I'm not suggesting an either/or and I don't think that's what Beck was saying either...when you are talking off the seat of your pants, like Beck does on the radio- or us here conversing on keyboards across the country, the message can get morphed into a dictated shift. I don't think that's what he was saying and that's not what others here are typing either, IMHO. Movements like us need to grow and shed our youthful vigor as a whole. Individuals will always have a flair, and that's great, but to solely relying on the cute and cutting stuff to get the message out will not get us to the next level.
(I know I'm probably not expressing this the way I want to)
We have tea party candidates across the country now - our message is getting out more and more - we can not be seen as a bunch of crazy people anymore (don't get me wrong - I love and made crazy signs)It's serious now - we have a voice beyond our costumes, signs and shout outs....they all worked to get us where we are - so where do we go from here?
In MA we have a Tea Party protester running against a progressive liberal US representative, he has great momentum to get the vote out for him...he is in a suit and tie and is not holding the signs of the past, he's working in the present to change the future.
I think we agree more than not on this.
I think we will still have both for a while. Rallies and protests and then campaigns that reflect the particular political races the candidates are in.
The former will die down when they are no longer needed. I don’t see the utility in trying to micromanage an organic, grassroots movement. That is asking for trouble, I think.
In my view, we the people “knew” when and how to rise up and make the tea party movement emerge and gain strength, and we the people will “know” when and how to evolve it at each level.
There were people at the beginning decrying signs and costumes, but these were organic expressaions of protest that were necessary and effective. The protests and trappings of protest will go away when the time is right for that (which will likely be sooner rather than later, but far be it from me — or Beck, if you please — to try to peg that date).