Posted on 03/28/2010 8:01:00 AM PDT by ejdrapes
Is the tea party movement being hoodwinked by the establishment? The one thing I take away from today's rally in Searchlight Nevada, is that the tea party is without question coalescing, and fiercely I might add, around a single Presidential candidate for 2012. . .Already. It's early in the game yet, and the whole idea behind the Tea Party movement was to objectively review all of our potential choices, so we would never be led down the path again. At least that's what I thought. After today, I'll never again look at the Tea Party movement as one made up of Constitutional Conservatives. They may be Conservative, but sadly, not my brand of Conservatism. Independent thinkers? I think not. Group thinkers? Indeed. After a rip-roaring reception for the Keynote Speaker, I was sadly disillusioned at the lack of criticism toward the former Alaska Governor and Republican Party "Cover Girl," Sarah Palin. Wasn't it just yesterday, she was in Arizona campaigning for the former "Maverick" suddenly turned rock-ribbed conservative "reach-across-the-isle" moderate "RINO" John McCain of McCain/Feingold, McCain/Kennedy fame? And who also voted for Amnesty for illegal aliens? That gang of 14 John McCain? The same John McCain who tenderly re-assured us during the 2008 campaign: "Barack Obama is a good man...If he's elected President you don't have anything to worry about." That John McCain? Yes, indeed Sarah Palin is supporting that same John McCain who sided with Bill Clinton against the Republicans and voted for the tobacco tax in the 90's that led to trial lawyers raking in millions at the expense of Americans. The same John McCain who voted in favor of campaign finance reform, and FDA regulation of vitamin supplements, the Patriot Act, and more. Sarah Palin spent Friday campaigning for John McCain against the true conservative and former Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth who has a true conservative record, and is campaigning on true constitutional values. Nothing conservative about that. Then she spent Saturday spouting conservative talking points like some kind of right wing warrior with Tea Partyers screaming like 12 year old girls at a Jonas Brothers concert. Nothing especially objective about that, or conservative as far as I'm concerned. I realized long ago that you can't listen to what politicians say, you have to watch what they do, and Sarah Palin's actions do not match her words. I never thought the Tea Party crowd could be so easily manipulated by the main-stream establishment machine. I only wish they would stick to true conservative values and consider the other candidates before they hitch their wagons to the apron strings of pretty ms. Palin. As I made my way through the crowd voicing my dis-approval of their irrational and exuberant support for Sarah Palin, I was yelled at and ridiculed by Tea Party attendees. I was subjected to near violence in one instance. I was told to "Get the hell out of here." and "You don't belong here boy." "Go back to Obama where you belong you commie." and other select less than flattering remarks about my looks and my political beliefs, and my sexual preferences. Striking behavior when you consider we are all conservative adults. The thought that was going through my head was: "Obama Zombies" only worse..."Palin Zombies!" It was the exact same group-think mentality with absolutey zero tolerance for my opinion. I was actually told that "I am the reason this country is so screwed up, and if I knew what was good for me I'd get the hell out of here..." I realized I was dealing with a group-think mentality who had already drunk the Koolaid. There was no reasoning with them. Apparently, Conservatives are so desperate for leadership, they'll line up behind the first pied-piper who comes along, regardless the consequences to the country. Sound at all familiar? The same machine that was behind the election of obama is hard at work drilling the brains of the Tea Partyers. Maybe not the exact same people, just the exact same political establishment machine... What did I take away from today's Tea Party rally in Searchlight? There's another "Hoodwink" coming in 2012 and it scares the hell out of me. Brian K. Shoemake
Brian Shoemake
Pahrump, NV
I wish Palin wasn't supporting McCain, but I can understand that is done as a sense of loyalty to the guy who made her into a national figure, unlike some folks who are willing to throw her under the bus for such.
And no, I am not a McCain supporter, pinhead. But nice try painting me as such. I see you also employ guilt by false association in addtion to your sizeable reserve of PDS.
My opinion: Sarah Palin has been able to excite conservatives and others to do more then sit on the couch.. and that’s bad how? These people are donating money to candidates all over the country, something that probably has never been done by this many people. NY-23 comes to mind. That was going on before Palin supported him. I’ve been giving to Rubio before most knew who he was....and I’m not from FL, but I loathe Crist, and again, Sarah wasn’t part of my decision since she had not expressed an opinion at the time nor do I even know if she knew about him at the time.
