Well, it was good while it lasted
By xfahctor
@xfahctor (14118)
Lancaster, New Hampshire
February 7, 2010 10:09am CST
After watching palin's adress to the Tea Party Converntion last night and doing a little more digging of my own, I have come to a pretty depressing conclusion. It's over. What started as a great grass roots movement, possibly the biggest and most driving un-political political force since the turn of the cetnury, has become a propagandist wing for the republican party.
With the keynote speaker endorsing big name republicans such as McCain over an independant, endorsing neocon governor Perry in texas over indepeandat liberty candidate Medina and other establishment endorsements, Palin has demonstrated this movement now belongs to the republican party.
Instead of embracing real patriots like Ron Paul, the establshment used this movement to showcase people like Palin, Bachman (who I once respected) and other neocons and faux, non libertarian conservatives.
Ok, so I get a lot in the movement aren't happy with this, as was evident on Palin's facebook page, many were outraged and expressed this outrage at her endorsments. But the big media will continue to push this angle with FOX news leading the charge. And though there are still a good many true patrots and liberty minded people in the movement, there are many more sheep who will fall in worship at the alter of faux conservatism and big establishment parties.
To the establishment types pushing this blasphemous hijacking...I want to thank you (sarcam by the way). You have assured that revolution will come to this country from the barell of a gun rather than the ballot box. You have all but assured that peacefull change will no longer be possible. The blood of thousands will be on your hands. In the beginning of this movement, there was hope that we could in fact get REAL change, we had REAL hope. What you have done is transform all that to more of the same from the establishment right and have used a real movement to further it. You will not be spared when the real change that was long over due comes. You had every chance. May you burn along side your left wing establishment co conspiritors when it starts.
5 people like this
10 responses
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
7 Feb 10
I'm sad to say that I agree with everything you say. The Tea Party people made a grave mistake when they lifted the tent so the camel could put his nose inside. I had great hopes for TP (now more like toilet paper, not Tea Party) until I heard that Palin would be speaking at their convention. The whole idea was supposed to be that they were BIPARTISAN, everyone from every party gathered with a common interest. Now that's all gone. 
2 people like this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
7 Feb 10
What it should be is ANTIpartisan, a movement against the partisan establishment. What needs to happen is the REAL grassroots folks need to stand up and reject establishment hijackers, even if it means seperating from the "tea party" name. Maybe they could join forces with Campaign for Lliberty or something. The original tea party movement was a movement that could have easily gotten someone like ORn Paul in the white house. These guys blew it BIG time.
4 people like this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
7 Feb 10
I guess ANTI partisan is more what I was trying to say, come to think of it.
I had to do an article on the history of the Boston Tea Party yesterday and it struck me that we are pretty much in the same position now as those good people in 1773--we are taxed but have no representation. We elect people to represent us then they go and promote their own agenda while paying no attention to what we want or need.
You are right about the revolution. It had a chance to be peaceful but people (me included) are getting so upset and angry and downright desperate that we feel we can't afford to wait for peaceful process, especially now that the TP has been hijacked. There are people getting tossed out on the streets with no food for their children and not even a car to live in because it's been repossessed. Desperate people take desperate measures. Someone once said that when a man loses everything, he has nothing to lose. Think about that. They won't care about the consequences anymore so nothing seems too extreme.
Very good discussion, it certainly does provoke thought.
3 people like this
@heathcliff (1415)
• United States
7 Feb 10
I don't know how they expected to survive as a non-partisan group. It is not so much that they were hijacked, but that they seemed to be "hitching their wagon to a horse" in order to get moving faster without realizing how much damage that could do to such a movement.
2 people like this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
7 Feb 10
The fracturing of the Tea Party movement and it's hijacking by the Republican party has been a hot topic on talk radio down here in Florida for a while now. As with any other grassroots movement, it takes time to grow, to become cohesive across different regions and for a true leader to immerge. This was never a Republican vs Democrat issue. I knew the end was at hand when I first heard the name of the group hosting the "national" convention...the Tea Party Express. Not a big leap to memories of the Straight Talk Express, John McCain and the GOP. A conservative talk radio host down here openly questioned what gave this group the right to hold anything called a "national convention" in the first place and then to price out so many who represent the heart of the movement.
