The #1 reason behind the Teabaggers' anger

[Botany]

Barack Obama is a black man.


Spare me the b.s. that they are upset about taxes, big government, debt, the military, concerns about terror, and
that love and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Personal taxes were higher under Reagan.
The # of employees in the Federal Government and the White House all grew under Reagan,
Bush 1, and bush # 2. Despite what they say the growth under republican control was much
greater then under Carter & Clinton.
Reagan and bush # 2 exploded the federal debt ..... Clinton left a surplus.
Carter, Clinton, and Obama never lied to send troops off to die.
The biggest terror attack was under a Republican administration .... all the original people
who tried to bomb the World Trade Center are either dead or in jail and this happened
under the Clinton administration .... the Clinton administration tried to warn George W bush's
people about al Qaeda & bin Laden and their information was ignored.
Barack Obama was legally elected under the rules set out by the Constitution and it's
amendments.

So the bottom line is that they are pissed off a black man is President.



BTW for any trolls, lurkers, and or freepers you are more than free to double check my information.

[alstephenson]

1. I couldn't agree more.

[bc3000]

235. But our #1 problem is ineffective democrats

In the end, who cares why republicans believe so many things that are provably incorrect? Democrats can be right all they want but it won't mean anything to anybody unless they get off their butts and get things done.

I am tired of our elected democrats thinking that being lovable losers is enough.

[JFN1]

273. I don't know

I always thought angry and stupid kind of went together...

[Suji to Seoul]

283. Exactly. . .when I see these teabaggers (giggle, chortle), I think of Lethal Weapon 2

When Joe Pesci goes to the the South African embassy in LA to tell them that his friend is looking to go to South Africa, only to see the look on the consulate's face when Danny Glover walks us.

SA - "You want to go to South Africa?"
DG - "Yes I do. Why?"
SA - "Well, because your black."

I see these teabaggers (laugh) say how they want their country back and all I can hear is "because he's black."

[NoNothing]

2. That MUST be it

I'm sure massive unemployment has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

Nothing.

[Botany]

7. And the high # unemployed people are Obama's fault why?

BTW the Stimulus saved 2 million jobs and created 600,000 new ones.

Although NAFTA (under Clinton) did contribute to many job leaving the country.

[NoNothing]

15. It's not Obama's fault

Fault has nothing to do with it.

Being unemployed makes you angry. Angry people are irrational. Being unemployed makes you poor. Poor people are desparate.

So you have a pool of millions of irrational, desparate people. What do you think is going to happen? They're going to logically evaluate arcane policy proposals and send supportive letters to the editor?

No, they're going to lash out at whoever is in charge. That's Obama, and Congress. Wherever they look, they'll see conspiracy against them and aid for everyone except them.

It's just human nature. Race has little to do with it IMO. It's the economy, stupid!

[louis-t]

18. You haven't met my relatives.

[leftstreet]

21. +1

and aid for everyone except them"

That's why they could simultaneously turn on both the Wall Street Bailouts and Healthcare Reform, the perception being that $ was going to the 'rich and the poor.'

[uppityperson]

26. Poor poor logic there.

Seriously, try again. I am angry but not irrational.

[NoNothing]

28. Congratulations, you're an exception

There is plenty of well-regarded research supporting the proposition that unemployment causes a whole host of emotional and even psychological problems. If you REALLY want, I can try to dig up cites, but this piece from the Atlantic is a good summary:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201003/jobless-america-future

[uppityperson]

64. Not all angry people are irrational. That is what you are implying ande is poor logic

I am not arguing that unemployment does not cause a whole host of emotional and even psych problems. I am saying that this is poor logic:
"Being unemployed makes you angry. Angry people are irrational.
(snip)
So you have a pool of millions of irrational, desparate (sic) people."

Dogs have 4 legs. Some 4 legged creatures are reptiles. Dogs are reptiles.

Poor logic.

[JDPriestly]

125. It does, but the Teabaggers are more likely

angry about their losses on the stock market, the foreclosures, the difficulty in getting credit and the low interest rates.

They are affluent.

If they were unemployed, they would be applying for food stamps, they would be worried about keeping their health insurance and that sort of thing.

Those are not the Teabaggers' concerns. They are anti-stimulus. The unemployed are pro-stimulus.

[lark]

252. Yes, but are you a Tea Partier?

That's who we are talking about

[AlinPA]

42. They would have reacted the same way without the recession. They just hate Obama. nt

[NoNothing]

44. Right, of course

Keep smiling! Everything is fine! Unemployment is not a problem! Everyone is happy with the economy! No need to change a thing! Electoral victory is assured!

[Name removed]

154. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AlbertCat]

268. Everyone is happy with the economy!

Who's saying that? Nice big straw man, NoNothing.

Of course it's just a coincidence that the teabaggers are mad as hell at the black man in charge now rather than the white men who caused it all.

[gateley]

48. Why didn't they lash out this way at Bush?

I understand they're frightened, we all are, but they have another level of fear that they just can not live with: A black guy is in charge of the country. That's what sent them out into the streets.

[NoNothing]

58. You're so sure

What do you base this on? I have facts, like this one:



And this one:



And this one:



If you don't think these will put people in the streets no matter WHO is in charge, I really don't know what could convince you.

[AlinPA]

67. The teabaggers started with the HCR fiasco during the summer. Before that,

it was fueled by the "He's a terrorist", "He's a Muslim", during the campaign and at Palin's rallies. Palin was leading them then, she is leading them now. The jobs are good excuse.

[JDPriestly]

128. You are correct.

That Sarah Palin is their nominal leader of the moment tells the whole story. They are Republicans and angry that Obama won. The fact that he is an African-American angers them all the more although most of them would never admit it.

[AlbertCat]

270. most of them would never admit it.

Hell! People here can't admit it! Where the hell do these "there's no racism here" people live? A pic of Obama with a bone thru his nose isn't enough for them to recognize it? Going armed to an Obama event is fear of job loss? What... do the Teabaggers have to wear white hoods and lynch somebody before they get it? Remember, this is not the huge movement they would like for you to think it is. If not all are motivated by race, that is an even smaller number. Race is a huge issue here.

[AtheistCrusader]

250. There is more than one teabagger movement.

There is actually a grassroots movement that seems to hold up Ron Paul as their nominal leader, and I think can be reliably credited for starting the movement. This group is ALSO pissed at Bush Admin policies, even if they were largely silent during his administration, or just indistinguishable from the Ron Paul supporter crowd.

There is another that is just a massive scam for money, which has been having Palin in as a keynote speaker, and may become led by her. (Tea Party Nation)

There is a third that is total astroturf (Tea Party Express) backed by the RNC and Fox News.

Each sect is jockying for 'ownership' of the tea party moniker, and influence.

[gateley]

69. I'm not disputing that these aren't contributing factors, just that the fact a

black guy is in the WH exacerbates those fears. And why in the world do you care whether or not you convince me? It's just my opinion. :shrug:

[NoNothing]

93. Why do I care?

Good question. The answer is because the excuse that opposition is driven by racism not only (IMNSHO) is factually wrong and leads to poor decision-making, it is an excuse for failure and inaction.

After all, if I'm right, then the key to winning support back from these people is difficult but achievable: pass economic recovery bills, highlight the steps toward recovery, explain the rationale underlying the economic policies, talk to people and persuade them that Obama is the solution and not the cause of their insecurity. That's how you defuse panic and win hearts and minds.

On the other hand, if the opposition is simply racist, well then there's nothing that can be done, is there? No need to pound the pavement or knock on doors, no need to write letters to the editor or call up congressman. It's racism, so there's nothing you can do. Most importantly, if we end up losing huge, well, it's not OUR fault, it's because people are racist and there's nothing we could do!

It's a defeatist attitude that will lead to defeat. I promise you that.

[MadMaddie]

107. When leading right leaders go to convention

and the first speaker says
<snip>
The opening night speaker at the Tea Party convention suggested a return to a "literacy test" to protect America from presidents like Obama -- a segregation-era method employed by southern US states to keep blacks from voting.

In his speech Thursday to attendees, former Republican congressman Tom Tancredo invoked the loaded pre-civil rights era buzzword, saying that President Barack Obama was elected because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country." Southern states used literacy tests as part of an effort to deny suffrage to African American voters prior to Johnson-era civil rights laws
<snip>
Here's a little more info about Jim Crow one of the actual tests...

laws...http://www.crmvet.org/info/litques.pdf
So what conclusions can you draw from this? It is racism, people don't say these things and get applause from 600 people if they don't feel emboldened.

When you say there is nothing you can do about racism I don't believe that's true. By exposing it's ugly face and the people behind it is exactly what needs to happen.

No one is using it as an excuse but history has taught us time and time again that to ignore this type of language and incitement is detrimental to a society.

