March 24, 2010

Who's in the Tea Party movement?

A Quinnipiac poll:
74 percent are Republicans or independent voters leaning Republican;
16 percent are Democrats or independent voters leaning Democratic;
5 percent are solidly independent;
45 percent are men;
55 percent are women;
88 percent are white;
77 percent voted for Sen. John McCain in 2008;
15 percent voted for President Barack Obama
More women than men. Surprising?

130 comments:

Issob Morocco said...

Women prefer tea more than men.

DaveW said...

I know 2 people that openly talk of attending tea party protests. One is a black woman about mid-forties and the other is a 30ish white woman. I don't know the party affiliation of either but a good guess is the black woman is a democrat.

One works full time the other is a stay-home mother of 3 small kids. I'll let you guess which one is Catholic.

I'm not sure what's going on with that but women are clearly not turned-off by the tea parties.

Big Mike said...

Yes, surprising.

themightypuck said...

Not surprising to me. I know plenty of men who wouldn't be caught dead at a tea party.

Ned said...

not surprising to those familiar with the movement...TOTAL SHOCK to the media because it doesn't fit the "all racist white men" template...therefore will NOT be reported...

John Stodder said...

Not surprising, but a big change from the "mommy party/daddy party" dichotomy that political pundits have cited for decades.

The old paradigm was that women wanted a big, friendly old government with lots of welfare payments for their babies if hard times should befall them.

The new paradigm might be that women don't want their babies saddled with vast debts, inflation and narrowed horizons caused by the expedient decisions of corrupt, selfish and plainly stupid politicians.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Men tend to be concerned with the political hardcore aspects of the situation. The intellectual and financial ramifications of Obama's agenda.

Women are more concerned with family and future of their children. The emotional and personal.

Men and women both care but for slightly different reasons.

I see this all the time when I'm presenting financial plans and have to address both types of concerns.

My 2 cents.

Roger J. said...

When these demographic analyses about the membership of code pink, answer, and moveon get publicized then I might want to take notice.

Until then, these kinds of things are simply not relevant.

Roger J. said...

And the demographic analyses nothwithstanding, it will be the 2010 mid term elections that will be important.

lemondog said...

how many voted against Obama?

Hoosier Daddy said...

When these demographic analyses about the membership of code pink, answer, and moveon get publicized then I might want to take notice.

Amen and can I get a hallelujah?

I said the same thing a few threads back about the monochromatic color of the antiwar protests and I didn't see 'danielle' or any other leftists questioning the validity of their protests.

For a group of people who think we need to transcend race, liberals sure as hell are hung up on the color of people's skin.

Unknown said...

It would have been interesting to see some sort of age breakdown. Our resident National Socialists are always crying about old, white men.

lemondog said...

how many voted against Obama?

About 77% + 1%;

Roger J. said...

When these demographic analyses about the membership of code pink, answer, and moveon get publicized then I might want to take notice.

Until then, these kinds of things are simply not relevant.


Yes, they are. This refutes some of the sludge our own National Socialists have been saying to deligitimize Tea Parties for the past year. And here's a taste of the marching orders garage/Montagne/Jeremy have been told to execute, in the Alinsky manner, linked from Boortz

WV "bedoop" When she forgets to take the pill and the latex breaks.

Anonymous said...

"... how many voted against Obama?"

None of them.

In the United States, you are required to vote "for" a candidate.

It is not possible to vote "against" a candidate.

Meade said...

Issob Morocco said...
"Women prefer tea more than men."

I don't know about that. Most of the women I've known wouldn't trade their men for all the tea in Argentina.

MamaM said...

This woman does not like being repeatedly lied to by a man in authority who continually assumes he alone knows what is best and necessary for her and her family.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the women involved in the Tea Party movement might also have low tolerance for liars, cheaters and bullies.

Lie to me and I'll feel angry and disappointed. Lie to those I love and watch my anger ignite into action.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

None of them.

In the United States, you are required to vote "for" a candidate.

It is not possible to vote "against" a candidate.


Of course it is possible.

I voted for McCain, not because I wanted to really vote "for" him, but because I wanted my vote to count "against" Obama.

No one is required to vote at all, (yet) but if you don't vote, you don't have any right to complain.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Also.....what MamaM said.

mesquito said...

My sister, I hyper-competent nurse in her 40s, has always been apolitical, but socally liberal. Not any more. She and her daughter are big tea partiers. It's one of the weirder developments in my life. Used to, she thought my righty politics were eccentric and embarassing.

d-day said...

I went to a tea party on tax day last year. I went because I had worked really hard to get out of high interest credit card debt so that I could better provide for my new baby, and then the federal government came up with the stimulus, forcing everyone into the same soul-crushing future-killing borrow and spend cycle. So I went for my daughter and carried a sign that said "Stop borrowing against our kids."

Every single sign I saw that was carried by a woman made reference to children in general or the sign-holder's kids or grandkids. No exceptions.

Meade said...

88 percent are white

So the Tea Party is about 7% less non-white than the national population?

Chennaul said...

The survey includes 253 voters who say they are part of the Tea Party movement, with a margin of error of +/- 6.2 percentage points.

