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The Tea-Party Schism
The honeymoon is over for conservative tea-party activists, with increasing divisions within the group, leaving many members with a fuzzy sense of political purpose after a summer packed with protests and town-hall shouting matches. "These groups don't play together as well as they should," said one frequent speaker at tea-party events, citing "a lot of people who have not had managerial experience who all of a sudden are thrust into the limelight and become intoxicated with it." After coming together over their rage at government spending, the tea partiers are running up against ideological differences with some members of the group seen as too "extreme" and conflicts over whether their protest should focus on national or local issues, and how closely to identify with the Republican Party. The initial group was comprised of members from a huge swath of different conservative organizations, and the next few months are thought to be key to whether it will maintain its political influence. "Are they going to be a bunch of fingers, or are they going to come together to be a fist?" asked Ned Ryun, president of American Majority.
Nonplussed
The teabaggers have a fuzzy sense of political purpose? How could that be?
spotted
I thought lemmings did have a sense of purpose.
guerrilladude
my sentiments exactly spotted!
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n--Y--cvillekidbobj72
Rape and Incest yields "Largely Unpredictable Outcomes!"
leeyoder
HOW VERY TRUE!
newswoman
They didn't know what they stood for. Some were racists and didn't like Obama, some were afraid they would lose their Medicare, some were afraid of socialism (facism, nazism or whatever). The just seemed to be afraid of the changes in our society, what with African Americans and Hispanics gaining ground in the work place and in politics.
bobj72
"newswoman"; I can really appreciate your position and your point of view. But here's the problem - the manipulating Wack-O-Radical-Right-WingNuts would much prefer INCITING and INSTILLING FEAR as opposed to Educating these people to the inevitable Peaceful and Non-Threatening social evolution that is taking place.
Could it be "The WingNuts" wouldn't benefit from explaining THE TRUTH???
cbeenthere
Their purpose appears quite clear.
They want their money spent on waging war.
The $680 Billion one year defense spending bill can pass without a whimper from them.
May they indeed pass into oblivion.
Sidewinder
As a former Republican, watching the party degenerate into Tea Party madness is like watching your family members join a cult and shave their heads. What used to be a party of reason and caution is now the party of radical faith in abstract theologies, making false claims free from any empirical evidence, cut loose from the moorings of responsibility and motivated mostly by ethnic and class rage hidden under phony patriotism and populism.
Mauiboy
Well stated!
AlanD2
I hope that moderate Republicans can retake the party and entice you back into their "big tent", Sidewinder.
America needs two strong parties which are open to compromise and can jointly govern our nation.
matthewbenzor
Evangelics Break yourselves free from the dictators in the Re-publican party who wants to tell you who to vote for, Its "TIME" to break the bondage they have you, become your own person, Jesus gave you freedom to chose and not to be told who to vote for,by dictators in smoke filled rooms dictating your candidate for you,Jesus did'nt die for you to be in bondage,but to be free from corruption and sexual immorality these PHONYs,FAKES and FRAUDS are "NOT" who they say they are ain't that right ENSIGN,VITTER,SANFORD,GINGRICH,HATCH,BOEHNER,MCconnell,ROMNEY,CHENEY,BUSH I could go on and on these HACKS are not christian its "TIME" to get rid them........!
connie47
You are fighting a losing battle, but a righteous one.
Sidewinder
I don't have a problem with spiritual politicians, but I flatly reject the principle of voting for people strictly because of their spiritual views.
Like it or not, the majority of this country is Christian. But that majority does not translate into the belief that this country was created strictly to be a Christian enclave, a private island only for Christians. Our government must treat all religions equally, regardless of their size. Our government is secular... on purpose, by design, as intended. Smart people who created this country mandated that principle.
I have nothing against Christian evangelicals who want to live in this democratic republic. But I will never tolerate them turning this republic into a Christian theocracy. And like it or not, politicians exist to serve the people of ALL religions and faiths in this country, not just to serve the followers of the one religion that happens to be the biggest.
Granite
I will never understand people who believe so fervently in God but refuse to use the brain God gave them. They don't have an opinion on anything until they talk to their pastor.
xsm941f
Please. The "rage against the government" was NOT the reason for the teabaggers. Lets be honest. It was overwhelmengly folks who just could not accept the president was a black man. You know it, I know it and they know it.
BasPos
People warring against their own economic self-interest are always going to be conflicted. The sad part is they cannot see how they are being used to destabilize their precarious lives.
oaklynne
The tea-party is over, it's time to call it a day....
guerrilladude
Funny how a disparate bunch of whackos from across the right-wing political sphere manufactured into a "grass-roots" movement by corporate and media honchos can't find a purpose.
There never was one to begin with - how do you find something that never existed in the first place?!
mothnflame
LOL, I lost it over the visual of "are they going to be a bunch of fingers".
itcouldbefun
If I were one of the original Tea Party members I would be really mad at what has happened.
The original members are Ron Paul supporters -more Libertarian leaning -totally against the GOP for how they pushed Ron Paul out this last election cycle. They are sick of all the corruption they've witnessed for decades, especially during the Bush years.
Basically, they were hijacked by the GOP that no longer had a following of any measure after the Bush debacle. People don't like the GOP. Look at the polls. A lot of Republicans don't even like the GOP anymore.
But leave it to Dick Armey and his corporate cohorts to infiltrate and jump on the Ron Paul bandwagon and call it their own. Dick totally ripped off the original party's energy base and called it his own and he is using corrupt corporate dollars to do it. All this is completely against what the original Tea Party stood for.
jaydeekay
Teabaggers... one of the funniest political movements in history.
pelzatmah
Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll take Bachman and Palin with them into the sunset...
jojo12
The baggers are a group of people who allowed themselves to be used by Dick Armey, the Health Insurance Industry, Faux News & all the Right Wing extremists within the Republican Party. They should have known that dipping a teabag far too often into boiling water will cause the bag to shred.
magoo363
Either that or some checks bounced.
BOKOBOT
It was only a matter of time before the rats who stayed on this sinking ship turned on each other. Ugly. Glad I left the GOP and became an independent. They'll never get my vote again, not after years of b/s in Iraq and the banking explosion. It's all Dems and third-party candidates for me now.
BOKO
bobj72
Senator Judd Gregg being interviewed on "Hardball" (minutes ago) Affirmed that Sarah Palin "IS QUALIFIED" to be President of The United States. With Gregg being a Respected Member of the Republican'ts party, could it be their party establishment has now endorsed the Ex-Governor as the potential 2012 Reupulican'ts candidate???
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