Posted on 08/23/2011 8:05:43 PM PDT by grey_whiskers
Several weeks ago, during the fight over the debt ceiling (remember THAT?), John McCain (Mummy-AZ) gave a speech from the floor of the Senate, during which he ripped into conservatives, calling them "Tea Party Hobbits" and claimed that their refusal to back the GOP plan for the budget would help re-elect Barack Abyss Obama (Joker--Chicago).
Conservatives rightly took offense at this remark, seeing that it was intended to be both insulting and dismissive: by comparing the Tea Partiers to hobbits, he was essentially calling them inconsequential, and hoping to imply that they were overestimating themselves. But, like many elitists, especially when they try their hand at populism ("can I get me a huntin' license here?"), he got it wrong.
Or did he?
After the 2010 elections, it can hardly be argued that the Tea Partiers are an insignificant factor: there was a greater turnover from one political party to another in the Uthan at any time since 1948: and a total of over 700 seats in local legislatures and other positions changed hands. So how does this make McCain accurate?
Well, he was accurate, not in that the Tea Parties *were* inconsequential: but he was accurate in spirit, since by calling them Hobbits, he showed that they were considered inconsequential. You know, just like the real Hobbits. As Elrond said,
"Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."
And so it is here. The great lordlings, from the chieftains of the Senate, to the Nancgûl in the House, and of course the Dark Lord Soros and his servant in Barack-Dûr, all alike look with contempt on this rabble, the commoners, the little people who have the audacity to rise up against their rule. As the Mouth of Sauron said,
"Is there anyone in this rout with authority to treat with me? ... It needs more to make a king than a piece of elvish glass, or a rabble such as this."
But it is here that their pride betrays them -- and if we hobbits hold fast to our call, it will be their doom. For their reckoning is only with domination, with forcing their will upon others. It has not yet entered their imagination that we would cast them down and have NO rulers in their place.
And it is in this connection in particular, that they cannot comprehend the Tea Party, or the Hobbits, or one particular Hobbit whom many would name as our champion. In fact, many have proclaimed that this particular Hobbit is so damaged in the public esteem, that the chances of success are as nought, and it would be folly for them to run. But as Gandalf said,
"It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of this malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it."
For there is one among us knows that
"it must often be so...when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."
And if she runs, it will be with a Servant's Heart.
Which brings to mind one other important point: when the work of casting down the Great Enemy was done, it was still necessary to labour in order to overcome his works and to restore light and beauty to the world.
When we have won the election, let us work with our new President to clean the corruption, and to Scour the Shire.
Only then can we party like it's 1420.
If Tea Partiers are Hobbits, then Rick Perry is Bill Ferny.
Cheers!
With a foreword by Gwaihir the Windlord.
FReepmail to get on/off this low-to-moderate volume list.
Cheers!
Many fail to remember that the Hobbits end up kicking some serious butt in the end. Call be a hobbit, makes me proud.
well done. Calling us Hobbits is going to bite them in the butt.
Guys like you and me are out there in the shire polishing our swords right as we speak.
Lord of the *PING*s
Hobbits are cool but I think of Tea Partiers as being more like a bunch of little Yodas.
The Farce is Strong with This One.
Cheers!
1420?
Family, neighborhood, community, country. It destructs and constructs in that order (since we don’t have tribes).
Other things could get in the way, though.
Hear Hear!!!
Go read the LOTR trilogy, and it will make sense.
Wait until Juan figures out how far left his buddy Barry is. He’s going to be so disappointed.
All of these events, IMHO, warrant a party...
Mar 1st - Pope Martinus I calls for crusade against the hussieten
Apr 21st - Treaty of Saint Maartens Dike
May 21st - Treaty of Troyes-French King Charles VI gives France to English
May 23rd - Jews of Syria & Austria expelled
May 25th - Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ.
Jun 7th - Troops of the Republic of Venice capture Udine, ending the independence of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.
Jul 14th - Battle at Vitkov Zizka’s hill (Prague): Taboriets beat Bohemia
Aug 5th - Duke John VI of Bavaria visits “Christ’s bride”/virgin Liduina
Dec 1st - Henry V of England enters Paris.
From Lord of The Rings (after the downfall of Sauron and the Scouring of The Shire):
Altogether 1420 in the Shire was a marvellous year. Not only was there wonderful sunshine and delicious rain, in due times and perfect measure, but there seemed something more: an air of richness and growth, and a gleam of a beauty beyond that of mortal summers that flicker and pass upon this Middle-earth. All the children born or begotten in that year, and there were many, were fair to see and strong, and most of them had a rich golden hair that had before been rare among hobbits. The fruit was so plentiful that young hobbits very nearly bathed in strawberries and cream; and later they sat on the lawns under the plum-trees and ate, until they had made piles of stones like small pyramids or the heaped skulls of a conqueror, and then they moved on. And no one was ill, and everyone was pleased, except those who had to mow the grass.
In the Southfarthing the vines were laden, and the yield of "leaf" was astonishing; and everywhere there was so much corn that at Harvest every barn was stuffed. The Northfarthing barley was so fine that the beer of 1420 malt was long remembered and became a byword. Indeed a generation later one might hear an old gaffer in an inn, after a good pint of well-earned ale, put down his mug with a sigh: 'Ah! That was proper fourteen-twenty, that was!"
Cheers!
What more needs to be said?
You’re so right, McCain unknowingly complimented the Tea Party and the comparison to Hobbits was a good one.
To my fellow Tea Partiers, I say
“I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”
Which brings to mind one other important point: when the work of casting down the Great Enemy was done, it was still necessary to labour in order to overcome his works and to restore light and beauty to the world.
And thanks for the ping, GW.
(If Senator McCain reads FR, I hope he realizes the quote in post # 18 is a compliment to Tea Partiers. lol)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.