The tea party as a ‘hostile takeover’ of the GOP
Two tea-party promoters, Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe of Freedomworks, offer a “manifesto” for the movement in today’s Wall Street Journal. The bit that’s getting all the attention doesn’t come until the end:
[L]et us be clear about one thing: The tea party movement is not seeking a junior partnership with the Republican Party, but a hostile takeover of it.
The American values of individual freedom, fiscal responsibility and limited government bind the ranks of our movement. That makes the tea party better than a political party. It is a growing community that can sustain itself after November, ensuring a better means of holding a new generation of elected officials accountable.
So, it’s a hostile takeover of a political party, but it’s also better than a political party? I think I know what they are getting at: that they are part of a movement that will try to infiltrate the GOP and change it from within, rather than compete with, or take orders from, it. But it’s a little obtuse, as is the notion of setting out a manifesto for a group that, as they write within said manifesto, is not a top-down organization:
The many branches of the tea party movement have created a virtual marketplace for new ideas, effective innovations and creative tactics. Best practices come from the ground up, around kitchen tables, from Facebook friends, at weekly book clubs, or on Twitter feeds. This is beautiful chaos — or, as the Nobel Prize-winning economist F.A. Hayek put it, “spontaneous order.”
Decentralization, not top-down hierarchy, is the best way to maximize the contributions of people and their personal knowledge. Let the leaders be the activists who have the best knowledge of local personalities and issues. In the real world, this is common sense. In Washington, D.C., this is considered radical.
As I’ve said before, the tea party’s best chances for “sustain[ing] itself after November” lie in changing the way Americans engage with politics and politicians — for changing the framework for debate, not working within the old one. And it needs to be done locally before it can expect to have more than a fleeting impact nationally.
I don’t think Armey and Kibbe are wrong about their description of the tea party to date. But if they are right about its intention to remake the GOP nationally, I think the movement will end up using its energies in ways that don’t fulfill its potential.
P.S. — As a challenge to those who will come on here and disparage tea partiers, try to say something more original and insightful than accusing all or most of them of racism.
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310 comments Add your comment
Jed
August 17th, 2010
5:23 pm
Here is a cool link for all Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian subjects. Our rulers would not want you to read this.
http://www.garynorth.com/public/6827.cfm
Harry Haff
August 17th, 2010
5:24 pm
The “tea party” is really nothing more than a bunch of pseudo patriots claiming they represent America when what they really represent is an outdated idea of what this country is. I hate to break it to you, but most Americans do not live on the frontier, farm, live in log cabin homesteads or make do all by themselves. We are an interdependent society that has vast disparities in wealth and education which means a vast disparity in individual potential.
If “tea party” jokers want to take on something worthwhile, try making multi-national corporations ethical and moral. Provide a responsible way of doing business that actually contributes something to society instead of taking from it.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:30 pm
The TEA party, while an interesting idea, is doomed to failure if it keeps pretending it is alergic to centralized power – also known as organization. There is no face to the movement. It is more philosophically aligned with the Republican Party, but the Repubs failed after the Contract with America to actually alter the the tax & spend mantra. EIC? Continued raiding of the Social Security Trust fund? The Bush tax cuts in light of the initiation of two expensive occupational wars, one of which was purely discretionary and ultimately doomed to fail (you can’t get a cat to eat something that is foreign to it, no matter how you dress it up) – as Iraq citizens have no connection to democracy – they have always been oriented toward monarchy.
