RCP: Why Left Talks About 'White' Tea Parties

[nonniey]

This article captures much of how I view the left.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/05/02/why_left_talks_about_white_tea_parties_105317.html

............Therefore the Left pays attention to the skin color -- and gender (not just "whites" but "white males") -- of the tea partiers rather than to their ideas.

One would hope that all people would assess ideas by their moral rightness or wrongness, not by the race, gender or class of those who hold them. But in the world of the Left, people are taught not to assess ideas but to identify the race, class and gender of those who espouse those ideas. This helps explain the widespread use of ad hominem attacks by the Left: Rather than argue against their opponents' ideas, the Left usually dismisses those making the argument disagreed with as "racist," "intolerant," "bigoted," "sexist," "homophobic" and/or "xenophobic."

You're against race-based affirmative action? No need to argue the issue because you're a racist. You're a tea partier against ever-expanding government? No need to argue the issue because you're a racist.

........

[Skin'Em84]

I really do like tea. Do these tea parties favor loose tea leaves (which is better IMO) or bagged tea?

[mbws]

That is your Right.

I don't view the Teabaggers as racist.

Then again I'm just a little left of center.

[Burgold]

It's really much simpler than that.

The Tea Party has earned being questioned about race because of the myriad signs that always arise at their protests and the incredible absence of criticism about them from within the group. Couple that with the demographics of the group and when they chose to protest... they're first large mass protest against tax increases occurred immediately after Obama signed a tax cut.... and then you got all the "Real Americans" stuff which has always been code... finally, when you have David Duke championing them and explaining how it isn't racist to want every other race out of here because they are destroying the moral fabric of the country....

Well, there get to be so many dots that, well you should ask what George Seurat what happens when you put that many dots side by side.

[bcl05]

Dude - don't be dropping references to French post-impressionist artists now. You know the Teabaggers won't recognize anything French other than fries.

[zoony]

This article captures much of how I view the left.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/05/02/why_left_talks_about_white_tea_parties_105317.html

............Therefore the Left pays attention to the skin color -- and gender (not just "whites" but "white males") -- of the tea partiers rather than to their ideast.

........

Well, kind of hard to take them seriously about their "ideas" when all of the teabaggers didn't say a ****ing word when GW spent $1 trillion in Iraq.

And yes, many of them are bigots.

Spend the money overseas for a made-up war- you're a true American.

Spend the money in the US - you're a commy.

How do you take yourselves seriously? Honest question.

....

[Smoot Point Really]

It's really much simpler than that.

The Tea Party has earned being questioned about race because of the myriad signs that always arise at their protests and the incredible absence of criticism about them from within the group. Couple that with the demographics of the group and when they chose to protest... they're first large mass protest against tax increases occurred immediately after Obama signed a tax cut.... and then you got all the "Real Americans" stuff which has always been code... finally, when you have David Duke championing them and explaining how it isn't racist to want every other race out of here because they are destroying the moral fabric of the country....

Well, there get to be so many dots that, well you should ask what George Seurat what happens when you put that many dots side by side.

I'll see your David Duke (which is arguable that he has any influence in the tea party movement) and raise you a Byrd... Currently, there are more black tea party candidates for congress than Democrats have in both combined houses.

Of course, the patent Democrat answer to the 32 black tea party candidates would likely reference uncles and houses... Anyone who still thinks it's a "white" movement is blind or just willfully ignorant.

[aREDSKIN]

Well, kind of hard to take them seriously about their "ideas" when all of the teabaggers didn't say a ****ing word when GW spent $1 trillion in Iraq.

And yes, many of them are bigots.

Spend the money overseas for a made-up war- you're a true American.

Spend the money in the US - you're a commy.

....

Well this all may be true and I haven't a clue to these assertions, however, it does not alter the fact of the article. The left's meta narrative, POV and group think and how EVERYTHING is filtered through it to ensure compliance within it's own political constituencies. Any deviation from that is intolerable.

[nonniey]

Well, kind of hard to take them seriously about their "ideas" when all of the teabaggers didn't say a ****ing word when GW spent $1 trillion in Iraq.

And yes, many of them are bigots.

Spend the money overseas for a made-up war- you're a true American.

Spend the money in the US - you're a commy.

How do you take yourselves seriously? Honest question.

....

I view myself as a Neo-Con and therefore not a tea bagger. The writer does capture how I view the left, yep I view the left as generally racist. You cannot deny that the left plays the race card almost reflexively on almost any issue.

[Smoot Point Really]

Well, kind of hard to take them seriously about their "ideas" when all of the teabaggers didn't say a ****ing word when GW spent $1 trillion in Iraq.

Lots of people did raise objection to this, including Ron Paul (whose energy in 2008 is still felt in the current tea party movement).

I don't really care for everything Mr. Paul says... Maybe because I feel that fighting wars and protecting our interests is a function of the Federal Government, and 1Trillion over 5+ years is a drop in the bucket to how things have gone over the last year.

Regardless, you would be wrong to think that people in the current tea party movement didn't object...

[Barney B]

I view myself as a Neo-Con and therefore not a tea bagger. The writer does capture how I view the left, yep I view the left as generally racist. You cannot deny that the left plays the race card almost reflexively on almost any issue.

Serious question then: do you have a non-racist theory to explain why the tea partiers seem to be 99.5% white?

[Burgold]

I'll see your David Duke (which is arguable that he has any influence in the tea party movement) and raise you a Byrd... Currently, there are more black tea party candidates for congress than Democrats have in both combined houses.

