My friend is running for Congress as a Republican; he's not the Sheriff cleaning up the Tea Party. Other than his being a Republican, why are you trying to make it his responsibility? Indeed what are you doing about it? Gotta go to Dance Class....
Objection your honor: anecdotal. (and I have like 10 tea party wingnuts in my family just here in Houston) You're so boringly predictable giddy.
Um, let's restate it for you - WHY IS THIS AT ALL RELEVANT SINCE THE THREAD IS ABOUT THE TEA PARTY?!?!?!?!!?!
Are you afraid that someone will hack your friend's site? His site is already out in the public so it is already vulnerable to being hacked. Have you considered too that you are doing a disservice to your friend by not providing a link to his campaign site since you some posters here might be potential voters or donors for your friend and would be swayed by info on the site? Having a campaign website does no good if people don't know the address.
so this board is supposed to explain a off the cuff comment made by a black democratic congresswoman, but those who ask for and receive support from teabaggers aren't supposed to take responsibility for the overt racism that can be found in their group? only in giddyupland.
I asked about the tea party because that was the topic of conversation, if your friend has nothing to do with the tea party then why introduce your friend into the conversation. I gave you credit for dealing with the topic at hand, and now you are acting like it was silly that I thought you actually stuck to the topic. I'm not part of the tea party, they don't support me, and I don't support them. I have no obligation to clean up their image, but I can observe their lack of concern over the racism in their group, and their endorsement of racists in numerous political races, as well as their invitation to have a racist speech open up their convention to applause.
The mistrust in government is something that is as American as apple pie. Our founding fathers didn't trust "big gov't". I mean the party opposing the federalists were called the Democratic-Republicans, and both parties trace their routes somewhat indirectly to that party. That party was for the "little guy" and opposed to industrialists, big banks, etc. They advocated state rights. So you can see where the anti-gov't thing came from. What's weird is that at the time socialism was about smaller gov't since big gov't at the time was seen as a tool of the rich and powerful - of capitalism. The rise of Communism kinda reversed that in a perverse way since "socialism" gained a whole new connotation. Today, people tell you that big gov't is about socialism and supporting the little guy is capitalism. Never-the-less, there are legitimate reasons to oppose big gov't...it's just that no one really knows what it meant by that phrase really.
I'd say more like "from the heart" than "off the cuff." For God's sake, she wasn't drinking with Jerry Jones, she was questioning the CEO of Shell Oil in a congressional hearing. My friend has no more responsibility for that group than you do.
My candidate friend and his black campaign volunteer manager have met some Tea Partiers and, evidently, they are not as bad as your family. Quit projecting on an amorphous body of people. I warn you: I will find the David Gergen clip I heard today. He went to a TP event in Mass, I think, and said it was like a "state fair" without a hint of racism. I'm looking but I haven't found it yet... just wait....
Tell me, what kind of reply should someone give when they are called a racist? Nothing will suffice except to cave into your political point of view.
giddy, nobody is accusing all the baggers of being racist. The tea party as a whole did invite a person to their convention who gave a racist speech and was applauded. The tea party did nothing to distance themselves from that person or that speech. The tea party did spit at a black congressman, call another one who was a also a civil rights hero and close associate of MLK the N word. The tea party didn't take any action to make sure that didn't happen again or point out that that kind of behavior wasn't acceptable. Instead they put all of their effort into pretending it didn't happen. We've seen the chart showing that there more racist attitudes towards white tea party supporters than white people who aren't supporters of the tea party. Pointing out things that are facts, isn't the same as saying all tea baggers are racists. Pointing out the tea party people do nothing to speak out against the racists in their groups, and continue to support racist candidates.
My friend has been to Tea Parties. He and I have both met Tea Partiers. His associate campaign manager who is a black minister in this town has accompanied him. They don't tell the stories that you do here. Tell me how that is NOT relevant to the discussion of Tea Parties? I'm not sure where you get the idea that the Tea Party supports my candidate friend. He's a political unknown-- first-time running for office. He is going out to meet people and garner support. He goes wherever and whenever he can. The TP didn't invite him in; they don't covet him. You've already got the story written but know no facts... He wants to change hearts and minds. He's worked unselfishly with the homeless for more than a decade. See, here's the problem: nothing satisfies you except capitulation to your position.
I find that a lot of people here are childish and have anger issues. You are certainly not one of them. Many here are not problematic like that, but I see no point in posting that information. Anyone who really wants to donate can send me a blank check for a generous amount and I'll see that he gets it!
I'm not writing the story, I'm talking about the tea party, the fact that you brought up someone who met the tea party doesn't change the actions of the tea party. I'm not saying diddly about your friend if he isn't involved with the tea party. I thought you brought him up because he had some stronger connection than having met some. The fact that your friend and a black guy don't feel they encountered racism on the days they met some tea baggers doesn't change who the tea party had speak at their convention. It doesn't change the fact that they've supported racist candidates. It doesn't change the fact that tea baggers called black congressmen the N word including a hero of the civil rights movement. It doesn't change the fact that all of these incidents happened and the tea baggers aren't taking any visible steps to change it. So what happened when your pals met the tea baggers doesn't change any of the facts I mentioned.
I find it amazing how you just dismiss "our" experience with the Tea Party. He has been to visit several Tea Parties and has met people involved with the Tea Party all along the way. We are talking two months of continuous exposure. Likewise, whatever happened at some isolated Tea Party events don't change the "facts" about what my friend and his staff has encountered. Still looking for David Gergen... I don't think the Tea Parties are as cohesive and organized as you would like to think they are. BTW, he's not just "a black guy." He's an associate campaign manager, a black activist pastor, and a man with political experience who is planning a run for Congress himself in two years. Do you really think he is an oblivious, naive idiot who doesn't recognize what he is seeing? LOL. Why do you want to make everybody not aligned with your point of view out to be a chump?