That's a large margin of error-you should usually hit around 3% or so.

So-

Men 45% you could add it up to-

51%

Women 55% you could subtract to-

49%

Which means no significant difference in distribution.

Chennaul said...

88 % minus the 6%-MOE

just about gets rid of that 7% difference.

jamboree said...

Shows the success of the teabagger reframe.

Alex said...

Obv Danielle is gonna hop on the 88% white stat as proof of the inherent racism of tea parties. But never has anything to say about 95% black support for Obama.

bagoh20 said...

Women are natural organizers.

Those numbers look about right to me, although in places like here in Los Angeles, I see the minority and Democrat numbers are much higher.

Although, some might see a problem with the overwhelming whiteness, this is who pays the majority of taxes and makes sense they would be more fiscally conservative.

Although there is white guilt, it pales in comparison to the guilt of successful Blacks and Hispanics making it very difficult for these people to join the movement even if they agree with it.

I'm proud of you white people, but even prouder of the minorities who join, and there are a lot of you. Thanks and welcome. This is for all of us and differing people around the world for whom there is no substitute for the unique values that have been America, namely: LIBERTY

Anonymous said...

I'm a little surprised about the percentage of women. However, I can't think of a male tea party leader, and women including Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and Marsha Blackburn have gotten involved with them. There's no old boys' club or barrier holding women back from participation.

bagoh20 said...

So this means women are more racist than men. Another success for the women's movement. Of course, I kid...I think.

Celia Hayes said...

"I wouldn't be surprised if some of the women involved in the Tea Party movement might also have low tolerance for liars, cheaters and bullies."

That has been my experience, and what I noticed about the other women in the leadership echelons of my local Tea Party. And that many of us did identify with Sarah Palin, as working-class woman, happily married and getting into politics through local stuff like the PTA ... and now, the Tea Party.

bagoh20 said...

"The new paradigm might be that women don't want their babies saddled with vast debts, inflation and narrowed horizons caused by the expedient decisions of corrupt, selfish and plainly stupid politicians."

I think the new paradigm is that women are bringing home the bacon now and don't like feeding it to Congress. It takes two earners now to raise a family and one just to pay the taxes. Even with that sacrafice, Congress is getting more broke every minute.

California has an 11% income tax and 10% sales tax and we are totally broke. The Tea parties here are very female heavy as is the employment demographic.

fboness said...

This will change once it gets out that Tea Parties are a good place to meet women...

ricpic said...

All those selfish women more concerned with the future debt burden on their own children than they are with the welfare of the collective...tut tut.

Anonymous said...

It is easier to participate for me, as a stay-at-home mom, than my hard-working husband. He is glad I'm there to represent our family though.

Hoosier Daddy said "For a group of people who think we need to transcend race, liberals sure as hell are hung up on the color of people's skin." AMEN

Kae Gregory said...

1. Women are more likely to have buyers remorse - whether they voted for him or not - remorse.
2. Women are much more likely to be concerned about the budget and debt. When Republicans were in power, women were vocal about both. Now, the same.

bagoh20 said...

"Hoosier Daddy said "For a group of people who think we need to transcend race, liberals sure as hell are hung up on the color of people's skin." "

The leftist trolls here bring it up on almost every subject, kinda like the NYT oped section.

I think "racist" just means "I disagree." in leftist dialect.

LonewackoDotCom said...

How many said even one word against the various actions of the Bush admin between 2000 and 2006? They're sunshine patriots, and I have yet to see one that has two brain cells to rub together.

They're so dumb they think waving loopy signs, chanting, and playing dress-up games is an argument. None of them are capable of intellectually engaging their opponents and trying to show how they're wrong. But, it's even worse: they think playing dress-up games and throwing tantrums is better than debate.

Not only that, but they're useful idiots for corrupt Beltway hacks that have kept them from discussing a fundamental issue that directly impacts what they claim to care about. That issue is the one on which the Beltway is most vulnerable, but they've almost completely avoided even mentioning it.

That's not just dumb, it's TeapartyDumb.

PatD said...

I'm married o a woman active in the Tea Party / 9.12 movement. She was active in the Nuclear Freeze movement in the early 80's and the AIDS movement in the late 80's. That's it.

But, for the past year she has worked full-time on the movement, organizing protests, sending out action alerts, keeping her group informed, networking, joining in Tea Party Patriot conference calls, phoning, faxing, writing and pestering congress critters, and encouraging a couple of hundred of her group's members to do the same. She's one of many such women in the state of Ohio. They are mostly new to politics, but they are working with some experienced hands who understand the political structures in Ohio.

She strongly identifies with Thatcher, Palin and Bachmann, despite being pro-choice, non-religious, and socially liberal.

What is driving her? Remember the woman who confronted Specter at one the town halls early last year? Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpt8BzyFpa4&feature=player_embedded#

That's my wife's attitude.

SteveR said...

If you watch MSNBC (I know that's just hypothetical, no one actually watches it), you'd think the Tea Party was nothing but closeted homosexual racist right wingers.

"Tea Baggers" get it? Funny! Ha ha ha ha.

Just how many groups can these compassionate and tolerant snobs offend?

Don Surber said...