Currently, we have a governmental mafia/feudel elected system. They require the citizens to pay “protection” money, then turn around and squander the funds on dumb crap – $50 billion for AIDS in Africa? A billion for Haiti economical development? Pointless federal grants that help no one but the researchers? CDC research on the “disease” of gun violence? This moron crap must stop. Repeal NAFTA, terminate all foreign aid, terminate all federal grants (except the ones tied directly to a funding source such as the FHWA & the gas tax). Freeze all federal wages in excess of $80,000 (except for nuclear scientists operating nuclear plants). Then, examine the State Dept – guarantee they are not living the vida loca all over the globe – close embassies at essentially worthless countries (Ghana, Luxemborg, Laos, etc., etc.). Remove the troops from Korea, Germany and most of Japan. At this point, you can start eliminating corporate welfare – farm subsidies, the defense industry, where ever else. Then, imposed substantial import tariffs. Finally, start altering entitlement – eliminate fraud, require more matching funds & increase the wage cut off from $97,000 to $250,000. Lower the salary of Congressman to $50,000; Senators $100,000. At this point, if we have not balance the budget, start terminating government workers. Also, the income tax needs to be reformatted – eliminating 100% of business taxes, but also itemization. How? 10% of all income tax exempt; all citizens over the age of 18 must pay 2.5% tax on all income; all adults receive a standard deduction of $25,000; all children under 18, $5000. Remainder of “gross adjusted income” is assessed at 17% – that is your tax bill. Fire the roughly 95% of IRS employees no longer needed.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
5:32 pm
Grand Forks August 17th, 2010
5:17 pm
“If I’m race-baiting, why do I always catch YOU on the hook??”
“Ma’am, you are one strange person.”
My friends tell me that……and we enjoy every minute of it!! (…and it’s SIR!)
“Some black people HAVE had it bad” So have white people.
Yea…but not as long!! At least many of us (white and black) ARE in slavery! If you’re working for the money rather than the money working for YOU, you’re in slavery!!
Both sides are Thieves
August 17th, 2010
5:33 pm
Jed…
The difference between being a hero and being a bully is knowing when to flex your muscle. You hit me first and I come to fight back (Afghanistan) I am a hero. When I come after you because I think you’re up to no good (with no solid proof I might add) then I’m the bully.
We were provoked into the Afghan war.
We provoked one of the most unstable areas in the world and unified the threat against us by starting an unprovoked war in Iraq. Just because we don’t like what is going on somewhere does not mean we have the right to invade and destabilize – whats next? Venezuela? North Korea? Several countries in Africa? Tell me where in the constitution it says we reserve the right to police the world and force our ideals on people who do not want them. Worked so well in Vietnam, didn’t it?
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
5:34 pm
“Yea…but not as long!!”
LOL, guess you’ve never heard of Rome, ma’am.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:35 pm
Harry – your are a socialist with no vision. Your starting point in life has nothing to do with your ending point. Look at Obama – black dad, wacko white hippie mom – through nothing more than his own talent and tenacity, he became President. Thoroughly demolishes your erroneous assertion. Yes, most dumb Americans live in filthy, noisy cities. That is their error. But not the government’s problem.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
5:36 pm
josef nix August 17th, 2010
5:19 pm
HDB
“I’ll join you for the cheesecake, I’ll tolerate your rum raisin ice cream…but I HATE sushi!”
Got to take you to the right place for sushi; not every place is good!! RuSans has a GREAT unagi!!
Trying to find a good MEXICAN restaurant with a decent cabrito….haven’t found it yet!!
No More Progressives!
August 17th, 2010
5:37 pm
No More Progressives! August 17th, 2010
4:50 pm
It’s “bad” (for lack of a better word) because it’s not DIVERSE! It’s a monolitic bloc that only sees things ONE way! Every pathway has multiple options…..an airplane can’t fly with only ONE wing!!
Kinda like the NAACP?
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:38 pm
Both – your are precisely right. The pre-emptive attack, attempted to be accepted as policy by Rove, Cheney and the other neo-cons was Nazism dressed up – utterly unethical.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
5:38 pm
Grand Forks
August 17th, 2010
5:34 pm
“Yea…but not as long!!”
LOL, guess you’ve never heard of Rome, ma’am.
Georgia, New York, or Italy??? (…and it’s SIR!)
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:40 pm
But the Patiot Act is also immoral, as it gives the government too much “spy on the citizens” power.
left wing
August 17th, 2010
5:40 pm
HDB @ 5:36 – You eat eel? Just when I had some respect going for you. However, if there’s Godiva cheesecake involved, I am so there.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
5:42 pm
No More Progressives! August 17th, 2010
5:37 pm
No More Progressives! August 17th, 2010
4:50 pm
It’s “bad” (for lack of a better word) because it’s not DIVERSE! It’s a monolitic bloc that only sees things ONE way! Every pathway has multiple options…..an airplane can’t fly with only ONE wing!!
