Sunday, January 16, 2011
Specificity Deficit
My problem with the tea partiers isn't that they're racists (I suspect that most of them are not)....or that they're a bunch of gun-toting lunatics (I suspect that most of them are not). My problem with them is that they haven't as yet put forth anything constructive. I mean, certainly, they've made some valid points about the size of government/the deficit, the unwieldiness of the President's Romney-like health-care plan, etc.. But, come on, other than these rather vague suggestions about cutting spending and a simple repeal of the health-care bill, what, pray tell, have these individuals suggested?.................................................................................................And, no, folks, it isn't just the tea partiers themselves. A lot of these so-called tea party candidates/politicians haven't exactly been specific, either. I mean, have you checked out Michele Bachman and Marsha Blackburn lately? These two frigging chicks are comical. Blackburn, for instance - she seems to think that the Republicans can balance the budget simply by cutting discretionary spending - and she doesn't even include military spending as a part of discretionary spending. It's God-damned frigging insane. If you're asking me about it here, I'm thinking that this country doesn't so much need a frigging tea party movement as it does another Ross Perot movement (absent the Ross Perot, of course).
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15 comments:
Will, because the tea party has not been specific in their plans for the spending and deficit problems, yet continue to demonize Obama and his policies, then that should tell you. The problem IS Obama is a liberal democrat black man! Come on Will, it is absolutely the truth! If McCain was president today there is no way in hell those teabaggers would be protesting the deficit, yes the huge debt problem all started with the Bush administration, yet no baggers in sight then! They are such hypocrites!
Wow, I thought we were supposed to tone down the "hateful" rhetoric...
Oh well, Since Sue here is obviously one of the teabagees, I'll break it down so even you can understand it.
First off, since many of us are not political insiders we don't have the inside knowledge of where to make specific cuts, we just know they HAVE to be made. You may not care or may even be happy that your children and grandchildren have been sold into virtual slavery by the current administration but we DO.
Secondly, the "Tea Party" (the correct term here) didn't come into being until near the end of the Bush administration and the vast majority of us WERE critical of the spending and entitlements under his presidency. While Bush was never a conservative, he was better than the other option at the time.
Third, I find it odd how fixated liberals are on the fact that Zero's black. As for me, I don't care what color he is, it's his policies I don't like. Personally I would've proudly voted for JC Watts if he would have ran. Further, I'm not a McCain fan at all. He's spent more time on your side of the aisle than mine. I was going to sit out the last election but there was only one reason I voted for him and you liberals suggested it to me. (That bit about Sarah Palin being one heartbeat away from the presidency)...
So please take your racist hate filled rant and politely stick it where the sun don't shine.
Oh and furthermore, Zero's only HALF black, HALF white and RED all over. And, every school kid knows Bill Clinton was our FIRST black president.
So you really need to change your racist attitude before we actually do get a black president.
Look Will!
I'm making friends!
Sue, I agree with you to the extent that it's a right-left thing - the hypocrisy, I'm saying (the tea partiers not protesting Bush while protesting Obama). But I just don't want to jump on the fact that it's a racial thing (I personally prefer to be cautious on that issue). I do in fact think that if the same scenario existed under a President Edwards or a President (Hillary) Clinton, a similar response from the folks would have been possible.
Sue - Volt. Volt - Sue.
Despite what Voltron claims, I'm going to agree with Sue... except with the part about Obama being Liberal... time has shown that Obama is actually a third way Clinton Democrat.
Voltron may not care about Obama being black, but clearly there are those in the Tea Party that do (we've seen the photographic evidence). But those who pull the strings of the Tea Party aren't racist, they are classist, and will use whatever tools are available to them to manipulate the Tea Party dupes.
I don't know why Voltron is offended by the "Tea Bagger" label, since his hero Andrew Breitbart (according to a video posted on his "BigGovernment" website) is PROUD to be a Tea Bagger.
Also, according to The Week Magazine, "Early Tea Partiers innocently embraced the term until they discovered its vulgar connotations...".
Hateful rhetoric? Dick Armey NOT a political insider? Get real Voltron. Nobody's buying your nonsense (you must have pulled it from where the sun doesn't shine).
Volt, I tried very hard to be fair to Mrs. Palin. I even defended the woman early on (remember?). But, now, I gotta be honest with you, I can't even listen to her any more; what she says, how she says it, the sound of her voice, all of it.
BTW, I don't think my first comment was hateful. The righties call our truth speak hate speak....
Sue, I'm sure that there ARE racists in the tea party movement. But are there more of them there than there are in other political/social groups? Like I said in a previous thread, I think that we'd all be far better off if we targeted our criticisms more surgically; not all Muslims are terrorists, not all homosexuals target children, and, yes, not all tea partiers are racists..
Will said... I'm sure that there ARE racists in the tea party movement. But are there more of them there than there are in other political/social groups?
Yes.
A 4/09/2010 Newsweek article reports that a "new poll by researchers at the University of Washington" found that "People who approve of the Tea Party, more than those who don't approve, have more racist attitudes". A series of questions were asked of TP supporters and TP opponents, which broke down as follows (TPers who agree vs TP opponents who agree)... "blacks are hardworking 35/55", "blacks are intelligent 45/59", and "blacks are trustworthy 41/57".
People who identify with the Tea Party movement "are more likely than the general public, and Republicans, to say that too much has been made of the problems facing black people". Also, "25 percent think that the administration favors blacks over whites -- compared with 11 percent of the general public".
This is according to a 4/14/2010 New York Times article, "Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated".
Regarding the same poll, Andy Ostroy, a NYC political analyst, writes (in a 4/15/2010 Huffington Post article), "The poll chillingly illustrates what's really at the core of the movement: intense frustration, anger and resentment over the belief that a black president is giving taxpayer handouts to other blacks".
That's an interesting study, wd. But it's just one study. We have to see if it gets replicated. Also, you are aware, aren't you, that 90-95% of college professors are far, FAR radical? I wouldn't at all be surprised if this individual didn't have an agenda of his own. I would also add that surveys are notoriously unreliable. People frequently tell the researcher what they think they want to hear (I've known a lot of people who weren't prejudiced until they got a few drinks in 'em) . A more convincing study would be an analysis of how people act. And, finally, even if there was a statistically significant difference between tea partiers and non-tea partiers, we still shouldn't stereotype people. 25% of the tea partiers in this study supposedly say that Obama favors black people. That means that 75% of them DON'T. Why don't we all act TRULY liberal here, wd, and, yes, treat people as individuals?......Oh, and, yes, focus on the issues, not on demonization.
College professors are far FAR radical? Honestly, I don't believe that, or your "agenda" suggestion.
If people tell surveyors what they think they want to hear -- wouldn't they give the answer that didn't make them sound racist? If this theory of yours is correct, I think it means Tea Party supporters are MORE racist than the survey found.
I don't think the results can be dismissed by saying the surveyor has an agenda, or that not doubting the results means you're demonizing or sterotyping Tea Party supporters.
Some people are proud to be racists. Others, liberals notably, have a vested interest in hiding theirs.......Yes, university professors tend to be exceedingly liberal - particularly so in the social sciences.......75% of tea partiers (supposedly) DON'T think that Obama favors black people. Why not focus on those instead of the 25% who do?
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