiling. A majority of Tea Partiers demand to balance the federal budget, with no tax increases, and no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Defense.

Sorry, but these viewpoints aren't exactly rational.

They also aren't nearly as prevalent as you think...

Both sides have their extremists...the issue right now is the dems are marching in lockstep while there is a fraction within the GOP...the word diversity gets thrown around a lot but right now as far as the parties go it is the GOP that has more competing ideas within the party yet due to an absolute lack of leadership and God-awful understanding of the mainstream media they can not get their act together...the GOP needs to tell the establishment RINOS that want to please the writers over at the NY Times to screw while telling the Tea Party to grow-up and stop the grenade throwing every time they don't get their way...the only way this is going to happen is if a leader like Reagan emerges and unfortunately there does not seem to be one on the horizon...the dems may think they are winning the battle and they are...what they really don't get is they suck as well but just not as much...

I hate the term RINO and how it gets thrown around if you don't agree with something that a portion of the party agrees with. If you think the strategy taken was idiocy then you are a RINO. Of course the strategy worked out so well that we are in a worse place then we would have been. Sorry but agreeing with the WSJ editorial board is far from being a RINO.

Call them what you like but there are many "establishment GOPers" who are only concerned with keeping their own power and making sure the New York Times or Washington Post doesn't think they are a caveman...IMO they are no better than the Tea Partiers who insist on playing a zero-sum game...both sides are hurting the Republican party...one because they have no balls and the other because they think they have balls of steel...

 

[Sammy3469]

Can't wait to see the the establishment Republicans fall back into bed with the Tea Party over immigration reform and get labelled obstructionists again.

 

[Boston]

Can't wait to see the the establishment Republicans fall back into bed with the Tea Party over immigration reform and get labelled obstructionists again.

One thing I do enjoy is how the mainstream media/dems label Republicans based on what is currently going on...outside of the 2008 election John McCain was seen as a maverick...one of the few guys in Washington who did stuff on his own especially when it came to butting heads within his own party...yet once he became a threat to win the Presidency he became a far-right conservative...same with Romney...he was seen as a moderate who had the ability to win an election as a republican even though he was in the bluest of blue states...yet, once he became a threat for the Presidency he became a capitalist whore who strapped his dog to the roof and would do whatever the tea party wanted him to do...doesn't matter who it is...be it Bush, Cheney, Palin, Boehner, McConnell, Gingrich, Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, Scalia, Paul Ryan, Scott Brown, Marco Rubio once they become a threat to the left's power they will be labeled an out-of-touch right-winger who will step on the little-guy...this is the standard issue playbook and the amazing thing is the GOP continues to be unprepared for it...just wait, if Christie wins the GOP nomination he will be given the exact same treatment...all the lefties who now like him because he knocks heads with the far right will turn him into Ted Cruz's love-child prior to the general election...

 

[dparker713]

New study released JUST after shutdown, by coincidence I'm sure. Tea party members aren't stupid after all, they are smarter than liberals at science, republicans are the real dummies.http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/tea-party-science-98488.html?hp=r3

I'm pretty sure the Tea party, being more engaged,is more knowledgeable than liberals and conservatives at most subjects except pop culture. Which is amazing considering tea party members are older and you tend to forget things over time. I'd like to see a study of the intelligence of the parties based on age, tea party would rule.

You don't have to be stupid to have extremist political views.

Nice to see the tea party has moved from dumb and extremist to smart and extremist. I'll take that.

First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they ... TEA PARTY IS HERE ... fight you, then you win.

I never wrote that they were stupid as individuals. In my experience, far from it. But their views are stupid. A majority of Tea Partiers believe that Obama is a Muslim, a Communist, a supporter of terrorism, who was not born in this country. A significantly large minority of Tea Partiers believe Obama is the anti-Christ. A strong majority of Tea Partiers believe that it's OK, if not preferable, to refuse to raise the debt ceiling. A majority of Tea Partiers demand to balance the federal budget, with no tax increases, and no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Defense.Sorry, but these viewpoints aren't exactly rational.