Kinda like the NAACP?”
Not quite — there are many with divergent views in the NAACP….it’s evident…and it IS expressed!! The Urban League has diverse thought and expression!! Don’t just fall for what FOX presents……
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:42 pm
The funny thing is, all the reaction to 9/11 never addressed our problem – the immigration system in the country – we fail to protect ourselves because the uber elite like “cultural diversity”. Just as we have failed to address the problem with the housing collapse – appraisers and the bond evaluators – Moody’s, Standard & Poors, etc. Iraq was not the US’s problem. Just as Korea is not. Nor Kosovo. Our elected federal leaders have gigantic egos, like Napoleon, and just can not help themselves in meddling in the life of foreign nations. But this addiction is exceptionally expensive.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:43 pm
HDB – is should be MR., unless you enjoy taking on aires.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:45 pm
HDB- i assume you listened to Sherrods presentation to a crowd of NAACPers – that was a clear indicator of institutional racism – especially since many of the attendees were agreeing with her statements.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
5:46 pm
left wing August 17th, 2010
5:40 pm
HDB @ 5:36 – You eat eel?
Yea…takes like chicken!! Great with rice!! You eat calamari, don’t you??
“However, if there’s Godiva cheesecake involved, I am so there” Godiva, Eli’s from Chicago, any NY style……I’m game! Particularly blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry cheesecake…YUM!!
Knock knock
August 17th, 2010
5:46 pm
Perhaps the tea partiers are Republicans who want the party to return to its roots.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:47 pm
HDB- what is the racial make up of the NAACP? Black – hispanic – asian – american indian – india indian – spanish – moor – etc, etc. At least, what % of the membership of the NAACP is black/AA?
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
5:48 pm
TEA partiers probably voted for the 1994 Contract with America – but were dismayed when Gingrich left and Delay turned the movement into hot tubs & lobbyist slush funds – but failed to curtail government spending – the EIC needs to be the first welfare redistribution program eliminated.
Dave
August 17th, 2010
5:50 pm
In response to HDB’s comments at 1:55 p.m.
“There are a myriad of reasons that the preponderance of African-Americans vote Democratic…but I will only speak for myself:”
“1) Republicans/Conservatives have embraced a racist paradigm since 1964 and have yet to refute it! Republicans fail to remember that prior to 1964, the GOP would get the majority of the black vote…but since the Dixiecrats infiltrated the party and Goldwater’s extremism became the party platform, the party has been antithetical to black interests. Note the Southern Strategy to marginalize the black vote; Reagan’s support for segregation in 1980 in Philadelphia, MS; Jesse Helm’s campaing against Havey Gantt in North Carolina; GHWBush’s use of “Willie Horton” ads in 1988; Colin Powell being booed off the stage at the 2004 GOP Convention…….”
Liberal conspiracy crap and outright lies. I don’t even need to dignify this deranged drivel with a response. If you believe whitey is out to get you then there’s nothing I can do to help you.
“2) Conservatives/Republicans distort Affirmative Action!! The persistence of conservatives’ claims that Affirmative Action discriminates against whites is a fallacy! The greatest beneficiaries of Affirmative Action have been WHITE WOMEN!! All Affirmative Action did was to grant access to education and employment to those who had been previously denied….particularly people of color. Note: your conservative paramours (Clarence Thomas, for example) were beneficiaries of Affirmative Action….how did he get ADMITTED into Holy Cross in the late 60s??”
Affirmitive Action is a policy to give preference to people based on physical differences (men/women) or appearance (black/white). Anyone who denies that this is anything other than reverse racism designed to hurt white males is a lying fool. If you’re fine with that, then that makes YOU the racist, not white people. Trying to get rid of racist, sexist programs like affirmitive action is completely in tune with the founding ideals of this country, where people are valued based on their actions, not their appearance.
