Lesson of Tea Parties
The tea parties held across the United States were a resounding success. The tradition of the Boston Tea Party of 1773 was alive and well throughout the country. It is being reported that over 400,000 people gathered at a grass roots level to express their views towards government at all levels. The various media people covering the events around the country were searching for the meaning behind the protests. As an organizer of the event in Bismarck, I had my ideas about what the event should be about. After reading the signs, hearing those in the crowd speak to those in attendance, and listening to the hundreds of private conversations being held between strangers of like mind those hunches were confirmed.
The comments most often responded to with cheers from the audience were those made against incumbency. People have had enough from both parties and do not trust either party to do what is best for the country. Glenn Beck at the Alamo in San Antonio said the Democrats suck. The crowd cheered. He then said they suck no more than the Republicans and the crowd cheered even louder. (watch here) The reality is there is an ever growing movement out there of people who no longer trust their elected officials. These people know what the Democrats are about. What has now motivated them to get out and take action is because Republicans lied to them. President Bush started this bailout craze but truth be told him and the Republican Congress began growing government shortly after his inauguration.
The pace then was much slower than the warp speed we see now, hence the grass root call to action. As we left the Bismarck tea party a few of us reflected how in the future there is going to be a seismic shift in American politics. It is my belief that a new political party is going to be the end result of the tea party movement. The Democrats have moved further and further to the left and out of the mainstream of America. Republicans now act as Democrats did years ago. It is these Republicans who are going to face the decision to join the Democrats or join the conservative movement displayed at the tea parties.
Glenn Beck discussed this very idea on his radio program on Thursday. (transcript here) People at these tea parties are going to be leaving the two parties and declaring their independence. They will become a larger and larger voting block. It will be up to the Republicans to join them or become irrelevant. Rush Limbaugh voiced his displeasure with a three party system on Friday. It is his view that conservatives must take control of the Republican Party. Rush Limbaugh was also not at a tea party. He did not experience first hand the sentiment of those in attendance. Make no mistake about it; the sentiment was ANTI both parties. His spiel of Democrats bad, Republicans good will not play to this crowd. They don’t trust either party nor should they.
I said at the end of the event, “Imagine if every incumbent lost in November. We would have new solutions given by new sets of eyes on today’s problems.” The tax day tea parties were the beginning of something every incumbent should pay attention too. If I were them I would be very afraid, very, very afraid. Your time is coming. It may not happen this November but by 2010 it will. The attitude on display on Wednesday will only grow louder. The tea parties held on or around Independence Day will be twice as large. I would suggest Limbaugh find the time to attend one.
May 28, 2010 at 8:22 am
If only more than 80 people would hear this.