Scott Powell:
The hostility and jaded news coverage that the Tea Party movement evokes suggests that it must be onto something really big — beyond anti-incumbent attitudes or current-issue debates of Democrats or Republicans.
The Tea Party is animated by powerful enduring ideas expressed in the nation's founding through the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: freedom, the natural law of inalienable rights and the sovereignty of the people that requires limited government.
Remarkably, the Tea Party movement has gained national prominence with unpaid volunteers in just a year and a half. Its people come from every walk of life from all over the country.
What has brought them together is an acute awareness that Washington has been tone-deaf to the voices of the people. They've had it with the posturing of both Democrats and Republicans. Through the Tea Party, the silent majority now has a giant megaphone.
The Tea Party movement provides a fresh and unvarnished combination of candor, authenticity and idealism. In the age of YouTube, politicians are having difficulty in managing their image or their audience through a largely supplicant news media.
Something more fascinating and real is taking place in town-hall meetings rather than in staged press conferences. In fact, it would appear that average citizens have more courage to play hardball with politicians than do too many in the Washington-centric media.
Conventional news reporting has become increasingly passe in a digital age where pervasive recording devices and Internet distribution have empowered average people to cut through political double-talk and denial. Lawmakers can no longer hide in smoke-filled rooms or deflect with mere press releases. Spontaneous responses with common-sense zingers from people like Joe the Plumber are a lot more lively and revealing.
The Tea Party folks don't stand in the line to genuflect before an adoring media. Perhaps that's where the conflict begins. Even so, in spite of Democratic strategists who seek to discredit or belittle the Tea Party as a speed bump rather than a roadblock, there's no denying that this movement is a game-changer.
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The real difference between the Democrats and the Republicans, is taht the latter was in a position to embrace the positions of the Tea Party movement while the Democrats were on the defensive. The Dems did not play good defense. Instead of recognizing that the protesters had a point, the Democrats responded with insults and derision. That approach did not work too well, but they continued to use it until they got themselves into a position where they are staring defeat for the Democrats and their agenda in the face as voters get their chance to respond.
Image by theqspeaks via Flickr
This is the most important election of my time. As I say below, our country's very survival depends on the electorate to come to their senses and stop this mad march to soviet style socialism.
ReplyDeleteI want to address the past primaries and the future of our country in general. It is apparent beyond all doubt that the establishment on both sides are deathly afraid of the so called Tea Party (and thus the electorate in general) and they well should be! For those of you who prefer to live in a cave, the Tea Party from my view is not just about returning to conservative principles. The people who are aligning themselves behind this movement are looking for so much more. We are looking for men and women of principle! We want representatives that obey the will of the people, not their leaders or their own power lust! We want a return to the bedrock principles this country was founded on! We sure as hell do not want to be told we are racists, hate mongers or all the other names we are called just because we disagree with the direction this country is being taken. We believe in free speech, not "Obama says you will think and say as I want".
The Tea Party movement is many things to many people. To those in power, it is a threat. To those who believe in the hard core Marxist principles being espoused by this administration, it is a threat! For those who believe our country needs to subvert itself to the whims of Islamic Fanatics, or Euro Socialism or whatever else, it is a threat!
As such, there are way too many people who do not remotely understand what is happening here. Our fighting men and women, our forefathers who gave their blood and lives for this country, they understand! Unfortunately, the folks that have either had everything handed to them or instead have chosen to ride on the back of others instead of being responsible for themselves combined with the elected morons who realize keeping people reliant on government insures their power, they do not understand!
The Tea Party movement is not a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican party! A co-opted media led by a hard core left wing wanna be dictatorship government would want you to believe that it is in fact all about the Republicans. And they would be dead wrong! The Tea Party movement is a fight for the heart and soul of our country! It is a fight to return us to what made us the greatest country in the world! How sad that entrenched politicians on the right along with the garbage on the left cannot or refuse to understand such a basic tenet!