Tea Party Madness In America

The Mad Hatters Of The Tea Party

It was inevitable after two wave elections favoring Democrats that there be a correction to restore balance — however, no one envisioned the Tea Party. The education of Tea Party supporters to the confines of working in Washington is going to be a wondrous thing to watch, and it should begin very soon. Like right after January 20.

One of the first considerations for the new Congress will be increasing the debt ceiling to allow the United States government to continue operating. It will be the first opportunity for the new kids on the block to demonstrate for their voters how they will behave in relation to the Republican Party and the responsibilities that come with being elected. Will they draw hard lines in the sand and refuse to capitulate, or will they be co-opted by political realities within their first 30 days?

That the Tea Party could field and elect so many candidates is a function of Barack Obama’s legislative priorities. Recognizing he might never have 60 Democratic Senators again, he chose to go for broke on healthcare reform, and he won, but was in turn thwarted in attempts to pass meaningful jobs legislation. It’s the resultant pain felt by Americans that’s fueled the Tea Party’s rise to national prominence. For the next two years, Obama will have to deal with the consequences of that decision.

Regardless of what Tea Partiers may believe, there are thousands of American corporations with their lips firmly affixed to the government teet, and they want to be paid. Mainstream Republicans recognize that fact, and have always been loath to shut down the government in any other than a symbolic fashion, but will the Tea Party’s constituents understand? Despite the fact that the budget was legislatively approved, a fait accompli, will Rand Paul believe he has the right to line-item veto spending he finds objectionable? Can Mitch McConnell explain to Paul that in order to pay General Dynamics, we must pay the welfare mother as well?

Another fiscal policy disaster waiting for them will be the decision to continue the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. They added hundreds of billions of dollars annually to the deficit with the promise of job creation, however Bush created fewer jobs in eight years than any president since the Great Depression. Only the most obtuse still believe that tax credits create jobs, so how will they rationalize continuing the tax cuts for the wealthy, and what programs will they eliminate to pay for them?

The Democrats have their own issues as they regroup for the 2012 elections, not the least of which is moving forward on any meaningful legislation. The GOP’s intent is clearly to obstruct, so what can the Democrats accomplish over the next two years? The hope for them is that the Tea Party is so reactionary that Obama can triangulate and gain the cooperation of mainstream Republicans in order to keep the country functioning.

The fact is that the party base has seized control bodes ill for the Republicans in the long-term. There was similar situation in the late 70s through mid-80s with the Democrats, which is what precipitated the shift to the right we see today. As reasonable Democrats were marginalized by the ideologues, candidates less likely to be elected were fielded because they met some “purity standard,” much like Tea Party candidates today. Intuitively it signals a move back to the left. Karl Rove is working furiously to regain control of the party he built starting in 1980 without significantly marginalizing fringe candidates. It’s unlikely he can succeed, and the Republican brand will take a significant hit.

*******

Campaign Finance Cartoon

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and Campaign Financing

Can money buy elections? There are many Democrats blaming the results of this election cycle on that very fact, but to what extent did corporate money affect the election? Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina and Linda McMahon dumped tens of millions of dollars of their own monies into unsuccessful election bids against significantly less well-funded opponents. Coming polls will explain the likely reasons these women lost, but there’s little doubt that the ostentatious spending displays negatively affected more pragmatic voters. At least for now there are people whose votes cannot be bought.

The ultimate wildcards in future elections will be the Millennials and Latinos. Millennials are the 18 to 29-year-old demographic that broke 60-40% for Obama and the Democrats in 2008. Only 11% of them voted in the mid-term election. This generation is naturally progressive, holding vastly different views than their parents or grandparents on cultural issues such as abortion, marijuana, and gay marriage. They are natural born Democrats, but can they be transformed from a demographic into a constituency that reliably shows up on election day?

Latinos gave Harry Reid the election in Nevada, and at this point they appear to be a stronger Democratic constituency than even the Millennials. However, if Democrats fail to produce on meaningful immigration reform it could be a short-lived love affair. Democrats might see reform best left unresolved to use as a wedge issue that forces Latinos to the polls, similar to abortion initiatives that drive fundamentalist Christians, which may work due to the reactionary behaviors of Republicans in states like Arizona. Latinos could be forced to choose between a party unable to pass meaningful immigration reform, and a party that wants to throw them into corporate-run prisons for the unspeakable offense of having brown skin. Not much of a choice.

One thing is for certain: we are about to see some of the most bizarre political gyrations in American history, and if these guys don’t destroy the country in the process, it should be fascinating to watch.