More women than men? Of course. Now if it were a beer-and-scratch-your-ass party...

TMink said...

"I think "racist" just means "I disagree." in leftist dialect."

If I may offer what I hope is an improvement, I think it means "I disagree and have no idea why I disagree or anything to say in order to express my point so I will just call you a bigot and hope that shuts you up."

Trey

David said...

88% white?

What's the non-white percentage in the country? In Congress? On the Harvard faculty? In Obama's extended family? Of the people standing around Obama when he signed the "reform" bill?

So much for the racist critique.

LonewackoDotCom said...

PatD is a good illustration of the problem. The video he mentions has someone who only rants. That's then followed by a speech from Spector. And, it's all accompanied by a rowdy crowd. That's not intellectual engagement; no one tried to show how Spector is wrong. They just vented. That might make them feel better, but at the end of the day it's not effective. And, the partiers just can't figure any of that out.

Let's start small with an example. JoelKotkin is not on the right side of things, but the vast majority of partiers will have never heard of him. For those who have, some might agree with him. Yet, he's someone they should oppose if they actually care about what they claim to care about. Among those who realize he's on the wrong side, I don't think there's a single one who knows how to oppose him correctly, has the mental ability to oppose him correctly, or has the emotional ability to keep opposing him correctly. Supporters of the partiers are welcome to try to prove me wrong: have at it.

LonewackoDotCom said...

David is another good illustration of the problem.

Bean counting is what the far-left does; engaging in bean counting props up their ideology.

And, the far-left will always say that the 12% are "sell-outs" or worse.

So, dealing with such issues in another would seem to be required, but the partiers don't have the fundamentals down so can't do that.

garage mahal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
garage mahal said...

Vandalized homes. Bricks thrown windows. Death threats. I'd be running from the terrorists in the Tea Party movement.

Roger J. said...

seems to me the point is this:

the progressives in this country focus on race only to further their agenda--they are blind to the fact that their movements are lily white; to wit, answer, code pink and the rest of the salivating liberals. Their only recourse is to suggest that any opposing group is racist even though their groups don't pass the diversity test and they arent smart enough to even look at the evidence.

I wish I could say it must be genuinely uncomfortable to be a progressive and not be aware of the reality in front of them. But when you are blind to evidence, you are idiots all.

DADvocate said...

Until then, these kinds of things are simply not relevant.

Unless you want to get elected, persuade people to your point of view, sell someone a product,...

Sofa King said...

Vandalized homes. Bricks thrown windows. Death threats. I'd be running from the terrorists in the Tea Party movement.

Right, well, fortunately, "terrorists in the Tea Party movement" are pretty rare so that should not be too difficult.

AG said...

I'd be interested to know what the fertility rate among those women is. The potential tea-partiers I know are stay-at-home mothers with at least two children.

Rick L said...

Not really a big surprise to any guy who has been to a couple of Tea Party meetings.

TXDawg said...

LOL - you mean as more and more women become co-equal or primary wage earners, they start to care a LOT more about high taxes and instrusive goverment?

Say it ain't so...

Micha Elyi said...

"...if you don't vote, you don't have any right to complain."-
Dust Bunny Queen


False. You voters played the elections casino, you are the ones with no right to complain about the outcome. The rest of us ߝincluding your own non-voting kidsߝ are stuck with the results your participation produced and legitimized. Own it, honey. Only non-participants have an honest right to complain. You don't.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Own it, honey. Only non-participants have an honest right to complain. You don't.

Nope. If you sit on your fat ass and don't vote, you don't have any right to complain about how the vote went.

Clues....you also can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket. You can't win the baseball game if you don't play.

If you don't like the way things went in the last election or they way things are going now, I suggest you do something about it instead of being a leech on society.

Don't like it? Fix it.

Don't want to do anything to fix it? STFU

MadisonMan said...

Who's in the Tea Party movement? Imbeciles who do things like this. I hope they find life in prison attractive.

(Sorry, this really touches a nerve with me).

MadisonMan said...

And I do not mean to imply that all (or any!) Tea Party members applaud those actions. I'm sure that 99+% are more law abiding than the average Congressman. (Low bar).

wv: sporkfoo. Now why didn't then make it sporkfoon!!!

garage mahal said...

Besides spitting, homophobic and racist taunts, death threats, brick throwing through windows, and severing gas lines, they just ordinary concerned citizens!

Meade said...

garage, you left out "vilifying, slandering, defaming, and group-smearing."

MadisonMan said...

Besides spitting, homophobic and racist taunts, death threats, brick throwing through windows, and severing gas lines,

Any movement will attract thugs. I think it's unfair to paint a movement with such a broad brush because of the actions of a clear minority.

Re: More women than men. There are more women than men in general. I would be curious to know how the poll-takers know that normal statistical variability isn't working here. For example: are women or men more likely to talk to a pollster (presumably when they call on the phone). IOW: What madawaskan said at 12:04 :)

Unknown said...

Tea parties were a lot more popular with men back in the 60's.

Chennaul said...

MadisonMan-

Yep-I'm in complete agreement with your statement here:

I think it's unfair to paint a movement with such a broad brush because of the actions of a clear minority.

Their sample size was only 253 participants. MOE was 6.2% . Basically not that great.

traditionalguy said...

Women are smart enough not to trust Obama's word that their losing a good thing in health care will actually improve anybody's lives. He is a known serial liar and destroyer.

Meade said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Calypso Facto said...

RE: MM & Garage, I think we'd all agree that gas line slashing has no place as a political statement and does not represent the actions of the Tea Party any more than shooting up Republican Rog Coverley's house represented the Democrats in '04. There be crazies of all flavors out there.

I'm a little more suspicious when there's actually a commercial market for a party's political violence apparel, though.

Matt said...

A few assholes are in the Tea Party movement:

Federal and local authorities are investigating a severed gas line at the home of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello's brother, discovered the day after Tea Party activists posted the address online so opponents could "drop by" and "express their thanks" for Perriello's vote in favor of health care reform....A local Tea Party leader, Nigel Coleman, was apparently one of two activists who posted Bo Perriello's address online Monday. When told that it wasn't actually the lawmaker's address, he wrote, "Oh well, collateral damage."

Meade said...

"Who is in the Tea Party movement?"

Which Tea Party movement? Can you be more specific?

The Sons of Liberty was a secret organization of American patriots which originated in the pre-independence British North American colonies. British authorities and their supporters, known as Loyalists, considered the Sons of Liberty as seditious rebels, referring to them as "Sons of Violence" and "Sons of Iniquity." Patriots attacked the apparatus and symbols of British authority and power such as property of the gentry, customs officers, East India Company tea, and as the war approached, vocal supporters of the Crown.
Members were drawn from across class distinctions, although these borders were less well-defined in colonial America. In order to do this, the Sons of Liberty relied on large public demonstrations to expand their base. They learned early on that controlling such crowds was problematic, although they strived to control "the possible violence of extra-legal gatherings."

Prominent leaders included Charles Thomson, Haym Solomon, Thomas Young, Paul Revere, Joseph Warren, Benjamin Edes, Alexander McDougall, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Isaac Sears, John Lamb, James Otis, Marinus Willett, John Adams, and his second cousin, Samuel Adams, who was a leader of the New England resistance.

Jane said...

I've been surprised and amazed at the number of women at Tea Party meetings and events. At GMU last Friday, there were a lot of women (Instapundit linked to a video showing several women there speaking out about voting health care bill Dems out in November).

I attended with another woman. My facebook friends (women) are up in arms and write nearly every day about current events.

I currently value my liberty highly. I would prefer private school, but I currently homeschool and meet up with gobs of other women every single week for our weekly classical education classes. We don't talk politics at school functions, but outside of school we are quite active, because we are in love with the liberty we share with our children. Today it was 70 degrees in Virginia, so we spent a good part of the afternoon just shopping at the garden store and talking about all the wonderful plans we have for our garden and how to do stuff.

I also sew "liberty hats" and fondly remember Betsy Ross every time I stitch. I'm not a sewer by nature, but I saw a need and decided to fill it. Liberty has been envisioned as a strong woman throughout the ages.

It would have been interesting to find out if the women involved work full time or part time. I assume the latter. Most women I know who homeschool, for example, have a college degree and worked for a while, and some of them still hold various part-time jobs. Perhaps the simple truth is that the women are freed up to participate based on their being home more. I know my hubby has been a huge encouragement to me and helps out our local group on weekends, but he needs to focus on his "day job" as Nancy Pelosi would call it.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

I doubt P. J. O'Rourke would be surprised..

Calypso Facto said...

One bus ride and Meade is fixin' to bust up some shit! Woohoo! Keep up the fire!

LonewackoDotCom said...

Calypso Facto: there are nuts in every movement, but the parties are in the class of movements in which nutso behavior is encouraged and not opposed.

For instance, it's not too long ago that Glenn Reynolds was celebrating swarming politicians and holding up bunny ears behind their heads. And, when faced with a bunch of very dim, very angry folks - some of whom are using apocalyptic or revolutionary language - it's beyond irresponsible for their leaders - Reynolds, Armey, the Kochtopus - not to tell them to chill out. Instead, they do the opposite, firing them up with misleading statements or hyperbole.

Meade said...

LonewackoDoToryCom

bagoh20 said...

Hey lonewacko, can you scream any louder why I should NOT click your links. A hairy transvestite with a lip sore has a better sales pitch.

garage mahal said...

garage, you left out "vilifying, slandering, defaming, and group-smearing.

I don't see any separation between the unhinged revolutionary rhetoric from the right and what we're seeing from the tea partiers. Why wouldn't they make death threats to congressman and vandalize Dem offices if HCR equals killing grandma and the end of America.

AlphaLiberal said...

A bunch of disgraceful nutjobs.

Here is what one Tea Party goon accomplished, threatening a brother of an elected representative and his wife and young children:

Federal and local authorities are investigating a severed gas line at the home of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello’s brother, discovered the day after Tea Party activists posted the address online so opponents could “drop by” and “express their thanks” for Perriello’s vote in favor of health care reform.

The gas line to the home’s propane tank was slashed, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
.

Althouse joins Sarah Palin in egging on the crazies.

Penny said...

This is interesting.

"While 70 percent of all voters are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with the way things are going in America today, 92 percent of Tea Party members are dissatisfied."

Someone should interview that other 8%. *rubs chin*

AlphaLiberal said...

Teabaggers don't understand the simple concept that, in America, when you lose elections, you don't get to call the shots.

Republicans are also subject to rule of democracy and the will of the voters.

But they refuse to accept that fact of life in America. In fact, they hate that part of America and hate democracy.

myth buster said...

Of course we hate democracy. THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY! This is a Republic, and in a Republic, there are certain things that are off limits to the majority.

Sofa King said...

I hope they find life in prison attractive.

Really? You think someone should spend *life* in prison for severing the line on a propane barbeque grill? Criminal damage to property of, at MOST, $1000? I don't really think you mean that.

Calypso Facto said...

You really elevate your argument by using a homosexual slur on all dissenters, Alpha.

And I love the way you've extrapolated from a potential crime WITH NO IDENTIFIED SUSPECTS to blaming ALL Republicans and Tea Partiers.

For someone who is trying to advocate civil discourse within the established political system, you don't provide a very good example.

Alex said...

You know slamming all tea partiers with the actions of a few goons is like saying all liberals are to be held to account for ELF or Code Pink.

Chef Mojo said...

@ Alpha Liberal:

When they catch the guy that slashed that gas line and it turns out that he's a moby, what are you gonna say to that?

Personally, I tend to confront Periello up front and personal at his C'ville office.

Second point on this: WHAAAAAaaah! Whine away, loser. Welcome to the big leagues. Death threats and such are part of the job, or did you conveniently forget 8 years of threats and disrespect towards GWB? Don't ever recall him quivering in fear and calling news conferences whining about it. Grow up and get real. Both you and garage. It's par for the course. You don't like it, get out of it.

Another point: Participatory democracy does not start and end on election day, and you fucking know it. You came within a whisker of losing the whole ball of wax, and may yet still, now that this is going to the courts. If you believed that crap about elections meaning the losers don't have a say, you'd have kept your piehole zipped during Bush. Did you?

Yeah. Didn't think so.

So, fuck you and the horse you rode in on. I'm going to fight you every step of the way. I'm gonna use the tactics you taught me, and I'm going to do everything I can to reverse this assault on liberty.

See ya at the ballot box in November, chump. And beyond.

Chef Mojo said...

@ myth buster:

BINGO!

This is a concept that liberals and progressives cannot get through their thick skulls: The United States is not, nor has it ever been, a democracy.

"A republic, if you can keep it."

Not a democracy. There's a huge difference. Democracies do not protect the rights of the minority. This republic does.

AlphaLiberal said...

100% deranged sore losers

AlphaLiberal said...

Thank you for taking the bait and showing your true anti-democratic colors.

You guys despise the democratic process.

Sore losers!

LonewackoDotCom said...

1. Calling me a tory is just embarrasingly stupid.

2. Trying to dissuade people from clicking my links is just plain stupid and is a minor manifestation of the fascistic streak common among partisan hacks (of all sides). The first link in my first comment is an ideology-neutral technique that the partiers could use to show how they think their opponents are wrong. Yet, bagoh20 wants to dissuade those he supposedly supports from finding out about a technique that could help them. That's pretty stupid, isn't it? And, considering that I and teaparty have some opponents in common, and I've been following them for years over thousands of posts (like, for instance, this group), it's pretty stupid not to use my extensive coverage. But, of course, teaparty is practically just another word for stoopid so none of that should be a surprise.

SukieTawdry said...

I'm a woman in the Tea Party movement. I have no children, but I still believe it should be the goal of each generation to hand off to the next generation a better "product" than the one received. I believe further that saddling future generations with incalculable debt for programs of dubious benefit is irresponsible, immoral and irrational. This, I think, is an intellectual position, not an emotional one.

AlphaLiberal said...

Now they tell us that voting on legislation is despotic. Why do conservatives hate the democratic process so much?

You lost the election. You lost the VOTE on the bill.

Get over it, ya sore losers!

AlphaLiberal said...

Sukie, did you feel the same way when George Bush put two wars and massive tax cuts for the wealthy on the deficit?

Do you support he "Starve the beast" strategy that increases deficits?

Do you think the party that loses the elections should still be in control?

AlphaLiberal said...

Chef Mojo lies about my words or is simply deranged:

Participatory democracy does not start and end on election day, and you fucking know it. .

I never said that and you know that.

I said:
* Threats against elected officials are wrong.
* Insults shrieked at elected officials are wrong.
* the party that loses elections should not be on charge any longer and calling shots.

Really to come up with the words you try to put in my mouth is simply nuts. Crazy.

Salamandyr said...

* Insults shrieked at elected officials are wrong.

Why?

AlphaLiberal said...

"Follow the Tea Party violence with this handy map

Tea Partiers = modern Brown Shirts

Elections? They don't need no stinking elections. They should always be able to call the shots, regardless of the will of the people as shown in elections.


What an unAmerican, deluded and dangerous bunch.

bagoh20 said...

