Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Barry / Politics High Tea on Legislative Plaza
Posted by Bruce Barry on Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 2:21 PM
From what I could hear through a muddy and ineffective sound system at the Plaza (their intellectual ignorance of economic history is matched by their technical ignorance of the audio dynamics of amplification), none of the speakers were actually proposing things that would concretely expand employment, improve education, diminish poverty, or fix health care. They want government to just ... stop. It's pretty clear that about two-thirds of the country thinks differently. That's not a reason to silence a dissenting voice, but it could be grounds for rethinking the message.
Comments (33)
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Of course, part of the problem is that the Tennessee Democratic Party is dead. There is no one even attempting to provide a counter message in this state.
Would someone please find new leadership at TNDP? Chip Forrester just isn't getting it done. These malcontents publicly attack President Obama and Chip can't come up with the gumption to say anything in response.
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I forgot about this and got stuck in the middle of it today. I could've sworn conservatives used to complain about gaseous platitudes.
My favorite sign had to be "Spread My Work Ethic, Not My Wealth." I would like to know how well that professional protesting pays, ma'am...
But yeah - the sound was most definitely an afterthought for these folks. You would think that they'd have thought to at least raise the speakers to where the PA was above head level. The effective radius for the sound was only about 50', it was unintelligible for any distance beyond that. And it's not like there's a shortage of sound system professionals in this town. A few of them probably even work with Steve Gill and Phil Valentine.
If you're going to have a message, you'd think that people would like to, you know, communicate it clearly.
And here they said they weren't protesting Barack Obama. Thanks for making it clear! I was confused since some folks said they were protesting the budget, some said it was the bailouts, some said it was the economic stimulus, some said it was taxes in general. Some said they were protesting fascism and some said they were protesting socialism. It's all very confusing. I just wasn't sure what they were objecting to, save the current president who is enjoying 60%+ approval ratings.
If you need any more evidence that this isn't a mass movement, but instead a bunch of political extremists flinging turds like cracked-out howler monkeys, just have a look at the "Teleprompters Against Socialism" sign.
What does that even mean?
I figured it out: it's a far right meme intended to confirm the racist notion, propagated on hate sites like Free Republic, that President Obama, with his African ancestry, is sub-humanly stupid, and can't actually think, but can only effectively read a teleprompter.
Who the FUCK is supposed to understand that, except the few percent of the public who pays attention to the wingnut media, or who is willing to sully himself by trying to sort out just what they're trying to say?
They have nothing to offer this country, and they're so politically powerless, it's a joy to laugh at their feebleness.
"For something so pointless, this sure is getting a lot of play on the Scene."
It's a Wednesday and we could all use a laugh. Thanks for providing it.
Someone in your second picture is holding a sign that reads, "Obama is the new Hitler."
Sums up the intelligence level of this crowd.
Exactly, DG. They are in a hopeless and rapidly diminishing minority. That's why they are so frustrated and angry.
Do people actually believe that there is ANY connection between 'work ethic' and financial success?
Because in my experience there is little to none.
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but this was far from a few right-wing nut jobs. There were probably 10,000 people there (and that's just in Nashville-muliply that by hundreds of other cities) and about 10 counter-protesters.
Why not show some of the more witty signs like "Who Needs Pirates When You've Got Congress?" and "Bow to the Taxpayers, Not to the Saudi Kings" or "If the Treasury Secretary Can't Understand the Tax Code, How Can I?" There were various manifestations but the same basic message: stop spending trillions we can't pay back. And that includes the Wall Street bailouts, which is one thing, I think, we can all agree on.
I was actually sad not to be able to get away from work and go down there because I heard it was a chance to teabag lawmakers but from the looks of the pics my definition of teabagging is different from these nutjobs.
Also Rep. Kelsey has to get the award for bonehead of the day for wanting to actually pass a resolution to reject socialism in case the federal government decides to establish socialism as a form of goverment. Really? Does anyone actually think this is going to happen? Seeing what the Republicans in this state are wasting taxpayer's time and money on makes me really embarrassed to live here.
10,000 people, Poet?
Really? Ten THOUSAND?
Just goes to show that you can't rely on Republicans' fuzzy math... or trust them with your money.
I thought the "Dumb and Dumber" sign featuring Bush and Obama should have at least gotten an honorable mention.
I bet if someone had stood on the Capitol steps and screamed "state income tax" through a bullhorn, Nashville would be under martial law as we speak.
"10,000"
Republicans lie. That's what they do.
And stop lying about the debt. You freaks were nowhere to be found when Bush turned a rising surplus into a rising deficit. This was Hate Week for a few thousand of Tennessee's most politically marginal losers.
To Spaz:
Yes, really 10,000. Look at the pic at the top of the Scene article. The crowd stretched from the capitol steps to the library. But I'm sure the local news will play down the number. Lots of conservative Dems there today, too.
And as far as the comment about spending, Obama has spent, or has plans to spend, more in three months than Bush spent in eight years. When China and eastern Europe start lecturing us on out of control spending, we've got problems. It will cause the dollar to tank soon. I'm happy to pay my share of taxes--I just don't want my daughter to have to pay my share and hers as well.
The problem is that their leaders have no credibility. Phil Valentine? Steve Gill? Brian Kelsey? Where were they when we were dumping money by the billions into the money-pit that is Iraq? Where were they when we were spending much more than we were taking in during the last eight years? Where were they when the Republican congress was throwing all kinds of pork into every bill, whether it pertained to the bill or not? Where were they when Bush wasn't vetoing any of it? Where were they when the Bush administration was trampling all over the Constitution and torturing people who may or may not have been guilty?
Oh yeah, that's right, they weren't protesting (or honking horns), they were defending it all and calling people un-American if they dared criticize the government. They not only have no credibility, they are hypocrites.
