Comments on: The Looney Right & The Tea Parties http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/ I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:02:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: ShaunKenney.com » Blinded By An Ideology Never Followed http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-305227 ShaunKenney.com » Blinded By An Ideology Never Followed Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:40:45 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-305227 [...] Not only is the false vigilance disturbing, but the approach and tenor kills me.  For instance, get to about 2:00: [...] [...] Not only is the false vigilance disturbing, but the approach and tenor kills me.  For instance, get to about 2:00: [...]

]]> By: Tea Party Fail | Prose Before Hos http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296988 Tea Party Fail | Prose Before Hos Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:01:30 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296988 [...] Are the tea parties “a sham and a fraud”?, MSNBC devotes 13 minutes to “teabagging” puns, The Looney Right & The Tea Parties, Addressing some Tea Party concerns, Time to Party Tomorrow, St. Louis News Links Tea Party [...] [...] Are the tea parties “a sham and a fraud”?, MSNBC devotes 13 minutes to “teabagging” puns, The Looney Right & The Tea Parties, Addressing some Tea Party concerns, Time to Party Tomorrow, St. Louis News Links Tea Party [...]

]]> By: tfr http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296657 tfr Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:15:47 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296657 My Looney-ometer is showing some movement. Unfortunately, that's the end of it. Once it becomes fringe, it's laughed off as non-mainstream. My Looney-ometer is showing some movement.
Unfortunately, that’s the end of it. Once it becomes fringe, it’s laughed off as non-mainstream.

]]> By: Various nuts at “tea party” call digital converter boxes for televisions “brain-washing devices” and for book burnings… | I'm Surrounded By Idiots http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296651 Various nuts at “tea party” call digital converter boxes for televisions “brain-washing devices” and for book burnings… | I'm Surrounded By Idiots Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:19:21 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296651 [...] How sad. Check it out at Below the Beltway… [...] [...] How sad. Check it out at Below the Beltway… [...]

]]> By: Shaun Kenney http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296475 Shaun Kenney Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:56:13 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296475 They succeed if and only if they elect good, pro-liberty candidates to public office who will reduce the size, scope, and power of government. They fail if we're just venting opposition. Movements such as these (and this one is more reactionary than liberty-minded) are good because they allow others to sit up and realize they are not alone. It's what Jefferson might call "natural manure", insofar as the movement is willing to weed itself of the nutcases and the opportunists -- and not confuse those with their friends. It's a tightrope, but not entirely unprecedented. After all, the conservative movement did take the GOP over (albeit briefly) from the country club set. Maybe now is the time for the liberty movement to do the same? They succeed if and only if they elect good, pro-liberty candidates to public office who will reduce the size, scope, and power of government.

They fail if we’re just venting opposition.

Movements such as these (and this one is more reactionary than liberty-minded) are good because they allow others to sit up and realize they are not alone. It’s what Jefferson might call “natural manure”, insofar as the movement is willing to weed itself of the nutcases and the opportunists — and not confuse those with their friends.

It’s a tightrope, but not entirely unprecedented. After all, the conservative movement did take the GOP over (albeit briefly) from the country club set. Maybe now is the time for the liberty movement to do the same?

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296465 Doug Mataconis Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:09:36 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296465 Shaun, Its really a two-prong problem. To the extent the tea parties are co-opted by GOP officials like Newt Gingrich (who supported the biggest bailout in American history back in September), they lose credibility. To the extent they do nothing about the nutcases within their ranks, they are easily dismissed. Personally, I don't see how "movements' like this accomplish anything. Shaun,

Its really a two-prong problem. To the extent the tea parties are co-opted by GOP officials like Newt Gingrich (who supported the biggest bailout in American history back in September), they lose credibility. To the extent they do nothing about the nutcases within their ranks, they are easily dismissed.

Personally, I don’t see how “movements’ like this accomplish anything.

]]> By: Shaun Kenney http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296464 Shaun Kenney Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:45:03 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296464 Doug's got a point -- an awful valid one at that. The video is just a microcosm of everything wrong with the reactionary movement at this point. The third parties are ineffective and not serious about making an impact, most members refuse to participate in the political arena in a meaningful way (why this is better than losing elections, I have no idea), and in order to aggregate numbers we find ourselves surrounded by the truly weird. Any small wonder why most liberty-minded folks just stay away from it all? Until we get serious about who we are -- and not what we're against -- we're never going to take back the country. Book burning? Stormfront? Brainwashing? Libertarians and Constitutionalists surrendering the GOP to the "right wing of big government"? Those aren't the answers. But they sure as hell are part of the problem. Good post, Doug. Doug’s got a point — an awful valid one at that.

The video is just a microcosm of everything wrong with the reactionary movement at this point. The third parties are ineffective and not serious about making an impact, most members refuse to participate in the political arena in a meaningful way (why this is better than losing elections, I have no idea), and in order to aggregate numbers we find ourselves surrounded by the truly weird.

Any small wonder why most liberty-minded folks just stay away from it all?

Until we get serious about who we are — and not what we’re against — we’re never going to take back the country. Book burning? Stormfront? Brainwashing? Libertarians and Constitutionalists surrendering the GOP to the “right wing of big government”?

Those aren’t the answers. But they sure as hell are part of the problem.

Good post, Doug.

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296456 Doug Mataconis Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:38:34 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296456 And if the book burners are allowed to be taken seriously as members of this "coalition" it will suffer the same fate that Ron Paul did when he did nothing about the Stormfront endorsements and the newsletters And if the book burners are allowed to be taken seriously as members of this “coalition” it will suffer the same fate that Ron Paul did when he did nothing about the Stormfront endorsements and the newsletters

]]> By: Steve Bierfeldt http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296426 Steve Bierfeldt Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:54:28 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296426 There are many individuals who remain solidly in the camp of liberty and the Constitution, who question the theory of evolution. As a Christian who unapologetically believes in literal Biblical creation, an adherence to the principles of our founding fathers is still very much a focus. There are many individuals who remain solidly in the camp of liberty and the Constitution, who question the theory of evolution. As a Christian who unapologetically believes in literal Biblical creation, an adherence to the principles of our founding fathers is still very much a focus.

]]> By: Zeph http://belowthebeltway.com/2009/04/11/the-looney-right-the-tea-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-296363 Zeph Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:50:56 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/?p=15749#comment-296363 These people are not the people i know involved in the true tea parties. These are Beckians and we don't appreciate him and his "followers" stepping into something that has its roots going back a couple years. They have nothing to stand for beyond not wanting to pay their taxes. These people don't represent us and i just hope they fade off from the protests in the short term before they ruin it. Because, if the protests progress to what they're meant to stand for, those of you blasting them will be joining us in them. We are non-partisan. We do not like the extremes of either side. These people are not the people i know involved in the true tea parties. These are Beckians and we don’t appreciate him and his “followers” stepping into something that has its roots going back a couple years. They have nothing to stand for beyond not wanting to pay their taxes.

These people don’t represent us and i just hope they fade off from the protests in the short term before they ruin it. Because, if the protests progress to what they’re meant to stand for, those of you blasting them will be joining us in them. We are non-partisan. We do not like the extremes of either side.

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