I have stated on the web months ago that the Tea Party Movement needs to keep in check the fringe element that continues to attend their rallys spurring hatred versus discourse. And with the Republican party leaning heavily on the momentum of the Tea Party, they have not done a good enough job vetting the folks that claim to be a part of it.
Now we have stories of people in Tea Party protests yelling “nigger” as Rep. John Lewis walks by among other things. Before people think I am calling every Tea Party member or every Republican a racist, I am not. I honestly believe there are no more racists in the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. HOWEVER, there has for the past 40 plus years a perception that Republicans are more heavily racist. So they should be extra careful with whom they associate. As for the Tea Party, not only the leadership needs to come out strongly and consistently against this fringe element but the rank and file members need to weed out the haters and the racists.
Why? Because now no one is talking about any potential arguments you may have against the healthcare bill; they are talking about how racist you are. And like in the cartoon, you are letting the fringe element define your agenda and others perception of you.
Comments
63 responses to “Editorial Cartoon: Tea Party Fringe becomes Mainstream”
Part of the problem is that the TP is a single issue group: small government/fiscal conservatism. They have no social issues in their platform. They’ve built a lot of strength by taking in anyone who agrees with them on that single issue. Now we have no way of knowing which side, left or right, has the most racist, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that far right/libertarians have a monoply on vocal/borderline militant racist. If the Tea Party is serious about being racially inclusive then they need to adopt some positions that will A. Attract a broader spectrum of people, and B. Prune the whackier elements from thei roll call.
Personally, I doubt it will happen before 2012, especially if they can maintain and grow their numbers, and enjoy the support of Fox news and talk radio.
Keep up the good work.
Zac first thanks for stopping by.
It is interesting though that on the political spectrum scale I always thought Libertarianism was somewhere between conservatives and liberals. Now they are more associated with the far right.
Generally, libertarians tended toward liberalism when it came to things like drugs, prostitution, firearms, and other civil liberty issues. However, more and more libertarian groups are arising from separtist and supremacist groups. Ron Paul is a good example of someone who leans more toward the libertarian side of things, but has a shady background of supremacist dealings.
any liberal looking to libertarians for answers would probably be better served looking at anarchism/non-authoritarian
socialism.
That all being said, I’m no expert. LoL
But then you have people like John Stossel who I would argue is a centrist libertarian. Thus the confusion.
What “supremacist” dealings has Ron Paul been affiliated with? There is no difference between the Paul agenda and the Stossel agenda on libertarian issues!
The Libertarian philosophy is fiscal conservatism, a weak Federal govt, stronger states rights and a socially liberal agenda (belief the best politics are founded at the local level). Since minority issues fall under the social agenda, libertarians believe in their equality, they just don’t believe in fed/ state funded equality!(thats not equality when you give more to one than another in their view) This is the party that best reflects the “independent” voter mindset, but hasn’t done the best job of defining itself unfortunately.
The U.S. tends to bury varying political groups ideologies within the two party system, which dilutes and clouds what certain factions actually believe. That dilution actually negatively affects the party as a whole when the fringes of these factions begin spouting their retarded, ignorant is bliss, rhetoric!
While I believe the healthcare bill was done completely wrong, I still believe in equal access to healthcare as a right. I can’t imagine not supporting something that helps the infirm and the sick, especially children, thats about as unchristian and amoral as a person can get. Until we get the cost of healthcare under control, pushing more people into it, is not going to help the underlying issues. I suspect this healthcare bill will deepen our deficit because the govt. is to broken to recognise simple fundamentals. Our broken govt is not govts fault however, it is collectively ours, sadly!
Thats quite a rant for a Monday o.O (damn you Bearman! *grin*)
Quite sadly (as you have pointed out Bearman) there are some crazy hate filled individuals in all political groups. I (as most) will never have tolerance for hate. Yet it seems some people use fringe elements as a crutch to prop up their own opinion(s) by distracting / avoiding discussion of some very good alternative ideas (as junksie mentions above) they might not always have answers for.
Scott, I think he is referring to the allegations of Ron Paul and his newsletter from the 90s.
Its funny though I still view Libertarian and Tea Party different yet people tend to clump them together as well. I know at least one Paul supporter who wants nothing to do with the Tea Party.
Robert…so true but nothing will change until the masses turn to the haters among them and say shut the fuck up.
WOW! I had heard of this on the news and thought to myself, “I know I should be surprised, but I’m really not.”
Nor am I.
so they hate black people… doesnt say anything about latinos…hahahha they just keep on coming in… i love this – :
hey it wont let me embed it!! fine…here is the youtube link… but you all gotta watch it!!! its hilarious!!! its funny cause its true… haha
What are you talking about…it is embedded. 😉
it didnt show up before 🙂
Sorry, I don’t watch embedded videos.
It’s a personal choice.