And I will be willing to bet you anything there weren't 10,000 people there. The organizers themselves have readjusted downwards. And the point about Obama spending in 3 months what Bush spent in 8 years has no validity at all. It's simply something that someone made up out of thin air. Obama will have to work really, really hard to get to Bush's spending level.
Notice I said, "has spent (via the stimulus package) or has plans to spend... more than Bush." It's not too late to reign it in, but we haven't even started on health care yet. At least Obama had the guts to tell GM no mas.
Having been a part of numerous events at War Memorial Plaza over the years, I can say without a doubt there were NOT 10,000 people in attendance. That was a crowd of around 1,500.
Remember, Tennesseans, Ron Ramsey, Zach Wamp, Bill Haslam, and Bill Gibbons fell all over themselves endorsing this rigmarole. They want to do to Tennessee what Bush did to the United States.
Honkytonk poet, I noticed what you said. It's still a major exaggeration. My point remains, where was all this conservative outrage when Bush was president? There may have been some, but it was largely directed at anyone who dare criticized Bush. The problem with conservative political thought these days is no one really has any idea what a real conservative is anymore. The old idea of Goldwater conservatism was very libertarian. Today's conservatives are further away from libertarianism than progressives are. Most people I've met who describe themselves as libertarian feel closer to Democrats than Republicans. You guys better figure yourselves out because people have stopped listening to your leaders and there is nothing that Glenn Beck or Phil Valentine can say that is going to lead them back. A little consistency would be a place to start.
Look at the Yahoo news--hardly a conservative mouthpiece--to see more photos of what went on all over the U.S. including some pics of Nashville--and these don't even show the people on Charlotte Ave., on the steps of the Capitol, or on the TPAC steps.
http://www.yahoo.com
I think what a lot of far left people fail to understand is that at these tea parties there are a wide range of people attending. From rich to poor, democrats to republicans, old to young. It's not just the right wing republicans. Also I think the latency of reaction from people about the spending might have to do with the expectations from Obama many were hoping for. Everyone knew Bush was on his way out. Many people were expecting change, but are realizing that the more things change, the more things stay the same. It became too much for people to just stand around with a glazed look of apathy in their eyes and do nothing about it. And it started under Bush when he first proposed the bailout of the financial institutions. That's when people started waking up. Many of you do not realize how many republicans were disgusted with the first bailout that Bush proposed. These tea parties are essentially about average citizens feeling extremely betrayed by their government and are trying to do something to show their frustration. Let me ask you this... If you had $100 dollars in your bank account, would you go out and spend $1000? Where's the logic in that? The worst part is that the government is doing the same thing using your hard earned money. And that my fellow Americans is what these tea parties are all about. Not left, not right. Financial irresponsibility.
For what it's worth, NPR tonight put the Nashville crowd at 3,000 in reporting on tea parties around the country.
What I don't understand is why these people aren't protesting the true villains in all these bailouts: the financial execs. Can anyone explain this for me?
These fruitloops had a good chance for eight years to protest deficit spending. Only now do they bother, and bring in all kinds of weirdo extremist signs and petitions. They don't care about the budget, they just hate our popular president. So get bent, teabaggers.
DG THANK YOU! Where the hell were these people when we were spending more on hospitals and schools in Iraq than we were spending HERE!! And ... if there were 10,000 people there, they're counting all their imaginary friends.
How sorry I am for my relatives in Tennessee, who take all they can get from the government and listens to the likes of fat blow heart Limbaugh. They call the Democrats Socialist now, what was the Bush he was more like Hitlar than all the other presidents role into one.
Come on Tennessee face reality, George the War man is gone, and may be tried for war crimes, along with his bunch of hate men in his cabinet.
I think these people need a more united message. I believe it will come. They don't need to mention Obama. They simply need to VOTE OUT the current congress. Simple as that. Don't give any more money to the DNC or the GOP. NONE. NOT a single penny.
We need a complete overturn of every elected congress person in EVERY state.... show the POWER of the vote...
But...this is only a dream!
Big Brother would be proud of the pix at the top of another article on here: It makes it look as if the crowd filled the entire plaza. It did not. I was there. It covered HALF of the plaza, and no assertion on here or by one of the speakers who declared the crowd stretches from one end of the plaza to the other can dispute that.
The angry guys who stood chanting USA, USA, USA at the two young black women who held up their Obama tshirts on the steps of the war memorial building can tell you that they were at the BACK of the crowd, HALFWAY down the plaza.
But even though they know it's true, they won't do that.
Many of the liberals posting here seem to confuse the protesters with Republicans. Protest is for anyone who is dissatisfied. It is said we're not for anything, just against everything.
We're all for fiscal responsibility in federal government. You have to balance your checkbook, do you not? Gee, can't we get by on 2 trillion?
We're in favor of people earning their own money instead of having their hand out. This is the land of opportunity, but the implication is that you must be willing to work for it.
We're in favor of foreigners getting the hell out of our country. Don't you find it odd that 15% of all Mexican citizens live in the U.S.? Or that 30% of all inmates in U.S. prisons are illegal immigrants?
We're in favor of killing terrorists before they kill us, you, and yours. How do you wage peace with Muhammed the cave dweller? He believes that you are an infidel and must covert to his style of Islam or die.
We're in favor of women allowing the human beings in their wombs to be born. If they turn out to be a terrorist, we'll kill them later.
Both parties are corrupt, and I'd like to do something about it. My idea is called The Clean Sweep. The concept is simple: let's vote out all incumbents, regardless of party affiliation. Let's make this democracy interesting!
Pelosi is steering $25 billion in contracts to her husband's company. Do liberals think this is OK? Please comment.
