[fightinJAG]

Is this the sort of MSM reaction/portrayal Beck is so worried about?

TIME: Portraits of the Tea Party Movement. and

TIME: Signs of the Tea Party Protests.

Puh-leeze, Glenn. Butt out and back off. The strength of this movement is that it is a movement of individuals who want their individual freedoms, including the right to protest and express their political ideas INDIVIDUALLY, not through partyspeak.

Would any of these photos have had even 1/1000th of the impact they did if there was no use of American symbols (flags, costumes, etc.) and no INDIVIDUAL expressions of heartfelt concern for and love of country?

NO. Beck is dead wrong that a bunch of people milling around with no individual expression of their thoughts would be taken "more seriously" than the present organic style in the movement.

Indeed, one of the things that made the biggest impression on pols and the public was the constant profusion of homemade signs. This was rightly taken as evidence of authenticity, sincerity and persistence.

[wintertime]

You are absolutely correct. Those signs (and costumes) were powerfully effective. And...Many were very funny.

One of Saul Alinsky’s principles was that activists should do what they enjoy and have **fun** doing it!