‘Tea Parties’ — A New Political Movement Is Brewing (Tea Party/Tax Revolt updates and links)

I applaud all the "Tea Party" efforts, but as a long time political activist, I will tell you that such efforts are to no avail. I learned some time back when we minimally helped to impeach Bill Clinton, but couldn't get the Senate to try him that demonstrations and protests have little affect.

You folks don't get it. Demonstrations may feel good, but rarely accomplish anything, unless you can turn out hundreds of thousands, which conservatives never do. We're at work, where the young liberals in college get bussed in while between classes by Moveon.org and other such socialist organizations.

While I wish you well with your Tea Partys, I believe you would do better if you concentrate your efforts on a movement for a Constitutional Amendment regarding TERM LIMITS!.

I remember feeling good out there in the days I used to wave my flag. I even had a bullhorn on occasion, but it did nothing. These Tea Partys WILL be ignored by the liberal DC. I'm sorry, but that is the reality.

Some of you call me negative - that's fair. However, I was a street activist long before many of you even thought about it.

I am telling you now that the April 15th "Tea Party/Tax Protests" will amount to nothing other that you feeling good that you tried. Again, it will have NO impact on the obami, reid, pelosi Triad.

There are other avenues. Want to know?

"Go ahead and implement your plan. It may be a while before I can help - I'm busy on other projects."

Again, sir, I appreciate your dedication.

Here is my (3) step plan:
1. Congressional TERM LIMITS (2 for Senate - 4 for House): Yes, it needs a Constitutional Amendment. Instead of spending the money for demonstrations/protests, which all cost dollars, use those resources to build a nation-wide effort for said Amendment;
2. Limit Congressional sessions. The less time in session, the less harm they can do. That may be possible through the US Code or in Congressional by-laws. Not sure. Will have to research.
3. ALL Congressional legislation should be time limited and must pass Constitutional intent. That means either forming a Congressional committee that oversees such original intent or the United States Supreme Court (USSC) using it's "balance of power" to oversee any legislation that is not within the purvue of the original intent. However, if Congress were to pass such a law, pretty sure the USSC would not have to be involved.

This is a start. Do you not agree?

Laudable goals, all. If I could wave a magic wand, I would implement them all.

However, in the real world the process goes like this.

1.) Assemble and motivate a large enough constituency to lobby their congressmen and senators and bend them to your will.
2.) If they won’t bend, elect new faces to office.
3.) Once the new congress is elected, introduce the various constitutional amendments and secure a 2/3 vote of both houses for passage of said amendments.
4.) Secure ratification by 3/4 of the state’s legislatures.

There is no other way to do it. It is called the political process.

The Tea Parties represent the first part of step one.

Sir, I have to tell you again, I applaud your efforts. THE only reason I am negative about "Tea/Tax Partys" is because I've done that before to little avail, and have a clear belief that Joe-six-pack-soccor-mom just don't care anymore. They want stuff.

I've watched our wonderful Republic slowly slip away over the years, while fighting every inch of the way on the streets. My Country is now jumping over the cliff, due to this POS in our Oval Office.

My own wife has seen me cry about losing my Country. It breaks her heart to see me this way. It breaks my heart that I see her see me this way. Plus, she loves our Heritage, and has assisted me many times on the streets and other efforts, such as VetsCoR. Ask the owner of this board. We've been around for a long time.

Best to you. See my post above about my (3) point plan and give me your thoughts.

I use to be as naive once to think the political process could still work, but no longer. There is no electing "new faces...bending to our will".

90% of incumbents are re-elected - there will be no new Congress...so there will be no opportunity for Congress to initiate any Constitutional change. They won't do anything that makes them leave their cushy jobs in DC and go home.

That's why it must be a grass-roots Constitutional amendment effort. That means on the State level with lots of money and dedication.