Of course, the patent Democrat answer to the 32 black tea party candidates would likely reference uncles and houses... Anyone who still thinks it's a "white" movement is blind or just willfully ignorant.

Nah, the signs carried at the protests are the things that are ignorant

If the Tea Party is a real movement about fiscal responsibility there is no reason for it not to be color blind. All I ask of them is that as they are building their tent they look at some of their stakeholders and tell them that America is an inclusive country and what you are shouting and purveying is damaging. You should check your spirit and your conscience because what you are espousing these signs and shouts are in opposition to the ideals and dreams of American and are not truly a part of the Tea Party.

Whether the Tea Party is a genuine grass roots movement are an arm of the GOP, there are reasons to question why they are so accepting of racist epithets. They shouldn't be. I understand you can't control it. You certainly oughtn't dictate what people can and can't carry or control someone's heart as to what they feel or say, but you can afterwards distance yourself from it...

And if these people are not you.

You should.

As to those thirty Americans running that you mentioned. Bless them for wanting to serve this country. If they get the chance I hope they do so honorably and honestly.

[Ellis]

I'm a white dude who owns a house in an all black neighborhood of Annapolis, who also helped a Democrat and a Republican run for mayor, despite the fact that I'm registered Green Party, and I voted for Obama... AND I've attended TWO Tea Party rallies! 1 in DC and 1 in Annapolis.

[sarcasm]

I am racist as **** you have no idea.

[/sarcasm]

The Left AND the Right need to get the hell over the themselves.

[Burgold]

I view myself as a Neo-Con and therefore not a tea bagger. The writer does capture how I view the left, yep I view the left as generally racist. You cannot deny that the left plays the race card almost reflexively on almost any issue.

Curious, based on our posts... do you consider me, Predicto, Larry, Asbury or DJTJ to be racist? We often are represented as representing the left on this board.

[Skin'Em84]

Curious, based on our posts... do you consider me, Predicto, Larry, Asbury or DJTJ to be racist? We often are represented as representing the left on this board.

Yes. You guys are basically the KKK of the board.

[nonniey]

......If the Tea Party is a real movement about fiscal responsibility there is no reason for it not to be color blind....

.

And there is the rub. It is the left that has the problem of not being color blind, yet you don't realize that and in fact are part of that problem.

[Monte51Coleman]

Well, kind of hard to take them seriously about their "ideas" when all of the teabaggers didn't say a ****ing word when GW spent $1 trillion in Iraq.

And yes, many of them are bigots.

Spend the money overseas for a made-up war- you're a true American.

Spend the money in the US - you're a commy.

How do you take yourselves seriously? Honest question.

....

Thank you.

I've never met a more intellectually dishonest group than that of some of my "friends and neighbors" that participate in that movement. By participate I mean *****, moan , and parrot their fox heroes. By intellectually I'm just being polite.

[Burgold]

And there is the rub. It is the left that has the problem of not being color blind, yet you don't realize that and in fact are part of that problem.

I think there's truth to that, but there's also a lot of ick in some of those signs... and I've sign a number of them personally on the Metro while riding on the Red Line into DC. Those messages leave an impression because they're discouraging and depressing.

[nonniey]

Double post

[Burgold]

Double post

Don't know if you missed it, but this is why I mentioned DD.

http://extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=322735&highlight=David+Duke

[Kilmer17]

Serious question then: do you have a non-racist theory to explain why the tea partiers seem to be 99.5% white?

Is their a nonracist reason for you to be pulling fake numbers out of your ass?

[Barney B]

Is their a nonracist reason for you to be pulling fake numbers out of your ass?

Can you give me a real number, or did you miss the words "seem to be" in my post?

Judging by the photos, either people of color are greatly underrepresented at the tea parties, or they all run and hide when the cameras come out.

Still waiting for an explanation.

[Kilmer17]

You made the claim. You prove it.

I would be the tea Party demographics are pretty close to the national average minus hispanic representation.

But the reason the left over plays it, is because they cant argue with the facts, so they have to attack the messengers. They do it all the time and its a very successful tactic for them.

And Im sure you said things about the disgusting posters and banners diplayed during the anti bush rallies right?

[Thiebear]

Based on previous 96% of the black voting population voted for President Obama?

Would make it hard to get more than 4% at any given "republican" dominated events.

Which side would make that racist? Seems a wash.

[thebluefood]

Though I've become disillusioned by the Tea Party slightly, I have to say that I've noticed a great deal of race baiting from the left, especially with the Tea Party's demographics. There's nothing inherently racist about the Tea Party's ideals. Now, if we're talking about the motives of some of the members, that's a whole 'nother story.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions the left has about the right (and vice versa). My mother and grandmother are both proud Republicans and have been since the Carter Administration, as well as proud black women. It always cracks me up to hear liberals talk about the Republican Party as a Party made up of white supremacists when some of the most loyal party members I've ever met are blacks. I mean, when the Republican Party was founded, one of it's main tenants was the abolition of slavery and granting blacks their just civil liberties. When did this idea of the "Racist Republicans" come about?

All I'm saying is this: can we PLEASE just look at the issues themselves and not the demographics of the people that are for or against it? I'm sure there are plenty of black Tea Party members, just as many (if not more) than Tea Party members that are genuine racists. There is nothing inherently racist with the Tea Party or the Republican Party as a whole and members of the left (and I realize not all liberals think this way) need to drop it because it makes them sound like ignorant fools.