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Amid harsh criticisms, 'tea party' slips into the mainstream
Christian Science Monitor ^
| April 3, 2010
| Patrik Jonsson
Posted on 04/03/2010 2:15:24 PM PDT by Lorianne
Their faces sometimes twisted in anger, 'tea party' followers have been called neo-Klansmen and knuckle-dragging hillbillies.
To be sure, angry town halls, the N-word thrown at black congressmen, and signs comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler play into the hands of the movement's critics. And demonizing tea party activists tends to energize the Democrats' left-of-center base.
But political experts say that many such criticisms are near-sighted, if not outright inappropriate and ultimately may miss the point. Indeed, polls suggest that tea party activists are not only more mainstream than many critics suggest, but that a majority of them are women (primarily mothers), not angry white men.
What's more, the release this week of the top three planks of the "crowd-sourced" Contract From America project, to some activists, shows a maturation from sign-wielding protesters to a political reform movement grounded in ideas.
The top three vote-getters among 360,000 respondents on the Contract From America website: Calling for an enumerated powers act to force lawmakers to check the constitionality of new laws; requiring a two-thirds majority in Congress for any tax hike; and a legislative backstop to prevent the EPA from "backdoor regulating."
Tea party: 'Intellectual reform movement?' "[The ideas in the tea party-coined Contract From America] takes our protest movement and really sets forth a real kind of intellectual reform movement," says Ryan Hecker, a Tea Party Patriots activist in Houston, and a founder of the Contract From America website. "It's a response to the idea that the tea party people don't know what they're fighting about, and it shows there's a real intellectual center to this movement and that we really do have ideas."
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 111th; 2010midterms; angrymob; cincinnati; cunningham; newrichmond; ohio; teaparty; timestax; voiceofamerica; westchester
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To: Lorianne
Their faces sometimes twisted in anger...
Yeah, like Rachel Corrie. /s
21
posted on
04/03/2010 2:41:48 PM PDT
by
SpaceBar
To: Lorianne
OMG, these "angry, scary",Tea Party people should be thrown in jail for "looking so mean" Tea Party event, Cincinnati , March 20th, (last day of freedom).
22
posted on
04/03/2010 2:43:26 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: Lorianne
"
Their faces sometimes twisted in anger, 'tea party' followers have been called neo-Klansmen and knuckle-dragging hillbillies. "
23
posted on
04/03/2010 2:45:21 PM PDT
by
FrankR
(Those of us who love AMERICA far outnumber those who love obama - your choice.)
To: Dr.Syn
The CSM used to be a highly respected newspaper...cited by reporters and students when seeking reliable quotes.
Now it’s come to this.
24
posted on
04/03/2010 2:49:49 PM PDT
by
kjo
To: timestax
This is the "scariest, angry mob" I have ever seen! Cincinnati Tea Party event March 20th
25
posted on
04/03/2010 2:51:36 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: Lorianne
Their faces sometimes twisted in anger,
See if you can spot the weasel word.
'tea party' followers have been called neo-Klansmen and knuckle-dragging hillbillies.
Yeah, called that by WHO? Disinterested cultural observers? Or the usual liberal suspects who are now lashing out at middle America for rejecting their Messiah?
On the other hand, the writer might have been doing a little throat clearing upfront because after the opening lines the article appears to take a fairly sympathetic view of the tea partiers.
To: Lorianne
Another scary picture of a Tea Party "angry mob". At Voice of America Park, Westchester, Ohio. Now look out!
27
posted on
04/03/2010 3:00:48 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: timestax
Watch out for this Tea Party "angry mob", they are very "dangerous" Tea Party event, Voice of America Park, Westchester, Ohio.
28
posted on
04/03/2010 3:07:07 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: timestax
Oh, heck, One of these Cincinnati Tea Party people has a "dangerous" US Flag, OH NO !
29
posted on
04/03/2010 3:13:22 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: Lorianne
Where is the evidence that that bigoted black Congressman was called a n*gger? Seven cameras on him and nobody caught it. Even though it was said 15 times?
Lies are lies, even when they come from a distinguished member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Is that so hard to understand?
Congressman Billybob
Don't Tread On Me (9/12 photo and poster)"
To: timestax
Another "twisted angry" face of the Tea Party! Voice of America Park, Westchester, Ohio.Now that lil dude is flat out "scary"!
31
posted on
04/03/2010 3:21:22 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: timestax
Another picture of "angry twisted" faces of Tea Party. Tea Party candlelight vigil, Carew Tower, Cincinnati, March 20th.They are holding candles
32
posted on
04/03/2010 3:27:06 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: Lorianne
... the N-word thrown at black congressmen ... LIE!!!
33
posted on
04/03/2010 3:27:09 PM PDT
by
spodefly
(This is my tag line. There are many like it, but this one is mine.)
To: Lorianne
The liberal media still lying. Slips into mainstream. Maybe the stupid writer should rework the title of the article.
The reality is” “The general public is getting fed up with the evil Kenyan.”
34
posted on
04/03/2010 3:35:40 PM PDT
by
Frantzie
(McCain=Obama's friend. McCain called AMERICANS against amnesty - "racists")
To: timestax
Another "twisted angry faces" photo at Tea Party event, New Richmond, Ohio
35
posted on
04/03/2010 3:40:00 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: Dr.Syn
Even the CSM is spreading this lie???They should call it the Communist Science Monitor. It's pretty consistent that way.
36
posted on
04/03/2010 3:43:27 PM PDT
by
TigersEye
(Duncan Hunter, Jim DeMint, Michelle Bachman, ...)
To: Lorianne
Here is the most scariest"twisted angry face", bar none,in the whole world! Tea Party event, New Richmond,Ohio. <>
37
posted on
04/03/2010 3:46:39 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
To: Lorianne
Don't read CSM cause they are written by leftist lie-tards. Sick of em.
38
posted on
04/03/2010 3:52:29 PM PDT
by
Nuc1
(NUC1 Sub pusher SSN 668 (Liberals Aren't Patriots))
To: Lorianne
“...but that a majority of them are women (primarily mothers), not angry white men.”
I was VERY surprised in Washington on 9-11 when I encounterd mothers schleping their kids together from Long, sans dad, to be seen and heard. This tea party thing has got to run deeper than any of the enemy realizes.
39
posted on
04/03/2010 4:04:12 PM PDT
by
TalBlack
To: TalBlack
40
posted on
04/03/2010 4:26:49 PM PDT
by
timestax
(CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
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