“3) Conservatives/Republicans wish to eliminate programs that allowed minority advancement! Cutting the education budget….wishing to eliminate the Department of Education….elinimating Affirmative Action…these are just a FEW!! Note: If the “Rooney Rule” is good enough for the NFL…in that coaches of color must be CONSIDERED (note the word!) for openings…why isn’t it good enough for society…since there is a dearth of minority representation in the management ranks??”
Republicans have never ‘cut’ the education budget. Quite frankly, that’s a problem – they SHOULD eliminate completely wasteful federal programs like the Department of Education. Has that department ever educated a single child? no. Has it ever trained a single teacher? no. What the hell does it exist for? The federal government has no place in local education – that’s a state and local matter, not a federal one. Education should be opened-up to competition through voucher programs and the like. That would allow for real improvement of education – through competition, instead of through yet more expensive and more beauracratic heavy-handed government, which has so far failed inner-city minority children horribly.
“4) Conservatives/Republicans won’t canvass the inner cities!! Note the Hannity “FreedomFest” last week; it was in GWINNETT! The GOP purposely excludes!! Why doesn’t a GOP candidate ask for votes in West End, Adamsville, College Park, South Dekalb?? Why doesn’t a GOP candidate hold a rally on AU Center’s campus, East Point, Collier Heights??”
I can’t speak to party canvasing methods. I’m sure they don’t just completely ignore mostly-black areas, because no political party wants to just give up votes. I think they should do more boots-on-the-ground work in black neighborhoods. But it could just be a matter of assigning money and time to the areas that provide the best value-for-money. If blacks vote Democrat 90%+, then Republicans may feel like “why spend time/money if they’re just emotionally (and irrationally, given the evidence in their communities) attached to the Democrat party?”.
“5) Conservatives/Republicans do not see minorities as constituents!! Whatever policies the GOP envokes mostly have adverse effects on minorities….and they don’t care!!”
How, specifically, do GOP policies adversely affect minorities? All evidence points to the fact that Democrat policies adversely affect minorities. A point that GOP candidates need to spell-out more vocally.
Look at who runs city governments across the country – mostly Democrats. Are inner cities a great place for minorities? Is rampant minority teenage unemployment due to high minimum wage laws working out well for blacks in this country? How about those inner-city government schools? How about the welfare state policies which have destroyed the black family? Inner-city zoning laws that drive up the cost of housing. Heavy regulation that drives out businesses. A revolving-door criminal justice system that puts thugs back on the streets to victimize law-abiding black citizens. No wonder blacks move to the suburbs the moment they get the chance.
“6) Conservatives/Republicans do NOT want to entertain diverse thoughts from minorities! Note Colin Powell’s treatment and his statement: “I didn’t leave the party; the party left ME!” If a minority does not kowtow to the conservative paradigm, he’s branded anything BUT an American!”
Colin Powell was viewed as the #1 choice of most republicans to run for president in either 1996 or 2000, if I recall correctly. The party didn’t leave him. It nearly nominated him, if he had wanted to run for office. The point that he felt ostracized is the point where he started verbally championing the same welfare-state, reverse-discrimination policies that liberal Democrats champion. Instead of speaking out on the value of hard work and self-sacrifice, he spoke out in favor of policies that would punish both of those things.
“7) Conservatives/Republicans do not believe that racism still exists….and use the law to promote such!! Conservatives cry against “unfair competition”…that minorities will get a job before a white person would…but note the number of CEO’s/managers.executives that are people of color or women! Also note how the law is being used to discriminate against minorities…laws like Arizona SB 1070…which promote racial profiling and can lead towards the creation of a police state!!”
Arizona’s law specifically prohibits profiling solely based on race. You should read it sometime before spouting such crap on a public forum. The fact of the matter is that most illegals in Arizona are not from Russia or China. They’re from hispanic countries. Booting all of them out of the country (which is the only fair thing for legal citizens) means that most of the people booted out would be hispanic. That’s not racist. That’s fair. Having dark skin shouldn’t be a shield against law enforcement. You’re a hypocrit for ranting and raving about Arizona’s law without mentioning that Mexico’s laws against illegal immigration are far tougher.
left wing
August 17th, 2010
5:51 pm
HDB @ 5:46 – No. Calamari and eel are too rubbery. I do love sushi though. I’m more into salmon, tuna & shrimp. I like rainbow rolls, things like that.