Ok….walks aways slowly..haha
As a Southern (Redneck) Conservative who does my best to love everybody, even people I don’t like, I have found that it is the fringe elements of all groups who usually attract all the attention because they are the loudest and most flamboyount.
In other words “He ain’t like them, but He ain’t like us either.”
That’s why I love you. Even though you don’t like me you still love me. haha
Actually I do like you Bearman. You are a kind and gentle man and you better be careful or people will be calling you Teddybearman. Don’t get me wrong though, I have no desire to cuddle with you.
don’t worry, he won’t even cuddle with me bo!
The job is already taken.
The Tea Party movement started correctly, but did not shore up their walls to give outsiders the ability to know what their standings were beyond disenfranchised individuals. There is a political base, if not very small amongst them, but the cause has gotten somewhat out of control, and become so delineated that the roots are hard to see now. I agree that they really need to start getting things in check, and defining where they stand. Taxation is a very motivational piece of politics, it has been since day one of our country, and it will always be. Taking a stand without boundaries grays the line between protesting a problem and borderline anarchy. As a support of the Tea Party groups, I believe in their original design, but I will have to say am greatly ashamed to see the delinquents in the crowds who come out stating they want to support the Tea Part stance, but use it as their own anti-governement platform, the Tea Party agenda is not Anti-government in anyway, and leaders of these demonstrations should not stand for Anti-government speeches, signs, and especially should not tolerate any racist remarks being made. Without a formal structure the Tea Party movement will fail, and fail miserably.
That’s what I was tryin’ to say. It’s just that you say it so much more elequontly than I do.
Todd as you stated they have to define themselves. What part of the government services do they want and which don’t they want. Do they want government interstates? Do they want Social Security to go away? That is what has never been clear for me.
screw all this, man.
im moving to australia. susi, get ready
Don’t go Brit…you are finally keeping a stable job. haha j/k
Sydney or Melbourne?
wooohooooo hahaha ill be ready!!!! heyyyy she could go to Perth or Brisbane… they are just as good
I thought Perth was in Western Australia. According to some Aussies and Tasmanians here that isn’t such a good thing but I am trying to figure out why. Besides…Perth just had a major storm cutting power to thousands. She couldn’t visit my site.
Perth??? W.A. is full of Loons
Well the Friggin Loon of course.
I can’t abide the fringe on either side….yyuucckk!!
But can you abide a Surrey with the Frindge on Top??
Come to Canada, Bearman! We never worry about that stuff!
Sure, our Tea Party may be annoying, but at least they’re no longer together… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tea_Party
How come songs in Canada that make it to number 1 there no one has ever heard of in the US??
i believe the tea party movement was actually stolen from the libertarians. shortly after the highjacking, i began to see the priciples degrade. in today’s society, the behavior of a racist always speaks volumes of their true character. beware the ignorant!
I think they opened the door too far without defining themselves.
Hate Taxes? Join Us
Hate Big Government? Join Us
Against Healthcare plan? Join us
They missed
Racist?? Please stay away.
huh? i dont get it. i certainly wasnt condoning racism bearman. did you think i was?
No no no lynn I was agreeing with you and pointing out the lack of clearly identifying their platform
now that’s better cutie!
I do not understand your American politics. :S
that’s okay daninteen neither do we!!!
Jinx!
i think you copied my comment- (see timestamps)
Blah Blah Blah. No I answered Danica’s comment and THEN I saw your reply. haha
i believe i’ll have a word with your wife about your recent attitude… 🙂
She’ll just roll her eyes and say “typical”
Sad thing is that neither do we
I think you should have made that elephant WHITE 🙂 . I heard John Lewis was spat on. One foot forward twenty steps back 🙁
I am sorry I was late for the party, I have only just got my internet back up and working 🙁
What was up with that storm?
Blahahahaha Pat Robertson was here 🙂 . Two storm fronts collided. I did Jacobs Ladder in the morning, by the afternoon half the side of the hill ended up in apartment 3 and 5. 25 inches of rain fell in an hour. Armageddon!
I’m going to start ‘The Flea Party’ and yell racial slurs at fleas like, “You Tic!” because I’m sick of them free-loading on the back of dogs.
The tick is awesome. They even gave him his own show
I didn’t know Palin had freeloading fleas! Geez, you learn something new everyday !
Tea Party sounds good. Looks like the elephant is enjoying it. Although I don’t see any tea???
It went overboard.
It’s funny how racists and violent fringe groups always seem to associate themselves with the Republican party. WTF?
There are the militant environmentalists though, but it’s a different kind of hate.
Totally disagree with this statement. Liberal fringe racism isn’t the blatent “you suck” racism, it is more the “you can’t succeed on your own so you need help” racism.
The Elephant Man would NEVER associate with racists!
At first I was like what??? then I got it. Kinda slow.
This looks like one of the pix from my high school yearbook.
Well, except the elephant wasn’t as nattily-dressed. 🙂
Love to see your HS. Bunch of animals.
Hmm. Very symbolic.