Germany knows exactly what this type of insightful language does to a society and that's why they have a zero tolerance policy for it.

You want to read more about what hate speech can do? Here ya go.. Radio's role in the Rwandan Genocide
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/35/180.html

President Obama doesn't use it as an excuse not to succeed, I don't use it as an excuse as why I can't succeed. Many Americans don't use it as an excuse not to succeed. The Democratic party doesn't use it as an excuse not to succeed.

Now if you want to talk about why the damn Dems are spineless with the majorities they have well we may find something to agree about.

[Enthusiast]

207. Nice post.

This is why we frequently hear Rush Limbaugh railing against "politically correct" speech. I heard him complain one day about political correctness. It was clear in the context of his rant that he wanted to call people queers and ni**ers. He felt very restricted by these unwritten standards of decency.

[Kweli4Real]

111. And here is the fly in your ointment ...

"After all, if I'm right, then the key to winning support back from these people is difficult but achievable ..."

We will never be able to win back their support because teabaggers were NEVER supportive of PRESIDENT OBAMA.

[liberation]

112. These people are a minority, and they won't support a dem ever.

II think you conveniently forgot to mention that these were no new developments, and the economy did in fact suck during most of the Bush 2 terms of fun and games. Also the economy was in far worse shape in 08 than it is right now.

Yet none, not a single one of these supposedly "oh so concerned regarding matters of employment" idiots went on the streets or said a peep while Bush was in office. So I think you are trying to give all sorts of red herrings to justify a collective, that besides being irrational, it is irrelevant...

[JDPriestly]

127. Foreclosures are a concern to them most likely.

But unemployment not so much. If they were worried about unemployment, they would be worried about their health care.

They would be worried about continuing to get unemployment benefits. Those things are not on the Teabaggers' list of woes as far as I know.

[insidejoke]

143. I Know This Sounds Crazy...

...but Obama wasn't even inaugurated until January 20, 2009. One of these charts starts October 2008, one ENDS on December 2008, and one is based on little more than bare speculation that doesn't factor for changed circumstances. (I suspect the CBO graph of national debt growth from 1998 to 2009 was pretty different in contrast to what really happened during that period, don't you?) All these graphs, however, show a decided upswing in trends PRIOR TO Obama taking office, which leads to more questions and speculation, but you're really stretching things if this is your hard evidence of what a poor job Obama has done.

[Zoeisright]

185. Those people are NOT IN THE STREETS.

They are trying to find jobs and save their homes. It's the old bigots who are traveling around the country in insurance company-funded buses raising holy hell because a black man is President.

If you don't think that fact would put bigots in the streets, I really don't know what could convince you.

[Enthusiast]

208. You are right.

And they are a tiny group of people anyway. The M$M acts as if they are a huge groundswell.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

84. You had me until "Race has little to do with it IMO."

All else being equal but with a white Democrat as President? There'd be ugly noise, but it'd be 10% as vicious. (Which still would be VERY vicious, BTW)

[liberation]

116. Although I must admit his spin exercise was mighty creative...

... extra points for the fact that he was able to maintain a straight face through the whole thing.

I really believe they think they can get away with pushing the meme that somehow it is just a matter of "coincidence" that them teabaggers remained silent for the 8 years of economic debauchery and general clustef*ck which was the Bush presidency. And these "ever so concerned" misguided souls only decided to open their traps the minute Obama got into office. Of course, just a manner of ill timing, nothing else... for sure. LOL

[Enthusiast]

209. Nice.

Economic debauchery about sums it up. It was so bad that one could reasonably conclude that their objective was to ruin us.

[Hansel]

85. None of my in-laws or their friends are unemployed.

So think again.

[willhe]

135. The economy has always suck

Unemployment make you angry but it doesn't make you ignorantly crazy. Only a black man can do something like that.

[Alcibiades]

151. These are not the unemployed

They are mainly elderly, retired or semi-retired folks. The other group you see a lot of is the functionally illiterate rich: folks who have a high school education or less who also somehow happen to have money.



Look at them. These are not the unemployed. These are angry old white people. The last time they got this excited about anything, it was George Wallace.



OK, I know that's Lester Maddox, but it demonstrates visually what I've been arguing for some time: these are the George Wallace people, the segregationists. They even have the same message, though the signs are not so neatly lettered and the misspelling has increased. These folks were angry in the 1960's, when our economy was growing at a record rate, and they are still angry today. The rage of poorly educated white conservatives is a constant in American politics.

[Zoeisright]

183. Sorry, most of the teabaggers I have seen are past retirement age and

sucking at the teat of Social Security. They're bigots, pure and simple. People who are unemployed are too exhausted to do anything like carry around stupid misspelled signs and cheer on morons like Palin.

[Enthusiast]

206. You don't get it.

If Obama was a white man they would be understanding, far more understanding and probably see the unemployment for what it is, a result of failed Republican policies. Instead their anger is ramped up because of the race factor.

[SharksBreath]

222. If they want to be mad at someone they need to take a look in the mirror.

They are Republicans

They supported Bush and his bankrupting of the country.

The sane in this country do not blame Obama for losing their job.

I'm one of them.

The insane blame Obama and completely ignore the facts they supported the bankrupting.

See The Tea Baggers.

These are the same people who supported the tax cut that was not for them and thought the Iraqi Oil was going to pay for the Iraq war.

If they want to be mad at someone they need to take a look in the mirror.

Bush and Fox News could not have done it without their help.

[Enthusiast]

227. +1 ! nt

[lark]

255. Disagree

They would not see it as a result of failed Repug policies because that's what they are - Repugs. Who is ginning up this movement, the Repug press aka Faux News. Their anger will never go towards Repugs, no matter if it's the worst president in the history of the country.

[Enthusiast]

265. Well, maybe I was going too far.

But if Obama was white I doubt there would even be a fired up Tea Party movement, as artificial as it is.

[greenman3610]

229. unemployed people don't have

500 bucks to spend on a ticket to see Sara Palin read off her hand.

[wolfgangmo]

245. Add to that mix

The fact that many of these folks were fact challenged and none too stable to begin with and then stir the pot with a big helping of AM talk radio nonsense and you have a recipe for large gatherings of the decendents of sheet wearing twits.

Hatewatch has an interesting article on the "left wing" media and it's effects. http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2009/fall/the-second-wave/antigovernment-rhetoric

[sellitman]

249. It's a deadly mix of both.

The OP and you are both correct IMHO

[AlbertCat]

258. Race has little to do with it IMO

And the tooth fairy IS real.

You just go right ahead and believe that. You're unicorn will be ready for pick up later this afternoon too.


Race is not the only reason, but race is the catalyst for getting those few (compared to the general population) white people to dress up and write misspelled signs and go out side, with their guns strapped on. Not only can they not believe they LOST the election big time (especially after Fox News kept telling them how "in touch" they were with the "rest" of the country and how right they were), they lost to a BLACK MAN (a half-breed...maybe even worse)! They can't stand that.

[stuart68]

259. Stop drinking the stimulus Kool-Aid...

when money is sent to Pharma to produce swine flu vaccine that is sold back to the consumer, the stimulus is officially a joke.

Stimulus is working, just in China...

[AlbertCat]

272. the stimulus is officially a joke.

Must be why even Repugs are praising it at home....after voting against it. :eyes:

[NOLALady]

9. Massive unemployment

as the number one reason?

President Obama is not the cause of the massive unemployment. Yet, teabaggers did not exist under the past Presidents.

[Hansel]

87. There was massive unemployment under Reagan too.

And there was absolutely no Tea Bagger movement. These same people loved Reagan.

[KingFlorez]

10. They aren't worried about the issues

If they were, they would have been protesting when Bush was making mistakes during his term.

[NoNothing]

20. People don't give a shit about issues

But it's not about race either.

It's about one simple question:

Am I, personally - me - better off now than I was a year ago?

Most people right now can't say "yes."

Just watch: as soon as the economy turns around and unemployment drops back down, the tea party movement will fizzle out.

[uppityperson]

66. So why didn't they protest over the previous 8 yrs? They were worse off every yr.

[Hansel]

91. Really? Most of the people attending these events are senior citizens

Most of the people who are unemployed are younger Americans. If the Tea Party movement was made up of a younger population and were actually complaining about being out of work, I would agree. However, their biggest complaint seems to be them losing their medicare and the deficit is too big. And the terrorists are going to get us.

I'm sorry but what I'm seeing does not is a group of people angry about being unemployed. I see people screaming about socialism and Marxism and making racist comments and talking about birth certificates. And when they are interviewed they make racist remarks and scream at counter protesters to "get a job".

The Tea Party is a group of white Americans who are afraid because a black man is in the White House. They are older whites who grew up when blacks were harassed and suppressed by them and when segregation was rampant. They don't trust Obama because he is not like them and likely because they are afraid they are going to get paid back for the way blacks have been treated.