And I’m partial to the Godiva cheesecake, but to paraphrase Will Rogers, “I’ve never met a cheesecake I didn’t like”.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
5:51 pm
Paddy O August 17th, 2010
5:45 pm
Having seen the videotape IN ITS ENTIRETY, if one didn’t understand Ms. Sherrod’s perspective, it would seem that way; however, understanding the black church paradigm, it’s evident that those who heard her speech were nodding in agreement because they UNDERSTOOD her perspective!! There was no indended racism. I can understand the disconnect that many have…because many weren’t raised in the black church paradigm!!
Before you go there…..not ALL black church paradigms subscribe to that pronounced by Jeremiah Wright……but there is a slight basis of truth there also!
Linda
August 17th, 2010
5:53 pm
Left @ 4:32, You should attend a Tea Party or a 9/11 event to form you own decision. All Tea Party members are fiscal conservatives. There’s many more independents who are conservative than liberal, more than half. There are all races & ethnic groups represented. We supported the Honeycutt lady who ran against David Scott. She’s a black Republican. Herman Cain has led several of our events. All the Project 21 members support the Tea Party. They are all black conservatives.
Obama hasn’t passed a budget SINCE HE’S BEEN IN OFFICE. How do you know when you have a deficit when you don’t have a budget?
The stimulus bill (as well as the strategy of the health care take-over) were written long before he was inaugurated. Do you believe the Dems. wrote thousands of pages in less than 3 wks.?
Using your numbers, you say Reagan raised the debt $760 B, Bush I raised it $3 T & Bush II raised it $6.5 T. Since it went from $4 T at the end of Bush I to $5.5 T at the beginning of Bush II, that means Clinton raised it $1.5 T. What this means is that Obama raised it almost as much in his first 3 wks. as Clinton did in 8 yrs. The Tea Party did not exist until after Obama was elected.
Per the CBO, the debt will be 62% of GDP by the end of this yr. & by 90% of GDP by 2020. It was 40% of GDP at the end of ‘08 under Bush & averaged 36% of GDP on average for the last 40 yrs.
Continuing to spend money you do not have on pseudo economics, to gain control (socialism, redistribution of wealth) & to buy votes is against the Tea Party philosophy.
We are now monetizing the debt. which Bernake promised under oath 6 mts. ago he would never do.
josef nix
August 17th, 2010
5:55 pm
HDB
Bleeah on sushi! You might want to try El Cabrito in Norcross…Buford Hwy and Hillside…been a while since I’ve been there…my school kids’ parents know my love of chivo so they’re always trying to out-do each other and bringing in their recipe for el maestro gringo…
itpdude
August 17th, 2010
5:57 pm
The problem with the tea-party taking over the GOP is that an organized take-over requires, well, an organization.
Near as I can tell, the tea-party is not even a semi-organized coalition. They are a loose band of people sick of how things are being run. Ross Perot had a similar kind of thing in ‘92 and he didn’t have much traction in ‘96.
True American
August 17th, 2010
5:57 pm
All I can say Shawn Hannity, 25 mil year, Glen Beck 30 mil, Rush L. 50 mil. Not one of these guys completed college, and you dumb tea klansman give all their money on books and tours.
All the tea party people are not racist just bigots, half of them scream they hate government but receiving unemployement, medicare , Va benefits from Goverment.
All you conservatives please continue to hate people that do not look like you are drawing them close and closer to Obama for 2012.
Dave
August 17th, 2010
6:01 pm
And to speak to the overall topic – the Tea Party movement: it exists mainly for two reasons:
1.) Obama’s presidency has been the most far-leftist presidency since Jimmy Carter, and possibly the worst of all time. His big-government policies will be utter failures this time, just like they have been every single time they’ve been tried anywhere, at any time in history. Utter, miserable, destructive failures – making our healthcare system worse, our economy worse, our quality of life worse and our liberties fewer and fewer.
