The Coffee Party Heats Up

[bemildred]

When Annabel Park imagined what it would be like to head a new national political movement, here is what she had in mind: a coming together of engaged, intelligent citizens who had tired of the angry rhetoric and accusations of the Tea Partiers; Americans of all political persuasions joining in a spirit of equanimity to discuss the nation's problems, and maybe even share a laugh. It was this beautiful vision that danced in Park's head on a recent Saturday as she made her way to Busboys and Poets, a cafe in Washington, D.C., for one of nearly 500 Coffee Party meetings taking place nationwide that day. She knew the house would be full—word had spread quickly on the group's swelling Facebook page. Park, a documentary filmmaker, was especially pleased that C-Span had arranged to broadcast the meeting.

But from the moment folks in the crowd stood up to speak their minds, Park knew these people had not come to sip cappuccinos and set an example of civility for an overheated nation. They were angry. They hated the Tea Party, and the Republican Party. They wanted to get even. One audience member said America was under the thumb of oligarchs and denounced "moneyed interests." A few people hissed when Sarah Palin's name was mentioned. Also on hand were the usual suspects drawn to the C-Span bat signal. A man representing Code Pink, the left-wing protest group, said that "racism was the basis for everything that's going on right now." He also seemed to have a real problem with "fear-based rhetoric" and Northrop Grumman.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/236856

[nc4bo]

1. Please don't miss the ranting comment below it either.

I enjoyed that.

Right now I'm content to just sit back and watch where this Coffee Party goes.

[zbdent]

2. I submit the "Box on you Head" party ...

Presidential candidate nominee Dave Barry ...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. The Cofee Party has a huge following now

[Tutankhamun]

4. If any movement focuses its energy on merely opposing

the sadly misguided lurchings of the teabaggers, it will fail.

The teabaggers are only puppets; it's the puppeteers who must feel our wrath.

[cprise]

7. I agree but

Look at DU's front page, especially the left and middle columns: It's all coverage of what RWingers are sayings and doing. The Right Wing sets the agenda even on a site like DU.

It will keep getting worse with more and more prime time for the puppets until we get a media strategy and stand firm on it.


PS - I would like to add that instead of divining loopy ideas about manipulating people with "neuroscience" (George Lakoff, et al), we should be concerned with more practical (and less creepy) measures like refusing to turn our websites into link-machines for the Right.

I mean, people here DO realize that links to RW / corporate websites significantly raise those sites in Google search results... right?? Anyone home???!

[beltanefauve]

9. The RW sets the agenda indeed

Which is why I am so opposed to the "Coffee" party. The RW spews its talking points and we react. They go on the offensive, and we go on the defensive. So now they say tea and we say coffee. Bad idea, IMO.

[proudohioan]

5. OMG, the Coffee Party.....

My SO and I went to a local Coffee Party meeting a few weeks ago, and in this small gathering were a bunch of TEABAGGERS, REPUBLICANS AND EXTREME ANTI-GOVERNMENT folks. There seemed to be only one other person there who was as sane as we were!

Needless to say, we left, after about an hour of listening to all of these whack jobs! After that HORRIBLE experience, we headed to the nearest pub for a much needed bourbon and coke.

I hope that others have had a better experience.

[Daveparts still]

6. Say it ain't so!

One audience member said America was under the thumb of oligarchs and denounced "moneyed interests."


"In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the military."

From the left wing radicals of the CIA FACTBOOK

The CIA says he's right and Newsweek describes it a fanciful. Who do you think are lying?

[roseBudd]

8. My observation from having attended a Coffee Party & a post Obama election Organizing For America...

meetup, is these kinds of things are always going to attract a few fairly out there individuals, who for lack of a more precise word, are decidedly not pragmatic

I think it's the nature of putting something out there and then waiting to see who will show up.

And the CSPAN camera