2 people like this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
7 Feb 10
The major hurdle in NOT getting hijacked is media. Right now, the only media posatively covering this movement is Fox, and as such, they are going to push and give exposure to the republican hijacking elements in preference to the more wide based, libertarian anti-partisan people that make up the bulk and true grass roots movement.....sigh...time for a 4th major news network I guess. It has become a painfull reality that the movement is up againt a pretty near insurmountable obsticle.
3 people like this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
7 Feb 10
annie, the keynote speaker should not have even been her. It should have been more along the lines of Ron Paul(probably the last dencent person in congress), Debrah Medina, Bob Barr, Dan Itse (state rep from NH who has some national recognition)...heck even someone like Bob Basso....but NOT someone who was abducted and and indoctrinated in to the establishment like Palin. Please, don't get me wrong, I do like her, but she is lost now....what a waste, I curse McCain and the RNC for ever uttering her name. They took an amazing and liberty minded governor and turned her in to a shill/figure head.
3 people like this
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
8 Feb 10
It had a short life - the Tea Party. It was infected months ago, and it didn't take long to kill it. To think I used to support it, and now all I feel is nausea and rage when I think of it. The one movement I actually liked and it goes and lets itself get hijacked before it even gets off the ground.
The sad part is, a lot of the people who still follow the Tea Party don't see what's happened. They still believe the roots of the movement are still strong and fully intact. As a matter of fact, it took the values of the Tea Party to begin being warped into what they are now for some people to even care to join. That's what infuriates me most - not that big government groups hijacked it, but that the followers allowed it - even embraced it.
The whole ordeal makes me want to punch people. Blah. 
1 person likes this
@Sourceseeker (1197)
• United States
8 Feb 10
X I still dont believe the establishment of tea party or conservatives or Republicans have any idea at the true scope of peoples hearts. The tea party and ultra conservatives are maybe 5 percent of this country. True Republicans maybe make up 10%. 25 percent consider themselves independent like myself. This leaves about another 60%. This 60% are those seldom vote or dont feel the need to or feel that it will make no difference. I cant tell you how many people said they had never voted before but voted in the Presidential election for change. These people seldom vote in local elections or even in state races, they just are not as interested. They are cynical and unmoved by the process.
This one of the reason in Houston my city that gay rights activist Annise Parker won instead of Gene Locke. Had all the voters black and Hispanic came out for Locke, he would have won in a landslide.
Most people are apathetic until you give them reason. The talk of revolution does not see the big picture. If there is a revolution the havenots far outnumber the haves. The sleeping giant who are the average American people, who Obama represents are the real revolutionaries this country should be concerned about. This country must do all it can to keep the President safe cause low and behold if something happens nothing could stop that sleepy lion.
In Connecticut do you see the guys on the corner with no purpose and feel they have no way out. Watch out if they have a purpose. Sarah Palin cant even handle Levi or her own state. I would not bet putting all my eggs in that basket.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
8 Feb 10
Maybe it's just time you start your own movement. I can't think of anyone that knows more about the Constitution than you although, you had better get someone else to type your press releases 
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
9 Feb 10
ROFL! It's ok, I accept and acknowlege my shortcommings, and typing is one of them. I am a member of several similar groups. One in particular is the New Hampshire Liberty Alience. I would like to see this particular group develop in other states and bring in all the disenfranchised tea party members. It would be a good banner to unite under while seperating from the now hijacked tea party name. The issue is though that the media coverage would go to the commercial tea party groups. Fox news has been instrumental in this hijacking and the other 2 big news networks have been instrumental in it as well, making sure their viewers associate genuine tea party members with the republican hijackers and party as well as discrediting the movement as a whole as a bunch of racist rednecks.
Liberty News Network anyone????