Some of those are just silly, some are just rhetoric, some of those have some truth in them, but you are mistaking disruptive with irrational. The tea party is disruptive to the status quo, I won't disagree with that. In the technology space, a disruptive technology, like a totally new patent or invention, can revolutionize the way things work, such inventions are usually initially mocked because it represents a threat to the status quo. Amazingly, I've seen such technologies continue to get mocked even as the new products continue to capture a large percentage of market share, and companies producing outdated products continue mocking them as they go out of business. The Tea Party has captured market share with their strict interpretation of the Constitution (their disruptive idea) and continues to grow, at some point people are going to have to concede there are some truths, some big truths, behind the movement, even if these truths are totally opposite of mainstream beliefs.

Popularity does not equal truth. Especially considering the relative stupidity of the general public.

 

[Dr Oadi]

"The base stayed home" is one of the biggest lies that conservatives tell themselves in order to justify the results of the last two national elections. It's true that in red states like Louisiana and Idaho, many in the base stayed home- why shouldn't they? The result was assured. But in the key battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the Republican/conservative base was extremely energized, and they did NOT stay home. But they lost anyhow.

Conservatives need to face reality: they lost not because of the candidate, or because of trickery, or because the public didn't understand the message of conservatism: they lost because the American public understood their message and rejected it. And they're going to continue to lose national elections until that message is modified. If conservatives continue in their attempt to kick out all centrists in the Republican party, or if they bolt to form their own party based on Tea Party principles, the results will be even worse.

I never said that I thought those elections would have turned out any differently than they did. I'm quite aware that the majority of the American populace has rejected Constitutional republicanism (little 'r') in favor of an ever expanding, centralized, European-style welfare state.

That doesn't mean I and those like me are ever going to reject our values in favor of what we consider a vastly inferior system and fundamentally flawed word view. History will record who is right.

That is just it Constitutional republicanism - does not exist because I have never heard it defined. It sounds like a Beckism. Which means it is a lie like this country being founded as a Christian nation (see

Treaty of Tripoli).

America appeasing the Muslims since 1797.

 

[Widbil83]

There is just so much crazy in this thread.

And it's only from one side, amiright?

Seems its always posters who attempt to put the "crazy" or "extremists" label on people they disagree are usually the most crazy.

 

[timschochet]

Can't wait to see the the establishment Republicans fall back into bed with the Tea Party over immigration reform and get labelled obstructionists again.

Let's hope this doesn't happen. Several Republican congressmen have come out in favor of the Senate bill, especially Paul Ryan. Hopefully we'll see some movement here.

 

[dparker713]

Can't wait to see the the establishment Republicans fall back into bed with the Tea Party over immigration reform and get labelled obstructionists again.

One thing I do enjoy is how the mainstream media/dems label Republicans based on what is currently going on...outside of the 2008 election John McCain was seen as a maverick...one of the few guys in Washington who did stuff on his own especially when it came to butting heads within his own party...yet once he became a threat to win the Presidency he became a far-right conservative...same with Romney...he was seen as a moderate who had the ability to win an election as a republican even though he was in the bluest of blue states...yet, once he became a threat for the Presidency he became a capitalist whore who strapped his dog to the roof and would do whatever the tea party wanted him to do...doesn't matter who it is...be it Bush, Cheney, Palin, Boehner, McConnell, Gingrich, Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, Scalia, Paul Ryan, Scott Brown, Marco Rubio once they become a threat to the left's power they will be labeled an out-of-touch right-winger who will step on the little-guy...this is the standard issue playbook and the amazing thing is the GOP continues to be unprepared for it...just wait, if Christie wins the GOP nomination he will be given the exact same treatment...all the lefties who now like him because he knocks heads with the far right will turn him into Ted Cruz's love-child prior to the general election...

You've got it backwards. McCain and Romney changed their positions to win their primaries and in so doing stopped being a threat to win the general.

 

[timschochet]

There is just so much crazy in this thread.

And it's only from one side, amiright?

Seems its always posters who attempt to put the "crazy" or "extremists" label on people they disagree are usually the most crazy.

I gave very specific reasons as to why I consider the Tea Party to be extremist. Once again:

1. The belief that President Obama is illegitimate: either born in Kenya, or a Muslim, or a Communist, or a terrorist sympathizer, or the antiChrist: whatever the particulars, the common thread here is that he is evil and trying to destroy America (whereas a non-Tea Party Republican would simply consider Obama to be a Democratic politician whom they disagree with on most issues.)