The racist dog whistle blows hard among them and their leaders. Sometimes they are just using a regular whistle.

[tabasco]

163. Hahahahahaha Hahahahahahahahaha!!

EVERYBODY was better off when Clinton was Prez but the pukes HATED him and did their goddamn best to throw him out.

Your claims are absurd and stupid.


LOL! The pukes and their idiot followers screeched that Clinton's budget would DESTROY the economy. Not a single fucking puke bastard voted for it.

LOOK WHAT HAPPENED.

[Heathen57]

178. I really doubt what you are saying.

Just look at the demographics. The majority of the teabaggers grew up during the mid to late 1950's. They were comfortable with the segregation of the time and the majority were against the civil rights movement. It messed with their comfort zone, what they had always knew.

Now they listen to Fox Noise, and are told to be very afraid of everything, especially this president. It brings back all the fears they were fed during the late 1960's. Many cannot fathom that a _________ (insert whatever term they used then) could actually be allowed to run this country.

I was lucky. My mother and father were not racist at all. My father would bring AA friends to his house in Kansas City for dinner at a time when just being caught in a white area could get them killed. But other members of the family were just the opposite. And they still are that way.

Actually, I pity some of these teabaggers. Many are too old to work and they have been told that Obama is going to take first their Medicare and then their pensions. They aren't used to having the 'news' lie to them on a regular basis, so that has to be true. It fits with the stuff from the 60's. "Those Blacks will move into your neighborhood and rape your daughters, they will steal your sons away to do drugs, the property values will plummet" and so forth.

It is hard to get past those deep seated prejudices. Like it or not, that is the problem and they will not rest until Obama is out of office or assassinated.

[Rozlee]

234. It is hard to get past deep seated hatred. Unless you fall in love.

When I met my husband, I was an Army nurse taking care of his very ill wife at BAMC. I comforted him and held him when she died. Two years later, as a civilian, I saw him when we both had doctors appointments at the hospital,and my heart twisted at how thin and lonely he looked. "You need to put on some weight," I told him. "Well, why don't you have dinner with me so that you can fatten me up?" was the response. I'm Hispanic and he admitted that all his life, he'd hated people of other races because that was the way he'd been raised. He'd voted for Reagan, for Bush, etc. Last year, we danced and screamed with joy when Obama won. (sigh!) sniff, sniff. Sappy, eh?

[Enthusiast]

210. Mistakes?

What an understatement!

[eppur_se_muova]

70. Interesting choice of user name. nt

:popcorn:

[JDPriestly]

122. The Teabaggers are generally more affluent.

The foreclosures are probably a bigger issue. But those started before Obama became president.

[CurtEastPoint]

3. I was teling my neighbors this last night and they both said...You're right.

It is EXACTLY why they are so upset. It's so easy to say 'racism' but this is an easy one.

[izzybeans]

4. Many of them have also always hated the American system of government.

Put the two together and they scream "states rights!" and "Don't tread on me! Its Hugh!!" from their molehills.

They hate the government for the freedoms it has extended to the people they hate.

[RKP5637]

17. And many of them are ignorant about the functioning of the government. And

looking at their signs, listening to them speak, many border on being functionally illiterate IMO. Putty in the hands of their manipulators.

[Enthusiast]

211. I really like this.

"Putty in the hands of their manipulators."

[SpankMe]

113. Excellent statement...

They hate the government for the freedoms it has extended to the people they hate.

This perfectly explains the behavior and beliefs of severe right wing. If you came up with that statement, you're brilliant.

[leftstreet]

5. Bullshit

These are also 'teabagger' protest signs:

[butterfly77]

12. That's just some of them...

it helps with the cover up that it is not because he is black. Now,some of them may be angry about jobs but where in the hell were they for the past eight years..

We had eight years of Bush and Cheney, Now you get mad!

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and
appointed a President..

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate
energy policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to
us.

You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said
illegal war.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq .

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.

You didn't get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America
deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies,
corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all
okay with you, but helping other Americans...

[CBR]

32. +1 nt

[leftstreet]

36. Yeah, I remember when some liberals protested war escalation n/t

[corpseratemedia]

39. +100

no..no Armey's of Dick's astroturfing when * was stiffing America of trillions - no problem with tancredo's "corn-pone" Nazi Jim Crow literacy test "jokes" - in fact, some..uh, group laughter to go with those racist quips there.

[NOLALady]

120. +1000

[Enthusiast]

213. +10,000! nt

[Botany]

216. Very well said .....

much better than my o.p..

Protect and defend the Constitution is what the teabaggers scream about but not
a peep from them when W said it was "just a piece of paper."

[uponit7771]

224. +1 and I'm going to use this

[butterfly77]

281. Good...

Pass on for all of the liars all over the net and the TEABAGGERS...

[FailureToCommunicate]

231. +1 Well said!

[raccoon]

240. Great post. Start a thread with it, or make it into an LTTE! nt

[Lilyeye]

150. despite those signs...many of these same people would tell you they loved Bush

[RockaFowler]

6. Thanks for the common sense

:toast: :patriot:

[fl_dem]

8. I hold the same belief.

however you've articulated much better than I could. Anytime I have voiced this opinion, I would get accused of pulling the race card and I'm Caucasian.

[Green_Lantern]

11. but I have to admit...

Obama is his own worst enemy, tea party won't be his downfall.

Increasing TARP funding by $1 trillion didn't helped do that. Dropping the public option supported by 55% of Americans in favor of deals with insurance companies helped do that.

[Enthusiast]

214. But those actions

only changed his popularity with reasonable people. The Teabaggers already hated Obama. Obama's drop in the polls is not from Teabaggers hating him more.

[Green_Lantern]

246. I agree but I'm just saying that if his..

Presidency isn't successful it's his doing.

[Enthusiast]

266. Understood. nt

[Bobbie Jo]

13. Yes, and one question....

Where were they for the last 8 years while * was wiping his behind with the Constitution?

Where were they? Why weren't they hitting the streets demanding their country back, then?

[NoNothing]

16. Because they still had jobs then, that's why

Jobs and a fat 401K.

It's the economy, stupid.

Just like when Perot had his run.

[Bobbie Jo]

30. Really?

My business started going downhill as far back as 2004. The economy started tanking and hemorrhaging jobs about the same time. My 401K was zapped years ago.

I understand the fear factor surrounding unemployment, but this economy has sucked for quite some time.


I disagree with the idea they would be doing this in a McCain/Palin Admin.

[NoNothing]

33. You are deluding yourself

If you think the economy in 2004 was as bad as the economy now. I mean, seriously, look at the unemployment chart. That tells the whole story.

The platform might be slightly different under McCain/Palin, but I think the level of unrest would be about the same, honestly. Definitely it would be almost exactly the same under Hillary.

[Bobbie Jo]

38. I suffer no delusions..

Well, at least not related to this conversation.

However...

"The platform might be slightly different under McCain/Palin.."

Is exactly the point of the OP.

[NoNothing]

41. Baloney

The OP never said anything about the tea partier's "platform," i.e., what they *say* they are for/against. The OP talked about the reason *behind* their anger, which whatever their amorphous "platform" is, is the economy. You'd see the same movement with the same people if Hillary was President, and she's white. So saying the underlying reason is race is just denial.

[Bobbie Jo]

47. Denial is an easy term to throw about.

...because I would apply the same term to your refusal to even consider the possibility that a black man in the White House is a bridge too far for many of these people. Calling it "socialism" gets them under the radar.

You should get out an talk to people, because those I've spoken to who identify themselves with this "movement" don't hesitate to make their prejudices known.

Then again, maybe you have?

[NoNothing]

54. I have friends and family, yes

They are not racists. They project negative attributes onto Obama because he is in charge, and they are worried and upset. Why are they worried and upset? Not because he is in charge. Some of them voted for him. No, it is because the economy is in the toilet and they are worried about how it will affect them.

Look no further than the polling data. Indepedents, who overwhelmingly broke for Obama, are now down on him by a huge margin. Did they suddenly, over the last year, become racists? Is MA full of secret, Obama-voting racists? This isn't that hard to figure out. Are there some racists among the Tea Partiers? Absolutely, no doubt. Is that driving the vast majority. Nope, not a chance.

But you see, by pretending they're all simply racists, you don't have to address the very real problems that are driving the discontentment. Just close your eyes and pretend it's all evil people!

[CBR]

55. Racial divisions and racism are a serious problem too and by denying that reality

you are making the same mistake you decry and driving discontentment.

[Bobbie Jo]

72. Tea Baggers = Independents who voted for Obama?

Not bloody likely.

"Look no further than the polling data. Indepedents, who overwhelmingly broke for Obama, are now down on him by a huge margin. Did they suddenly, over the last year, become racists? Is MA full of secret, Obama-voting racists?"

