The Tea Party Convention garnered its share of publicity when a less-than-impressive number of its devotees gathered for its first "convention." Touting far right wing speakers like Breitbart, Tancredo, and of course, Mediocre-In-Chief Sarah Palin - the assemblage cheered on their divisive remarks - remarks that were labelled treasonous under the past President.
And that's fine. If that's all they've got, it will eventually be their undoing. Facts have a way of taking people like that out at the knees.
Look, I do not completely disregard the Tea Party movement - I think that within its ranks are some people who are simply fed up with government - PERIOD. People who are not all about saying "NO" with no true understanding of the facts, or ability to posit any solutions. I don't think all tea partiers are closet racists, or worse, open racists. I don't think they are all Red, White, and Blue in the easily punk'd sense of the words - Redneck, White trash, Blue collar - as I have heard some comedians write them off.
But the unwillingness of those in this movement to actually stand up and demand the worst elements SIT DOWN, is telling. When people openly cheer a politician like Tancredo who would like to return us to the days of voter "literacy tests," and who embrace Sarah Palin as some kind of hero?
Well, it's as sad as it is damning.
Tancredo is wrong. Period. The majority of "real Americans" couldn't begin to pass the test necessary for citizenship in this country, let alone a "literacy test" the likes of which were used back in the 50's and 60's to legally keep black people from being able to vote.
And as for Palin? I'm just done with this whole disdain for education, that being smart is elitist, that using big words is somehow deviant and to be ridiculed. Embracing your own stupidity is what needs ridiculed.
Sorry, Sarah - but my daughters are all headed to college. My daughters all use big words AND UNDERSTAND THEM. My daughters value education, discourse, truly researching a topic to fully understand it before opening their mouths.
Rachel Maddow highlighted the "literacy test" speech from the Tea Party - Tancredo, and anyone in that crowd who cheered him on? Well, I think they should be first in line when that test is reinstated.
I hope they don't plan on ever being allowed to vote again.
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If the Tea Party keeps embracing the likes of Tancredo and his policies, they will marginalize themselves in near-record time. Back in the Nineteenth centurey, there was a party called "The Know-Nothings" Perhaps these are the reincarnation of those fonts of political brilliance.
Posted by: Robin in NM | February 09, 2010 at 10:40 AM