"Trying to dissuade people from clicking my links is just plain stupid and is a minor manifestation of the fascistic streak common among partisan hacks (of all sides). "

Then stop doing that.

If you stop and apologize for all the slander you've been spewing I might click...naa I won't, too late.

AlphaLiberal said...

Salamandyr said...
"* Insults shrieked at elected officials are wrong.

Why?"

If you can't figure that our on your own it's a waste of time trying to explain it to you.

MadisonMan said...

You think someone should spend *life* in prison for severing the line on a propane barbeque grill?

Sofa king, I should have put an a in front of prison. Life in a prison. Or said Prison Life. Apologies for my unclear writing.

If it were done to a normal schmoe, maybe $1000 is correct. Done to a Congressman's family? I think that ups the ante a bit.

bagoh20 said...

Sounds here like the Tea Party has some people pretty worried. Sure are a lot of attacks of the lame type typical when scared liberals start shaking.

bagoh20 said...

"If it were done to a normal schmoe, maybe $1000 is correct. Done to a Congressman's family? I think that ups the ante a bit."

$1000.01

Chef Mojo said...

Alpha:

You're the one who is lying.

I answered this point:

* the party that loses elections should not be on charge any longer and calling shots.

With the following:

Another point: Participatory democracy does not start and end on election day, and you fucking know it. You came within a whisker of losing the whole ball of wax, and may yet still, now that this is going to the courts. If you believed that crap about elections meaning the losers don't have a say, you'd have kept your piehole zipped during Bush. Did you?

Yeah. Didn't think so.


So, let me sum it up. You advocate that in our system of government, the minority should have no rights; that they should just sit down, shut up, and let the majority run roughshod over them. Spoken like a true fascist, Alpha! Which is not surprising, given the the incestuous relationship between progressives, socialists and fascists.

I beg to differ, on the other hand. I believe the rights of the minority are precious. And if they can bring forth support to block legislation being rammed through by the majority against the will of the people, then more power to them. I didn't whine and bitch when Bush bombed on Social Security Reform, although I agreed with it. The left did an admirable job of rallying the public against the administration.

Now, by your way of thinking, the left should have just crawled into its little corner and whimpered and moaned, while the Republicans - who had, after all, won the election! - pushed through that legislation.

That is what you're saying, isn't it?

Of course it is, unless you're completely incapable of logical reasoning.

Oh. Wait. You're a fascist. Of course. My bad.

Sofa King said...

Done to a Congressman's family? I think that ups the ante a bit.

What? Why? Is the property of relatives of government officials more valuable than that of ordinary shmoes? Is it holy or something?

Maybe we should just make it a crime to show disrespect to government employees? With exceptions for obviously wrong employees, such as Republicans, of course.

Chef Mojo said...

Alpha:

* Threats against elected officials are wrong.
* Insults shrieked at elected officials are wrong.


But Bushitler was just peachy with you, right? Fascist. Or the absolute stifling of free speech on American campuses during the Bush administration? Fascist. How 'bout these kind of insults: http://tinyurl.com/nqgv7m. Or the insults hurled during 8 years of leftist/fascist madness in the streets?

You pathetic, hypocritical little fuck. And in all the cases I mention there is ample proof of leftist/fascist manufactured hatred and derision.

So, where was your oh-so-noble outrage then, Alpha?

AlphaLiberal said...

Unhinged, dangerous and violence-prone people. Republicans and their Tea Party allies fan the flames of American fanaticism:

'"There were two events in my district during the last week that were alarming to me and I have reported them to the proper authorities. There was a brick thrown through my Niagara Falls district office and a voice mail referencing snipers that was left on the answering machine of my campaign office. The U.S. Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police departments are all aware of these incidents and are still investigating.

It's more disturbing to me that Republican leadership has not condemned these attacks and instead appears to be fanning the flames with coded rhetoric. Michael Steele, the head of the national Republican party, said that Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be put on "the firing line." Sarah Palin said "don't retreat - reload." And House Minority Leader John Boehner said that a Democratic member of Congress who supported health care reform would be a "dead man."'

From Rep Mary Louise Slaughter

You lost. Get over it.

AlphaLiberal said...

Chef Mojo:

This is the first time I heard of "Bushitler." The very first.

So make up some more shit and work yourself into a frothy rage.

Or get over it. You lost.

SukieTawdry said...

I had any number of disagreements with George Bush, AlphaLiberal (oxymoron), but I supported both wars (still do) and don't consider across-the-board tax rate reductions "tax cuts for the rich." Those are talking points favored among beta types.

holdfast said...

"More women than men. Surprising? "

HAWT!

Chef Mojo said...

Unhinged, dangerous and violence-prone people. Republicans and their Tea Party allies fan the flames of American fanaticism:

Hmm. Really, Alpha?

[smiles]

That's the Tea Partiers, all right. Riots in the streets. Attacking the police. Destroying property - STARBUCKS IS TEH SUXOR!!!111elventy!!! - and just causing general mayhem. Being usefool tools for ANSWER. Union thugs attacking people.

Not to mention committing puppetry and paper maché.

Oh? That was you guys?

Alpha, you pathetic, hypocritical, fascist fuck.

bagoh20 said...