[treestar]

95. were they as upset during previous recessions?

Enough to go marching around like the teabaggers?

[Enthusiast]

218. Those voters are not

Teabaggers. The manufactured Teabagger outrage is mostly racist in nature.

[Fire1]

51. Dude! You've got the right name. n/t

[uppityperson]

68. Way. eom

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

138. Where are all the War Protests that were so common under Bush?

[Hardrada]

188. To put this briefly, the antiwar movement I was part of

was short-circuited because any critique of US involvement in the Middle East would inevitably involve a critique of the role of Israel in the fomenting of the war and occupation and a formerly progressive sector of activists would not tolerate such a critique and would not get aboard as they did for the Viet Nam protests. And also Obama siphoned off any remaining energy by saying eh opposed the war in Iraq. That was good enough to make people work for him despite his ominous announcements about Afghanistan. Now of course we have been led astray and need to find a real Movement again.

[Enthusiast]

215. If there was a McCain/Palin

Administration the Tea Party would not even exist.

[Hansel]

92. And now most of them are retired. nt

[Chisox08]

165. The unemployment rates among

African Americans is at 16.4 percent. If anyone is angry and protesting it is us. When I look at the teabagers rallies I don't see any African Americans. Why is that?
Racism and fear is the root cause of the teabaggers.

[RKP5637]

14. That's what I think too! It's the common underlying thread of hatred they bond

together with IMO. And just looking at them gives one a pretty good idea of what they are really about. Reminds me of the 60's of those against civil rights. It's certainly not a racially mixed group in the least!

[Hansel]

99. And not demographically mix as far as age either.

These are older white Americans who are not used to blacks being on an equal footing much less in the most powerful position in the world. Some of them are likely just scare to death and don't trust him because they feel so guilty. Some probably don't think he's qualified because they've spent their entire lives believing blacks are inferior. Some probably are afraid that with a black man in power it's pay back time.

[RKP5637]

140. Yep, quite true too! Although, I'm an old white guy as are many of my friends and

we all voted for and support Obama 1000%, but then we're all products of the 60's and from the NE. I agree, most of them do look like a bunch of old white enraged people, and some (many) quite ignorant. It's embarrassing.

[Mad_Dem_X]

228. +1

I completely agree.

[4 t 4]

19. I suspect your right , the only thing is, He's not....

[Fire1]

49. Yes, indeed he is. n/t

[BuhByeChimp]

22. I disagree

That may be true for some, but they would be having these same protests if it was Hillary in office as would our side if McCain was in office.

It is the economy based on uncontrolled greed that is spurring them on. They just do not see their side as being greedy, because most people think it is only others that are greedy. This is blinding them to what Obama is accomplishing.

[NoNothing]

24. That seems obvious to me

Clinton learned the hard way "it's the economy, stupid." Why do we have to re-learn this?

It's awfully convenient to just ascribe dissatisfaction to racism, because that not only absolves you have having to understand why they are upset, but lets you pretend that there aren't serious problems driving the anger.

But there *are* problems, there *is* anger, and if we don't want to repeat the 1994 bloodbath, those problems have to be addressed. But the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem! Simply saying, "it's racism" is nothing more than *denial*.

[Tsiyu]

78. "bloodbath"

Wow.

The teabaggers in these parts are employed, well-fed, former Bush** voters who started up about the time of the first bailout in Bush**'s final days in office. Many have personal problems that no party can solve.

The unemployed people I know are too busy looking for work, grieving or filling out paperwork to go hold signs up for any corporate led faux "revolution." They are too worn out to be angry.

The teabaggers - all 600 of the hard-core ones - are a politician and media-created spectacle much like a reality show. The media and politicians created them and play with them and use this group's tendency toward racism as fuel for the "show's" fire.

Real people have real things to do.

[SoCalDem]

23. Scary black man in White House...run away, run away.

SoCalDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Fri Sep-04-09 02:00 PM

Original message
Scary black man in White House...run away, run away.

The nut-cases are doing now, what they could not manage to do in '08....and they are doing it with the aid & comfort of the same media who shut them down last year.

What a difference a year makes.

They were unsuccessful last year because "their" candidate was un-electable, and the press did not want to waste precious time on a bunch of whiny racists. They did show the most outrageous of the bunch who shouted "Kill him" or "Traitor" at Palin rallies, but the coverage was about "free speech" and little more.

Another reason they were unsuccessful last year, was the fact that Hillary Clinton stayed in the race for such a long time, that many of the most racist of the GOP base were torn between two longstanding "hates", and probably waited too long to gin up much rabble-rousing.

There was a time when they tipped their hand though, by suddenly masking their Clinton-hate, and crossing over to actually vote for her (Texas primaries & beyond).. Does anyone really think they all-of-a-sudden "liked" her? and would vote for her over their party-chosen-hack?.. This was when they realized that a black man just might win this thing.

Given a choice between Hillary and "the black guy", they would choose Hillary.. They already hated her, and had a quiverful of arrows just for her, but would need more time to craft a barrage designed especially for a black man... they had to be careful with this attack, or they would be once again be called out on their racism. Republican racism is best left just under the surface..like a stealthy submarine, cruising unnoticed by the masses.

These are the same people who overlooked every blunder that GW made..that was a daily event, for at least 8 long years.

They were willing to suspend disbelief, as he failed to deliver on almost everything he promised them.

They willingly "gave him" their husbands, daughters, fathers, sons, grandsons, etc. to go off and fight in two wars, one a meaningless war for profiteering contractors and friends-of-Bush, the other a hastily exited, poorly executed one in Afghanistan. They were willing to trade their flesh & blood loved ones, for a few lines of text in a paper and a folded flag.

They cooed and clucked as he vacationed his way through two terms, claiming that he "needed his rest", and wasn't he quite a manly figure...with that cowboy hat & that chainsaw.

They looked the other way as he proffered yearly budgets without money for either war, and as he added bloated, yet unfunded spending legislation onto their back (and onto the backs of their progeny).

The editorialists they claim as their own, gleefully climbed aboard the war-bus, and told them all how important and necessary these two wars were, and how the cost was nothing to worry about now, because "it had to be done".

AND THEN THE BLACK GUY WON!

After the initial shock, and the obligatory pats on their own backs for "electing the first black man to be president" (even though 99% of them did not vote for him), they set out to undermine him, even if it meant destroying their party in the process. The ends justify the means.

They cannot attack his intellect..or his stage presence..or his ability to communicate....but he IS still black.

No matter how hard it is to clean up the messes left by "their guy", or how necessary it is to HAVE the mess cleaned up.....for all of us, they are still willing to do everything they can to undermine him.

The only effective tool left to them is FEAR. They have to make him scary, questionable, controversial.

Media is only too happy to comply. they were on their best-behavior last year, because they too, were worried about just how to cover the first black man running for the highest office in the country. After 8 long years of bumbling, stumbling, & stammering, they were happy to finally have a literate, composed and intellectual to cover, and they went all in. But that was then, and this is now.

They could not attack Barack, the black man..but as president, they are unfettered now, and anything goes, so they are happy to report on all the nonsensical birthers, deathers, teabaggers, town-brawlers, gun-toters..

Media coverage, to these people is like water to fish.. It's what they need, in order to exist and to prosper.

So now we are where we are.

The black man is going to scare the children.. :scared:
The black man wants us all to have health care :scared:
The black man is trying to clean up the messes left to us by 30 years of neglect :scared:
His wife wears SHORTS :scared:
His daughter wears a "Peace" shirt :scared:


How dare he!

[4 t 4]

40. but he's not a black man

he's also a white man. WTF ? What do these Fuck's Want??

[Fire1]

50. Then EVERY African American is also a "white man." That must

be your contention, historically speaking.

[4 t 4]

59. That's It ! That's what I meant. WTF?

[Fire1]

60. Too bad most conservatives don't see it that way. n/t

[NOLALady]

130. You beat me to it!

:D

[EFerrari]

86. He identifies as a black man. We take his word for it, yes?

[Fire1]

243. If we take his word for it, we can take my word for identifying

as black, your word for identifying as black and any other AA identifying as black. Get my drift?

[Cronus Protagonist]

25. Clear and accurate.

I wish our politicians would say that on the tee vee.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

27. The evidence is in how much they loved Carter and Clinton. Oh wait.

[Fire1]

71. -10 n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

106. You'll get over it.

[Cosmocat]

82. We have a winner ... Black only amps it up ...

It is a D, now BO being black throws them over the top and bares their baseline predjudices ...

But, if it was Edwards or Hill, they would be doing pretty much the same thing ...

People have a short memory, the arsehats were KILLING the Big Dog when he was in office. Part of it is that with the internet, cell phones ect, the country is so much more wired to let this kind of stuff organize, as well as the 24 hour cable news pumping them up to egg them on ...