What Sarah has done is help the Tea Party by bringing together people who always thought everything would never change. I hope she keeps on doing it.
Who is the leader of the Tea Party? I don’t know and if there is a puppetmaster, he’s certainly not doing a good job and getting his candidate out there. We don’t have a leader, but our numbers make hugh differences in elections. That is proven.
If she had turned her back on McCain, I’m not sure what I would have thought about her. Even people interviewed that went to see her with McCain admitted that they were there to see her, not him. Those interviewed also said they were voting for the other guy. Group think? I think not.
We have enough problems with the Obama Zombies without conservatives trying to turn us into them in the media. I’ve also learned that there is a big difference between plain old conservatives and those with libertarian leanings. Paulinista’s would rather throw their vote away, or not vote, and allow a progressive marxist communist to run the country into the ground rather then making sure that didn’t happen.
This is MY opinion, and for a time being we can still express them.
Alice, I know you have seen the threads where certain posters post things like, "FUSP" and "Just pick the money up off the dresser, Palin" (referring to money supposedly left by McCain and essentially calling Palin a whore).
Just this morning, a long time FReeper called Sarah Palin "the enemy" on another thread.
These are the sorts of flame baiting posts that are leading to all the anger. Most of us that defend Palin against these vile comments don't like McCain.
Don’t get me wrong - I’ve liked Sarah from the start and still do. I read her book and I think I basically “get” who she is and what she’s about. She’s combines toughness, smarts, people-skills and a real come-from-behind mentality with a heavy helping of common sense.
What I question is the notion of the “tea party” movement - historically third parties in this country have only helped the other side. Witness Perot who gave the 92 election to clinton. Versus Reagan in 1980 who chose to work from within the Republican party to effect real change that lasted for generations and changed history.
I think the RATs and the State run media know this full well, and are subtly playing up this Perot like movement as they prefer what happened in ‘92 to what happened in ‘80.
That’s my point.
The problem with this bumper sticker is that you have to have a horse to ride in the parade. And, frankly, if Palin's record of action isn't enough, I just don't see a pony in your future. Mitt? Yea. Talk about someone I supported showing his true colors, skepticism does have its place... or Huck.. there's a man of action against the machine. He'll back the government up adding new laws on what you can eat and perhaps lets have more pity on convicted murderers. Or, lets see, Pawlenty? Yea, when exactly did he get around to endorsing Hoffman? And, of course he stepped in to stop the Dems from stealing the election for Al Frankin, what a fireball. Haley Barbor? yea right. I could go on.. but your criteria of demanding someone who we know will do the "right thing" as president is lame, and worse childish.
There is only one candidate out there winning against the Dems and the MSM while taking the fight to them every day in ways that make them scream in agony and fury. Some folks get that, you are apparently not one of them.
Yeah, there’s no doubt that the people are “hungering” for a real leader right now - there’s such a lack of them on the national stage. We, the people SHOULD be criticizing those people who are purporting to be representing US!
If one of our people step out of line - like Sarah is doing with her continued support of McCain - even to the point of trying to tie him to the Tea Party movement - then she needs to be called on it by US! We need to send her a strong message that we are no longer supporting “politics as usual”. That’s the whole point of this movement!
We should not blindly go along with anything any one person does - just because they are our “only hope”, they have “charisma”, they had a good record in the past, they “look and sound good” (clean and articulate?). If we don’t stand up and let them know that we will not tolerate this “paying back political favors” stuff NOW/TODAY - we’re just going to keep getting it ladled back in our bowl. We’ll be eating it forever.
Sarah is no different than anyone else in this regard, we need to hold her feet to the fire too. When we finally get this message through to our leaders - AND - they show us that they are listening and they behave appropriately - that’s when when we will know they are the right leaders for us.
It’s not too late for Sarah to make up for this mistake - but if we don’t send her a loud enough message - how can we keep her from making that mistake again? Our next president is going to have to have the guts to buck the system - the guts to truly “go rogue”.
