–updated below–
Just when you think the Republican brand couldn’t get any worse. Enter the Tea Party to help, with new accusations and evidence that the rhetoric is turning into something far more serious than political activism, which goes well beyond a “personal touch.”
Even though there is no evidence whatsoever that Sarah Palin is suggesting scoping out Democratic members for harm, this graphic from her Facebook page makes her vulnerable to association with the worst of the worst on the right. Sarah Palin wants to be taken seriously, as part of the solution. So, as a leading member of the right, Mrs. Palin needs to understand the importance of her voice and the ramifications of her actions to her political base, who is being churned up to fight something far more than an election square off.
Palin’s Facebook imagery is particularly inappropriate given today’s new developments, with the FBI now investigating a dangerous case of potential vandalism out of Virginia:
Law enforcement authorities are investigating the discovery of a cut propane gas line at the Virginia home of Rep. Thomas Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother, whose address was targeted by tea party activists angry at the congressman’s vote for the health care bill.
An aide to the congressman confirmed to POLITICO that a line to a propane tank behind his brother’s home near Charlottesville had been sliced. [...]
Who are these people? From Quinnipiac:
Only 13 percent of American voters say they are part of the Tea Party movement, a group that has more women than men; is mainly white and Republican and voted for John McCain, and strongly supports Sarah Palin, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.
While voters say 44 – 39 percent that they will vote for a Republican over a Democratic candidate in this November’s Congressional elections, if there is a Tea Party candidate on the ballot, the Democrat would get 36 percent to the Republican’s 25 percent, with 15 percent for the Tea Party candidate, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. [...] (emphasis added)
Where women on the right are concerned, looks like the Tea Party is taking over where the unhinged fringe puma crowd left off.
But the Tea Party is not filled with independents. From Ed Kilgore:
The poll doesn’t ask enough questions to get at the details of Tea Party ideology, but it also doesn’t supply any ammunition to the common perception that Tea Partiers are libertarians at heart, and/or that they are displacing the Christian Right within the conservative coalition. Actually, 21% of self-identified white “born-again” evangelicals consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement, well above the 13% figure for all voters. And the the two categories of voters share a rare positive attachment to Sarah Palin (white “born-agains” approve of her by a 55/29 margin, Tea Partiers by a 72/14 margin).
At some point, the more questionable assumptions that pundits are making about the Tea Folk–they are right-trending independents, they are hostile to the Christian Right–need to yield to empirical evidence. Now would be a good time to start.
I’ve heard from quite a few people who say they’re walking away from the Democratic Party to become independents and they’re certainly not racist. The only “independents” I’ve heard from that say they’re part of the Tea Party movement are also Sarah Palin supporters. The majority of independents I hear from are staunchly anti Tea Party, while also being sick of all political parties.
Republicans have a problem. Hey, but so do Democrats. Political parties are simply on the outs.
I’d just like to see a few more Libertarian-leaning Democrats. It’s lonely out here.
But one thing on which we all should agree is that the current trend of Tea Party Republicans is unacceptable and un-American.
UPDATED 3.25: Tweet from Palin watcher saying “It has just come to my attention that Sarah Palin moderators deletes any post that tells her to change the image on her page.” Not exactly commendable, but it is revealing.
In all honesty Taylor, with the rhetoric coming from the likes of Sarah Palin, I expect violence to hit this country. While I’m sick of the political parties and the way Washington doesn’t listen to the people, I believe that the only way to change Washington is at the ballot box.
Palin isn’t even the worst of the rhetoric, which we’ve seen by the BOYS on the right, especially Hannity and Levine & Co.
As for “change Washington at the ballot box,” that is incredibly naive, JA, which you are not. No one is going “to change Washington.” We all should know that by now.
That’s the sad part of it all. Washington will never change; so what’s left for us to do? Do we give up? Take to the streets like we did in the 60s when protesting was really strong? I don’t know. Are we to accept the status quo?
I know Palin isn’t the worst of it but she’s got her followers. And of course the BOYS as you so aptly call them are playing with fire with so many unhinged people in the world. It wouldn’t take much.
It’s a hamster wheel, but you keep throwing out the current crew of feckless progressives until a better one is created.
For me, I just keep writing… Your job is *much* tougher.