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

109. Undoubtedly some of them are racist.

[Hansel]

94. There was no Tea Bagger movement during either admin.

So fail.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

105. They loved Clinton so much they impeached him. LOL.

[NOLALady]

132. I don't remember anyone yelling

"Kill Him" during the impeachment fiasco.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

136. Which member of Congress did that to Obama?

[NOLALady]

145. Sorry. I was referring to the teabaggers.

But, I can't imagine a Congressman yelling "You Lie", to Clinton or any other past President.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

156. Thought I missed something there.

I hope whoever yelled it was arrested.

[stanwyck]

121. But they didn't organize teabag rallies with racist signs

The vitriol against Obama has hard evidence. Look at the signs the teabaggers are carrying.
This is different than the opposition to Clinton and Carter.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

124. As I said undoubtedly some of them are racist.

Which sign are you claiming is racist?

[stanwyck]

244. I need to get you the link

to the many that have been posted here at DU. Can't believe you haven't seen them? I guess teabaggers don't realize that people have iPhones and digital cameras. And our intrepid liberals/progressives are out there recording their racism.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

282. I thought you were referring to the picture in the OP.

[Lilyeye]

147. Just because they didn't like Carter and Clinton doesn't mean they're not racist.

My aunt hates democrats and one of her reasons is that they're full of white guilt and "cater to lazy minorities and stomp on hard working whites." Her words..not mine.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

176. Of course it doesn't mean they are not racist.

Of course not liking Obama doesn't mean that they are racist.

[Captain Hilts]

153. +1. nt

[arthritisR_US]

29. I whole heartedly agree! k & r n/t

[Initech]

31. The Tea Klux Klan

[Duppers]

37. I like that.

I am gonna use it too. ;)

Thanks.

[Initech]

43. I stole it from another post here too so feel free.

[librechik]

34. Oh yeah? WHERE"S YOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE??!!

BTW, you are SO right. Well said.

[RBInMaine]

35. Oh yes ! They think a black man does not belong in "their" White House.

[Fire1]

45. Ya think?? n/t

[gateley]

46. Agree. I'm sure they're upset about the economy, etc., but they wouldn't be out

in this way if Obama was a white guy.

I'm convinced of it.

[EFerrari]

98. I'm upset about the economy and I'm not asking to see our president's birth certificate.

[CBR]

52. Yup...racist fools. nt

[hfojvt]

53. we just have to discuss this every week, don't we?

It's all about race! Nobody ever hated Clinton, or Gore, or Dukakis, or Carter.

[Fire1]

56. Look at the "methods" rather than the madness. n/t

[NoNothing]

61. A third-party movement?

You mean just like when noted White Man Bill Clinton was challenged by a Reform Party surge?

[Fire1]

65. Uh....no. n/t

[hfojvt]

74. the reform part seemed to be challenging Bush as much as Clinton

since it started in 1992 when Bush Sr. was still President. In some ways too, it was to the left of Clinton.

[CBR]

57. Racism is an important topic to discuss. nt

[hfojvt]

73. I must have missed the discussion of racism

All I see is the simple "logic" of this - 1. The President is a black man, 2. Some people are protesting him. 3. Therefore, they are all racists.

Okay, there was the 'proof' that a bunch of conservatives did not protest Bush or the war, therefore they are only protesting Obama because they are racists.

If that is a discussion of racism, then it would lead an objective observer to believe that there is no such thing as racism in that here is another example of racism being shouted when there is no wolf visible.

[Fire1]

75. The "wolf" is a culmination of events, innuendo and nuances.

However, it never ceases to amaze me that white people can define, determine and declare what is racist and what is not, with the utmost efficiency.

[CBR]

108. Nothing visible... I must be imagining the signs. I must be imagining

the literacy tests. So the only appropriate and legitimate discussions of racism are those that try to avoid the needed frontal public accusations of the obvious. Here is some simple logic -- 1. Obama elected; 2. Protests occur; 3. Obama Witch Doctor. Look, I know that some people disagree with the Prez because of actual policies but the complete ability of many on this site to dismiss the Tea Party's obvious racist underpinnings is absurd. One must prove racism (i.e. Dick Armey is found at a KKK meeting in full garb) before the discussions are taken seriously by many on here. Do you wonder why so many of the President's minority supporters see racism in these actions? Because they see it everyday of their lives. They know the tricks to avoid outright public racism to have a cover when accused. Then the "race card" crap statement is immediately thrown. Even on DU!!

[hfojvt]

172. what people see in their lives might not be what they think it is

If your 'argument' boils down to "I know I am right, because I know I am right" then you are not gonna be able to convince anybody who does not already agree with you. And there is the problem.

Then your next fallback is that 'all Jets are supposed to agree on these things' ("even on DU" people dare to disagree with you and ask you to prove your assertions - oh the horror!)

But yeah, you generally should make your case better than "Obama is black - the racism is obvious". Not that more than that is required to make the greatest page here. Such is our team spirit. Go Jets!!! http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/122

Also, if you find one or two or even twenty racists in a crowd of 1,000, that does not thereby prove that the entire 1,000 are all racists.

[Fire1]

251. I get what you're saying and you're right with one exception.

It would be worth "proving assertions," if the person had not witnessed, heard or read about the incidents or events that provide proof. But on this board that is not the case, unless one is illiterate. In which case, I doubt they would be on a message board. This is the point being driven home, here. Why should anyone go through the effort of providing proof of something that is blatant and has been since the inauguration?!

[Hansel]

96. There was no Tea Bagger movement when Clinton, Gore, or Carter

were in power. So this is kind of proving the point.

[Lilyeye]

149. So they can't hate democrats and be racist at the same time?

That is such a lame defense I keep seeing on DU about why race has nothing to do with this movement. Like someone stated here in the thread

"They hate the government for the freedoms it has extended to the people they hate."

And democrats are people they see extending that freedom. So of course democrats will be hated by these people.

[hfojvt]

179. I don't think I said 'nothing' and of course people can do both

However, it takes away part of the argument. You cannot prove they are racist just by showing that they hate Obama. Because they also hate Hillary and Bill and Al and John. They hate Democratic policies in much the same way that WE hate Republican policies.

Now you want to move beyond that and say they only hate Democratic policies because they are racist.

Again without proof. Sure some might still be upset about the civil rights legislation, although even an old guy like me does not remember civil rights, but otherwise it is not obvious that Democrats are 'extending freedoms' to black people any more or less than Republicans are.

I think we need to get beyond just squinting and straining and looking for any excuse, no matter how flimsy, to call the opposition racists. I don't think it's a winning strategy, no matter how noble and righteous it may make us feel.

[Lilyeye]

187. No proof?

Even if you never saw anything else...the signs and the applause to bring back the literacy test said it all. Even Meghan Mccain called it what it was.

[RagAss]

62. Racism and a Low IQ.....The fuel of the Repugs.

[HughMoran]

63. Tea Klux Klan

[The Magistrate]

76. Hear Hear, Sir!

"And the poor white remains on the caboose of the train, 'cause he's only a pawn in their game."

[EFerrari]

88. Your Honor!

LOL! It's good to read you!

[MrScorpio]

77. Damn skippy

That's their only excuse

[brettdale]

79. The person who started this thread got it 100%

Is because he is a black man, and no matter how hard Faux may say it isnt so, that is the reason.

I remeber seeing when the first tea bag protests were starting and hearing sean hannity as they panned across the all white crowd
and he said "There are people of all races here"

They will repeat the lie, that everybody who caeres about America is a tegbagger, but the truth is simple..

They are protesting because there is a Black man in the white house.

I would love someone to say libe on air to faux News, "Thank you for supporting people's right to protest and all it
took was for a black man to become president"

[Canuckistanian]

80. "Save our Constitution" - what a joke

Where was this supposed "sleeping giant" while Bush II was destroying the 1st and 4th Amendments?

And quoting Benjamin Franklin's "He who would sacrifice liberty for safety..." is the HEIGHT of hypocrisy for those who NEVER protested the PATRIOT Act.

The whole "Teabagger" movement is a prank, pulled on rubes who never learned nor ever cared to learn about REAL history.

[spanone]

81. k&r

[EFerrari]

83. Thank you.

[Number23]

89. THANK. YOU.

[Blue_Tires]

90. I've been saying that from the beginning...

that's the ONLY true common thread linking this hodgepodge of birthers, corporate billionaire CEOs, quasi-libertarians, free-marketers, Palin fanboys, Ron Paul fanboys, Minutemen, war hawks, anti-science fundies, anti-taxers, anti-'big gummitt', 9-11 truthers, RW potheads, Larouchies, pseudo-constitutionalists, red-baiters, climate change deniers 2012 end-timers and the list goes on...

