This is my first thread on the Politics Board so excuse me if I don't follow proper decorum.

Why is it when the People ie Tea Party push for lower taxes/smaller government they are dismissed as extremists and called names, Teabaggers? While I don't agree with a lot that either actual political party does I see no good coming from name calling. Since when is it wrong for any group of citizens to voice their thoughts, wishes or desires as to how government is run?

The Tea Party is not an actual political party per se but more a Political Action Group. They do have their share of people that are more extreme/hardcore in their belief than many are comfortable with. Should we paint all of them with the same wide brush? Its my opinion that many are just concerned citizens who are grouping together with hope of effecting change. They do it in a legal manner and without any government/party involvement financially.

If there were an equivalent group espousing the "liberal" line and comported themselves in a similar manner would they also be extremists and called names? To some yes but are they really? I find it tiresome that there are those that are so closed minded on either side that any idea or movement that differs from theirs is met with ridicule and downright meanness.


Before anyone takes exception to my term the People I am basing that on We The People, who have every right and most definitely the duty to ensure government works for us. Granted that may not be how it is at this time but We The People need to see it does.

I am not a member of the Tea Party or any Political Action Group, just an elected official in Smalltown USA.


My name is hank56 and I approved this message...

hank56 wrote:

To answer your first question, it is what the group first called themselves until they realized what the term meant. Many hung teabags on their hats and carried signs 'teabag them before they teabag us'. The name stuck.

Secondly, they are certainly allowed to voice their thoughts, I don't hear anyone saying they can't. Do you remember during the health care 'debate' last year when tea party groups would go to town hall meetings and shout down everyone trying to speak? What about those citizens rights to speak?

As far as finances go for these groups, a great deal of it comes from PAC's formed by Republicans like ****** Armey. This is merely a movement the Republican party is taking over as a re-branding effort. Another major source of funds in Koch Industries.

And to answer your last question, yes, 24/7.

If you need any proof of what I just said, just youtube or google it.

FuzzNJ wrote:

Why is it when the People ie Tea Party push for lower taxes/smaller government they are dismissed as extremists and called names, Teabaggers?

Don't you agree the term is now used as a derisive/insulting term? (Teabagger)

Examples of disruptive/bad behavior are many on either side, does that make either side right?

Financing is as I stated non government/party in origin, yes funding from PAC and private companies.

Re-branding maybe, time will tell.

I know of no equivalent group on the liberal side at this time.

hank56 wrote:

We live in a two party political system. Upstarts will be absorbed or destroyed.

HockeyDad wrote:

i see what OP is talking about. Every news article and person i know virtually smashes tea partiers as racists, crazy gun people, whites, etc.

Papachristou wrote:

That is all part of the organized process of destroying the teabaggers. Both the Republicans and Democrats agree that the teabaggers are dangerous.

Remember Ross Perot and the Reform Party?

HockeyDad wrote:

i see what OP is talking about. Every news article and person i know virtually smashes tea partiers as racists, crazy gun people, whites, etc. All they want is less spending, smaller gov, and less gov involvment in our daily lives. Yet they are called all kinds of crazy names. why i dont understand either.

Papachristou wrote:

There is no organized liberal group, probably never will be. We are notoriously disorganized and don't like following orders.

FuzzNJ wrote:

Well, there have been several polls of tea party members that show that they have more racist attitudes than the general population and more stereotypical views of minorities. University of Washington did one that I'm aware of. 'All they want' is not just what you described, they are also more socially conservative and desire more government control over abortion, immigration, etc. There are some tea party groups that are more libertarian, but overall the tea party is just the new version of the Christian religious right's Moral Majority.

FuzzNJ wrote:

Wrong.... That's all the Libs do is organize... There are a few leaders, and the rest fall into line like the sheep they are....

The way Libs work Hank, is when there is a threat or they are proved wrong they resort to name calling and mud throwing... EVERY time...

That is not to say that some of the Reps don't do the same thing... Bad form either way...

elk hunter wrote:

Let's get one thing straight, anyone conducting any kind of a poll these days is done so with the expectation of getting exactly what their looking for by polling in areas or from a particular group where they know far ahead of time what kind of response they'll get. I put ZERO credibility in polls.........

TMCTLT wrote:

Well, there have been several polls of tea party members that show that they have more racist attitudes than the general population and more stereotypical views of minorities. University of Washington did one that I'm aware of. 'All they want' is not just what you described, they are also more socially conservative and desire more government control over abortion, immigration, etc. There are some tea party groups that are more libertarian, but overall the tea party is just the new version of the Christian religious right's Moral Majority.

FuzzNJ wrote:

Let's get one thing straight, anyone conducting any kind of a poll these days is done so with the expectation of getting exactly what their looking for by polling in areas or from a particular group where they know far ahead of time what kind of response they'll get. I put ZERO credibility in polls.........

TMCTLT wrote: