How Do Tea Parties End? (read for a laugh)

politico.com ^ | 2/2/14 | Raymond Smith

[cotton1706]

ust how close is the Tea Party to its demise? Last week, Fox News didn’t even bother airing the group’s official response to Barack Obama’s speech, in which the president forcefully called for an end to tactics that prevent the government “from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy.” Even Speaker of the House John Boehner, who seemed so downtrodden last year, now has an extra spring in his step, and is daring to push for immigration reform over the vocal objections of the far right. All but the most extreme Republicans have abandoned their shutdown tactics, and though the GOP still vows to repeal Obama’s signature health law given the chance, the changing power dynamics on Capitol Hill are palpable.

Indeed, it’s been a rough few months for the Tea Party. Fewer Americans than at any time since 2010 now call themselves members or supporters of the group. The tactic of running far-right candidates in Republican primaries clearly cost the GOP control of the Senate in 2010 and again in 2012. Their intransigence also helped to prevent Mitt Romney from defeating the president they have so vilified. All this has sparked counter-mobilization by the GOP Old Guard too: Since last fall’s ill-conceived Tea Party-led gambit to shut down the government, defund the Affordable Care Act and potentially default on the national debt, establishment Republicans have boldly lashed out at conservative outside groups that once had them cowering in fear, while pouring millions of dollars into races across the country to bolster moderates against right-wing insurgents.

[cotton1706]

This is the kind of stuff the establishment reads, which is why they were so in shock that their latest moderate loser lost the presidency and that their slew of moderate candidates went down in flames...AND, why they see so eager to go along with the democrats since they think that is where the people are.

But WE knew Romney would likely lose, and WE knew how worthless a lot of the establishment candidates were, BEFORE they even got going.

The people who read articles like this and nod their heads, are going to be very shocked at the upcoming elections, when their vaunted "war-chests" will mean nothing, for the people will have already seen through them and will not be with them.

[Viennacon]

Fails to mention the massive fundraising advantage grassroots groups have had over Tokyo Rove. More wishful thinking by Politico. Laughable.

[sauropod]

I hope you are correct. Really hope so.

[SeminoleCounty]

This article reminds of Baghdad Bob...

GOPe is going to be history as Tea Party affiliates are raising more money

[jiggyboy]

Indeed, that’s probably the reason for the article. What are you going to believe, actual fundraising results or an article full of snide remarks and half-truths?

[kcvl]

Raymond A. Smith is senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and adjunct assistant professor of political science at Columbia University ...

Raymond A. Smith, is Director of Communications in the Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, working on a variety of components of research-community interaction. Affiliated with the HIV Center since 1993, he has also served as Project Director of research and intervention studies with gay and lesbian youth, serodiscordant couples, and HIV-positive individuals, and is now an Investigator with the HIV Center's Public Health Policy and Practice Core and a member of the Organizing Committee of the Division's Initiative for LGBT Health.

[Timber Rattler]

Note the piece's author, who deigns to know soooooo much about the TEA Party and its "end game."

Raymond A. Smith is senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and adjunct assistant professor of political science at Columbia University and New York University.

[Gaffer]

Dr. Smith is also Director of Communications at the Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health at the Columbia University Medical Center. Within the Division, he is a member of the Public Health Practice and Policy Core at the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies and is a member of the Organizing Committee of the LGBT Health Initiative. Affiliated with the HIV Center since 1993, he has also served as Project Director of research and intervention studies with gay and lesbian youth, serodiscordant couples, and HIV-positive individuals. From 2008-2013, he also served as Associate Program Director of the MAC AIDS Fund Leadership Initiative at Columbia University and UCLA, an HIV prevention fellowship program in South Africa

So. We now know what side of the homo coin he pops up. Why do they try to disguise these people when they talk about the Tea Party like they know something about it?

[cdcdawg]

When liberals have nightmares, the Tea Party is wearing a hockey mask. To hear them tell it, the Tea Party has died at least 20 times.

[Hardastarboard]

Speaker of the House John Boehner, who seemed so downtrodden last year, now has an extra spring in his step, and is daring to push for immigration reform over the vocal objections of the far right.

And that effort is about to go down in flames. Try to keep up, will you, Mr. Smith?

[Justa]

High taxes, large deficits, enormous debt, stifling economic and social regulation, decling labor participation, flat wages, and erosion of rights and liberties.

Most elected officials are doing nothing to reduce these. Many willingly created them.

As long as the problems remain so will opposition to them.

[clintonh8r]

Is anybody else having trouble seeing the comments on the politico page?

[detective]

The author is a Democrat Party sooge and paid liar for thr Obama Administration.

Their tactic has been to not directly attack conservatives, Christians and patriotic Americans. Rather it is to selectively attack the Tea Party, Fox News, the 1%, etc. They make up lies about people and use ridicule and name calling. These are paid disinformation agents. Their only purpose is to lie and to support the unsupportable policies of the Obama Administration.

They like to play up the disagreements between the elite, establishment Republicans and conservatives. They always take the side of establishment Republicans because they see them as easier to defeat.

We need to understand their tactics. We need to understand that they will tell any lie. We need to understand they hate America and want it turned into a third world dictatorship.

[Starboard]

The Left deeply fears the Tea Party. That’s why they keep harping about its demise.

[Fido969]

ANOTHER “demise of the tea party” article.

Gosh, we’ve seen one of those about every week for the last 8 years.

[CitizenUSA]

“This article reminds of Baghdad Bob...”

Bob: “There is no Tea Party. The Tea Party will be vanquished. The Tea Party is no match for the combined Democrat and GOPe forces of bipartisanship.”

Rumbles of Tea Party tanks in the background...

[RedWhiteBlue]

I don’t get it. If “it’s been a rough few months for the Tea Party” and “fewer Americans than at any time since 2010 now call themselves members or supporters of the group,” then why are the GOP-E “boldly lashing out at conservative outside groups” or “pouring millions of dollars into races across the country to bolster moderates against right-wing insurgents.”

Or perhaps it’s Raymond Smith that doesn’t get it.

[tet68]

I had to look up the term serodiscorcant couple...

The term serodiscordant couple is usually used to refer to a relationship where one partner is living with HIV and the other is not.

[beelzepug]

“To hear them tell it, the Tea Party has died at least 20 times.”

That just means that in their nightmares they now have at least 20 Tea Party zombies chasing them!

[JPG]

Tea Party is lies. Do not listening to the Tea Party.