We're Headed for a Major Battle with the Tea Party Crowd over the Constitution Itself

[StandingInLeftField]

Alternet.Org
Robert Perry
December 31, 2010

"Despite a few victories in the lame-duck session of Congress, Democrats and progressives should be under no illusion about the new flood of know-nothingism that is about to inundate the United States in the guise of a return to “first principles” and a deep respect for the U.S. Constitution.

The same right-wingers who happily accepted George W. Bush’s shift toward a police state – his claims of limitless executive power, warrantless wiretaps, repudiation of habeas corpus, redefining cruel and unusual punishment, suppression of dissent, creation of massive databases on citizens, arbitrary no-fly lists, and endless overseas wars – have now reinvented themselves as brave protectors of American liberty.

Indeed, the Tea Party crowd so loves the Constitution that the new Republican House majority will take the apparently unprecedented step of reading the document aloud at the start of the new congressional session, presumably including the part about enslaved African-Americans being counted as three-fifths of a white person for purposes of congressional representation..."

Read more at http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/149377/we're_headed_for_a_major_battle_with_the_tea_party_crowd_over_the_constitution_itself/?page=1

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Excellent article.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Just ask them what they think it means.

If all they're going to do is recite it, that's not enough. Do they actually know what it means, in their own words?

[elocs]

2. I highly doubt if most tea partiers have even read the Constitution.

Like most Christians who have not read the Bible but treat it like a buffet from which they can pick verses or parts of verses, most of the tea party crowd have never really read the Constitution but know selected portions of it, ignoring the rest.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. It's all phony and about political posturing. The problem is that the media

continues to give the teabaggers an incredible amount of airtime. Americans are being duped by this so-called "movement" that is really only comprised of a very, very small number of people.

[midnight]

4. I myself, would be pleased, if we could return to the rule of law instead

of hiding behind the patriot act.....

[unblock]

5. constitutional fetishism.

it seems many the same people have a biblical fetish, loving the bible more than the message it contains.

[Deep13]

6. A lot of them are familiar with the text...

..but fail to appreciate it's full meaning and, just as importantly, what it does not say.

[Dan Jacoby]

10. They don't know the text at all

Michele Bachmann has proven, over and over, that she does NOT know what's in the Constitution. Since she's the leading force on this issue, it must be assumed that she's the best authority the entire movement has.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Christine O'Donnell is their expert on such matters.

We're doomed.

:rofl:

[guruoo]

8. k&r - A must read for DU'ers, IMO. nt

[Alfa Mouille]

9. Constittuionalist Fundamentalism

http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-man-passionate-defender-of-what-he-imagines-c,2849/

Love that so much.

They treat the Constitution as revealed scripture. The Bible is the infallible word of God. The Constitution is the infallible word of men who somehow were of a more than mortal nature. In both cases, what they're interested in is the establishment of a source of absolute authority. It doesn't matter much what's in either document. Just that there exists some point of reference on which you can make any claim you want about the world and not need to subject your underlying claims or assumptions to critical analysis. Their literalism will obviously not extend so far as to attempt to reinstate the fear America's early generations felt towards a standing army.

There's no convincing these people that they're wrong. Present them with countervailing information and their conspiracy-addled minds will just assume you're acting in bad faith. That said, I don't think we can cede the issue to them any longer. There are entirely too many quotes by men like Madison to the effect that ours is meant to be a living constitution, not a dead letter. Democratic politicians are entirely too content to just fall back on policy details, but that's not what motivates people. The Constitution has emerged as a terrain on which current political battles are being fought. To win, we don't need to convince Republican constitutional-theocrats that they're wrong. We need to present a coherent, simple, alternative view that is spoken loudly enough and with enough conviction that the public in general at least partially sees the hack partisanship at work in the claim that the Constitution is immutable.