Come to think of it JA, back in the 60s and 70s it was the liberals/anarchists who were doing most the yelling and bombing. That gave us Nixon, the Reagan and his spawn. I think the Tea Partiers will come to the same end.
I predict there will be some shooting/bombing incidents, which will, at some point, create a backlash. It will get worse before it gets any better. How much worse is the difficult question.
I was never part of any group that bombed anything. I marched for civil rights, went to Washington and heard Martin Luther King proclaim “I have a dream.” I marched against the war in Vietnam. I wanted peace and equality for all and so did the people I marched with. I had a dream too.
Same with me Jane. I was too young to go to Washington to hear MLK but I marched at the University of Missouri no less. It as such a heady idealistic time.We really believed we were creating change. I don’t remember any violence on my campus or in the town.
Looking back I realize that the draft was the driver.It is all so subtle and diffuse now I don’t think young people really realize how much skin they actually have in the game.
For anyone who continue to see these people in a positive light I post Bob Herbert’s column from yesterday. It was one of his most searing and powerful.
With so many good and compassionate people in our country, how is it these horrors of human beings are able to continue to spread their vitriol across the Internet and broadcast media? Does Palin understand what she has done with the gun sights on those members of Congress she wishes to “expose” because of their votes?
And the entire time, Rush is yelling fire inside a packed movie theater and getting away with it.
What have we become?
More important, where/how will it end?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/opinion/23herbert.html?src=me&ref=general
The tea partiers are the equivalent of the weathermen back in the 70′s. When a coalition or an ideology collapses the often turn to these type of tactics.
I’m sure there will be conservatism terrorism. There already has been. One thing that no one seems to want to talk about is how for decades the GOP has been coddling these people telling them things like they were going to roll back civil rights for AA’s and this is I believe the natural evolution of coddling these ideas. I guess you could say that everything the GOP has been doing for quite a while has come back to bite them.
Anyway but don’t be fooled into thinking that the GOP can’t win elections because of this. That’s what I see a lot of people on blogs saying and I think it is a mistake. If Obama can win by default so can the GOP. It’s not that hard.
And what about all the past liberal terrorism? What have the liberals done about that? They coddle them and say they are “patriots”. But if the right does it, then they are terrorists.
Oh HORSE SHIT! Unless you come up with some examples of anyone of any standing what so ever in the Democratic Party or generally identified as a politicol liberal with any credibility what so ever you are just another teabagger liar.
The nut jobs from the Viet namn days were criminal nut jobes to plain old fashioned murderers. PERIOD. Only wingnuts with they’re heads shoved so far up their own asses they haven’t seen the light of day for over 35 years or an avid limpwithnoballs, handjobity, blech or Palin freak could say something so bone crushingly stupid here.
Amen
Not sure if I can shed any light on this for anyone, but here is my experience with Tea Parties. I am a fiscally conservative gay man who was part of the “unhinged” PUMA movement. Voted for and campaigned for Hillary. Been a part of the Tea Party movement for the last year and I have found a whole assortment of people involved in this. Moderate Democrats & recent ex-Democrats. Independents, Libertarians and a majority of Moderate Republicans. Not so much born-again right extreme (which pleases me). I like Palin because she speaks of the main things that binds us all of us in this group. Fiscal conservatism, small government, personal freedoms & liberties. But the fringe extreme right took over the Republican party and I am afraid they will do the same to the Tea party movement. I am afraid they will become the face of what is and was intended to be a nonpartisan movement.
getty1206, I appreciate you sharing your perception of the Tea Party.
Don’t look now, but the Tea Party movement is wedded to the right-wing through these actions.
As for Sarah Palin, you and every single one of her supporters should implore her, maybe starting through Facebook, to separate herself from the violent strain that is clearly present in the Tea Party movement and is right now the representative reality with which people associate Tea Party activists.
A beginning for Palin would be to immediately redraw the graphic on Facebook, though it’s not something anyone expects. It certainly would be a welcome surprise. It’s what leaders do when challenged with something that could damage their brand.
Oh my! I did not notice the “scope” graphic until you just pointed it out. You are right…this is not good. I will do what I can to make contact and suggest all you said. Your advice is MUCH appreciated, Taylor!!
Good for you, getty1206.
