The Inconsistency in the Tea Party

So often when I listen to members of a tea party, they seem inconsistent. "get the government out of my medicare" being the most often heard comment;
this morning I listened to an NPR interview and the head of the tea party in Waco said she was upset with her congressman because he did not listen to the people to cut spending and he did not get the funding for I-35...so, she wants the federal government budget cut, but she is angry because her interstate was not funded...

Morning Edition : NPR

so, I am trying to get beyond the chatter and understand where the serious people are coming from...anyone have some insight that is not talking points?

No worse than the Tea Party getting behind Marco Rubio as a fiscal conservative when his voting record shows just the opposite. But he is a major social conservative which the most Tea Party persons say is not what they are looking for.

No worse than the Tea Party getting behind Marco Rubio as a fiscal conservative when his voting record shows just the opposite. But he is a major social conservative which the most Tea Party persons say is not what they are looking for.

I know, that's what I mean. If one looks at the documents, listens to the interviews, and then looks at the voting records of various people...the inconsistency is the only thing that appears consistent. Hard to decipher if it's confusion or something else...

So often when I listen to members of a tea party, they seem inconsistent. "get the government out of my medicare" being the most often heard comment;
this morning I listened to an NPR interview and the head of the tea party in Waco said she was upset with her congressman because he did not listen to the people to cut spending and he did not get the funding for I-35...so, she wants the federal government budget cut, but she is angry because her interstate was not funded...

Morning Edition : NPR

so, I am trying to get beyond the chatter and understand where the serious people are coming from...anyone have some insight that is not talking points?

I see this a lot. It's incredibly annoying. Americans, especially our seniors, are very hypocritical on the issues of limited government and government involvement. You can't run around demanding medicare not be cut and in the same sentence demand government stay out of the healthcare industry. It's ridiculous.

I expect to see more fighting between tea partiers and Republicans than anyone else. Even among tea partiers some will be branded as BINOs (bagger in name only).

No response from our local Tea Partiers....

Seems like silence and ignoring of facts is the real party line.

I think they're off somewhere discussing this with their imaginary friends.

So often when I listen to members of a tea party, they seem inconsistent. "get the government out of my medicare" being the most often heard comment;
this morning I listened to an NPR interview and the head of the tea party in Waco said she was upset with her congressman because he did not listen to the people to cut spending and he did not get the funding for I-35...so, she wants the federal government budget cut, but she is angry because her interstate was not funded...

Morning Edition : NPR

so, I am trying to get beyond the chatter and understand where the serious people are coming from...anyone have some insight that is not talking points?

If you already have locked in opinions about the Tea Party you never will understand why they came into being, or what they want or what they achieved in this mid election.

NOTE: This Post Duplicated from the other Poli thread about Obama's trip...it applies here as well..

The Tea Party will be in total control of the Republican Party by 2012. They have now even set up a list of Republican "targets" that they want out of office, those whose election is coming up in 2012--includes the likes of Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown. They have no agenda for the next two years other than to continue to say "No." They're standards are low, and their morals even lower.

They are very transparent in their ways of going about things. Truly educated and rational people and politicians scare and intimidate them. They are more concerned about reversing the historic Healthcare Reform Act and personally damaging the reputation of the President of the U.S., then they are about creating the jobs of the future and balancing the budget. Not off to a real good start IMO.

I find all politicians inconsistent.

NOTE: This Post Duplicated from the other Poli thread about Obama's trip...it applies here as well..

The Tea Party will be in total control of the Republican Party by 2012. They have now even set up a list of Republican "targets" that they want out of office, those whose election is coming up in 2012--includes the likes of Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown. They have no agenda for the next two years other than to continue to say "No." They're standards are low, and their morals even lower.

They are very transparent in their ways of going about things. Truly educated and rational people and politicians scare and intimidate them. They are more concerned about reversing the historic Healthcare Reform Act and personally damaging the reputation of the President of the U.S., then they are about creating the jobs of the future and balancing the budget. Not off to a real good start IMO.

The election is ooooveeerrrr..

The election is ooooveeerrrr..

Yes it has... but the "war" has just begun! :wave:

Yes it has... but the "war" has just begun! :wave:

Are you playing the part of general or foot soldier in this war?

Yes it has... but the "war" has just begun! :wave:

Can't we all just try to get a long and work for the good of the country? :sarc: :lol:

The election is ooooveeerrrr..

Can't we all just try to get a long and work for the good of the country? :sarc: :lol:

Apparently these are the only responses we're going to get. Notice the thorough references, thoughtful discourse, and use of smilies. :roll:

Can't we all just try to get a long and work for the good of the country? :sarc: :lol:

My "good" and your "good" are quite two different things, I am affraid. I now liken myself as a progressive Mitch McConnell--I am not budging one inch.😀

Apparently these are the only responses we're going to get. Notice the thorough references, thoughtful discourse, and use of smilies. :roll:

:whitetrash:

:whitetrash:

Oh look it's Walton County Tea Party Headquarters.

NOTE: This Post Duplicated from the other Poli thread about Obama's trip...it applies here as well..

The Tea Party will be in total control of the Republican Party by 2012. They have now even set up a list of Republican "targets" that they want out of office, those whose election is coming up in 2012--includes the likes of Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown. They have no agenda for the next two years other than to continue to say "No." They're standards are low, and their morals even lower.

