Tea Party activists bitter about GOP ‘hijacking’ movement

rawstory.com...

Revelations about the connections between a Republican lobbying firm with a long history of astroturfing and one of the two main factions of "Tea Party" protesters are raising fresh concerns that the GOP has successfully hijacked the right-wing Tea Party movement.

A Libertarian political consultant interviewed by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow agrees that in many places the tea partiers' struggle against being coopted is already "a lost cause."

"In some places it's being fought out," Stephen Gordon told Maddow on Tuesday. "In some places it's always been a lost cause. ... People are trying to do the right thing, but GOP organizations and campaigns are effectively taking over the Tea Party movement in some places in the country."

Was the Tea Party movement ever really a grass roots movement? To find the motivations, just follow the money.

politics.theatlantic.com...

It looks like some pretty heavy GOP funding was involved even from the inception of the TPM.

don't be too sure that the GOP has hijacked this movement. I am a registered republican, but in truth I am more Libertarian than republican. I think the tea party will hold a great sway over the coming elections. Remember, the tea baggers, which I am proud to count myself in their numbers, are comprised of republicans, democrats, libertarians, and indepents. We will not be denied our rightful voice in the electoral process, and we may well lead to a third party. (Or a fourth, if you count the greenies.)

reply to post by whaaa


I don't know, a movement sponsored by Fox News? I am not sure hijacked is the word for this.

While I agree with what the movement "supposedly" stood for, and I applaud them for protesting peacefully (Attn. G-20 Anarchists, get that? PEACEFULLY!) I don't think they were hijacked at all. I think that it has always been a Republican arm, but just inclusive of independents.

reply to post by whatukno


Looking at this stratigically; it was a brilliant move on the part of the GOP by pulling in the people sick and tired of the neocons, telling them what they wanted to hear and all the while under the surface it was business as usual.

Now I wonder if the TPM people are going to feel chumped out and bail on the Tea Party.

tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com...

Something had to come along and slap some sense into the GOP.

The TEA Party spoke out.....and the GOP listened. Or did they? We shall see.

Worst case scenario is that the libertarian folks get trampled over yet again and the republicans just stick to their big government totalitarian war mongering ways.

Best case scenario is that the republicans who still think their big government totalitarian war mongering is different from democrat big government totalitarian war mongering get all huffy and bail on a republican party that through absorption of the teabaggers has pulled back and made a return to the limited government mind-your-own-business practice.

A third party on it's own would be nice but at this point with no difference whatsoever between R and D a third party would just be a second party.

All I want is independence. I dont give a # who's "in charge" or what "party" claims to be running things as long as I'm left alone. Neither option is offering me that so I just get more bitter with every passing day. Thirty years it's been building now.

A real individual-liberty/small-government option might release some of the pressure a bit but I cant help but feel it would be too little too late.

It may be preceived as a "GOP hijacking" only because the movement was villified by the democrats in power, and their liberal mouth pieces.

[edit on 12/31/2009 by Blueracer]

Originally posted by kettlebellysmith
We will not be denied our rightful voice in the electoral process, and we may well lead to a third party. (Or a fourth, if you count the greenies.)

This would guarantee another Democrat sweep in 2010.
You want to win, make sure the GOP leadership has the same beliefs the TPM does. This would mean getting rid of M. Steel and Newt G. and all those middle of the road, lukewarm, John McCain, Republicans.
Get some Ronald Reagan Republican leadership, take the gloves off and attack, attack, attack the Dems ON EVERY ISSUE!

The GOP will not win if it follows John McCain's touch football campaigning style.

Originally posted by joey_hv.
Get some Ronald Reagan Republican leadership, take the gloves off and attack, attack, attack the Dems ON EVERY ISSUE!

Well actually that was the strategy the GOP used against Obama with Palin/McCain. The GOP had no platform; just attack the dembs.
Didn't work out to well did it?