Let me know what happens if you post on Facebook or reach out to Mrs. Palin and her supporters in some other fashion.
“Not sure if I can shed any light on this for anyone, but here is my experience with Tea Parties.”
No need to “shed some light”, it is clear as crystal you are a clueless ass.
” I am a fiscally conservative gay man who was part of the “unhinged” PUMA movement. Voted for and campaigned for Hillary.”
I find that VERY hard to believe, very hard indeed. “fiscally conservative gay” that’s right up there with Jews for Hitler.
” Been a part of the Tea Party movement for the last year and I have found a whole assortment of people involved in this. Moderate Democrats & recent ex-Democrats. Independents, Libertarians and a majority of Moderate Republicans.”
Oh HORSE SHIT! I have know teabaggers from the start and they have been the most rightwing of the racist refugees from what passes for the repugnantklan party. To racist for the repugnantklaners, now THAT’S sayin something!
” Not so much born-again right extreme (which pleases me). I like Palin because she speaks of the main things that binds us all of us in this group. Fiscal conservatism, small government, personal freedoms & liberties.”
Any doubts about your cluelessness have just been cleared up!
” But the fringe extreme right took over the Republican party and I am afraid they will do the same to the Tea party movement.”
BWAHAHAHAHA! teabaggers are TO wingnut for the RNCwingnuts.
” I am afraid they will become the face of what is and was intended to be a nonpartisan movement.”
BWAHAHAHAHA! You should STFU now because you are going SO far from reality into willfull delussional horse shit it is tough reading cause I am pissin myself laughing!!!!
“I find that VERY hard to believe, very hard indeed. ‘fiscally conservative gay’… I’m definitely not one of them, but you need to check out the Log Cabin Republicans, who are very definitely fiscally conservative, and gay.
I am COMPLEYELY familiar with the Logcloset Queens. A more self loathing bunch of willing to sell out their brothers and sisters you’ll NEVER run across since the nazis used Jewish inmates as Kapos to brutalize the other concentration camp victems just to live a few more months themselves. These folks cozy up to a bunch of psychos who think they would be better off DEAD then gay. Who would rather their own CHILDREN die of aides then learn accurate sex ed regarding gay sex practices. Yeah, I KNOW about the Logcloset Queens.
In all fairness to getty1206′s personal observations I think there is a wide difference in the groups that have formed,they are not all the same.My suggestion is to reform under a different name. Just like the PUMA group got co-opted by some unhinged fringe the same has happened to some Tea party groups.
I was born as Hitler was rolling across Europe and planning the Final Solution. I came to an awareness in my early teens that things needed to be changed. I lived through and still remember so many horrible events. But I was taught work for peace, for tolerance, for humanity. It seems it was all in vain. I’m just terribly depressed today. A friend of mine committed suicide last night and I’m trying to come to grips with this newest tragedy.
Sorry for your loss, JA.
So Sorry to hear that Jane.
It’s a downward spiral. That eventually everyone will have been a participate in. In an age were immediate reaction to any news item/action is required. Then is “analyzed” amplified and altered to achieve a political advantage, no matter where on the political spectrum that group/individual is positioned. Eventually something will break.
I am so afraid you are right. To the extent that I am going to finally scrape my Hillary bumper sticker off my car.Many people out here in the sticks with loaded guns in their cars.
Jane, blessings and peace. I was a child when WWII broke out and like you have been a peace activist most of my life. I remember the Weathermen and their ilk well, and they were nowhere near so numerous as the gun-toting tea baggers. During the big university “riots” of 1970, I was a young professor; pulling the trolley buses off the wires was the closest our most ambitious kids came to violence. While it was pretty hard to interface with the students, I never recieved a death threat or anything near (although my husband did, but not then, and he did teach math). The threats of violence now are far more dangerous than back in the day.
Don’t look now, but this is getting downright scary. Of course, what do you expect when you keep whipping up the crazies? Government is the enemy, you know? The socialist democrats are going to take everything the hard working common folk have and give it away to some lazy leftie, illegal, minority, and their going to be killing babies all along the way!
Geez, look at the name calling, the phone calls to Stupak, the threats Betsy Markey: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/betsy-markey-receiving-th_n_512123.html.
