Foes of tea party movement to infiltrate rallies - Page 2

This is the first time I have heard of the Coffee Party.

Please see one of my previous posts in this thread:
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=14

That "pajamasmedia" garbage is the exact same link you posted earler in this thread and my reaction hasn't changed.


If someone chooses to inform themselves of current events from a website like that which characterizes liberal women as "sl****" that is their right. However such websites (right, left, whatever) have ZERO credibility for me.

It is not so much that the signs are fake, as they choose not to show the ones that don't further their agenda, I don't get why suddenly there can not be extremists with stupid signs on the right as well as the left

The media is not giving it much coverage so I would be surprised if you had heard about them.

The Coffee Party is another grass roots movement who wants reason and civility in public affairs. All political persuasions are invited to attend their meetings, and the only demand is that discussions are kept civil and the group's purpose is to solve the problems that concern people. We are asked to confront people that break this rule and I've done that on 2 occasions. Radical extremists from both sides are not allowed to push their views. This is probably the reason why the media isn't talking about them. No dirty laundry to air in public.

They formed at a point in time when the media was publicizing the anger of the Tea Party movement and a lot of people thought that it was a group to counter the Tea Party movement. In reality it's simply an alternative that is using a different approach to solving problems.

I attended the first meeting in my area and a (self proclaimed) Tea Party supporter came in accusing the group of having an anti-American liberal agenda. There was nothing civil about her pundit based accusations and she was asked to keep her discussion civil. She left in anger.

At that same meeting a member of moveon.org attended trying to push their liberal agenda on the members. I pulled her aside and asked that she refrain doing that, as our intent was not to support one party or another, but to solve the problems of the people. She shut up and just listened.

The first meeting was to come up with a list of the things that people felt were the most important problems for them. Since about 50% of the group was either unemployed or had just gotten a new job after long term unemployment (a year or more), their top 2 issues was the need for equitable health care and decent paying jobs. 2 of the attendees had personal stories where they lost family members due to lack of health insurance.

The group is very much in its infancy and I've not yet seen any of their accomplishments. Their meetings are interesting because you can have fact based discussions without the name calling that usually goes on in politics.

But there are people in the Tea Party who are thugs and racists, it does not make everyone racist, just as those saying Bush should be murdered do not reflect on all of the left for me. There will always be a minority that make the majority look bad.

An older post, but there are people who wish Obama dead, who is to say this guy does not participate in the Tea Party?

I have seen signs with a gun crosshairs over his photo - to me that signifies they wish him dead, oh and the one of him holding a dead fetus - that was disgusting, the right are not any better when it comes to nutcases with posters

Why is it so hard for you to believe that there cannot be nutcases at the Tea Party?

As I mentioned, it is a few people giving a large group a bad name, my coworkers were in the US during a Tea Party, they seen the signs, the organisers asked the people to stop using them or leave. Several used the n word to describe him, which is NOT ok IMO, and just as bad as some of the anti bush signs, as well as the ones using nazi symbolism. She is in the office today so I will ask if she has any photos I can share.

The fact is, if there is a media outlet for these people, they will use it, be it the Tea Party, any political rally etc - but I also think that Obama and the left need to accept these people for what they are and not blanket a whole group with an opinion on them. But by refusing to believe these people exist - you (and I am not saying you in particular but the Tea Party in general) almost legitimise it and say it doesn't happen which looks like its agreed with but hidden

And it wasn't the phrase in the crosshairs, but a photo of him with a laser crosshairs right on his head

And for the record, I am not on the left, and I do believe there should be a level of decorum in politics which is lacking on both sides of the political spectrum.

Loons can be found in any political group/party/affiliation. Ideology can make some people downright stupid in their thoughts and actions.

I'm a firm believer when comedian Ron White says, "You can't fix stupid. There's not a pill you can take; there's not a class you can go to. Stupid is forever." This applies especially to politicians.

Unfortunately, perception often takes precedence over the truth.

A liberal pundit on MSNBC did a call in poll with the question (paraphrased): Do you think the Tea Party is about: A) trying to do good for their country, or B) anti-Obama. 98% claimed the Tea Party to simply be anti-Obama.

Yes, this cable program attracts a liberal audience so you would expect it to be swayed that way, but 98%? It doesn't really matter if there are racists and radicals in the party. That's what people think about them.

And honestly? How many hate-Obama threads are here and who is opening them? And how many threads are here about the good things that the Tea Party is doing (the answer is 1)? It just gives confirmation to the general public opinion of the Tea Party.

That's an excellent point, Amy, and something I believe the majority of us have noted.

The New York Times recently released the findings of a poll it conducted on Tea Party supporters which partly explain the public's perceptions of the movement: Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated

I didn't find it at all flattering towards the movement, because it portrays its backers as solely worried about #1, while purporting to be concerned about the U.S. in general.

First of all, I never said that the poll represented 98% of the population. I clearly said that it represented 98% of the people that watch a liberal pundit show.

Secondly, since I'm obviously considered far left, I will state that I do not consider the Tea Party racist. I do feel that it is highly anti-Obama. I never made the leap that if you are against Obama then you are a automatically a racist. It looks like you made that leap yourself.

I've looked into the Tea Party and can't find a concensus on what the group is actually about. Some say it's about cutting taxes (the poll that Jcat referred to indicated that 51% of the members think their taxes are fair). Some say it's against big government. Some say that it's taken a Libertarian slant where they don't want government at all. What I have yet to find is any clear indication on what they are doing to positively effect the change they want. It's very easy to say "STOP BIG GOVERNMENT" and not lay out a plan to do so. Voting in a different, rookie politician isn't going to give you what you want.

Polls are what they are and I would challenge 80% of people not trusting the government, unless you include democrats who don't trust republicans and republicans who don't trust democrats into that number. A more interesting poll would be if a person trusted politicians in their own party.

Speaking generally, I love polls/statistics. The reason why is that it's usually incredibly easy to pick holes in the data and expose them for being a farce or in not being accurate. That being said, with all of the bickering about what is and what isn't a credible media source I find it laughable that any aspect of the media, so-called "mainstream" or otherwise, can be taken with any semblance of seriousness. IMO, there is no such thing as an totally unbiased media source.

Since the Huffington Post and any number of other media outlets have essentially spent the last 8 years telling us what illegal, immoral, or stupid thing the government has done lately, and telling us we can't trust the laws, judicial rulings, or foreign affairs decision made by the government, why should anyone be surprised that we've all finally believed them?

Are you implying that there are no far right nut cases?

Or that at least some of those nut cases are not involved in the tea party?

Or that every tea party member has the best interests of this country at heart and that's why they're doing it?

I can't prove it one way or the other, and I doubt anyone can. I suspect that the definition of a who is a "nut" is whether or not you agree what with they are saying.

For the record, I feel the same way about those signs. I have NO problem with anyone protesting what you don't agree with, but I DO have a problem with hate speech and ugliness, regardless of which side it comes from. For one thing, it totally takes away from any intelligent argument that movement might be trying to make, and it makes one focus on the fringe element of the movement. I would rather hear intelligent debate from both sides, but I guess that's asking too much of people, when most of us lead with our emotions and its much easier to be swayed on that level.

I love a good debate, but you can't debate with someone who is unwilling to see any other point but their own.