this is a weak attempt at a 100+ posts thread

The tea part was a potential legit movement to move the Republican party back to the fiscally conservative platform it used to be on, in like the 1800's or something.

Two problems currently:

The "movement" has been co-opted by the lunatic fringe of the religious right. These people are more dangerous than 1000 Osama Bin Ladens.

Also many of these people who claim to be Tea Party members don't have an articulate plan as what they want the government to stop spending so much money on by they seem almost universally opposed to cutting military funding. Which coincidentally Ron Paul is in favor of and he is really one of the main names this movement has been behind for the last few years.

What is left is a very vocal and very angry group that doesn't really have a cohesive plan on what to fix, except that the people currently in charge are bad.

So you get Candidates like Christine O'Donnell who is fucking certifiable.

I am happy to argue over command and control measures vs free market libertarianism all day but for fucks sake get your dumb religious shit out of politics. Those shape the person you are, not the mechanisms you want shaping your government.

Well first off the tea party dosen't "belong" to the GOP. There have been a lot of repubs (and some dems) globbing on to the Tea Party because it is soo popular with the people. Tea party started because of overspending by the Gov and overtaxing something the Repubs USED to stand for, so it is easier for the GOP to claim its part of the tea party

Well there is a need for a conservative party in the USA. Right now we have a liberal party(repubs) and a socialist party(democrats) and to be honest it's a muddied line between two. Lobbyist flood both sides, and special interest run government.

Tea Party was designed to take America back to the people(hence the name) enough taxation for government spoilage(horrible stimulus and health care fiascos which may finally doom this country if not reversed)

I find most Americans are brainwashed into thinking either democrats or republicans have their best interest in mind and blindly vote for one or the other, cause thats what they do. In presidential years voting is much greater on percentage basis, and whoever has the better presidential choice tends to bring out more of the blind vote for remainder of ticket.

Now Tea Party was to stand for Small Government, Less Government interference in individual and state choice, less taxation etc.. All things the founding fathers revolted on Europe for, and I stand for. Has it been embraced by the South more than the North, perhaps. These are conservative principals, and the South is much more conservative. Are there more people who worship in South than North, for sure. Does going to Church make you a bonheaded nutcase? In Northeast, West Coast, and Europe, well pretty much.

I don't believe a belief in God is a bad thing. My beliefs are my business yours are yours. I have seen nothing in Tea Party platform that says they plan on forcing religion on people. Can't say I have been following this cycle like previous ones as I am so disappointed in the American people for who they actual vote for. To have John McCain and Barak Obama as mayoral choices at a mid level city probably would disgust me that we couldn't do better. To have Nancy Pelosi as a small town council person is disgusting to me...........

Not one single candidate that is claiming to be part of the tea party is listed as a democrat on a ballot. All 170 of them are listed as republicans. You can say what you want about what the tea party movement was meant to stand for but it has been overrun with losers like Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin.

I have no problem with religious people, I have a problem with religious people that use their views to form an assault on reason and intelligence on the national level.

Intelligent Design, Creationism are meant for a religious studies course not a science class. You don't like gay people fine don't be friends with gay people but get the fuck out of the business of trying to legislate against same-sex couples rights.

The right is advocating for a smaller government that offers less services for the people, unless you are a military contractor, you the government can subsidize until China owns all of the US debt.

MadHatSam:

A right is a claim against someone else. For example, the right of a defendant to be confronted with the witnesses against him is a claim on the witness. Same-sex couples who claim marriage rights are making a claim against others. So religious people are not trying to legislate against same sex couples; they are trying to protect themselves from having claims made upon them.

Moondust, I would have to say that you are incredibly naive to think that religion would not play a role in politics. It always has and will continue to do so, regardless of religion, party and geographic location.

To all of you over simplifying the tea party in to large grotesque over exaggerations, please refrain from posting. If you don't understand conservatism as defined not by neo-cons or Washingtonian insider republicans but by the likes of Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison and Jay than you wouldn't understand why the tea party has gained such national attention.

Read my lips, no one in America wants a Utopia. All these large government programs are pushing us closer and closer in to a society driven by socialism.


You ought to read the federalist papers if you really want to understand the idea of liberty and the dissolve of a government ruled by a central figure and an aristocracy.

USA USA USA USA USA USA USA!!!

It's the UNITED STATES of America for a reason

give me liberty of give me death!
live free or die!
don't tread on me!

About religion:
Another thing that concerns me is the fact that no matter how politically incompetent Tea Party candidates seem to be, their supporters still root for them only due to the fact that most Tea Party members claim to be religious/ ultra conservative.

(As mentioned by Sam) Sarah Palin is probably the very best example for this. In 2008, even many GOP supporters were embarrassed by the things she said, most people here on kdice were convinced that "she ruined her career" and now she's as popular as ever among Tea Party supporters...

(At least that's how she's portrayed in the German media)

It's scary.

@wishb:

"to think that religion Would not play a role in politics"

That's NOT what I think.
In my opinion religion Should not play a role in politics.


I don't deny that religion has had a huge impact on politics. But I think in the future, there should be politicians that are not influenced by religion.

You asked a question about American politics, what you missed was that this nation was founded on the escape from religious persecution.

How could you ever separate the two in this country?