This is crazy, but I’m afraid it’s becoming SOP for the GOP: http://www.thinkersjam.com/healthcare-and-conservative-temper-tantrums/, and the Tea Party is becoming their most radical faction.
Stupak played a stupid game and got accosted by both sides.
Bart Stupak’s family getting ‘abusive’ calls
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34630.html
When you have folks as out of contact with reality and delussional or just a fu*kin liar like getty1206 trolling around what do we expect?!
secular, me thinks that getty1206 may be Glenn Beck in disguise diddling the Liberals on this blog. Peace
Bomb Threat At Bunning’s Hazard Office
27 February 2010
http://www.wtvq.com/news/2432-bomb-threat-at-bunnings-hazard-office-
Bomb Threat Forces Evacuation of DC TEA Party Planners
September 11, 2009
http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/09/bomb-threat-forces-evacuation-of-dc-tea-party-planners.html
Anti-Bush Truther shoots up Pentagon; Should we play the political blame game?
March 5th, 2010
http://pajamasmedia.com/zombie/2010/03/05/anti-bush-truther-shoots-up-pentagon-should-we-play-the-political-blame-game/?singlepage=true
Hanged Census Worker Staged Suicide in Apparent Insurance Scam
-not victim of anti-government sentiment
Nov. 24, 2009
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/US/us-census-worker-bill-sparkman-committed-suicide/story?id=9167408
It’s a downward spiral
NICE TRY SKIPPY!!! Well, not really. Pathetic actually but then what do we expect from a teabaggin repugnantklaner.
See dipshit, I said
“Oh HORSE SHIT! Unless you come up with some examples of anyone of any standing what so ever in the Democratic Party or generally identified as a politicol liberal with any credibility what so ever you are just another teabagger liar.”
You basically prove the fact that “you are just another teabagger liar.” with your TOTALLY pathetic list of vrank phone calls, a 9/11 conspiracy nutcase who “pajamas media” the most shit house rat crazy of the Uberwingnut crowd” calls a lefty and the census worker who somehow managed to DUCT TAPE HIS OWN WRISTS AND ANKLES along with gaging and tapping over his own eyes!
See dipshit what you needed to do was find elected Dem officials calling for these acts or trying to justify them or other big named liberal personalities. Butcha couldn’t could ya.
A couple of pathetic crank phone calls as opposed to the Oklahoma City Bombing and HUNDREDS of deaths. The MURDER of abortion service providers, that’s PLURAL dipshit, MANY people have died at the hands of wingnuts. And repugnantklaners and teabaggers have justified the murder and terror they have committed. How about the domestic terrorist who FLEW A PLANE INTO A BUILDING killing luckily only one IRS worker?
You are to pathetic and stupid to believe. Go get teabagged will you. You are to stomach churning to believe.
Good Morning Secular.
Ron Paul is a Libertarian. Libertarians are OK except that they believe in the theology of the survival of the fittest. That’s why Paul was forced to become a Republican and not a Democrat. It’s the same thought process that forces the anarchists to identify with the Democrats rather than the Republicans. Labels are fun, ehhh? Peace
The threats are spreading – here’s a NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/health/policy/25health.html?hp
Treat the teabaggers and the repugs like the domestic terrorists they are. Rendition them and freedom tickle them for a couple of years in a cell right next to Cheney and his warpig daughter.
media has been covering this all day. nbc nightly lead with 2 stories on these delopments. kudos to house dems for making sure people know what is going on. i think we are moving beyond free speech. on nbc i heard the death threats on tape. very scary. some guy saying “i know where you and and I know where your kids go to school and I have a gun.” or congresswoman giffords who had her office smashed. cong. slaughter who is really getting it with bricks in the windows, messages saying her days are numbered. If I were palin I would run away from this facist crap. she is getting hammered on her tweet urging folks to conctinue with this behavior. dana bash on cnn said house dems and gop sat down toc raft a joint condemnation. the gop walked and refused to commit to such a statement.
glenn beck, sarah palin, rush, gop leaders in congress who are silent, all the folks I know who listen all day to right wing radio and patronize this rhetoric of violence are part of something wicked that I fear will lead to 60s style violence against leaders. should one person be killed bc he or she voted for a bill, if an attempt is made on obama or biden god help us. these people are inciting acts of violence simply bc someone has different views. thats unamerican. so i keep saying.