2. The belief that the budget must be balanced without new taxation, and without significant changes to Social Security, Medicare, or defense spending.

3. The belief that shutting down the government and not raising the debt ceiling would not be especially harmful- or, if they are harmful, that it's worth it to "burn the ####er down" rather than to continue on our current path.

If you believe that I am misrepresenting any of these positions as representative of the Tea Party, please let me know how. If you believe that any of these positions are not extremist, please let me know which one. If you believe that any of these positions are justifiable, please go ahead and attempt to do so.

 

[commisholio]

Tim, I'm pretty sure the Tea Party would be on-board with significant reductions to SS and medicare.

 

[timschochet]

Tim, I'm pretty sure the Tea Party would be on-board with significant reductions to SS and medicare.

Really? I've never heard one. Can you produce a prominent member of the Tea Party who has called for this? If you do, I will change my mind about that aspect.

 

[commisholio]

Tim, I'm pretty sure the Tea Party would be on-board with significant reductions to SS and medicare.

Really? I've never heard one. Can you produce a prominent member of the Tea Party who has called for this? If you do, I will change my mind about that aspect.

Michele Bachmann count? http://www.ontheissues.org/2012/Michele_Bachmann_Social_Security.htm

First link when you google Michele Bachmann and social security. I'm not sure why you wouldn't think that extreme righties like the Tea Partiers wouldn't want to gut Social Security and Medicare. They've hated the safety net from the day it was introduced.

 

[Lutherman2112]

Sometimes listening to Sarah Palin is . Her word vomit on the Megan Kelley show is nonsensical and very funny

I think she is stoned. Her eyes are glassy and she has that dry mouth

Word salad

And lets not forget this gem from the quitter

 

[timschochet]

Tim, I'm pretty sure the Tea Party would be on-board with significant reductions to SS and medicare.

Really? I've never heard one. Can you produce a prominent member of the Tea Party who has called for this? If you do, I will change my mind about that aspect.

Michele Bachmann count? http://www.ontheissues.org/2012/Michele_Bachmann_Social_Security.htm

First link when you google Michele Bachmann and social security. I'm not sure why you wouldn't think that extreme righties like the Tea Partiers wouldn't want to gut Social Security and Medicare. They've hated the safety net from the day it was introduced.

She wants to replace Social Security with a "retirement account".That's not exactly the same thing. But fair enough, let me revise my statement:

1. The belief that President Obama is illegitimate: either born in Kenya, or a Muslim, or a Communist, or a terrorist sympathizer, or the antiChrist: whatever the particulars, the common thread here is that he is evil and trying to destroy America (whereas a non-Tea Party Republican would simply consider Obama to be a Democratic politician whom they disagree with on most issues.)

2. The belief that the budget must be balanced without new taxation, and immediately- not in increments over time, but right now. (Which means, in real terms, that we need to cut the budget by around 800 billion per year in spending right away- no explanation given as to how this would be achieved.)

3. The belief that shutting down the government and not raising the debt ceiling would not be especially harmful- or, if they are harmful, that it's worth it to "burn the ####er down" rather than to continue on our current path.

If you believe that I am misrepresenting any of these positions as representative of the Tea Party, please let me know how. If you believe that any of these positions are not extremist, please let me know which one. If you believe that any of these positions are justifiable, please go ahead and attempt to do so.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Are the 'centrist' R and D groups closer to each other than they are to their respective far left/right counterparts?

I would say yes.

I would say yes also.

If this is true, can't we just combine the centrists and let the far side types have little fringe groups. The Tea Party, the crazy religious fundies, the Sierra Club enviros and the full-blown socialists could all just go pound sand.

We can call it the Coffee party.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Can't wait to see the the establishment Republicans fall back into bed with the Tea Party over immigration reform and get labelled obstructionists again.