Negative campaigning is obsolete. The electorate is much to sophisticated to fall for swiftboat tactics. We want a platform, a plan, and transparency.
Is that to much to ask? And if the GOP can't deliver then thay are destined to be the minority party, the dembs will win by default.

reply to post by whaaa
You m ust not have finished reading my entire post. No that is not what McCain did. He continually apologized when Republicans went on the attack and he was a wuss when it came to calling Obama out.
He should have took the leash off Palin and it wouldn't have been such a landslide defeat.
You should take your MSM liberal blinders off and do some research.

the original tea party back o april 15, tax day was all a grass roots movement

i met the young girl who, all by herself,organized the one we had in trenton, nj

after seeing the success and turnout from that day,,,,, "they" saw the potential in getting "their" foot in the door and the potential to use it for there own nefarios good and needs

i think the washington 912 project, march on d.c. was certainly used by insiders,,,,, this was the first real sign of -----the uninformed, just hateful people,,, with no real clue what they mean or wanted,,,, except that they were mad and angry

unfortunately,,, dick army isn't that bad of a guy,,,,, i read his book and he bashes bush's big gov't intrusive policies,,,,,,, but i think he still has to many inside washington connections and friends

i am another angry original tea bagger,,,,,,, i hate the people that don't know what they're fighting for,,, or there just spreading hate and division.

obama is hitler,,, nazi symbols and such are never gonna help us,,,, and will certainly turn away disillusioned liberals,, not bring them into the fold,,,,,,,

the original movement was more anti -gov't,,, than a republican vs. democrat thing it has become.,,,, we need citizens vs gov't

now,,,, i'm seen as an obama hater,,,,,, when i was calling from the roof tops for impeaching bush, cheney and john yoo.

and look,,, as most of those hateful americans will miss,,,,,, obama has totally covered their butts and even worse never reversed,,, but continued all their policies


it makes me laugh because when the msm mentions the tea party roots and supposed founders,,, ron paul is never mentioned,,,
however in hindsight,, maybe that's good,,,, because instead it's been spun into something totally different than the original purpose


ron pauler's wanted the disillusionment of mainstream america to spread and start a fire into constituitional, liberty, pro-freedom support

and we got our wish,,,, but it kind of backfired a bit,,,, again by special interests and money ,,, go figure

without people learning what is truly happening and doing some research into our gov't ,,, it's easy to believe the msm, and misconceptions put out by gov't,,,,,


i also realize writing this,,, the tactic of division,,,, is amazingly powerful and and so easily deployed first by the two parties,,,, and secondly as a cover to continue big gov't expansion,,, and avoid dissention and real change of the status quo

reply to post by joey_hv


That is what the GOP is doing. They have absolutely no platform whatsoever, they just attack attack attack everything raised by the left.

So what if McCain won? Looks as if Palin would have quit on him less than a year in office.

If the GOP wants any real gains in 2010 they have got to come up with a singular solid platform that the voter can get behind. Not just attack. People are going to see through a smear and fear campaign. It's just not going to work this time.

And BTW there aren't any real Reagan Republicans left running for office, you got Newt Republicans now.

Sorry TEA party gang, but looks like old Georgy W. Killed the elephant.

reply to post by whatukno

Here is a winning platform
"We will undo EVERYTHING OBAMA and PELOSI have done"

bam! GOP wins

Originally posted by joey_hv
reply to post by whatukno

 

Here is a winning platform
"We will undo EVERYTHING OBAMA and PELOSI have done"

bam! GOP wins

That's not a platform; that's fantasy. The Obama people hoped he would undo what Bush did. Didn't happen.
Both parties do exactly what the lobbyist and megacorps tell them to do.

Don't let your ideology get in the way of your common sense.
You need to take off your conservative blinders ala Rush and do some real research.

I hope the TPM succeeds and actually becomes a voice for the people.
Neither party seems to listen.

[edit on 31-12-2009 by whaaa]

Originally posted by whatukno
reply to post by joey_hv

 

So what if McCain won? Looks as if Palin would have quit on him less than a year in office.

Aw whatukno I wouldn't suspected you to use such a tactic. I am going to digress from the topic for a bit to point out this fallacy here.

You are taking what you know now and applying it to an event that never took place as if the same outcome or actions would be applied. This, can never be verified and you know it.

As far as the Tea Party movement and the GOP....I believe in a lot of ways they are one in the same, but I do believe there are real, grass-roots movements that align with the Tea Party name.

Again, to clump the whole and generalize is to not even consider that there are real people involved and have gotten involved because of the policies and philosophy presented by the Tea Party movement.

It may be all a play by the GOP and it may not. To discredit, I am guessing based just off of my head and no hard facts, that a large portion of the people that have identified with the Tea Party movement saw it as a break from the GOP. Hopefully someone will harness that energy and lead the way to a strong platform. I doubt it, but never know.

You also assert that the Right is just attack, attack, attack. The Left does the same. It comes from both, but people like to turn a blind eye to their views and what is done, in order to perpetuate and further their points.

A strong argument can show both sides as failing while still bolstering their views, but most here do not do so and just enjoy to 'attack, attack, attack' as you so have eloquently put.