Also of note- it seems evryone I know incl myself is losing firends, are unable to speak with family members etc.. you simply cant talk about issues anymore. I rarely even speak to my grandmother anymore. she watches fox all day, thinks pelosi has a broom, thinks people arent wokring hard enough to get insurance, thinks this hcr bill si for free loaders and welfare queens. its sad to watch. and im on disbaility so hearing this rhetoric is deeply hurtful!
the blogs are incourable places. TM allows for different views and promotes at least civility. I went ot fdl for a bit- but the place is simply intolerable to me. full of people runnign around saying obama is hitler, if u differ with anything said you get hounded out. mydd has settled down some and armstrong has some good discussion there. dkos gets wild as usual!
its like this: u have your defend obama till the end contigent with no criticsm allowed, u have you obama is the root of all our ills faction and can never do right, you have your hillary is so great that no other dem can ever do good faction, and everyone else is getting driven away from the dialgue. oyyyyyy
rep wiener confirms antisemitic hate mail incl swastikas- way more going on here than meets the eye
http://forward.com/articles/126814/
rep. carnahan finds coffin at his door in MO
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34982.html
All the while your Grandmother gets that SOCIALIST security check every month and no doubt uses Medicare to pay her Dr.s with.
yup. it looks like dems will be hit iwth a socialist tag by right wing but get none of the benefits!
I have to agree I would have not put at least the scoping out democrats. It should have been dots or something like that. I hope maybe she will change it or something. I am a fan of Sarah Palin,and I am a independent. Yes I disagree with her social issues but like her fiscal conservatism, small government like that getty1206 said. I am not part of the tea party or won’t become a part of it. I am glad that Sarah Palin is getting conservative women or any woman interested and protesting I hope it continues. I don’t want harm or violence to happen to anyone. Sarah Palin has clout and I think she is one of the only people besides the president that can bring in crowds and fundraise for candidates. I hope she can bring moderates and more independents to her side. Maybe that show is getting on the Discovery Channel might be help with that. I hate the name calling on both sides and it needs to stop. I refuse to drink the kool-aid on both sides !!
fairminded…I’m afraid you are dreaming were Palin is concerned.She is an insurgent nothing moderate about her current incarnation. That might have been true when she ran for Gov. but her bread is getting buttered by the fringe now.
“Yes I disagree with her social issues but like her fiscal conservatism,”these are just hypocriticol lies to sooth the rubes.
THAT’S how it SHOULD read.
secularhumanizinevoluter, maybe instead of name calling you could put a more valid argument instead of left-wing kool-aid drinking crap.
Don’t hold your breath. Not possible.
Ha!
“secularhumanizinevoluter, maybe instead of name calling you could put a more valid argument instead of left-wing kool-aid drinking crap.”
So obviously you’ve just awakened from a comma and missed the Presidential campaign and the lies and vitriol from Palin and the wingnuts, followed by the nonstop lies regarding HCR and Dems in general and Palins egging on the teabaggers. Either that or you have your head shoved to far up your ass to allow anything but faux notnews in.
There IS a political element to this. And it is possible to do a compare/contrast on people’s behavior.
An objective reporter (if there is such a thing anymore) can interview Rep. Stupak and his staff.
Via Politico (3/18/10):
Stupak, who in numerous recent interviews has called his life a “living hell,” said during an interview on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” that his wife has had to unplug the family’s home phone.
Stupak said that he has been “cussed out” wherever he has gone since becoming the face of a group of roughly a dozen House Democrats who vowed to vote against the bill unless the current abortion language is removed.
“Unfortunately for my wife, she has to unplug the phone at night because you get the phone calls at 2 a.m., 3 a.m. in the morning,” the Michigan Democrat said. “They want to cuss you out.”
“My staff is overwhelmed and we’re accosted basically wherever we go by people who disagree,” he added.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34630.html
This is when he was a NO vote.
A reporter could request that he release all audio tapes that exist. When he was a NO vote and when he became a YES vote. A reporter can ask Stupak and his staff, to give example of the language and behavior used.
It is somewhat disingenuous of Stupak to release only selective audio.
I wonder if he has learned anything?
Jesus, what drama queens! The Dems really need to grow a set.