One thing I do enjoy is how the mainstream media/dems label Republicans based on what is currently going on...outside of the 2008 election John McCain was seen as a maverick...one of the few guys in Washington who did stuff on his own especially when it came to butting heads within his own party...yet once he became a threat to win the Presidency he became a far-right conservative...same with Romney...he was seen as a moderate who had the ability to win an election as a republican even though he was in the bluest of blue states...yet, once he became a threat for the Presidency he became a capitalist whore who strapped his dog to the roof and would do whatever the tea party wanted him to do...doesn't matter who it is...be it Bush, Cheney, Palin, Boehner, McConnell, Gingrich, Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, Scalia, Paul Ryan, Scott Brown, Marco Rubio once they become a threat to the left's power they will be labeled an out-of-touch right-winger who will step on the little-guy...this is the standard issue playbook and the amazing thing is the GOP continues to be unprepared for it...just wait, if Christie wins the GOP nomination he will be given the exact same treatment...all the lefties who now like him because he knocks heads with the far right will turn him into Ted Cruz's love-child prior to the general election...

That meme is dead.

Foxnews is now doing more damage to your brand that any of those manufactured boogie men in the closet and under the bed.

Beck and Palin brand of "incredible facepalm idiocy" was on daily display - that is what damaged your brand - that is what lost you the elections - that is why I hope everyday that the Bachmanns, Santrums, and Perrys stay relevant in the GOP. No one has to make stuff up about those three, they make the jokes themselves. Perry forgetting how to count to Santrum comparing homosexuality to pedophilia, or incest or bestiality, and of course Sarah reading all those magazines.... No left wing conspiracy here - just give them the dam mic.

 

[spreagle]

Tim, I'm pretty sure the Tea Party would be on-board with significant reductions to SS and medicare.

Really? I've never heard one. Can you produce a prominent member of the Tea Party who has called for this? If you do, I will change my mind about that aspect.

As a TP sympathizer, I would definitely be against cutting SS or Medicare on the grounds it puts the American citizen last. Funding those programs strengthens the American citizens and weakens the government, which I am for. Cutting those programs strengthens the government while weakening the American citizen, which I am against.

 

[Slapdash]

What?

 

[Dr Oadi]

All is back to normal. The government is back and 328 billion dollars more in debt.

http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/18/us-debt-jumps-400-billion-tops-17-trillion-first-t/

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I like this Spreagle guy. His posts are like a stew, he just throws every single random thought he has into a post and simmers for a few hours in hopes that it turns out well.

 

[otello]

Tim, I'm pretty sure the Tea Party would be on-board with significant reductions to SS and medicare.

Really? I've never heard one. Can you produce a prominent member of the Tea Party who has called for this? If you do, I will change my mind about that aspect.

Michele Bachmann count? http://www.ontheissues.org/2012/Michele_Bachmann_Social_Security.htm

First link when you google Michele Bachmann and social security. I'm not sure why you wouldn't think that extreme righties like the Tea Partiers wouldn't want to gut Social Security and Medicare. They've hated the safety net from the day it was introduced.

She wants to replace Social Security with a "retirement account".That's not exactly the same thing. But fair enough, let me revise my statement:

1. The belief that President Obama is illegitimate: either born in Kenya, or a Muslim, or a Communist, or a terrorist sympathizer, or the antiChrist: whatever the particulars, the common thread here is that he is evil and trying to destroy America (whereas a non-Tea Party Republican would simply consider Obama to be a Democratic politician whom they disagree with on most issues.)

2. The belief that the budget must be balanced without new taxation, and immediately- not in increments over time, but right now. (Which means, in real terms, that we need to cut the budget by around 800 billion per year in spending right away- no explanation given as to how this would be achieved.)

3. The belief that shutting down the government and not raising the debt ceiling would not be especially harmful- or, if they are harmful, that it's worth it to "burn the ####er down" rather than to continue on our current path.

If you believe that I am misrepresenting any of these positions as representative of the Tea Party, please let me know how. If you believe that any of these positions are not extremist, please let me know which one. If you believe that any of these positions are justifiable, please go ahead and attempt to do so.

Here is the platform that I pulled from http://www.teaparty-platform.com. This may not be the official one, but it was easily found. The quotes are a bonus. Flame away.

Preamble:

The Tea Party Movement is an all-inclusive American grassroots movement with the belief that everyone is created equal and deserves an equal opportunity to thrive in these United States where they may “pursue life, liberty and happiness” as stated in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. No one is excluded from participation in the Tea Party Movement. Everyone is welcomed to join in seeking to achieve the Tea Party Movement goals, which are as follows:

1. Eliminate Excessive Taxes - Excessively high taxes are a burden for those exercising their personal liberty to work hard and prosper as afforded by the Constitution. A fiscally responsible government protects the freedom of its citizens to enjoy the fruits of their own labor without interference from a government that has exceeded its necessary size, scope and reach into the lives of its citizens.

“Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.” --Calvin Coolidge

“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.” --Thomas Jefferson

“Any tax is a discouragement and therefore a regulation.” --Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

2. Eliminate the National Debt - By implementing fiscally conservative policies at all levels of government, progress can be made toward eliminating the U.S. National Debt. Massive increases in the National Debt have created and continue to create a huge burden for the next generation of Americans, thus imperiling the country’s short-term and long-term economic health and prosperity.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” --Abraham Lincoln

“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” --Thomas Paine, 1776

“As on the one hand, the necessity for borrowing in particular emergencies cannot be doubted, so on the other, it is equally evident that to be able to borrow upon good terms, it is essential that the credit of a nation should be well established.” --Alexander Hamilton, 1790

3. Eliminate Deficit Spending - All deficit spending must be eliminated immediately. We insist that government representatives at all levels maintain a fiscally responsible budget and balance the books as would be expected of any American business.

“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.” --George Washington

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” --Benjamin Franklin

“Tomorrow, every Fault is to be amended; but that Tomorrow never comes.” --Benjamin Franklin

4. Protect Free Markets - America’s free enterprise system allows businesses to thrive as they compete in the open marketplace and strive toward ever better services and products. Allowing free markets to prosper unfettered by government interference is what propelled this country to greatness with an enduring belief in the industriousness and innovations of the populace.

“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” --Abraham Lincoln

“You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.” --Abraham Lincoln

“The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” --Ronald Reagan

5. Abide by the Constitution of the United States - The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land and must be adhered to without exception at all levels of government. This includes the Bill of Rights and other Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and their provisions designed to protect states’ rights and individual liberties.

“A general Dissolution of Principles & Manners will more surely overthrow the Liberties of America than the whole Force of the Common Enemy.” --Samuel Adams, 1779

“The Constitution is the guide which I will never abandon.” --George Washington

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” --Abraham Lincoln

6. Promote Civic Responsibility - Citizen involvement at the grassroots level allows the voice of the American people to be heard and directs the political behaviors of our representatives at both the

local and national level so they, in turn, may be most effective in working to preserve the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of this country’s citizens.

“The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” --Patrick Henry

“To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.” --Abraham Lincoln

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light” --George Washington

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” --Thomas Jefferson

7. Reduce the Overall Size of Government - A bloated bureaucracy creates wasteful spending that plagues our government. Reducing the overall size, scope and reach of government at both local and national levels will help to eliminate inefficiencies that result in deficit spending which adds to our country’s debt.

“My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty...it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.” --George Washington

“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.” --Samuel Adams, 1802

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” --Benjamin Franklin

8. Believe in the People - The American people, given their guaranteed freedoms, will thrive in a democratic, capitalist environment which allows individuals to strive toward ever greater achievements, innovations and the efficient production of needed and valued goods and services.

“Industry need not wish.” --Benjamin Franklin

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.” --Abraham Lincoln

“The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.” --Abraham Lincoln

9. Avoid the Pitfalls of Politics - American politics is burdened by big money from lobbyists and special interests with an undue influence on the peoples’ representatives. The Tea Party movement is seen as a threat to the entrenched political parties and thus is the continual target of smear campaigns and misrepresentation of its ideals. We choose not to respond to these attacks except to strongly and explicitly disavow any and all hate speech, any and all violence as well as insinuations of violence, and any and all extreme and fringe elements that bring discredit to the Tea Party Movement. We are a peaceful movement and respect other's opinions and views even though they do not agree with our own. We stand by the Tea Party beliefs and goals and choose to focus our energies on ensuring that our government representatives do the same.

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” --Abraham Lincoln

“Honesty is the best policy.” --Benjamin Franklin

“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” --George Washington

10. Maintain Local Independence - The strength and resilience of a grassroots movement is the ability of citizens at the local level to determine their own platforms, agendas and priorities free of an overriding central leadership. Exercising the clearly stated message of the Tea Party movement by its nature involves discourse about which policies and candidates best hold to our stated principles, and these various opinions should flourish and evolve at the local level.