That's why they never have any specifics on what they unilaterally stand for other than intangible buzzwords like 'freedom' 'capitalism' and 'the constitution'...Their minds will never accept the reality that now one black man can walk in a room, and EVERY American no matter title, status, wealth or influence, must stand up and/or salute...

It creates a disconnect from their own stereotypical mental image of that 'safe' zone of what black Americans are supposed to look, sound, and act like...I used to be into golf, and I saw the EXACT same brain freeze from the good ol' boys when Tiger Woods first won Augusta -- (The only reason there wasn't MORE backlash was because tour officials and TV execs were smart enough to see that his growing popularity was going to make EVERYONE richer)...


The hate is eroding their souls from the inside and I'm loving it -- They talk a big game, and I'm anxious to see just how far they plan to really go once this stunt reaches it's eventual failure...

[Petrodollar Warfare]

232. Tea baggers = Republican Gomorah movement

"that's the ONLY true common thread linking this hodgepodge of birthers, corporate billionaire CEOs, quasi-libertarians, free-marketers, Palin fanboys, Ron Paul fanboys, Minutemen, war hawks, anti-science fundies, anti-taxers, anti-'big gummitt', 9-11 truthers, RW potheads, Larouchies, pseudo-constitutionalists, red-baiters, climate change deniers 2012 end-timers and the list goes on..."

That's a good list - but you forget 22 to 24% of the population that is bascially fundamentalist conservative Christian, which in my view is the "core ideology" behind the "Tea Baggers." In essence, these are angry, undeducated, and intolerate people who lack critical thinking skills, and thus can not understand the complexiites of the modern world. Unfortunatley they thrive on pesonal crisis - whether real or imagined - and are rely on a "victomhood" defense mechanism so they don't have to contemplate their personal failings and/or feelings helplessness. The "born-again" tenents of funamentalist Christainity are very appealing to these folks, and that is why they supported G.W. Bush to the veyr bitter end (remember his 29% approval rating when he left office just over a year ago? - that population morphed into the tea bagger movement)

What I find so interesting and yet discouraging is that many if not most of these folks have the strange ability to believe in two contradictory ideas in their head at the same time - especially about the ways of the world and their government. These contradictory ideas are often based on internal prejudices and outright ignorance. Anyhow, I read Republican Gomorah last year, and I suspect it explains the genesis of the Tea Bagger masses, which in turn explains why Palin remains popular with 24 or so percent of the population, despite here obvious shortcomings to the world at large : http://www.republicangomorrah.com/

[treestar]

97. K&R

They are just using a new dog whistle, so they don't have to wear their sheets.

[Odin2005]

100. False dichotomy. People get angry when the economy goes busts and will often look for scapegoats.

[Hansel]

102. That would work if most of the Tea Baggers weren't of retirement age.

The Tea Baggers are a unique phenomenon. They are hard right Republicans and their demographic makeup is constantly glossed over by the media. These people NEVER voted for Obama and are angry because he won the election. You are conflating people who are frustrated with the economy and blame Obama in less insane and more rational ways with people who have been hysterically slamming Obama since he won the election.

The Tea Bagger "movement" started nearly immediately after Obama took office. That is not the same as people frustrated by the economy looking for a scapegoat. Those people gave him at least a few months before losing faith.

The OP is about Tea Baggers specifically and I agree that a great deal of their anger is because a black man has the audacity to think he has the right to be our President.

[CBR]

110. Doesn't it seem like minorities are often the scapegoats? Mexicans,

African-Americans, the Jewish... it is easy to play and capitalize on people's deepest held beliefs.

[havbrush]

101. Rethug uneployment

The rethugs always screw up the economyDuring and after the Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Daddy Bush and W Bush administrations we had depressions, recessions and job losses. It always happens because their policies are about building and maintaining wealth for themselves, their rich friends their and corporate backers. It's their job to do that, that's what they stand for and that's what they do. The country, economy, the middle and working class and the poor are of no concern. It's all about putting in place policies that help them build and maintain wealth.

[freethought]

103. I couldn't agree more

They claim that Obama is a socialist. But tell them not to use public roads, interstate highways, not to call the fire dept if their house is burning down, not to call local police if someone is trying to break in to their home and possibly harm them or their family, not to send their kids to public schools and pony up cash for a private education, and lastly not to endorse use of the military to protect the country and its Constitution and they get amnesia.

I see them as racists. They just won't say it publicly.

[FormerDittoHead]

104. What if Hillary had won? Would they have been happy? You're right, however.

I agree racism is at the core of being "Conservative".

To think that "the market" will or can resolve the race problems we have in this country is double-speak for racism, because there is no way that's ever gonna' happen. (typo on edit)

I also believe that racism is at the heart of their "America is being hijacked" rhetoric.

[Skittles]

114. it absolutely is indeed

there's nothing to else to explain why they were silent while bush wiped his ass with the Contstitution, then erupted in anger when Obama was elected

[proud2BlibKansan]

115. Yep. No doubt in my mind.

[bleever]

117. +100.

Literally, this time!

[certainot]

118. unfortunately the left collectively ignores that the modern KKK has 1000 radio stations

and basically gives it a free speech free ride. the major limbaugh megastations need to be getting regular picketing for polluting their communities with his racist global warming denial obama-threatening garbage.

it is amazing that many universities sponsor those stations through sports programming

[FunMe]

119. They are lucky they are no arrested like we were with bush!

They are VERY lucky they are not being arrested for protesting Obama. Under bush, ANY kind of protest against his policies was met with little media (unlike these clowns) and threat of arrest.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

131. That's one difference between a Repub and

Democratic administration. These people are screaming about adhering to the Constitution yet, their boy bush
had no respect for what he claimed "was just a piece of paper." So it's really no surprise or even "luck."

[happy_liberal]

123. the 'teabagger' movement has been hijacked and they were angry before Obama

I think saying their anger is racism is just reducing the dialogue even further in this country...it is just plain silly.

I think whomever is using the stupidest 'teabaggers' as their examples, are trying to divide the American people.

Because if we realized, that they and we are angry about many of the same things, like the patriot act,the coming police state, NAFTA, ending government waste....then we might all rise up together....can't have that now can we?

[emilyg]

126. I wish I could rec. your post.

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

202. Not surprising

to see the last surviving Confederate widow downplaying racism in the tea-bagger movement.

[leftstreet]

134. +1000000000000000

[quiet.american]

169. I'm sorry, but the flaw in that argument is Tom Tancredo's well-received opening remarks.

There was nothing "silly" about him standing at a nationally-televised event, and bemoaning the fact that civil literacy tests (about which there is no question were racist) are no longer given. Nothing silly about that in the 21st Century.

If this Fox News- Freedom Works-created movement were truly angry about the things you mention, they would have run Tancredo out on a rail and renounced his remarks. Which they have not done.

[NewJeffCT]

129. They would be hating any Democrat in office right now

While I certainly think race plays a part, do you really think if Hillary was president instead there would be no teabaggers?

When Bill Clinton was president, he was a murderer, a drug runner, a drug user, a rapist, a serial rapist, a child rapist, a philanderer, a draft dodger, and probably a lot more that I'm forgetting. Hillary was "Hitlery" and was a radical feminist lesbian on one hand, and had her lover Vince Foster murdered on the other. "It takes a village," was communism. Chelsea Clinton was called the family dog by Rush Limbaugh and John McCain said she was so ugly because Janet Reno was her father... Vince Foster's death was investigated six friggin' times by Congress - even the most partisan SCotUS justice in history - Tony Scalia - finally said 'enough already' on investigation #6. They even investigated Socks the Cat for cryin' out loud.

[Captain Hilts]

155. Exactly. nt

[alfredo]

133. An army acquaintance never used the "N" word until he joined the Teabaggers.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

139. Given the racial makeup of the Army that was wise on his part.

[alfredo]

141. We've both been out of the service going on 40 years. We were a tight unit

so we keep in touch.

When I arrived at my base, the first African American soldier assigned to that base was still on his first tour of duty. The nature of the mission made the brass worried about putting AA's in such a position. As it turned out, the differences in culture between the targets and the soldiers made their worries baseless.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

142. That's interesting have you considered dementia.

[alfredo]

144. Maybe, but I think it is the influence of the TB'ers. He's become very angry.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

146. That's quite a severe sudden change in someone you've known for that long.

But hey he is your friend. You'd know more than I. My mom has dementia and she routinely says extremely inappropriate things that she never said 3 years ago. Just a thought.

[alfredo]

148. The change started happening when he started getting crap from Dick Armey.

He would forward them on to the group.

[bleever]

190. I hate to say it, but dementia would make someone more susceptible to Dick Armey's agenda.

Because he clearly doesn't care about the folks he's selling to.

Best wishes to your friend.

