The grassroots Tea Party movement flummoxes the left
March 10th, 2010 . by TexasFredThe grassroots Tea Party movement flummoxes the left
Watching the left try to cope with the Tea Party movement is fascinating. Some evidence suggests that fear is in control, like the desperate marginalizing and demonizing of the Tea Party movement that so effectively shows the dissatisfaction of millions of Americans with government over-reaching. The left resorts to name-calling and tries to paint the Tea Party participants as a bunch of wild-eyed radicals, bent on revolution, perhaps even violence. But that is a gross distortion of these Americans, the vast majority of whom are everyday citizens merely taking advantage of their God-given and constitutionally-protected right to speak their mind.Some on the left are unable to accept this movement as a genuine citizen protest against Big Government excesses and intrusions into personal freedom. That perspective is represented by columnist Reg Henry, who wrote last week, “If you happened to see the health care summit that President Barack Obama hosted the other day … you saw the Republicans insist with great certainty that Americans don’t want health care legislation.�? Well, Mr. Henry, that’s not what Republicans said, which is that Americans don’t like “this�? legislation, and are saying so loud and clear.
And as for their certainty in saying so, well, it’s because Republicans aren’t deaf or blind. They hear from their constituents, both Republicans and Democrats. They recognize that Tea Party participants are fed up with the over-bearing nature of the federal government, and the arrogant way the president and the leaders of Congress ignore their objections, and they say Congress had better not enact legislation affecting 17 percent of the economy by a 50 percent-plus-one vote when the country is so sharply divided on the issue, and Republicans are finally paying attention.
They also realize that opinion polls conducted by respected polling organizations portray the mood of the country pretty accurately, using proven and accepted methodology to randomly sample Americans who usually are registered voters, and whose statistically relevant opinions can be extrapolated to the citizenry at large with 96 percent accuracy.
They know multiple polls conducted repeatedly over several months continue to show a consistent disapproval of the direction the country is heading, ranging from 60 to 73 percent, and a small percentage of approval, in some polls as low as 22 percent.
But Mr. Henry seems to think the 2008 election was the definitive statement by the people of what they want the president and the Congress to do, even though President Obama’s campaign was one of cavernous rhetoric, devoid of detail. Furthermore, Mr. Obama’s victory margin was only seven points, 53 to 46 percent, and that isn’t a mandate to do anything. In fact, seven points is a fraction of the margin between Americans who dislike the country’s direction and those who approve of it.
Another columnist, Ann McFeatters, relies on superficial thinking and insufficient research to help her misunderstand this phenomenon, in her column taking President Obama to task “for wasting political capital and failing to get as much done as he could have.�?
“The tide began to turn against health insurance reform, aided brilliantly by Republicans who began talking nonsensically, but effectively, about ‘death panels’ and socialistic medicine,�? she wrote. But just because the bill does not say specifically “in our socialized medicine system there will be death panels�? doesn’t preclude a mechanism evolving that will make life and death decisions based on budget considerations, nor does it mean that the system won’t become one where private health insurance cannot survive against the government’s monopolistic tendencies, and in a few years we will have socialized medicine. What Republicans did – and folks on the left didn’t do – was to look at the reform measures, and project them into the future to see what might happen.
After revealing that she didn’t look into the future to see where reform measures may lead, she blamed “Wall Street fat cats�? for the recent financial crisis, showing that she also didn’t look far enough into the past to find out what really caused the financial crisis. It’s true that Wall Streeters and big bankers contributed to the collapse, but they were only playing by the rules past Congresses and administrations created for them. Ms. McFeatters only looked back a couple of years, but the government meddling that created the environment for the problem began decades ago.
She criticizes the president’s failure to fulfill promises like closing Guantanamo Bay, ending the Iraq war, and capturing Osama bin Laden. Here, she fails to consider the ramifications of his promises, or obstacles to their fulfillment. So much of what Mr. Obama promised was unrealistic, and an objective analysis showed that. But Ms. McFeatters, the news media, and 53 percent of voters didn’t analyze his promises.
No surprise that the left doesn’t understand the Tea Party movement; and no surprise that it fears its opposition. Many liberals are unable to cope with logical disagreements, and because they don’t think things through cannot present logical arguments for their ideas.
Hence, instead of working with the opposition to find common ground on the nation’s problems, the majority party tries to force its ideas on the country, which is government at its worst.
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The grassroots Tea Party movement flummoxes the left
I was very happy to find this post on James’ blog, we’re having a meeting of our local chapter on Thursday night. We have to elect a new Rowlett TEA Party President to replace the one that has recently resigned to pursue other endeavors.
Outstanding! Thank you for sharing this excellent piece. Mr. Shott is spot on!
Very well stated.
A good article by James. The left is concerned about the Tea Party movement and see it as an obstacle, on their road to what they feel will be a better America, not the traditional America you and I know Fred. To them the right way to proceed is their way and barriers must be knocked down in order to advance to the new order they dream of—God only knows what they envision, for I doubt they do.
In the beginning I was critical of the tea party’s and saw their efforts as something less than the serious force it turned out to be—I was wrong! The movement gathered momentum at an astonishing rate and is now a force to be reckoned with across the political spectrum. My hat is off to my fellow countrymen for stepping up to the plate and voicing their discontent with the state of affairs in Washington.