Okay, you guys do your "Tea/Tax Party" thing. Watch. It will do nothing to stop the obama/reid/pelosi triad. They will continue to push us over the cliff into the socialist abyss. You're spinning your wheels, man. Mark this post.

Still, best of luck to you and I sincerely hope I'm wrong! And thank you for helping to organize this effort...at least you are trying. I have other grass-roots plans. I'm done with the political process.

"I’m not interested in listening to anyone who consistently posts with the word “can’t.” Have a nice life. Bye."

Wow. I thought we were having an engaging conversation. I thought we were kinda reaching a mid-consensus.

Sheesh, I even spilled my guts for a moment about my wife and my feelings and you decide to attack me. Just reminds me there so few worth talking to on the Web. Have you been drinking or just another a-hole? Don't bother to get back to me on that one. I know.

And BTW, your silly little demonstrations are for you to feel better because you won't or can't do the hard lifting. ESAD.

The Free Republic Network was able to help galvanize protests in 250 cities twice, once during the election debacle of 2000 and then again in the run up to the Iraq war when the peaceniks were trying to Vietnamize it.

Both were successful and accomplished our goals. On the one hand you are correct that 98% of conservative street protests are ineffective and for the most part feel good measures. But that is due in most part to the media either ignoring them or portraying them negatively. In the examples I mentioned, we were able to overcome that disadvantage by 1. the shear size of the effort, and 2. exploiting local media and sidestepping national media.

For these reasons the “tea party” effort has a shot at producing results. However, my concern about them at this point is the message seems a little fuzzy and may be lost on the rank and file voters. To me, a general “tax revolt” is almost redundant...most voters want lower taxes. The emphasis needs to be put on the criminal activities that got us here and how Obama’s plan only loots the pockets of future generations while rewarding the perps that are at fault and letting them off the hook for their crimes.

I hope the organizers can firm it up and present a unified message, but at this point it may be too late.

As for your suggestions, they are of course good. But you forget one obstacle. It doesn’t matter how far we push that boulder up the hill it will always roll back down on us because the MSM will make sure you don't succeed.

Until we eliminate the propaganda machine the dems have built up over the last 40 years, most efforts including those you propose, are destined for failure. So what you're proposing will have no more effect than the protests you criticize. Unless any plan is well thought out and can soberly stands a good chance of success, however noble, it itself becomes nothing more than a “feel good measure”.

BTW - After 10 years of activism I have come to the conclusion there cannot be ANY long term success for conservatives until we first “right” the ship of hardened left wing propaganda and virtual suppression of conservative ideology. I've also come to the conclusion we are so far gone only the most extreme measures will have any effect.

Unfortunately, there are too few souls left with the gravitas and commitment to not only see the solution but to make it happen. The conservative movement is now composed of mostly corrupt politicians, media darlings whose central concern is not putting the fire out but stoking it (to make as much money as they can while the city burns) and a body of adherents who are so used to defeat they not only expect it but actively underplan, underperform and underdeliver so they can whine about the unfairness of it all when they fail.

But that may be the only pleasure they have left to look forward to, so I guess it's inevitable.

PHILADELPHIA TEA PARTY II
April 18th, 2009
12pm - 2pm
Independence Mall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Featured Speakers include:
WPHT Talkshow Host Dom Giordano
NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Lonegan
Decorated Iraqi War Hero Scott Rutter
Local Columnist and Attorney Christine Flowers
and other notables...

Meet at Chestnut and 5th Street at noon.
Rally to be held on Chestnut between 5th and 6th Streets.
Right across the street from Independence Hall.
On the Web at:

APR18.blogspot.com
phillytaxdayteaparty@yahoogroups.com
Sponsored by Freedom Works

Oranized by Freepers Chris Clemency, George Smiley and TAdams8591

Two fabulous moms from Doylestown, Pa.

They are just regular citizens, with seven kids between them. Not politicians. Not connected to any official group.