[alfredo]

237. He's got all kinds of physical problems including diabetes. When my mom

started being affected by Alzheimer's the 700 Club and PTL did their best to take all her money. The 700 Club did the same to dad when he had cancer and it went to his brain. They had him believing his cancer wasn't being cured through prayer because he wasn't showing enough "faith" through his tithes to the 700 Club.

My sister took away their CC and checkbooks and got Power of Attorney.

[bleever]

191. dupe

[quiet.american]

137. Their opening speaker suggested bringing back "literacy tests" and hissed the president's name.

The teabaggers cheered and applauded him. No argument from me on your point. Case closed. (It should have been Palin's "macaca moment" that she appeared at the same venue, without a word of rebuke towards that blatant racism, but it just goes to show how far the envelope has been pushed as to what is again "acceptable.")

[Captain Hilts]

152. Doesn't explain their hatred of Bill Clinton. Or Hillary for that matter. It's DEMs they hate. nt

[quiet.american]

157. No doubt about that, but Keith's moniker for them, "Tea Klux Klan" really sums them up.

The fact that their opening speaker made the crux of his disdain for Obama an argument that the utterly racist literacy tests need to be brought back, and that he spit out Obama's full name, points to unabashed, shameless racism.

Would the Baggers have railed against the Clintons? No doubt. But they have been joined in their efforts by a coterie of the worst segments of our society -- racists and committed bigots. And that is not something I care to pooh-pooh.

[valerief]

158. They're also pissed off about losing their jobs and pensions. nt

[Name removed]

159. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

160. Deleted message

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[quiet.american]

161. By the way it's "democratic enemy." And that you're okay with Tom Tancredo? 'Nuff said. nt

[Name removed]

162. Deleted message

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[quiet.american]

164. That's not the worse offense of your post. nt

[Name removed]

166. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

167. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

168. Deleted message

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[quiet.american]

170. And apparently, you can't either. nt

[Name removed]

173. Deleted message

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[quiet.american]

174. I'll take my moderation. But when you stop laughing, you should really think about what you said. nt

[bushalert]

171. Amen!!!!!!!!! These racist fuckers can't stand having a black man in the oval office

and a woman as majority leader.

[SandWalker1984]

175. The tea bag movement has been taken over by Foxaganza watchers

The "original" tea bag movement of late was started by Ron Paul supporters that thought our government has moved far away from it's roots in the Constitution.

This group was hijacked by the neo-cons via Foxaganza and organized corporate groups hiding in the shadows. Watch Fox once in awhile, you might learn how they do it. A theme, catch words, etc are repeated over and over again, day after day, by various talking heads. Obama is to blame for their troubles. The Democrats are evil and will tax everyone to death. They aren't keeping you safe. They give away your money to Wall Street fat cats. Over and over, day after day. These neo-con tea baggers watch nothing but Fox -- ask them. Only Fox gives them the truth.

The Keystone copy actions of Obama and the Democrats in Congress have played into the neo-con's hands. Obama took office with an incredibly high approval rating. You can't blame the drop in approval on racism.

The neo-con tea bagger movement is about preaching propaganda to people who are willing to believe it.

[WallStreetNobody]

177. Teabaggers are racist uneducated inbreds...

...pure and simple. This fake "grassroots" organization that was created and still funded by corporate lobbying groups like FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity is simply a tool for corporations to get poor dumb uneducated racists to ignore their own interests and fight for theirs.

Teabaggers = bitter old racist uneducated inbred hicks. Nothing more.

[Enthusiast]

219. You are right!

Racist uneducated inbreds!

[bandit599]

180. Better to be civil than be angry.

It's always good to practice civility.

[Name removed]

184. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Guilded Lilly]

181. I've always thought so...

even without all your well stated facts.

[Oldtimeralso]

182. Tea-baggers=Racists

I have had the opportunity on several occasions to be somewhat of a fly on the wall at at least three local gathering places in 3 semi-small towns in Iowa. I seem to blend in to the crowd as I have had an outdoor job of some sort for 51 years. The farmers come into town a lot in the winter to talk over breakfast or just a cup of coffee.

This is corn country in central Iowa and a lot of money is made off corn! These people brag about the new seed (GM probably)fertilizer and pesticides. Crop yields have grown by six times over the last 50 years. The market for their crops has multiplied tremendously as it is now a sweetener and even can replace that "Arab" oil.

Politics is a very hot topic there. Obama was not born in the US. Acorn stole the election. Obama canceled the Social Security raise this year. The government is going to take over and close all the banks. Obama gave away all of the countries assets to Wall St. The government has no business interfering with their health care. Obama is going to kill Medicare. They went on and on.

In one small place the manager was walking around talking to the locals asking them how they were doing. He went up to one table that was very vocal and asked "Is everyone OK?" one of the locals replied " How can anyone be OK with a F**king N***er as President and some of the others in earshot nodded approval and a few even applauded!

I looked at my wife and said under my breath "Lets go", and then stated in a loud voice "You know the garbage man says EMPTY CANS MAKE THE MOST NOISE". When I returned the next day the manager came up to me and told me I was no longer welcome at his establishment. I walked out and didn't pay for the coffee and hoped he liked the omelet that I had ordered a few minutes earlier.

[Lilyeye]

186. And they're many people who have plenty of stories like you. I know I do.

I have repuke tea bagging loving family members that have (since the election) become very vocal about their disdain and disgusting racism. Not only that, you see it in their disgusting signs and at their convention where they cheer for literacy test. However, this type of proof isn't enough for some folks to open their eyes and see what is really going on. For some to imply that racism has no part whatsoever in this is foolish. But I guess the rest of us should shut up because after all...its just pulling the "race card." :eyes:

[Enthusiast]

221. Anyone that lives in a rural

community and is acquainted with these more extreme Republican types(teabaggers)knows they are racist. It is perfectly obvious. Their own words betray them.

[raccoon]

242. Kudos to you! Glad you didn't pay for it. nt

[the other one]

189. THere are no black tea-baggers?

Okay then.

[deacon]

192. Absolutely. n/t

[Hamlette]

193. I know exactly how they feel. I felt the same way when the neocons took over my country

Neocons are a minority and also a bunch of war mongering, republican assholes. If they see blacks as I see republicans, I feel their pain.

Problem is, I have a reason for hating neocons in particular and republicans in general.

[pnorman]

194. Am I a Troll, Lurker, or Freeper?

I spotted this item: "The # of employees in the Federal Government and the White House all grew under Reagan,
Bush 1, and bush #"

I'm not disputing it, but it's something I hadn't heard before (although I know much of the rest to be true). I'd appreciate some help here. Otherwise, it'll have to be a hot date with Ms. Google!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

195. Spot on.

[The Animator]

196. Personally, I love the guy's sign paraphrasing the Ben Franklin quote

"They who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~Franklin

Yeah...
Wonder where this guy was when * passed the Patriot Act.


That's another thing, just the naming convention for their legislation back then was enough to give me the damn red ass.

It was like the god damned Ministry of Truth was put in charge of it.

The Clear Skies Act... basically gave loggers a free pass to chop down trees.

The No Child Left Behind Act... (Very Military By the Way, with it's allusion to the Army Rangers motto) Assured that many children would never learn to think for themselves.

And the Patriot Act... That ones the fucking kicker... If that Ben Franklin quote alone is any indication, the founding fathers of our nation would have hated this legislation. More than that, they would have sacrificed their lives to oppose it. That is what being a true American patriot means. The strength of their convictions compelled them to risk their lives for the sake of the very civil liberties The Patriot Act was meant to circumvent.

I think it makes more sense if you read it very literally. The Patriot Act... they were only acting like they were patriots...


... and these idiots with the signs bought it hook line and sinker.

[Loudmxr]

197. I have heard it claimed that Clinton never sent a soldier to combat that didn't come home.

One RWer said "No!! the total is 47!!"

To which I said "OK 47. Still a lot less that GWB." :crazy:

[democracy1st]

198. K & R

[Historic NY]

199. I think the "grumpy old man syndrome " plays a big role in this too.

[FrenchieCat]

200. +100% Botany......

By Jove, I think you've got it!


cause it is what it is.

[pundaint]

201. I do not agree with the premise. Calling teabaggers racist ignores the underlying Corporate

disinformation campaign employing genuine science to prompt some of us citizens to militate against our own interests. The stupid have been motivated, there's just a higher percentage of racists among the stupid. Manipulation of the stupid by and for the benefit of corporate interests is the real issue here. Racism, while real, is incidental.

[JoeyT]

203. I think you angered a bunch of

concern trolls.

Anyone that's been to a tea party meeting can tell you how they generally progress.
They start out trying to claim they're just angry about taxes, then they move on to dog whistles. Give them a bit of time to get worked into a froth and they stop bothering trying to hide it.
"Cut taxes" moves on to "Not like us!" which rapidly becomes outright racial slurs.