1 person likes this
@RobtheRock (2433)
• United States
7 Feb 10
I'm glad you finally see what some of us have seen all along. I live in a very conservative area in Ohio and the persons who were part of the beginning tea party movement here, were Obama haters (they didn't need a reason) and right wing republicans with their own agendas. I'm speaking only of people here -- where I live.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Feb 10
First I want to say I HOPE your prediction of a violent "revolution" doesn't come true! I don't believe violence will solve anything but I certainly can see how divided this country has become so it's not hard to imagine Americans "turning against" one another in more dangerous ways than words and signs.
I've yet to hear Palin's entire speech but I've heard quite a bit of it in bits and pieces and as I've said elsewhere on myLot it sounded like a continuation of her convention speech or like a stump speech. Palin has said several times that I've heard that the Republicans should join with the tea party movement or vice versa, I forget her exact words. In her speech she spent most of the time attacking Democrats and the Obama Administration in particular and spoke of the need to elect conservations all around the country. I thought this "grassroots" movement was supposed to be appealing to everyone, left, right and center! Guess not, right?
Annie
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
7 Feb 10
I said in another comment here somewhere that I hoped it was more a warning than a prediction...but it just keeps comming up...being very pesky like that. Look at social trends. Look at our history, look at what is at stake. The states certainly aren't staning up in any real meaning to it, no one in either party is really comming out and stepping away from and shunning either party. The security measures beneath the surface in this country are orwellian. We have the most divisive president in office in decades, if not ever (palin would have been just as divisive). People are reaching tipping points.
On a broader note...Remember what I said a few months ago to you about controlled oposition and how that works?
2 people like this
@K46620 (1986)
• United States
8 Feb 10
I have to agree with you. Debra Medina is a much better candidate, not to mention a real tea party candidate. What is Palin thinking? Woops. I forgot. She's just another neocon politician. The only reason she endorsed Rand Paul is because he is going to win.
They are trying to centralize this movement and suck the voters back into the party system. Democrats are helping by spewing anti-tea party nonsense.
I've written an article warning the tea partiers about this problem. You can find it here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2634269/a_note_to_tea_parties_conservatives.html?cat=9
@epicure35 (2814)
• United States
10 Feb 10
I tend to agree with much of what you state. I've never been a fan of the "tea parties" because their focus has been too narrow, too economy minded and not conservative enough. The waters continue to be muddied by supposed conservatives who are too political and liberal for my taste and understanding as well. There can be no compromise on the most important issues in our country, especially demeaning and undermining our Constitution, as has been the thrust of the usurper and his dreadful minions. I'm increasingly disappointed in Palin, though she can delineate the issues pretty well, but I'm not sure where she's going as a "politician". The Republican party has shot itself in the foot by compromising with the liberal messes in the traitorous Democratic party. We need genuine conservative principles and principled people in order to save what's left of our country and freedom. I pray the bloodless coup that is traitor and jihadist Obama and his evil minions does not have to become the bloody exchange you delineate for us to come back to sanity. I trust neither party and we need to clean house and remove all corruptocrats. The democrats have shown themselves to be only lying, racist, powermongering, greedy crud. The republicans, pandering cowards. Not much to choose from, but I hope we get the choice before dictator O sets in. I hope the blind, deaf, dumb and stupid who put this monster in office will wake up before every ounce of freedom is squeezed out of us and his jihad is complete.
@millertime (1394)
• United States
12 Feb 10
While I agree with some of things you say, I don't think it's time to give up hope and say it's all over. I mean, what is the movement anyway? It's certainly not Sarah Palin. It's the people that make it what it is. Just because she gave a speech at the convention doesn't mean she is the leader or the Republican party has taken control. The people feel the way they do and if the momentum of sentiment that is the movement keeps going, they will make their feelings known at the ballot box. I think the biggest thing that has come out of this is that people have awakened and are now paying attention to the political arena. They will demand that a candidate agrees with their way of thinking and it won't matter much which party he belongs to. We'll see over the next months leading to the election just what the movement is and if it will keep moving forward. If it results in a third party or even a replacement for the Republican Party, it will take time to come to fruition. I don't think it's over yet.