2.) The Republican party failed miserably in upholding their principles of limited government when they were in office. If they had done what they ran on, then at least Tea Party movement members would have a party to turn to in November that they could feel confident would reverse many of the Democrats awful policies over the last two years. However, the Republican party got into power and promptly drove up the size and cost of goverment, leaving small-government voters with nowhere to go.
Largely this was the fault of the mushy-headed thinking of Big Government Conservative George Bush, who foolishly believed that government could be used to fix the world. It’s the same mushy-headed thinking that came out of John McCain on issues of free speach (”oh yea, I think government is a GREAT arbiter over what should and shouldn’t be said about government during an election year!”) and immigration (”why on earth would we get tens of millions more illegal immigrants if we give the ones who are already here a pass?? that’s just silly talk! pass me one of those tasty burritos”).
That’s why true conservatives don’t have any confidence in the Republican party (especially it’s current leadership) to fix the problems before us – because when they were in power recently, they made things worse. Just not as bad as the current administration.
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:05 pm
True American:
“All you conservatives please continue to hate people that do not look like you are drawing them close and closer to Obama for 2012.”
No, you’re not. You are a bigot.
Dave
August 17th, 2010
6:05 pm
True American @ 5:57
“All I can say Shawn Hannity, 25 mil year, Glen Beck 30 mil, Rush L. 50 mil. Not one of these guys completed college, and you dumb tea klansman give all their money on books and tours.”
Yeah – heaven forbid someone should earn money by selling something someone else wants to buy. What a quaint little notion. Don’t they realize that they should get their money the same way Democrats get it – by having government take it by force at the point of a gun?
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:13 pm
Dave, how insensitive! A loser, oops I mean citizen, like True American, who has never had any success in her life knows it’s because others have.
Hey True, didn’t I see you in that Section 8 line picture a couple of days ago? I think it was you with the cell phone, tats, cigarettes, and 3 baby daddies or whatever.
RW-(the original)
August 17th, 2010
6:13 pm
Off Topic,
There’s been a Hurricane Paul sighting over in the caverns at Jay B’s place.
left wing
August 17th, 2010
6:18 pm
Linda @ 5:53 – You can’t compare Reagan increase of $760 Billion over 20 years ago to Obama’s deficit now. There’s a little thing called inflation.
Obama’s budget is essentially G. Bush’s budget, plus the stimulus.
In terms of the stimulus (which wasn’t written before he took office) the council of economic advisors said it needed to be $1.6 Trillion dollars. Treasury cut it to $1.4 Trillion. Then it went before the House and they slashed it to just under $800 Billion. I think you may be thinking of TARP, which was Hank Paulson’s idea and passed under Bush. Which I think was a creative idea of his, and it essentially did save the banking industry. Most of the TARP was repaid, with interest. Some may never be, but by the measure of even conservative economists like Dr. Greenspan, we were on the verge of a complete collapse of the banking industry.
I don’t have the links but I can find them if you really want (plus I know I’ve posted them on Kyle’s blog before); Goldman Sachs said that the stimulus raised GDP by about 2.5%. The council of economic advisors said that it raised employment by between 2.2 and 2.8 million jobs. So, I think by most measures, the stimulus was in fact doing it’s job. Unfortunately, it was too small. Some programs are still running, like upgrading the electric grid, building high speed rail, etc. But most of the construction projects have completed, which will (unfortunately) add to the unemployment figures.
Now, you may not like or understand deficit spending, but when corporations aren’t spending money and when rich people had their wealth cut by more than 50% in the stock crash, the place of last resort to keep the economy moving is the federal government and deficit spending. That is absolutely the time to deficit spend; absolutely not to give tax breaks to rich people.
Let me put it another way; when your house is burning and the fire dept shows up; you don’t stop them to ask how much the water is going to cost. 2 years ago we were exactly there by the measure of most mainstream economists, both conservative and liberal.
left wing
August 17th, 2010
6:21 pm
And Linda from my conversations with “fiscal conservatives” I find they really don’t understand all that much about macroeconomics. The label “fiscal conservative” seems to really mean “I don’t want to pay taxes”.