I do condemn any violence, even against property at this point. But, if it's a moby, I doubt we will hear another word about it.

If the guy has a Tea Party T-shirt, the media will make him Grand Pubah of the movement.

The Tea Party's main enemy from here on is the media. The lies have just begun people. It will be ugly. People like Chrissy are not gonna give up that leg tingle easily. Olbermann may actually submit to more teabagging to report on it's less filling and poor taste disappointments. It will show you just what the media thinks of their country, its people and values.

garage mahal said...

Union thugs attacking people.

You mean that dude without health insurance, out protesting against health insurance, that fell down? Popped right back up, talked to the media, and the next day filed a lawsuit in a wheelchair? LOL.

Chef Mojo said...

Alpha:

This is the first time I heard of "Bushitler." The very first.

Oh. My.

Well that explains you, Alpha. You've been under a fucking rock for the last decade!

You're a liar or an idiot.

Calypso Facto said...

And TOTALLY unlike when James Carville threatened riots if Obama lost the '08 election.

Chef Mojo said...

garage:

If you're referring to the Kenneth Gladney case in St. Louis, then I think you've been woefully misinformed.

The SEIU thugs were charged back in November with criminal assault. Court date is in April.

Obviously, you feel it's ok for SEIU thugs to attack a man and call him n****r while beating him.

"LOL." It's so funny!

Fascist.

garage mahal said...

Yea ok Chef. I've seen the clip, and if you can find where the "thugs" "assaulted" him, I'd love to see it. Do you have it handy?

Andrea said...

Oh! Oh! I feel so guilty that Alpha Liberal, garage mahal, Madison Man, et al, disapprove of me for being on the side of the evil Tea Partiers! I am totally writhing with guilt here at my iniquity! My soul is black with sin! I don't deserve to be seen in the streets! All should shun me! Shunnnnn---!

--Aw, look, cute!

Jane said...

I've stopped being surprised that the media and AlphaLiberal are using tactics to try to simply shut up their opposition. They are using modern warfare tactics -- the war of slander and name-calling.

The Congressional Black Caucus knows how to play at this war, which is why they pulled that particular stunt last Saturday.

The Tea Party is made up of Moms and Dads and Grandmas and Grandpas who are meek and peace-loving. Get used to it, AlphaLiberal, because the meek shall inherit the earth.

garage mahal said...

The Congressional Black Caucus knows how to play at this war, which is why they pulled that particular stunt last Saturday.

That's not saying much about the people they were simply walking by if they knew they would entice racial taunts.

holdfast said...

"Blogger garage mahal said...

Vandalized homes. Bricks thrown windows. Death threats. I'd be running from the terrorists in the Tea Party movement."


Why is garage talking about SEIU tactics? I thought this was a thread about Tea Parties?

How about the vandalism committed by Democrats during the last few election cycles (offices shot up, tires slashed)? How about the Obama "Justice" Department's treating with kid gloves members of the "New" Black Panthers who brandished weapons outside a polling place? How about the anti-Prop 8 campaign in California which also publicizes names and addresses of folks they don't like - or ARCORN / OfA, which buses people to protest outside the houses of people they don't like?

I really don't think any of the lefties on this board want to get into a thuggery-accusation competition, it is a sure loser for them, especially when their President has "former" domestic terrorists as his buddies.

garage mahal said...

holdfast
Waiting for that link from Chef Mojo showing the "beating" by the SEIU "thugs". I'm sure I'll be waiting even longer for anything showing vandalized homes, bricks thrown windows, and death threats by the same SEIU "thugs". Whacha got?

Chef Mojo said...

Garage,

I never mentioned a video. You did.

What I've got is Democrat prosecutor in the Democrat city of St. Louis thinking he's got enough of a case to charge SEIU thugs with criminal assault.

The video is immaterial. Couldn't be used as evidence anyway.

But as long as you're on that tack, where's the video of those Congresscritters being called racial epithets the other day?

Putz.

Jane said...

That's not saying much about the people they were simply walking by if they knew they would entice racial taunts.

It didn't happen, garage, in spite of the fact that Jesse Jackson, Jr. was ready with his camera hoping to catch some.

Jane said...

During the Bush Years radical leftists frequently stalked and threatened Republicans even at their homes.

LilyBart said...

So many women. I guess they can't say the tea parties is a bunch of 'angry white men'.

Really - it includes a lot of 'mama bears' - trying to protect their children's liberty and economic future.

reader_iam said...

This is the first time I heard of "Bushitler." The very first.

You have got to be kidding, AlphaLiberal Really?!?

AlphaLiberal said...

No, not kidding. I heard "Bushit" which didn't strike me as terribly clever.

This strikes me as one of those obscure things the right wing blew out of all proportion.

It stands in direct contrast to:

* Republican Congressmen cheering disruptive rowdies resisting being removed from the House gallery.

* John Boehner calling a Dem Rep from Cleveland "a dead man."

* The head of the RNC saying Pelosi will be on "the firing line"

etc, etc. The leadership of the Republican Party and the Teabagger movement are using incendiary rhetoric while death threats and vandalsim mount is far different than an obscure person's use of a goofy word.