They just felt outraged, and went and got the permit on their own at our local Washington Crossing Park, which is where General George and his army launched their Christmas Eve attack across the Delaware River in 1776 (or was it 1775?) and defeated the Hessians.

There is some new info on the website. We got a local talk show station guy to MC the event, which should bring in a lot more support.

www.tea4change.com

THE only reason I am negative about "Tea/Tax Partys" is because..

The first step toward doing anything (that includes your term limits plan) is to change enough legislators in 2010.

The first step in doing THAT is to get enough people, enough support, enough outrage, enough votes to elect some new faces in 2010.

The most efficient way to do that is generate some genuine outrage during these Tea Parties, which shows people (and the lib media) that there are people out here willing to do something.

No offense, but how would you go about getting anything started with the current Democrat dominated Congress? Phone calls and letters do little to nothing at this point, with this group we have in WashDC.

Nothing at all will happen until we can at least get some new faces in DC, and that starts with Tea Parties this month.... and who knows what next month.

What's special about that? All the organizers of the tea parties are just regular citizens, from the grassroots (the entire tea party movement is a grassroots movement) not politicians, many of them moms, who are outraged by the economic policies of the Obama administration, who went out and got their permits on their own.

The organizers of this "kitchen table" Tea Party give very little information about themselves (we don't know their last names) or their event, but do request first and last names of people who sign up. They have no sponsor (though with all the links on their website of teaparties across the nation, one would think they were affiliated with the national tea party group), and the "master of ceremonies" is Gary R'Nel? When is his talkshow on WPHT?

The excuse that we can't know their names because liberal journalists and crazy acorn kooks will be coming after them, is just lame. I have yet to hear that's a problem with any of the tea party organizers who have put themselves and their names (and often their faces) out there and are upfront about who they are and what their event is about, with care to take some precautions.

To find the "Kitchen Table's" Tea party yahoo group, an interested party must click on a link and send them an E-mail first. And from the info on their web, they can't be found on face book.

Also, what conservative quotes the preamble to the constitution (by itself) and uses it for this kind of event on a flyer. That's something liberals would do. The preamble is liberals favorite part. Not saying they are liberal, it's strange behavior for conservatives, however.

"They just felt outraged" "tea4change.com"

What are they outraged about and what kind of change (didn't we just spend two years hearing about undefined change?) would they like to see?

All in all, the approach is too manipulative, secretive, and the "fabulous moms" seem a tad to paranoid for my taste. Just some advice from another Tea Party organizer.

What are they outraged about and what kind of change (didn't we just spend two years hearing about undefined change?)

It's geared toward tax protest, but I'm sure it will morph into a 'keep our liberties' type of afternoon.

Up until yesterday, we (organizers and supporters) didn't want to release too much info.

Still were getting the permits, (insurance, outhouse donations, traffic volunteers, trash cleanup volunteers, etc) and the local liberal newspaper was calling, and looking to put out bad press. (I know the reporters personally, and that is what the editors asked them to do)

Organizers are gonna start putting out more info to selected press this week, and our local mostly conservative talk show radio station will likely do announcements and promotions.

Not sure why you're not enthused.

Already, I've got a dozen friends and neighbors coming.... those same neighbors who leaned to Obama last fall, but now see how wrong they were, and that thousands of real Americans are willing to do things like this Tea party.

Most moderates are lemmings. They wait to see how "the crowd" thinks... and then they join in.

Newsflash: we need those moderates and reasonable Democrats if we are gonna ever oust those MoveON.nut job Democrats who are now entrenched in Washington DC.

We gotta start somewhere, and getting like minded anti-Obama types together to talk and have an afternoon of family fun is the very best first step.

This should continue over the summer, and there is a HUGE FREEDOM FIRST rally planned on WashDC on Sept. 11-13 (don't wanna call it a million man march cause that sounds like the lame libs).

Here's the link for more info.

http://www.freedomsfirst.org/

NOW is the time to start. We waited too long and took too much for granted, and look at what happened in November 4.

No more.

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