*******

       

Larry Wohlgemuth was raised during the tumultuous 60s in the midst of sometimes violent civil rights and antiwar protests. After a stint in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, he earned a BBA degree from Washburn University. Wohlgemuth leans so far to the left he prefers to be called “Comrade”, and his book, “Capitalism’s Final Solution” is planned to be released in the spring, 2011. Larry is a contributor to Prose Before Hos and runs his own blog, It Begs the Question.

See Also: On not being obliged to vote Democrat, Could Be Worse – Could Be 1994, Wall Street’s Useful Idiots, A Judicious Study Of Discernible Reality, 2012 Already Looking Grim For Senate Dems, Christianists In Tea Party Clothing?, There is No Tea Party Movement, Teabonics: The New Official Language of the Tea Party, and Why Democrats lost.

[tags]tea party, 2010 elections, democrats, republicans, party system, campaign finance, realities of washington politics, congress, senate, house of representatives, essay, politics[/tags]

Email

0
From The PBH NetworkHot On The Web
  1. BeckyMinx says:

    I wonder how long until the Tea Partiers are going after Rand Paul with a pitchfork?

  2. === popurls.com === popular today…

    yeah! this story has entered the popular today section on popurls.com…

  3. Sandra says:

    This is interesting…and scary

    The Tea Party – Proof that Nazism can happen in America (also, why the Tea Party is a terrorist organization)

    http://superdouchebaggery.com/2010/11/05/the-tea-party-proof-that-nazism-can-happen-in-america-also-why-the-tea-party-is-a-terrorist-organization/

  4. […] we really vote for this? Please Share / Save  If you liked this, you might also like these related posts:Ironic […]

  5. Vote 2 Revolt says:

    @BeckyMinx;

    Palin and O’Donnell were impostors/plants — installed into the Tea Party by RINO’s, frauds, sell-outs, big government shills, and the crooked media. That is why they are being rejected and discredited by the *real* Tea Party supporters.

    Sharron Angle wasn’t an impostor. She actually has principles and would have stood by them, but Democrats don’t comprehend the concept of *Principls* very well, so Democrats tricked themselves into believing Angle was a terrible communicator. And, for the record, I wouldn’t say Angle is the best communicator, but she certainly wasn’t terrible or crazy like the insane Democrats stupidly believed she was.

    What’s more, Angle hasn’t been rejected or chased away by ‘Tea Party supporters with pitchforks’. Actually, Nevada’s election was most likely stolen from her: http://www.infowars.com/did-harry-reid-steal-nevada; Reid’s son and a pro-Reid Union ran the election and ran the election machines, and most Tea Party supporters are asking how that was allowed.

    Ron Paul and Rand Paul are the foundation of the Tea Party, principle-wise, so you’re not going to see the Tea Party chase either of them around with pitchforks. If you witness such aggression toward Rand Paul, if the media begins hyping such a desperate brand of aggression toward Rand Paul — you might write it off as another lie brought to you by RINO’s, frauds, sell-outs, big government shills, and the crooked media.

    • Rand Paul's Toupee says:

      Wow, I always wondered what it would be like if Lyndon LaRouche and Art Bell merged their brains into one head. Now I know – it would look exactly like what you just wrote! Thank you, Revolting!

      P.S. did you know O’Donnell is a robot sent from the FUTURE? Shhh, keep it quiet. Also, Ayn Rand was L. Ron Hubbard in drag.

  6. qazoo wazoo says:

    ‘On The Tea-Party’

    Yet, even though the Golden Age is gone, the world irrevocably lost to the middle classes.  (who supported Hitler in Germany and appear in their latest disguise)
    Noble Savages untouched by the general degeneracy. These are the men, if only they would leave us alone.

    – Leslie A. Fiedler
    1954

  7. Reality says:

    @ Vote 2 Revolt

    Of course. Reid couldn’t have won on his own, helped by the fact that Sharron Angle is a crazy person. No, it must have been stolen by brown people.

    Ron Paul and Rand Paul are the foundation of the Tea Party, principle-wise, so you’re not going to see the Tea Party chase either of them around with pitchforks.

    Are you not paying attention? The so called “Tea Party” members are about to be forced to either piss off most of America or piss off the Tea Partiers with some upcoming votes. Are you telling me that there will be no uproar if (and when) they sell out the Teabaggers? Well then what was the point of this whole stupid movement?

  8. ian says:

    I think health care and financial reform were the right priorities. America is in no position to deal with global warming and will have to take a back seat to Europe Asia and South America and the best America can hope for is that those in whose hands the country’s wealth is concentrated are unable to screw up international politics the way they have screwed up America’s domestic politics. The task of losing two wars belongs to the military; job creation cannot be tackled because there is no shared bipartisan vision for the great public works projects that are necessary for restarting the engine economic engine of America; and too many people have too much invested in the politics of xenophobia to make immigration reform doable.

  9. ExpatZ says:

    “…Recognizing he might never have 60 Democratic Senators again, he chose to go for broke on healthcare reform, and he won,…”

    WHAT?!
    How obtuse can you get?
    He most certainly did NOT go for broke (unless you count breaking the citizens of the countries bank accounts as going for “broke”). He wrote that legislation after secret meetings with insurance industry representatives, and let’s never forget that the legislation proposed and legislated was Mitt Romney MA debacle that has proven itself to be a disaster in that stare already.
    It was a Republican Health care plan sold as a Democratic health care plan to the partisan Democratic suckers who weren’t paying attention the first time it slimed around in New England.
    Count on it being a major fail nationally as well.

    Wake up and smell the coffee already, Obama has charisma and an excellent vocabulary but he’s not doing you any more favours than Bush did.

    As for the Tea Bagging morons, it’s a sad day for the US when that many bat sh*t crazy loons can gain access to the corridors of power. God save you all, and that is coming from an atheist.

  10. Diane says:

    Democrats and liberals have nothing to be ashamed of after the 2010 election cycle.
    We neither have to become liars, or traitors to our beliefs.
    We do however have to change our strategy.

    I have watched as tea party republicans benefited from having Fox News support 24/7 with no monetary strings attached. No hard questions, just a love fest between Hannity and Beck and Palin.
    Free fund raising, advertising and mega contributions all done without the public being aware, that Fox News supported the tea party with millions of dollars. Or, the hosts interviewing the candidates had contributed to the same candidates they were interviewing.

    So, a cable channel that totally supports Republicans, 2 sources of money, the tea party and the republican party and the benefit of a Supreme Court decision that allows undisclosed contributions to candidates.
    That is a lot to overcome.

    The Democrats have to find a formula that allows them to overcome these deficits and fast. The Presidential race is coming up fast. We need to have ways to combat all this money and free advertising that republicans have to their advantage.

  11. regertz says:

    Even as Amory and other GOP leaders are “explaining” the new situation to the Tea Party candidates… “We got the House back, punks, thanks, now shut up and do what we tell ya.” The last TP convention had to be cancelled because Dick and the boys pulled the financial plug…er, not enough paying conventioners. Soon we’ll see several prominent “leaders” of the TP start toeing the mainstream GOP line, perhaps Breibart will disappear from the headlines for a while. A few true believers will speak up and then mysteriously find themselves cut off from the easy media access and generous funding the TPers had while they were needed.

    The President made a brave gamble and got the essential reforms through, though of course there’s more to be done. The right wing will quickly go true to form and show it has no ideas, no intention of listening to ideas, and only a desire to weaken government’s ability to defend the ordinary citizen against the wealthy and powerful. If the President can hang on and block all attempts to rollback his work, the benefits will start to be seen and the negativism of the GOP will become a millstone round their necks when people realize no help and no intention of help is offered.

    “The government ain’t gonna take my Medicare away…” Well, the GOP is sure gonna try, pal. And they sure seem to know a lot about “death panels” for the elderly. But then it was their beloved Philip Morris which tried to sell the Czech Republic on cigarettes by pointing out the benefits of killing people over 60 who otherwise do costly things like collecting pensions and using health care.

    • Jack Beam says:

      Medicare is the third-rail of health care, no one is going to touch it. Not with the the senior boomers all coming of age. The AARP would destroy any Congressman voting against Medicare.

  12. Don says:

    I am opposed to both legal and illegal immigration. This country is overpopulated, and 21 million Americans are out of work.

    • Jack Beam says:

      I am anti-choice, like many Tea Party candidates, but unlike many Tea Baggers, I am also anti-life. I believe abortions should be mandatory, for many of the reasons outlined above. Less babies means less people taking our future jobs.

  13. Bob Harmon says:

    Where does it end? Tea Party Candidate writes Childrens book.

    Obama The Grinch Steals Christmas In Tea Party Picture Book “The Liberal Clause”

    You can find it here:

    http://www.theliberalclause.com

  14. […] [Side-note: I believe the Republicans made a pact with a Devil by accepting the so-called Tea Party. The Tea Party will inevitably do far more damage to the Republicans than most people realize.] […]

  15. James says:

    Patriots?, Or Treason?