Funny, but I didn’t get anywhere near that opinion. The patriots at Searchlight were supportive of Palin’s conservative ideals, but since when did they all sign a petition nominating her for the Presidency?
The author of this piece is obviously a bitter Palin opponent. (romney)Who do you think(romney) he supports(mittromney)... McCain?
" ...Following the announcement that Sarah Palin would campaign for his reelection, McCain opened up a 53% to 31% lead over Hayworth in January.
The two men were in a near tie in November.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Arizona GOP Primary voters shows McCain ahead 48% to 41%."
'Nuff said.
I agree. Palin now needs to distance herself from McCain. Shadowing losers is not conducive to successful campaigns.
However Sarah does owe McCain somewhat for selecting her to be his running mate. Had the McCain camp not made such a wise choice, we may not know Sarah now and have even less of an individual with a huge platform of grass roots support.
We better count our blessings.
what I like about Palin is that likely she will be quick and deliberate about getting the USA off dependence on foreign oil.
what scares everyone is that her relationship with McCain will cause her to go weak on border issues.
hopefully Arizona will carry off imposing the tightest rules on illegals in the country.
Palin has support McCain to pay the political debt. If she doesn’t, she’ll show she’s not a team player and the money guys in the RNC will simply destroy her. That’s just something you do in politics.
Having said that, what concerns me about Palin is the sort of blind, rabid devotion people have for her. It’s the same as the support blacks have for Obama, that Alabamians had for Wallace, that Louisianians had for Long and so on and so on. That willingness to blindly die on a hill for that personality, irrespective of platform. That’s what worries me.
We don’t need a hero-in-chief or a celebrity-in-chief. We need an executive-in-chief. I worry that she tends towards the former and not the latter.
You haven’t ventured much beyond sophomoric name calling, but you’re calling someone else a pinhead? That’s rich.
If Palin’s purpose was to recognize McCain for bringing her into the national spotlight, she could have issued a Press Release thanking him for doing that, and gracefully declining his request for an endorsement that is inconsistent with the political positions she has very publicly staked out in the months since the election loss in November 2008.
The TEA Party organization should not have invited a McCain endorser to speak. It is a dangerous compromise of publicly stated positions by the organization.
I have never said any such thing about Palin - but I’ve been called all of those names and been accused of all of those things right here on this forum. Simply BECAUSE I criticized Palin.
You’ve given me utterly no reason to treat you with anything other than scorn, quite frankly. So you may have one last opportunity to further make a complete fool of yourself.
Thank you. My sentiments exactly.
This is one of the very reason I have hesitated to get involved with the Tea Party movement. This and the PRO-AMNESTY position of certain high profile ‘sponsors’.
McCain, with all of his faults, managed to get the nomination of the Republican party. How he did it doesn't matter as much, because hindsight is always 20/20. I warned people about Romney, McCain and Huckabee, all of whom were annointed by the MSM as our choices. Duncan Hunter would have been an awesome choice, but he couldn't win because he wasn't famous enough. Fame comes from the MSM.
McCain had the cameras and the spotlight. He used them to bring Sarah Palin tothe attention of the world. That may not have been the best thing in the world for her, given the amount of vitriol that has been spent trying to discredit her, her family, her husband, her daughter, and her child with Down's syndrome. This article is just another in the littany of anti-Palin propaganda disseminated by the MSM and the left. They fear her far more than Romney, the Morrmon, or McCain the Maverick, or Huckabee, the unelectable Baptist minister. All of the others they will just ignore.
But Palin is a force to be reckoned with. They have no choice but to vilify her, because they must destroy her before the Republican primaries. She is the biggest threat to Obama. As for her campaigning for McCain, it seems to me she owes it to him. He used his spotlight to get her noticed, and if it hadn't been for that fact, she would still be a relative unknown living in Alaska, happily governing the state without all of the journalists sorting through her garbage cans. Personally, I don't think McCain did her any big favor. She has been called more names in one day than I have been called in my whole life. It is to her credit that she campaigns for him, win or lose. I hope he loses, but if he wins, he will owe her.
I’m forming the Chai party if you want to join. I’m not going to belong, just offer a place for butt hurt tea party members.
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