AlphaLiberal said...

Jane makes an idiotic statement:

"I've stopped being surprised that the media and AlphaLiberal are using tactics to try to simply shut up their opposition. "

No, Jane. Threats of violence and actual violence are not speech.

Criticizing speakers for the content of their speech is not the same as trying to "simply shut up their opposition. "

Could ya just deal with reality and stop this dishonest practice of lying about what people say?

Really, you're unmoored from reality.

AlphaLiberal said...

Not to mention committing puppetry and paper maché. .

I have said many times I hate the fricken puppets.

PatD said...

LonewackoDotCom thinks the woman who pointed clashed with Specter was ranting. She pointed out that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are broke, and that a government that screwed up Cash for Clunkers is not qualified to take over 1/6 th of the economy. Those sound like pretty valid points to me.

Our national debt is already $12 trillion. That works out to $120,000 per US household. Yep, LonewackoDotCom, your household owns that much of the national debt. The unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare stand at $100 trillion. Just in case LonewackoDotCom can't do back-of-the-envelope math, his household is in the hole for a million bucks.

I suspect the "ranter" did the math, and didn't like the answer.

reader_iam said...

Let me go on the record that I both "heard" (in the sense of read) and heard (in the sense of hearing something said in real life) "Bushitler," among other things, in the last decade, including hearing the likes of which pretty recently.

Let me go on the record that I both "heard" (in the sense of read) and heard (in the sense of hearing something said in real life) "n***er," among other things, in the last decade, including hearing the likes of which pretty recently.

Manifestly, the conclusion to which I must come is that I live a pretty rarefied life (however much I might doubt that).

Contrarian that I am, I suspect that something rather different is what's going on.

reader_iam said...

What IS it with people wanting to infantilize people within their own families/sides/etc. by not just failing to call them out on their bad behavior, not just actively working to justify their bad behavior, but actually going the next step and saying that their failure to call out and their active working to justify is entirely different than what those other people are doing.

Man, that seems like a lot of work to me, to make some simple things that damn complicated.

Vicki said...

The report which accompanies the poll tells us that, “at this stage” the Tea Party movement is a “minority group” consisting “mainly” of white Republicans; a minority group, we are told, roughly the size of the African American electorate. This fact, presented in a seemingly dismissive manner, is staggering. The African American electorate is a highly sought after voting block which was, by all accounts, responsible for assuring Obama’s 2008 victory. That the Tea Party movement is a voting block of equal size deserves serious attention.

I am likewise amazed that the Assistant Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute so completely misses the significance of the demographics. Describing a movement in opposition to the current (Democratic) leadership in Washington as “mostly made up of people who consider themselves Republican” completely misses (deliberately hides?) the significance of the fact that one out of every five Tea Party participants is a Democrat. Likewise, a movement which is “mainly white”, in a country where 77% of the population is, in fact, white, is hardly news worthy. What *is* news worthy is that 6% of the participants in the Tea Party movement are black. Thank about that. Blacks comprise a mere 1% of the Republican Party. One might expect a movement made up “mainly” of Republicans to be, at best, 1% black. Yet, a full 6% of the Tea Party movement is black. That’s quite a difference.

In fact, looking at it from a different angle, blacks make up 12% of the total US population. It would be unrealistic to expect a full 12% of the Tea Party movement to be black, given that election results indicate nearly 95% of all black voters voted for Obama. This would lead us to expect 11.4% of the US population (that is, 95% of the black population) to be pro-Obama blacks, and a mere 0.6% of the total population to be blacks critical of the president and his policies. Yet, the number of black participants in the Tea Party movement, at 6%, turns out to be significantly larger than that. Larger, in fact, by a factor of 10. That is an amazing statistic, especially in light of the continuous efforts to describe the Tea Party movement as racist.

nrn312 said...

Liberals won, teabaggers lost. Get used to it!

reader_iam said...

Liberals won, teabaggers lost. Get used to it!

nrn312: OK...and what about all the other categories? I mean, don't stop there. Or are you trying to tell a version of that old joke: "There are two kinds of the people in the world..."?

The Crack Emcee said...

"More women than men. Surprising?"

The Tea Party just failed on it's own chosen mandate - BIG TIME - so, "no". They even let the bastards who fucked them walk through their crowd unmolested - not even a tomato thrown - nothing. So "no".

As Too $hort famously said:

All bitches ain't women.

But they might be 88% "white". (Not a mixture of Irish, Italian, German, whatever, but "white".)

Figure that shit out and then you, too, can start down the long and arduous road to becoming an American.

Come on, Ann, you just have to write about it - you're compelled, obsessed, it's important:

It's racial.

DaveW said...

The head of the RNC saying Pelosi will be on "the firing line"

I'd love to see a report on that to see the context. I take it you are aware that a "firing line" is the place on a rifle range where people line up with guns to shoot at targets?

At the qualifying range for the USMC the call before weapons are freed is "Ready on the left? Ready on the right? All ready on the firing line!" I can hear it like it was yesterday.

That being some sort of threat to Pelosi doesn't make much sense on its face to someone that knows what a firing line is.

Meade said...

Huey Newton on Firing Line