  16. James says:

    In 2004 My wife and I tried to register to vote. They told us we could not vote in the coming election. This was in Florida. We registered on time like everyone else that day. Shortly thereafter we decided to take the first steps outside of our country. We were met at the port where much of our belongings were being loaded onto a container for shipping. The gentlemen took us aside and described our medical bills in detail. In short we could not leave unless we paid our medical costs back to zero. We looked at each other and said “What medical bills?”. In about fifteen minutes we were standing on the concrete with our belongings surrounding us. We apparently were going nowhere fast. 6 years later and attending church we were surrounded by many good folks who were being misled in almost all aspects of their politics and religion. In short we were surrounded by hate and fear and worry. We were confused because we read the Bible and what it said was opposite of what we were witnessing at church. HYPOCRITES. But we loved on them and tried to bring out a more positive side to all this to no avail. Once again amidst all this madness from the tea party to the labor union situation up north to just about every facet of American Life has got us thinking we should have boarded that boat six years ago. Help us, we are surrounded by angry white people talking gun rights and anti-Christs. They try to throw the Bible at everyone and they barely know how to read. I live in Georgia and it feels like hell to be honest. Low wages and these people are dirt poor and Republican. Go figure.

  17. fsgb80v7cbwe says:

    Check this out…

    The information mentioned in the article are some of the best available…

  18. Souls in the Waves…

    Good Early morning, I just stopped in to go to your site and assumed I would say I experienced myself….

  19. Woman of Alien…

    Best work you’ve done, this site is basically cool with great facts. Time is God’s way of trying to keep all the things from going on at once….

  20. The Ships’s Voyages…

    I feel know-how just can make it worse. Now there is a channel to never ever treatment, now there will not likely be considered a opportunity for them to find….

  21. Hellow…

    I saw this really great post today….

  22. nice…

    Hello very cool blog!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your website and take the feeds additionally¡KI\’m satisfied to find numerous helpful info here within the submit, we\’d like work out extra strategies in this regard, thank you …

  23. Souls in the Waves…

    Very good Early morning, I just stopped in to go to your site and imagined I’d say I enjoyed myself….

  24. Hellow…

    I saw this really good showcase….

  25. cougar woman says:

    Related……

    […]just beneath, are numerous totally not related sites to ours, however, they are surely worth going over[…]……

  26. Informative and precise…

    Its difficult to find informative and precise info but here I noted…

  27. Souls in the Waves…

    Superior Early morning, I just stopped in to go to your internet site and considered I would say I liked myself….

  28. Wedding charleston il…

    […]always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I really like but really don’t get quite a bit of link really like from[…]…

  29. learn more says:

    learn more…

    […]the time to study or pay a visit to the content material or web-sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]…

  30. News about Asia…

    […]we like to honor other sites on the web, even if they aren’t related to us, by linking to them. Below are some sites worth checking out[…]…

  31. online bags says:

    online bags…

    […]below you?ll uncover the link to some websites that we feel you must visit[…]…

  32. Souls in the Waves…

    Very good Early morning, I just stopped in to visit your site and imagined I would say I appreciated myself….

  33. Dog performance supplement…

    […]The information and facts talked about within the post are a number of the top offered […]…

  34. how to get twitter followers…

    […]just beneath, are quite a few completely not associated web-sites to ours, having said that, they may be surely worth going over[…]…

  35. breast nude says:

    Thorn of Girl…

    Great facts might be observed on this world wide web blog….

  36. Business Protection Group…

    […]we prefer to honor quite a few other world-wide-web internet sites around the internet, even if they aren?t linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out[…]…

  37. ip locator says:

    ip locator…

    […]one of our visitors not long ago encouraged the following website[…]…

  38. pokies…

    DefinitionOnline pokies, and on the absorbing designs on them. Those numbers pool were hit by them at home, or the personal computing device could be quite talented. 3 trillion in 2011, it’s crucial to opt for and how practically your ideal Penchant s…

  39. sweet girls says:

    Title…

    This is my Excerpt…

  40. xbox 360 says:

    Internet websites price visiting…

    listed here are a few one-way links to online websites that we url to considering the fact that we think they can be price visiting…

  41. bike accessories perth…

    […]we prefer to honor a lot of other net web-sites on the internet, even though they aren?t linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages really worth checking out[…]…

  42. Holy Spirit in Bible…

    […]usually posts some very fascinating stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]…