I'd strongly encourage anyone that hasn't gone to a tea party meeting to visit one. Don't bother arguing with them. They're stupid racists, so it won't do any good. Just observe them and see how long the progression between lying/dog whistles/openly racist takes.
I've been to a few and it never takes more than an hour per phase. (And I always get accused of being from Mexico/SA or repeatedly asked for a Green Card, even though I'm a NA, not Mexican/South American. Not that they ever believe that.)

[Lilyeye]

271. +1000

[barbtries]

204. i agree

on some other board one of the posters was raving about how well SP did in her speech to the tea party last weekend. the comment "made obama boy look pathetic."

the racism leaks out constantly because it is the biggest part of their rage. sad really.

[Enthusiast]

205. It is the main reason.

You are correct.

But these people are gullible. They have been spoon fed much of their outrage from Dick Armey and Glenn Beck.

They were told that, not only is Obama black, he is also inexperienced, an elitist, a socialist, a stealth Muslim, anti-American, educated, a communist and fascist.

They were also convinced that Obama has a destructive agenda. He is out to destroy the economy so we can have a new world order. I guess he is doing this so the fascist, communist, Muslim, socialists can take over the world and enslave white people to pay them back for slavery or some other such ridiculous shit.

[DisgustedInMN]

212. I'm sorry, but broad brush generalities..

.. might feel satisfying to use, but are rarely all that accurate. As a matter of fact, using your kind of "logic" to judge an entire swath of people, is exactly what you accuse them of.

[DailyGrind51]

217. Ironically, John Edwards was probably the preferred choice among the 3 Dems.

because he is both white and male.

[liberal N proud]

220. The hypocrisy of these people is truly amazing

How they can protest the current Administration when they supported the same actions by previous administrations for so long.

[BuckIA]

223. Let's call them what thay are: The Tea Klux Klan

[EnviroBat]

225. My friends and I have a running joke. It just slipped out the other night.

"Trying to get credit from the banks is harder than finding a black man at a Tea Party rally..."

[Scruffy1]

226. You think

If you are just figuring it out your slow, but at least you got it right.

[Arkana]

230. It's not "their" Constitution.

They act like the central tenets of government belong to them and them alone. They don't, and I'm pretty sure Jefferson and Madison would back me up.

[mod mom]

233. Yep! rec'd

:hi:

[dem mba]

236. You're forgetting something

if Hillary were Prez, they'd be up in arms and you'd be posting that the Teabaggers are all sexist. In some parallel universe Al Gore would have been villafied as a commie socialist Nazi or whatever else they want to make up.

Race, gender, it don't matter. It's just one of many reasons they have to shit on the Democrat in Chief. They are so invested in their conservative philosophy of strong military, de-regulation and small government that anything that contradicts its tenets must be challenged ferociously. The GOP ran the show for the past 8 years and the country is on the brink of collapge. How can this be? It couldn't possibly be Bush' fault? Or maybe Bush just wasn't the right kind of conservative. Whatever, they'll just keep moving the goalposts when you try and pin them down on that point.

They don't want to face the truth: their entire world-view is totally inaccurate and detrimental to the well-being of this country. Ironically, it's very unpatriotic.

[EFerrari]

241. If you work your way through their list of presenters

every single one has made very public racist statements. That's not an accident. Race matters to these hateful people quite a bit. Yes, they would be calling Hillary and Al all kinds of names, too. But racism is the glue that holds these people together.

[kpominville]

238. The Fact Remains...

If McCain had won, these people would NOT be out there because the far-right groups like Freedomworks and Fox News would not have organized them in the first place.

[liberalhistorian]

239. I have no doubt that there's a lot of truth to that.

There's a lot of ugly racism in this state that's coming out of the woodwork. There are even people who insist on calling him "Barry Hussein" and who never use the word "President" in referring to him. A lot of these people (and there are a lot of teabag nutballs in my state, believe me) were either totally silent while Bush was doing all of the things they claim they're angry about, or were totally supportive. Where was all of this angst about the deficit and spending during eight years of war and raiding the treasury? The fact of the matter is they don't mind deficit spending as long as it goes to endless, senseless wars perpetrated by Republicans and as long as THEIR person and party is in power. Period.

Oh, and I also think there's more than a bit of selfish "I got mine, fuck you" sentiment involved as well. Because what they appear to be most upset about are any proposals for human services programs, (health care, education, etc.). Oh, no, how dare they be asked to assist their fellow citizens, that just can't happen! But they expect such services to be available to THEM because they always have a good reason for needing them, whereas others don't. Heard it a million times. They don't mind endless military spending that kills our own soldiers as well as citizens and soldiers of other nations, but heaven forbid anything should be spent on their fellow citizens.

And, as a Christian myself, I am beyond disgusted at their very non-Christian, selfish attitudes while claiming that they are the "true" Christians. Bleh. Yeah, right. True Christians would never put the profit of a corporation (insurance companies) ahead of the health and well-being of people and true Christians would never even sanction a for-profit health care system that puts money ahead of needs and lives.

[jae1227]

247. I think it is Sorry Loser Syndrome

Well thats that I call it. They can't get over that fact that they lost in 2008. That plus the right wing media outlets telling people that he is going to destroy this country.

[catbyte]

248. Amen to that

And boy, are they ever defensive when you call them out on it! I got into a real flame war over on The Daily Beast a few days ago because I brought up this very point.

It was entertaining yet pathetic.

Diane

Anishnabe in MI

[onehandle]

253. Yep. And they have plans --->

[Rozlee]

254. Who is this freeptard going around messing with our home?

Message to you: Don't your knuckles get calluses from dragging them on the ground so much? I think Teabaggers are just delusional from all the hyperventilation they get from being mouthbreathers. Just get your spittle spewing self away from our home and go back to Freeplandistan with all the other less evolved forms of life, you beetle-browed Troglodyte. Sheesh, don't those freepers have a life? Besides devolving, that is?

[Kermitt Gribble]

256. I think The #1 reason behind the Teabaggers' anger

is that there is a Democrat in the White House. There's no doubt a great number, if not most, of the teabaggers are racists, but they would be angry at anyone occupying the White House with a 'D' behind their name. The fact that Obama is a black man just makes them slightly more angry.

[BrklynLiberal]

257. I agree 100%. There are those out there who are doing everything they can to foster and

encourage that anger. Nothing would make them happier than to ensure his failure....as a Democrat and as a black President.
I am sorry to say that I believe there are even some of those within the Democratic party....

[SemperEadem]

260. exactly, End of discussion.

they are roaches who need a good blast of Raid.

[Amaya]

261. Sure it is!

they use the word SOCIALIST instead of the N word. Their little "protests" are nothing more than KKK rallies.

my name for them is...... fucking numb-nutted mouth-breathing moronic low life shit bag bigots! :grr:

[femrap]

262. Yep.....plus he's

much smarter than they are.

And he reads books...an INTELLIGENT Black man.

[anachro1]

263. Meanwhile, Mrs. Sarah Palin

will never survive the necessary debates against the OTHER incompetent Republicans begging for attention.

Can you just see her trying to implement her simplistic debate techniques against such cold and ugly sharks as Meg Ryan and Carla Fiorina?

They will mop up the floor with old Sarah.

[RedRoses323]

264. 100% Correct......

Your post = Reality Card!

[McCamy Taylor]

267. Even before I clicked on the thread, I knew the answer. This is the whitest bunch of folks you ever

saw. They might as well be wearing white hoods and carrying burning crosses.

[smoogatz]

269. For most of them, it's not race. It's because THEY LOST.

Their ideology was rejected by the majority of the electorate and it pisses them off. If Obama was a conservative Republican, they'd embrace him with open arms--and declare any criticism of him or his policies out of bounds because of his race. It's not about race as much as it is about simple politics, IMO. They lost, and they're pissed.

[cleverusername]

274. Undeniable racism from these folks

Unfortunately, I have to live among some of these nutjobs. These are the same people who said that "now they are going to take over" after President Obama got elected. "They" are black people. It's perfectly clear what these bigots are saying. Fortunately, most of these people will die off soon.

Those who say "Don't play the race card" are simply saying "Don't call me on my racist bullshit."

[Kurovski]

275. I regret that I have but one rec vote to give to Botany.

That the corporate media takes them seriously is purest horseshit.

If truth is the goal, Their concerns should be dismantled in the same manner you have done here, with every report or article that media releases.

[Botany]

276. You like me .... you really like me.

Thanx for all the posts ..... well most of them ..... :rofl:

[Kurovski]

279. Yes, but for god's sake...

do something about that hair.

[Lilyeye]

280. lol

[B Calm]

277. A black man from Kenya who pals around with terrorists and wants to pull the plug on grandma!

Did I tell you he is BLACK?

[katty]

278. Bingo! same ole soggy tea bags used to cover the obvious