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:24 pm
left wing:
“I don’t have the links but I can find them if you really want (plus I know I’ve posted them on Kyle’s blog before); Goldman Sachs said that the stimulus raised GDP by about 2.5%.”
I think that’s BS, but regardless unemployment remains at almost 10%. The stimulus may have temporarily created “work,” but it didn’t create any JOBS. Know the difference?
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:24 pm
True American – is that a translation for moron? Idiot? Lobotomized Parrot? The TEA party is focused on 1 thing – federal spending. Is that racist? Do minorities NOT pay taxes? Do you think your taxes are well spent? How jealous of successful people are you? Or are you just jealous of well paid talking head who did not spend tons of debt on two or three crap degrees and discover corporate America really does not value a graduate with a double major in woman’s studies & philosophy?
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:26 pm
“The label “fiscal conservative” seems to really mean “I don’t want to pay taxes”
No, it means a fiscal conservative wants government to perform essential services, not become a nanny to losers.
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
6:28 pm
Dave August 17th, 2010
5:50 pm
Will gladly address your issues with me:
1) First statement IS true. Check each aspect that I pointed out (Southern Strategy, Reagan in Philadelpia, MS advocating “states’ rights (segregation), Jesse Helms’ campaign in North Carolina against Harvey Gantt)…….
2) Your answer to my # 2: “Affirmitive Action is a policy to give preference to people based on physical differences (men/women) or appearance (black/white). Anyone who denies that this is anything other than reverse racism designed to hurt white males is a lying fool. If you’re fine with that, then that makes YOU the racist, not white people. Trying to get rid of racist, sexist programs like affirmitive action is completely in tune with the founding ideals of this country, where people are valued based on their actions, not their appearance.”
The “founding ideal” of this nation that you espouse did NOT consider women…nor ME as human. Women couldn’t sign a contract until 1969…and black people did not have full Constitutional protection until 1964!
From the Constitution – Article 1, Section 9: The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
Affirmative Action granted ACCESS to those who had been kept out! You state that it’s anti-white male; how many CEO’s in the Fortune 500 are female? (13) How many are females-of color? (1) . How many black males are CEOs? (4). It’s NOT skewed against white men since white MEN are still in control!!
3) Education budgets were cut in Republican Administrations…particularly in college ranks! Focus shifted from grants to loans….now look at the default rate! Also, vouchers won’t work because they divert funding from the public schools and provate schools discriminate…so that mandate of educating the masses can not be met!!
4) I’m sure they don’t just completely ignore mostly-black areas, because no political party wants to just give up votes. I think they should do more boots-on-the-ground work in black neighborhoods. But it could just be a matter of assigning money and time to the areas that provide the best value-for-money. If blacks vote Democrat 90%+, then Republicans may feel like “why spend time/money if they’re just emotionally (and irrationally, given the evidence in their communities) attached to the Democrat party?”. How do you convert if you don’t REACH OUT?? If the demographics are in flux, shouldn’t the party address that change and seek to increase membership! Show me where ANY Republican candidate for ANY political office has campaigned in the inner city?? (NONE!)
5) Non-investigfation of discrimination claims! Note the lack of enforcement of the EEOC and Justice Department of discrimination claims under Reagan and Bush!! Note the plethora of discrimination claims in the Agriculture Department under Bush and Reagan….and the GOP’s filibustering of the funding to pay the claims that the Ag Dept settled upon!!
6) Instead of speaking out on the value of hard work and self-sacrifice, he spoke out in favor of policies that would punish both of those things.” FALSE! Powell spoke from his own experiences…and the GOP didn’t buy it! Research Gen. Powell’s rise! When Reagan received the list of Generals for consideration, there were NO people of color on the first iteration!! When the list was sent back and updated, ONLY THEN was Colin Powell’s name added to it!! Reagan had to make a statement about Affirmaative Action since his previous actions in Philadelphia, MS were counter to that idea!! Colin Powell DID work hard….but Affirmaative Action was how he got noticed..throughout his career! He was granted the ACCESS….but he ALSO had the qualifications!!