  43. Oakley says:

    Oakley…

    […]Sites of interest we’ve a link to[…]…

  44. Great internet websites…

    we arrived across a fantastic information site which you might appreciate. Get a glance in order for you…

  45. implants says:

    implants…

    […]below you?ll obtain the link to some web sites that we consider you must visit[…]…

  46. teaching english as a second language…

    […]the time to read or visit the content material or sites we have linked to beneath the[…]…

  47. Gems from your on-line…

    pretty very few sites that take place to be comprehensive underneath, from our perspective are certainly very well price checking out…

  48. graphic tank says:

    graphic tank…

    […]here are some links to web-sites that we link to simply because we think they’re worth visiting[…]…

  49. Gems from your on line…

    particularly couple internet sites that come to pass to become thorough below, from our viewpoint are definitely very well worthy of looking at…

  50. Wonderful web sites…

    we arrived across a awesome resource site that you just may delight in. Consider a glance if you would like…

  51. Swiftest technique to burn belly body fat speedy…

    Just about every the moment inside of a once we opt for blogs that we read. Outlined beneath will be the most the latest web pages that we opt for…

  52. more info says:

    more info…

    […]always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I appreciate but don?t get lots of link appreciate from[…]…

  53. Awesome website…

    […]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[…]……

  54. mike geary says:

    Gems kind the net…

    incredibly couple of internet websites that materialize for being in depth beneath, from our perspective are unquestionably well definitely worth trying out…

  55. Mica Lacer says:

    Cambridgeshire wedding ceremony photographer…

    one in all our people a brief when ago encouraged the subsequent web page…

  56. Salvador Cochrum…

    we arrived across a awesome website which chances are you’ll consider pleasure in. Get a lookup while you want…

  57. Check this out…

    […]usually posts some pretty exciting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]…

  58. Cambridgeshire marriage ceremony photographer…

    one in every of our people a short even when back encouraged the following website…

  59. most popular e cigarettes…

    […]Here is a superb Weblog You may Find Intriguing that we Encourage You[…]…

  60. Search Marketing…

    […]please go to the websites we follow, such as this 1, because it represents our picks from the web[…]…

  61. Study was remarkable, keep in touch…

    please explore the webpages we follow, like this one, given it represents our picks through the online…

  62. free ipad says:

    Back links…

    Online websites of fascination we now have a website link to…

  63. The Silent Shard…

    This tends to most likely be really useful for some of the work I decide to really don’t only with my website but…

  64. free xbox says:

    Gems in the online world…

    highly few web sites that happen for being in depth below, from our viewpoint are undoubtedly properly well worth checking out…

  65. Amazing websites…

    we came throughout a fascinating website that you simply could have fun with. Take a look if you want…

  66. Salvador Cochrum…

    we came throughout a cool online site which you will just take enjoyment in. Acquire a look for once you want…

  67. Visitor recommendations…

    one among our readers recently highly recommended the subsequent web site…

  68. Great web pages…

    consistently a giant enthusiast of linking to bloggers that I love but don’t get a lot of backlink adore from…

  69. Thalia Vogds says:

    Blogs ou should certainly be looking through…

    Right here really is a Wonderful Blog You could possibly Come across Captivating that we Encourage You…

  70. Dreary Day…

    It was a dreary day right here immediately, so I just took to messing around on the internet and observed…

  71. Water Heater Water Damage Santee…

    […]below you?ll uncover the link to some web-sites that we think you’ll want to visit[…]…

  72. Jayne Ladeau says:

    Verify this out…

    that could be the stop of this post. The following you’ll obtain some sites that we imagine you will appreciate, just click on the one way links around…

  73. Buck Dacunto says:

    Superb online site…

    usually a major admirer of linking to bloggers that I love but never get yourself a number of url really enjoy from…

  74. apartamente 2 camere Titan…

    […]usually posts some really intriguing stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]…

  75. Examine was useful, remain in touch…

    make sure you go to the internet websites we adopt, consisting of this one, since it represents our picks with the internet…

  76. Gems variety cyberspace…

    especially few website pages that come about to be complete underneath, from our point of view are without doubt perfectly price trying out…

  77. Goal Setting Secret…

    […]usually posts some very interesting stuff like this. If you?re new to this site[…]…

  78. seguro coches…

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a number of unrelated information, nonetheless really worth taking a search, whoa did one particular study about Mid East has got much more problerms as well […]…

  79. Gems variety cyberspace…

    especially few website pages that come about to be complete underneath, from our point of view are without doubt perfectly price trying out…

1 2
Hot On The Web