Tapscott's Too Partisan On Tea Parties For Now

The politics of the Tea Party movement are self-evident and will be even more so come election time. But aren't there some Republicans who might need to be marched on, as well?

h/t Instapundit. Mark's an acquaintance and blog friend. There's quite a bit to read in this item on Obama, Rush and the Tea Parties. As for some specific advice he offers, I somewhat disagree.

Involving Boehner, McConnell and Steele too much too early risks turning this into a partisan political movement before its time. That doesn't mean GOP politicians should ignore them, or not take advantage of an invitation to speak if one is extended. But emphasis should be on growing outside the DC establishment in my view. The movement doesn't need the baggage of the GOP right now.

A summer march on DC sounds good but I'd leave out Pelosi's office in San Francisco. She isn't subject to influence while some others are. And I wouldn't rule out marching on some GOP politicians, too. If you can find enough protesters in Pelosi's district to mount a worthwhile protest, fine. But outsiders in a Congressional district don't mean much in the end.

Mark lives and works inside the Beltway so I can understand why he might see it as he does. Personally, I'd like to see this remain a somewhat non-partisan, outside the beltway effort for now.

Comments

[mark l.]

why not try gathering at a 'friendly' confine?

wouldn't be the worst thing to gather outside a congressman's office, who opposed the stimulus.

a few signs of 'thanks', 'attaboy/girl', 'no to socialism' and the critter might even come out and give a few words, shake a few hands. it's worth a pic in the paper.

[Kate]

There was only one bad thing in the Atlanta Tea Party: letting Republican office holders/candidates speak. If they want to stand in the rain with signs like the rest of us, all well and good, but they are as much a part of the problem as the Democrats and showing up now to speak against pork and gov't growth does not cut it. Too late. They had the best chance ever to produce smaller gov't and promote freedom. They chose to buy votes with pork and gov't growth instead. I will not protest for them.

[justsayno2islam]

Tea Parties work. We have Obama defined as the power crazed tyrant who will make you pay the bills for deadbeats and fools. We don't need no stinkin' GOP to figure it out.

[mark l.]

"There was only one bad thing in the Atlanta Tea Party: letting Republican office holders/candidates speak."

good to know. not a big surpirse though.

thanks.

[Al Reasin]

The old Frankenstein March with pitchforks and touches would be welcomed, but not likely to happen. At the DC Tea Party, because I came early and was flying the Dont Tread On Me Navy Jack on a ten foot pole and had become the focal point at the beginning of the rally, I was asked by the federal police officer if I had a permit. Permit on public property to express my 1st amendment rights? Yes, it is required. And one from the city if we were on PA avenue in front of the WH. Fortunately the organizer did have one for the park and the police were very polite; even the SWAT supervisor observing us. The problem is organizing people. No politicians to my knowledge were at the Tea Party, but ~300 people were and it started at the lunch hour, 12 noon. I traveled 110 miles, walked from Union Station to Lafayette Park and was disappointed at the turnout and the lack of political support.

I believe that the message has to be taken to the politicians at their local office as I wrote to a friend last night. At least 4 demonstrators each day, 5 days a week. I bet it is not legal in many areas to do so without a permit. There certainly are enough retirees and unemployed to do so, but who will organize. People I know will complain and I have gotten them to write letters/e-mails but not take any overt action.

This complacency reminds me of "First they came for . . . . a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Mr. Obama and the Democrats are certainly not Nazis, but they are, through legislative subversion of our constitutional rights, impacting American traditions and principles and I, to a large measure, see the same reaction as the pastor did in Germany.

[Two of Eight]

Dan:
A summer march on DC sounds good but I'd leave out Pelosi's office in San Francisco. She isn't subject to influence while some others are. And I wouldn't rule out marching on some GOP politicians, too. If you can find enough protesters in Pelosi's district to mount a worthwhile protest, fine. But outsiders in a Congressional district don't mean much in the end.

Yep. Questionable use of resources to protest Mrs. Pelosi directly.

I think it's not a partisan phenomenon. You probably have some Obama voters involved in some of these protests.
"Buyer's remorse". I know people who basically just voted against Republicans and are now aghast, aghast, at the ultraliberal agenda.

So... yeah. If I could see it done what I think is the right way, I'd see protests at the local offices of any politician who either voted with the administration's policies, or any who even considered it or can be confirmed regardless of actual vote, to have been any on the fence.

[Two of Eight]

Al:
I believe that the message has to be taken to the politicians at their local office as I wrote to a friend last night.

Yes. The object of the game should now be to make the regular news. Near as I can tell the protests have no profile on the local news: though I'm not the most rigorous follower. I think that's the best way to get there.

You want TV; you want exposure. You want to get outside the echo chamber. Local news first - national maybe later.

And:

"the Dont Tread On Me Navy Jack" is called the "Gadsden" flag. Just a little trivia.

[Al Reasin]

The Gadsden flag (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_flag)has a yellow background with a coiled rattlesanake. What I flew was the jack with the red and white horizonal stripes with the surpent climbing up the stripes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Navy_Jack). The first Marines marched with the Gadsden image on thier drum to the navy ship flying the Jack. Our navy had returned to the Navy Jack after 9-11.

Take care and be safe.