One of the best investigative journalists working today, Matt Taibbi, recently spent some time with the the Kentucky \"Tea Party\" groups. Its a long read but very insightful. Here are some highlights:
A hall full of elderly white people in Medicare-paid scooters, railing against government spending and imagining themselves revolutionaries as they cheer on the vice-presidential puppet hand-picked by the GOP establishment. If there exists a better snapshot of everything the Tea Party represents, I can’t imagine it.
But after lengthy study of the phenomenon, I’ve concluded that the whole miserable narrative boils down to one stark fact: They’re full of shit. All of them. At the voter level, the Tea Party is a movement that purports to be furious about government spending — only the reality is that the vast majority of its members are former Bush supporters who yawned through two terms of record deficits and spent the past two electoral cycles frothing not about spending but about John Kerry’s medals and Barack Obama’s Sixties associations. The average Tea Partier is sincerely against government spending — with the exception of the money spent on them. In fact, their lack of embarrassment when it comes to collecting government largesse is key to understanding what this movement is all about — and nowhere do we see that dynamic as clearly as here in Kentucky, where Rand Paul is barreling toward the Senate with the aid of conservative icons like Palin.
The Tea Party today is being pitched in the media as this great threat to the GOP; in reality, the Tea Party is the GOP.
A loose definition of the Tea Party might be millions of pissed-off white people sent chasing after Mexicans on Medicaid by the handful of banks and investment firms who advertise on Fox and CNBC.
It would be inaccurate to say the Tea Partiers are racists. What they are, in truth, are narcissists. They’re completely blind to how offensive the very nature of their rhetoric is to the rest of the country.
In any other year, in any other election cycle, a politician associating with the “tea party” movement would be immediately disqualified from winning an office. I miss those days!
So I assume that because Russ Feingold talked about how he has so much in common with the Tea Party movement during Friday’s debate you are going to denounce him as a “teabagger”?
http://bloggingblue.com/2010/10/09/my-thoughts-on-last-nights-feingoldjohnson-debate/#comment-38242
actually i detailed here, what a completely ridiculous question that was. What feingold was saying was that if there was a true “tea party” movement he would be the candidate of choice. Since it is just a wing of the republican party then its rojo.
Problem is, Russ is referring to the current tea party as they exist today.
Insightful to read here that Kentucky represents the whole nation.
i think Taibbi explains in detail why he picked Kentucky to represent the nation if you read the article.
So you are now the voice of Feingold to decipher what he was saying?
“Even though he made some comments originally about how the Patriot Act maybe had some problems, he fell in line to the Republican view, says he’s for the Patriot Act,” Feingold said, pointing out that he was the only senator to vote against the post-Sept. 11 legislation. “And the tea party people agree with me.”
“Tea party people know that I stood against the Wall Street scam from Day One, that I voted against TARP, that I voted against repealing Glass-Steagall Act that kept these guys under some control,” he said, referring to the 1930s law that established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
What I find strange is Feingold actually trying to think that he can court the Tea Party movement by trying to align with them. It’s a waste of time, and makes him look like a fool. I would rate this with his gun-rights rhetoric. He’s barking up the wrong tree.
But Russ, I’m sure the red-neck, bigots, racists…did I leave anything out??…will welcome you with open arms.
agai Mark, the question was ridiculous in its own right. The thing is Senator Feingold answered it as is. If the tea party truly stood for those things, then Senator Feingold would truly be the tea party candidate. The problem is, the tea party is just a branch of the GOP so it doesnt matter what any candidate stands for the tea party stands with the one with the R behind their name.
Thus losing any credibility whatsoever that they might of had.
Not really a piece I would give a lot of credence to. Matt is just another far left journalist who uses his job in the media to sander Conservatives. Would you expect anything less from him. He is a regular guest on the Don Imus show he seems like a decent enough guy just confused when it comes to what is best for America and his progressive lifestyle is not want America wants.
As for Russ yeah he tried to align himself with tea party movement but as usual Wisconsin yawned and again ignored what he was trying to spin.
Nota….I love the give and take of people of all different views on here, but seriously, do you have anything but right wing talking points?
but seriously, do you have anything but left wing talking points?
Notalib….
JUST SHUT UP FOR ONCE AND ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION WITHOUT ACTING LIKE THE STUPID PINHEADED RACIST CONSERVATIVE YOU REALLY ARE!
I don’t think its the rights hate you need to cure I think your little leftwing explosion really needs to be looked at and possible discussed with your doctor next time. May I suggest an increase in your meds to control that anger.
It is so sad to see the left having this meltdown but the fact they are being voted out of power is really their own fault and no one elses. Your ideas are bad for America and America is letting you know.
That is funny. 80 years of liberal progress is bad for America. That is hilarious. One cannot be proud of America today without mentioning liberal progress. You would have to go back to the robber baron days to find a time pre-liberal in American history. Perhaps we should remind everyone of the pre-liberal culture that existed and its impact on society back then.