So I'm sitting here, watching Rachael Maddow, and she brought up some interesting points about the Tea Party. This is something I found interesting;
"When talking about the Tea Party movement, the largest number of respondents said that the movements goal should be reducing the size of government, more than cutting the budget deficit or lowering taxes.
And nearly three-quarters of those who favor smaller government said they would prefer it even if it meant spending on domestic programs would be cut.
But in follow-up interviews, Tea Party supporters said they did not want to cut Medicare or Social Security the biggest domestic programs, suggesting instead a focus on waste.
Some defended being on Social Security while fighting big government by saying that since they had paid into the system, they deserved the benefits.
Others could not explain the contradiction.
Thats a conundrum, isnt it? asked Jodine White, 62, of Rocklin, Calif. I dont know what to say. Maybe I dont want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security. She added, I didnt look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think Ive changed my mind. "- New York Times, April 14th, 2010
They stage protests on government funded land, and even complain about public transit:
"Protesters who attended Saturdays Tea Party rally in Washington found a new reason to be upset: Apparently they are unhappy with the level of service provided by the subway system.
Rep. Kevin Brady asked for an explanation of why the government-run subway system didnt, in his view, adequately prepare for this past weekends rally to protest government spending and government services.
Seriously."- Wall Street Journal, September 16th, 2009
Ok, please explain to me why I need to take this party seriously. They can't even keep their own ideology in check. Last night, Jon Stewart had on his show John O'Hara (Author of A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes) and honestly, O'Hara seems like a very likable guy. That's how I feel.
But,
How does the Tea Party go from John O'Hara to people not smart enough to stage their protests on Private Property? To recognize that many of the things they depend on, is publicly funded with TAXES.
I'm really trying hard to understand the Tea Party because at it's core, They're like me, they hate the government. But I just can't get into the Tea Party. Something about it just bothers me. Help me out here, I want so badly to give this party the benefit of the doubt.
It's not a media smear campaign because if I'm interested in something, I like to really dig in and look at it. I've been digging in the Tea Party and it pitches a good line, but beneath surface.... Man, I just don't know about them.
Do they know how to pick their battles? Or do they just react negatively to EVERYTHING President Obama does?
"When talking about the Tea Party movement, the largest number of respondents said that the movements goal should be reducing the size of government, more than cutting the budget deficit or lowering taxes.
And nearly three-quarters of those who favor smaller government said they would prefer it even if it meant spending on domestic programs would be cut.
But in follow-up interviews, Tea Party supporters said they did not want to cut Medicare or Social Security the biggest domestic programs, suggesting instead a focus on waste.
Some defended being on Social Security while fighting big government by saying that since they had paid into the system, they deserved the benefits.
Others could not explain the contradiction.
Thats a conundrum, isnt it? asked Jodine White, 62, of Rocklin, Calif. I dont know what to say. Maybe I dont want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security. She added, I didnt look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think Ive changed my mind. "- New York Times, April 14th, 2010
They stage protests on government funded land, and even complain about public transit:
"Protesters who attended Saturdays Tea Party rally in Washington found a new reason to be upset: Apparently they are unhappy with the level of service provided by the subway system.
Rep. Kevin Brady asked for an explanation of why the government-run subway system didnt, in his view, adequately prepare for this past weekends rally to protest government spending and government services.
Seriously."- Wall Street Journal, September 16th, 2009
Ok, please explain to me why I need to take this party seriously. They can't even keep their own ideology in check. Last night, Jon Stewart had on his show John O'Hara (Author of A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes) and honestly, O'Hara seems like a very likable guy. That's how I feel.
But,
How does the Tea Party go from John O'Hara to people not smart enough to stage their protests on Private Property? To recognize that many of the things they depend on, is publicly funded with TAXES.
I'm really trying hard to understand the Tea Party because at it's core, They're like me, they hate the government. But I just can't get into the Tea Party. Something about it just bothers me. Help me out here, I want so badly to give this party the benefit of the doubt.
It's not a media smear campaign because if I'm interested in something, I like to really dig in and look at it. I've been digging in the Tea Party and it pitches a good line, but beneath surface.... Man, I just don't know about them.
Do they know how to pick their battles? Or do they just react negatively to EVERYTHING President Obama does?