We see claims that the GOP had no alternatives to the massive Health Care proposal that is currently going to be debated, but yet time and time again, ideas were presented and were shot down. People on the outside of the governmental sphere even offered their voices, as I believe President Obama said he would welcome and hoped for, and the Left went into Bulldog mode and pushed for a boycott of that man's company because he wasn't towing the party line.

Back to topic, I hope the true activist that believe in smaller government, more liberty and the rise of a States' power shift are bitter about the GOP hanging onto the coat tails and trying to make it their own.

reply to post by joey_hv


That's not a platform, thats not even close.

If that is what the GOP has in store, please don't be too disappointed when the dems remain in office and Obama gets re elected in the largest landslide in US history in 2012.

This is what the TEA party is supposed to be about.

www.teapartypatriots.org...

It's true. The GOP snatched at the teaparty movement and then isolated them from much of the true message.
Hijacked it!
They 'acted' like they were helping get the message out(as they were the ONLY big news covering them!) and then made it pro-mccain or something, LIKE WE WANTED BUSH!

reply to post by ownbestenemy

Aw whatukno I wouldn't suspected you to use such a tactic.

I'm just trying to not be predictable thats all

You are taking what you know now and applying it to an event that never took place as if the same outcome or actions would be applied. This, can never be verified and you know it.

Of course it can't, but we will never know will we, (Unless Caribou Barbie runs and wins POTUS in 2012 then quits sometime in 2013.) Yes, I do have an issue with Palin abandoning her post and state for a book deal.

It may be all a play by the GOP and it may not. To discredit, I am guessing based just off of my head and no hard facts, that a large portion of the people that have identified with the Tea Party movement saw it as a break from the GOP. Hopefully someone will harness that energy and lead the way to a strong platform. I doubt it, but never know.

I certainly hope that the GOP actually comes up with a real platform. I mean voting against an anti gang rape bill just because the left proposed it? Voting against legislation just because the other side proposes it? That's not leadership, that's sour grapes. Then in 2010 mark my words, the GOP will run campaign ads calling for bipartisanship and how their candidate will work with democrats. Both sides do this every time.

You also assert that the Right is just attack, attack, attack. The Left does the same. It comes from both, but people like to turn a blind eye to their views and what is done, in order to perpetuate and further their points.

A strong argument can show both sides as failing while still bolstering their views, but most here do not do so and just enjoy to 'attack, attack, attack' as you so have eloquently put.

I didn't coin that phrase, thank Joey...

Originally posted by joey_hv
Get some Ronald Reagan Republican leadership, take the gloves off and attack, attack, attack the Dems ON EVERY ISSUE!

Both parties do exactly what the lobbyist and megacorps tell them to do.

reply to post by whaaa


Nailed it on the head whaaa. That is absolutely true without a doubt.

How do we fix it? Campaign finance reform! This should be the very first thing we should be asking for in Congress. We need to get the money out of Washington. It is not supposed to work for those with the most money...it's supposed to work for everyone!!

No bill that is passed in this Congress can be trusted. Everyone knows they are corrupted yet still 'Hope" that it will turn out ok.

How many times do they have to deal with the incompetence of elected officials before they've finally had enough?

As for the Tea party movement.....

It was the original populist movement. Yes, it's been hijcacked by Palin supporters but many in that group are only against the debt. So many are against the Federal Reserve.

Neither is even a partisan issue. I'd liike Liberals to join the Tea party movement.....they have so many things in common....as so many are learning that money is the only real LAW MAKER in our government.

We are all in this together and we have to find a way to get our country working for us again!

reply to post by whaaa


I'm disillusioned with the Democrats for their timidity in bringing about real change. Obama thus far is looking like Bush Lite, rather than the reformer that we'd hoped.

But I disagree with the Tea Party movement on one very fundamental point.

The bailouts by the Bush and Obama administrations have saved us from a worldwide depression worse than the one in the 1930's.

Yes, times are very, very hard. But not the 33% unemployment of the Great Depression.

While I don't like propping up corrupt banks and insurance companies with my money, the fact is our economy would have completely collapsed if it were not for the bailouts and taken most of the rest of the world's economies with it.

We were all taught that "a penny saved is a penny earned" so it seems counterintuitive not to apply that to government spending. But the economic solutions are not that simple.

The Tea Partiers seem to prefer simple-minded slogans to confronting complex problems with necessarily complex solutions. And most of the GOP appears to be doing the same.

I'm not happy at all with the liberals but I see no really viable alternative at this time.