As a long term, proud political dissident and rebel I have had some admiration for the national tea party movement. I welcome all that shakes up and reforms our dysfunctional political system. But in the end I find far too much distasteful about what these people embrace to participate in or support it.
I have been especially disappointed with their lack of interest in reforming the American political system through a third political party. Sometimes tea party people say they are fed up with both major parties, but they keep supporting Republicans. As if this will put people in Congress who would actually act as independents and work courageously to enact true, deep reforms. Call my cynical, but I doubt whether people like Senator Scott Brown will resist pressures to be loyal Republicans no matter how extensively they avoid calling themselves Republicans in their campaigns. Sadly, the tea party movement is a blow to third parties, particularly the Libertarian Party that has struggled for many years. Could some very clever people be using this movement to strengthen the Republican Party rather than transform the political system? If so, then most of the tea party crowd have been conned and deceived.
Second, I am nauseated by the noxious negative views about President Obama, even though I did not support or vote for him. Attacks on his citizenship, calls for his impeachment, and labeling him a Marxist seem thinly disguised tactics hiding racism and not an accurate understanding of the facts about him and his policies. To simplify, for example, getting the nation out of the Great Recession requires massive government spending to reboot the economy, a plain fact that virtually every economist over the entire political spectrum recognizes. It does not represent socialist or Marxist principles. Yes, there should have been more spending on directly helping people and small businesses rather than the financial sector, but this does not invalidate massive government spending.
Third, the pervasive support for smaller federal government and so many other openly expressed platitudes reveal inconsistencies and outright hypocrisy about what tea party zealots are willing to do to show their true beliefs. I want to see these people proudly professing their commitment to stop participating in social security and Medicare; stop using public schools for their children; stop taking unemployment payments or support for job training; stop using local police and fire departments and public libraries. I want to hear far more support for necessary government functions. Less government does not necessarily equate to better government.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Arch Conservative
Are you a schizophrenic Joel? i kinda of got the impression that you are. One minute you're touting the bogus line that only massive government spending can save us from economic ruin. The next you're calling for constitutional conventions.
I'm no fan of Palin myself. I think she speands way to much time thinking about her snowmobile and not nearly enough time studying economics to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate. But try this one on for size.
Fourth, passionate support for Barack Obama is appalling. There is no rational basis for such support based on his beliefs, actions and policy positions. He is a blatant numbskull and intellectual midget with damn good looks and speaking skills, but to make her a political leader is disgraceful.
Barry reads from a teleprompter a little better and has different plumbing. other than that I don't see a whole hell a lot of a difference. Oh but he was president of the Harvard Law Review so that makes him qualified to lead this nation right? Tell me again how's he not an elitst?
2 - Ruvy
Bing,
When you want to perform surgery on someone's lines you need to be a bit more careful.
To wit: He is a blatant numbskull and intellectual midget with damn good looks and speaking skills, but to make her a political leader is disgraceful.
I realize that you will forgive Palin for not seeing brilliant as soon as you forgive Ted Kennedy for murdering Mary Jo Kopechne. But brilliance is not the real necessary quality for president: toughness, the ability to tough things out, is. Obama has this quality - but so does Palin. The difference is that Palin wants to do good for your country (in spite of her dominionist leanings) and Obama doesn't. The other quality that is needed n a successful leader is the ability to stick to something and not lazy away. It is here that Palin outshines Obama. From what I've seen of the two, Obama tends to knock off, while Palin sticks to things. Finally, there is another quality that a good leader needs - the ability to make sound decisions. Truman had this ability - so does Palin. Obama does not.
I agree with you that Obama is an élitist who reflects the "we know what is good for you better than you do" mentality at Harvard. Sarah Palin talks the populist talk, but and seems to walk the populist walk, and this is consistent with her beliefs. They are both true to themselves. the point is that of the two, Palin is far better for you, IMHO.
3 - Arch Conservative
It's personal. It's always personal with me as it is with millions of other Americans when it come sot politics Ruvy.
While Obama appears to me to be the most arrogant, narcisssitic, condescending prick ever to get his mug in front of a camera, there's also something about Palin that irks. Maybe it's the accent. Maybe it's the fact that she seems to think everything is so simple. Whatever it is, I don't like her.
You're correct that brilliantness and speaking skills alone does not a good leader make. By all accounts Hitler was a brilliant man who gave great speeches but you'd be hard pressed to find any sane person that's grateful for Hitler.
What I want in a president is someone who wakes up every morning with the image of some average Joe he met on the campaign trail still in his mind and thinks "gee.....what can I do today to stay out of that poor bastard's life.....what kind I do to make sure the douchebags in Congress don't mess with him today."
That's right .......my main qualification for a president is someone who walks into Congress and immediately thinks...."wow what a bunch of douchebags, better not to turn out like them."
4 - jeannie danna
Joel,
This article is a breath of fresh air that we could all use right now.
:] Thanks!
5 - jeannie danna
If you don't mind, I'd like to post this article to my Facebook page. Maybe then, Sarah will read it.
6 - Joel S. Hirschhorn
How interesting that the comments thus far focus on the Palin/Obama issue rather than the broader theme of my article about the tea party movement. Nor a word about the idea that the Republican Party may be using the movement for its own purposes, not true reforms of our system.
7 - Joel S. Hirschhorn
To Jeannie Danna: You have my permission to post my article anywhere, and thanks for your kind words.