7) Arizona’s law specifically prohibits profiling solely based on race! Note the key word – SOLELY — that means that it CAN be used! If you wanted to say racial profiling is illegal in the law, it should say racial profiling MAY NOT BE USED!! The way the law is written, the police have unfettered power! Remember Kathryn Johnston and Amadou Diallo!! Also..what about the presumption of innocence? Remember….the terrorists that brought down the World Trade Center came through CANADA!! Would there be as much emphasis about illegal white people in Minnesota or Georgia versus the Hispanics nationwide?? Don’t think so!!
You can’t just look at one side of the equation!! How much liberty are you willing to eliminate under the guise of protection and freedom!!
HDB`
August 17th, 2010
6:32 pm
Back in 1 hr, all…..thanks for intriguing dialogue!
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:32 pm
left wing – you always suckered by the scum at goldman sachs? You do realize most of the funds given to AIG went straight to Goldman on a 1 to 1 basis? You also know that Goldman is largest owner of oil in the country? You also know prior to the TARP, when Goldman thought it was in the hole 20 trillion, the price of gas, due to the elimination of the market manipulating Goldman dropped to 1.54? After they received their TARP pass through, it went back up to 2.66? Goldman Sachs should have been allowed to go bankrupt – they are the most SOB corporation in existence – which is why they love to manipulated public opinion – mostly via US commerce dept public memos (estimating the cost of gas this summer, before labor day, before July 4, etc, etc – and it is always higher than demand should require). Don’t quote Goldman with a straight face – their the biggest bunch of limousine liberals in this galaxy – even in NY.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:33 pm
ANd yes, if your pour almost 3% of the national GDP out of the Federal Reserve, it will actually increase gnp by about 2.5% – but you have to pay that friggin money back with interest – to a communist country in Asia – brilliant, treasonous liberal.
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:35 pm
HDB response to anything negative about libs including our Marxist president Obama:
Yeah but Bush / Reagan / Ford / Nixon / Eisenhower did something bad !!!!
Therefore Obama can do no wrong !!! He is the messiah, hope, and change we’ve been waiting for !!!
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:38 pm
HDB – you have the equation of American life wrong – the government does not control much of what you do. If you are a big organization, you don’t kiss ass for people to approach you, you establish a brand that people want to be associated with. The narcissisim that permeates so much of America today will most likely be our undoing. It is not surprising that the narcissists of the 60’s promulgated the twitter generation now. Lindsay Lohan? Paris HIlton? great American woman. Justin Bieber? holy effimination, bat man.
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:38 pm
Libs don’t understand that, Paddy.
Never will. They get a check from the government they think it’s free money.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:42 pm
HDB is an anti-American apologist. He want the destruction of this country, because it is just not as perfect as his elite mind thinks it should be. He is uber high maintenance citizen. Keep doing things his way, only his way, and he will be a despot over all you other not so highly educated individuals. The past must be dredged up to justify today’s racism of the minority (affirmative action). Of course, the smart white male just puts his wife as CEO of the company he runs, and thus thwarts the immoral thrust of the law.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:43 pm
The danger is – the full faith & credit of the US Treasury – what if that is not worth anything?
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:45 pm
The premise of deficit spending as Obama is doing is, there is no recovery, so inflation never begins. We all become slaves to government run by a black man – because we all have to pay off the debt he has incurred – the ultimate revenge.
F. Sinkwich
August 17th, 2010
6:48 pm
“We all become slaves to government run by a black man”
Over the line there, Paddy. It doesn’t matter his color, he’s a Marxist through and through.
Paddy O
August 17th, 2010
6:48 pm
As arranged, today’s federal government is an elected mafia – we are paying protection $$$, to protect ourselves from the boogeyman our government creates. The public wages now exceed those of the private sector – look at the huge payments to school teachers – in GA they got so high, they had to fire a bunch of the overpaid folks, and make those that are left work harder – a lot more kids per class – fantastic – way to go GA public school teachers!!! How many of you make over $50,000, get two months off in the summer & long weeks off during the school year? No wonder the state cant affort you fools.