They are very transparent in their ways of going about things. Truly educated and rational people and politicians scare and intimidate them. They are more concerned about reversing the historic Healthcare Reform Act and personally damaging the reputation of the President of the U.S., then they are about creating the jobs of the future and balancing the budget. Not off to a real good start IMO.

Why Scott Brown? He was another on they said was a great conservative that never voted that way in the past. He now votes as I would have expected so why the change. He is about as conservative as you are going to get in that part of the country.

Why Scott Brown? He was another on they said was a great conservative that never voted that way in the past. He now votes as I would have expected so why the change. He is about as conservative as you are going to get in that part of the country.

This was one of several things I read regarding 2012....

Tea Party activist's 2012 hit list: Republicans



The Huffington Post:

Washington -- Tea Party activists didn't have to wait for the results of the 2010 elections to start conspiring about their targets for the next cycle. Sen. Orinn Hatch (R-UT) has long been considered a primary target, alongside Bob Corker (TN), Richard Lugar (IN) and Olympia Snowe (ME). All of the aforementioned are Republicans with a penchant for working in bipartisan fashion, some more than others.

One surprising name popping up on the 2012 target list, however, is an individual that the Tea Party turned into a cult hero of their movement. Scott Brown (R-Mass) has spent the past ten months in office building the framework for his reelection. He's worked with Democrats on a variety of economic initiatives while siding with the Republican caucus on other measures. He has been, as conventional wisdom goes, about as conservative as one can be in Democratic-leaning Massachusetts. But, for some, not conservative enough.

On Wednesday morning Red State's Erick Erickson put Brown on his list of "Potential Tea Party Targets for 2012."

Erickson's site is a hub for Tea Party theology and was one of the earlier indicators of the wave that would define the just-completed cycle. So his inclusion of Brown is noteworthy, not just in what it potentially foreshadows but also because it is an indication of how dispirited conservatives are with the man they helped elect.

1. Are there adherents to the Tea party who are inconsistent? YES.
2. Is there ideological differences within the Tea Party? YES
3. Are there a few "bad people" in the Tea Party? YES
4. Can these same questions be answered in the affirmative regarding any other group in existence? YES Even liberal groups? YES

5. Can people grow or change their minds? YES Even Marco Rubio? YES

The basic belief of the Tea Party is that government spending and regulation are out of control and the Federal debt is a threat to national security. There may be differences as to what needs cutting but the core belief is the same. The next hurdle for the Tea Party to overcome is to educate and convince its members that long term improvement will require short term pain. Changing the environment in Washington will be a bloody affair.

The final question: Is the Tea Party perfect? NO But at least it has moved the national debate in the right direction.

1. Are there adherents to the Tea party who are inconsistent? YES.
2. Is there ideological differences within the Tea Party? YES
3. Are there a few "bad people" in the Tea Party? YES
4. Can these same questions be answered in the affirmative regarding any other group in existence? YES Even liberal groups? YES

5. Can people grow or change their minds? YES Even Marco Rubio? YES

The basic belief of the Tea Party is that government spending and regulation are out of control and the Federal debt is a threat to national security. There may be differences as to what needs cutting but the core belief is the same. The next hurdle for the Tea Party to overcome is to educate and convince its members that long term improvement will require short term pain. Changing the environment in Washington will be a bloody affair.

The final question: Is the Tea Party perfect? NO But at least it has moved the national debate in the right direction.

Besides finding it strange someone would ask themselves questions the other strange thing is this quote from your post

long term improvement will require short term pain

That's what many feel is already taking place.

Besides finding it strange someone would ask themselves questions the other strange thing is this quote from your post That's what many feel is already taking place.

The post was an attempt to answer the group's questions. It was an easy mechanism to "provide insight beyond the talking points."

As far as pain, you have not yet begun to see pain. Wait until the debt is 20 trillion dollars and all the baby boomers want their Social Security. And their healthcare. And the younger generation wants their student loans and aid for children and everyone wants a decent job and a decent wage. This is where we are headed if someone does not put on the spending brakes.

The post was an attempt to answer the group's questions. It was an easy mechanism to "provide insight beyond the talking points."

As far as pain, you have not yet begun to see pain. Wait until the debt is 20 trillion dollars and all the baby boomers want their Social Security. And their healthcare. And the younger generation wants their student loans and aid for children and everyone wants a decent job and a decent wage. This is where we are headed if someone does not put on the spending brakes.

Or, we could get really creative and decide that we were "going to the Moon" as we did in the sixties!

Think how it might be if all the negative energy that is put out in the airwaves these days, could be channelled into a positive vision...America is a great country--and we are better than all this acting out. We need people to act like adults and set a good role model for the younger generation; we need people to lead, or to follow, or to get out of the way...

Or, we could get really creative and decide that we were "going to the Moon" as we did in the sixties!

Think how it might be if all the negative energy that is put out in the airwaves these days, could be channelled into a positive vision...America is a great country--and we are better than all this acting out. We need people to act like adults and set a good role model for the younger generation; we need people to lead, or to follow, or to get out of the way...

I agree totally. We need to set our national priorities and spend our tax dollars to fund those priorities. This starts with our leaders stopping the habit of promising the moon in order to get a vote.

We also need the elected folks to stop campaigning long enough to actually govern.

It is no secret here that my politics lean pretty far to the liberal side of the chart--at the same time, I think our system works best with an opposition party. But, the opposition party needs to have some responsibility for governing just as the party in charge does.

The "just say no" strategy worked for the republicans to get reelected; but, what has it done for actually governing of the country?