8 - jeannie danna
Joel,
I have written an article addressing the many of the points that you make here; unfortunately, it is not quite finished.
If I act like a nut, it seems to be the only way to get a reaction in this society any more.
I believe this is the reason people such as, Limbaugh, Beck, Schultz, Olbermann, and even Palin are getting the attention of the American people right now.
:] The tea party does not represent America. Thank you for pointing this fact out!
9 - jeannie danna
I have written an article addressing the many of the points that you make here; unfortunately, it is not quite finished.
and that extra little "the" is why.
:] Never give up, no matter what.
10 - roger nowosielski
"What I want in a president is someone who wakes up every morning with the image of some average Joe he met on the campaign trail still in his mind and thinks "gee.....what can I do today to stay out of that poor bastard's life...."
Great thought, Archie.
11 - Dave Nalle
Banging the same old gong yet again I see, Joel. I'm looking forward to the day when you produce an article which doesn't flog the ridiculous Article V convention. I had hopes for this one, but it went off track about 2/3 of the way through. Up until that point you actually had something halfway interesting to say.
You also seem fairly fundamentally ignorant of the movement when you say:
I want to see these people proudly professing their commitment to stop participating in social security and Medicare; stop using public schools for their children; stop taking unemployment payments or support for job training; stop using local police and fire departments and public libraries.
In fact, many of those in the movement have already taken their kids out of public schools, oppose medicare and social security and want many of the services you mention privatized or severely cut back. To have missed this basic fact abotu the tea partiers suggests you're just using the movement as a backdrop for your same old agenda.
Dave
12 - Joel S. Hirschhorn
Gee Dave: any statistic on how many in the tea party movement have taken their kids out of public schools, I doubt it. Saying that many oppose medicare and social security is a whole lot different than actually not taking payments and participating in those programs, especially since so many in the movement appear to be on the older side. My point which you seem to miss is to point out the difference between empty rhetoric and real action. And for people who profess such intense admiration for the US Constitution it certainly seems especially appropriate to have them support using the Article V convention option and making Congress obey the Constitution.
13 - roger nowosielski
"In fact, many of those in the movement have already taken their kids out of public schools . . ."
But Dave, many parents don't have the wherewithal to be able to do that and the other things you suggest. So that kind of narrows down the presumed populist character of the movement. Who are we talking about then?
Certainly not the presently unemployed or the working poor, whose number, we all know, is growing. A lower middle class perhaps? Even that is doubtful.
Something doesn't jibe here. What we have here perhaps are uneducated slobs, and yes, within the lower-income bracket, who have been convinced to vote and think against their own interests - nothing really new in the annals of politics.
So until the movement becomes crystallized so as to reveal its true form, I'm afraid I can't think of a more objective assessment.
14 - roger nowosielski
Thanks, Joel. In a way, you seconded my point.
15 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
In fact, many of those in the movement have already taken their kids out of public schools, oppose medicare and social security and want many of the services you mention privatized or severely cut back. To have missed this basic fact abotu the tea partiers suggests you're just using the movement as a backdrop for your same old agenda.
Dave, please get real. Medicare has a 95-plus percent approval rating among those who have it. Social Security is a crucial safety net for the elderly who wouldn't have enough money to have food, shelter, and clothing otherwise - AND (until Reagan came along) it was paying for itself.
Show me a candidate who will publicly run on ending publicly-funded schools, ending Medicare and Social Security, and I'll show you a candidate who won't get elected even in the reddest of states.
16 - Glenn Contrarian
Joel -
Great point - and one I've made before: there's a BIG difference between great rhetoric and the real world. The Republicans (and those who support them) simply don't understand this fact.
17 - Dr Dreadful
Archie, while you are perfectly entitled to your opinions about President Obama, you're rather missing the point of Joel's article. In attacking Sarah Palin he is reacting to the Tea Party movement's idolization of her, which has really nothing to do with the relative footfungusness of the two politicians.
18 - roger nowosielski
Wow.
We may as well relegate Pericles's Funeral Speech to the annals of irrelevance. Indeed, even Winston Churchill fades into insignificance when compared to the to brilliance of Sister Sarah, a true populist for the reactionaries.
There is of course a perverted kind of brilliance to Sister Sarah's work - namely, that of turning the idea of populism on its head. And the suckers are buying it.
19 - roger nowosielski
#20,
That kind of narrows it down to one.
20 - STM
Lol. Good stuff you two. I've seen some ridiculous statements on BC.
That's one of the best.
21 - zingzing
"the most significant oration"
i just coughed up some yellow stuff. i've been sick. it was very significant. or at least substantive. but i also had to put it on my hand. not that i would have forgotten what i was trying to get out.
22 - roger nowosielski
The phlegm or the oratory?
Make your meaning clear, man, rather than have us hanging in suspense.
23 - doug m
Ruvy reveals himself to be quite the befuddled thinker. Disagree with his policies, but to think a President doesn't want to do good for the nation is a massive bit of ignorance. Sounds like the kooks who thought Bush was in on 9/11.
"Palin sticks to things"
You mean like being governor of Alaska?
Don't mistake having an opinion for having knowledge.
24 - STM
"Palin sticks to things"
Well, things probably stick to her barbecue ... like grilled moose patties.
We have a saying in Oz, usually used by coaches in rugby teams: "Stick to him like sh.t to a blanket".
25 - STM
Geez I feel like a nice cup of tea.