The Tea Party movement did began as the party of “NO”, no to big run-a-way government and politics as usual; but has now begun to assert goals and objectives such as a return to common sense and fiscal responsibility in government. I am in awe of the energy those in the movement have exerted in their efforts to take back America from the forces that would in the end destroy the country of our fathers.
As far as I am concerned, the TEA Party will remain the party of NO… NO to big government, NO to high taxes, NO to government waste and NO to those that would turn America into a 3rd world pile of libber crap…
Ron, I fixed that one little typo for ya…
That is probably the most well written essay on the Tea Party that I have read. I can’t really say much more.
If this is off-point, my apologies Fred!
I’m a Tea Partier. I guess those on the left do not understand how we feel about this Great Land of ours. Last night, I decided to put down some thoughts, as to how I felt about this subject. Some of the words come from ‘Arizona Shooter’, hope he won’t mind….but he said exactly what I feel and his words were much better than mine could every be….so I put together some more words, modified some and added to others…and the end result is how I, as a Tea Partier, feel:
———————————————————-
Some thoughts I put together, borrowed, modified, and added to: A declaration of how I feel about this Wonderful Constitutional Republic handed to us by our Founders.
I may be guilty of being overly patriotic, if that is something that one can be found guilty of. I still get goose bumps when I hear the “Star-Spangled Banner” before a ball game and want to stand up even if I am in my own living room. As a Vet I, now again, enjoy the privilege of being able to salute, instead of putting my hand over my heart, which was OK…..but I did miss being able to salute the Symbol of “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave�?.
Last summer, I got teary eyed when I heard the Lee Greenwood song “Proud to be an American” at the Burleson Tea Party. They called all the Vets up front to stand when the song was played and I was crying like a baby…..couldn’t help it. At least the Tea Partiers didn’t care that one of the Vets broke down and many came to thank me for my service. I was thinking about all in my family who had served; my Dad, Uncles, Brothers, Cousins, and my friends, some who gave their lives…..many are with the Lord now. It all came back in a rush….and was a very moving experience for me!
At a young age I was drawn to the American Flag. I sang the National Anthem with pride in grade school, and meant it with all my heart when I recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
I joined the military to defend my country and give my life if necessary. And the Oath I took, the day I joined, is still in effect for me. I have been an unrepentant patriotic sap for as long as I can remember and will continue to be until my dying day.
All Americans owe everything they have today to God, the Founding Fathers and the men and women who have given their bodies to defend our way of life. I say that they gave their bodies because some came home, some lost limbs, and others gave their lives, but all gave themselves to a higher cause than themselves….Their Beloved Country!
And….I will not sit quietly by and watch Our Great Country be run over a cliff, by the current crop of Marxists and Fascists. It’s very comforting for me to know that God is on His Throne and I entreat Him every day to have mercy on us, once again! It’s also encouraging to see the wonderful “Patriotic Grass Fire�? burning across This Land….and the fact that there are millions of other Vets and Patriotic Americans ( in all shapes, sizes, ages, and from all walks of life) who feel the same as I do!
Keep Your Powder Dry!!
TXSonOfLiberty, speaking the truth, standing up for America and being proud of this nation, showing your patriotism and proudly expressing it is NEVER off point!
Great article. Thanks. The progressive left will never understand. They claim to think / feel with their hearts, but their primarily godless hedonistic hearts and are self absorbed or unable to feel. So they turn to their intellect and we know where a limited intellect gets you.
And for those lefties with a higher degree of intellect, they are saying “Oh Crap” we thought all those old foggies were done for. And they begin planning for ways to prevent the old foggies from being a problem in the future - things like “NoCare” for future medical problems. For everyone else, it’s Soylent Green.
I don’t really know…..I always considered myself as a member of the left, until the TEA party movement started.
Now I consider myself a member of the TEA party.
I’m not worried so much about Obamacare itself, as I am the future. Seems to me, that socialized medicine has its benefits. Medical care prices would be stablized, for one, and having half-breed ignorant doctors that got their degree based on the color of their skin would be out the window as well. Heck, I’ve had the same GP for 8 years, and I’ve never seen the man, his NURSES do my tests and handle my check-ups. I saw him once, in regular clothes, as I was getting my blood work done. He walked by and said “Hello.”
So, that’s a benefit.
Here’s what worries me about the whole thing: Socialism is communism at it’s root part. Socialism is the BEGINNING of Communism. Lenin wasn’t a Communist, he was a socialist, and look at what Russia turned into! It’s right there in the history books, folks! Socialism WILL turn into Communism. I’ve got an uncle, an older brother and a handful of cousins who died in Viet Nam….so we could fight COMMUNISM. Now, they want to turn any aspect of our government COMMUNIST, even if it might help in the short term? I don’t think so! That’s saying that all our troops that died in Korea and ‘Nam wasted their lives, isn’t it? We instituted the DRAFT over communism, and now they want to have COMMUNIST medicine? Give me a break!
Left or right, conservative or liberal, it doesn’t really matter so much as making sure that America stays the same beacon of hope and justice that it has always been and not listening to a bunch of half-wit former hippies who think that handouts are going to fix everything. That’s the bottom line.
Heard an interesting saying the other day. “Obama said he was going to make change. If it’s going to keep taking so long, I’d like my dollar back.”