Time will tell. Unlike others, I have no idea how the elections will turn out. I never try to second-guess voters.
I do think the Tea Party is not really a third party but just an "adjustment" of the Republican Party further right.
I think the emergency of the Tea Party is going to make real third parties, like the Libertarian Party, a lot more acceptable as an alternative to voters.
Wayne Harrison wrote:
I do think the Tea Party is not really a third party but just an "adjustment" of the Republican Party further right.
So you think that lower taxes, less government control, smaller government, less government takeovers, less wasteful spending, less deficit, and more personal responsibility is further right? Good to know what you think is 'further right', because that is what the Tea Party is pushing for and stands for. What is the left for then? Must be the opposite.
Oh and by the way sorry I didn't get to tlak to you today at breakfast. You left by the time I got settled in.
What you're describing isn't any different from the Republican platform.
It's not me, it's the GOP that thinks the Tea Party is too extreme. I'm sure they don't think they are extreme to the left. There's only one other direction left.
And here's the Tea Party Contract, as drafted by members:
1. Identify constitutionality of every new law: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does. (82.03%)
2. Reject emissions trading: Stop the "cap and trade" administrative approach used to control carbon dioxide emissions by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide. (72.20%)
3. Demand a balanced federal budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax modification. (69.69%)
4. Simplify the tax system: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words – the length of the original Constitution. (64.9%)
5. Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities. (63.37%)
6. Limit annual growth in federal spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%)
7. Repeal the health care legislation passed on March 23, 2010: Defund, repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (56.39%)
8. Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation. (55.5%)
9. Reduce Earmarks: Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%)
10. Reduce Taxes: Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend current temporary reductions in income tax, capital gains tax and estate taxes, currently scheduled to end in 2011. (53.38%)
Wayne Harrison wrote: What you're describing isn't any different from the Republican platform.
It's not me, it's the GOP that thinks the Tea Party is too extreme. I'm sure they don't think they are extreme to the left. There's only one other direction left.
I am part of the GOP and I don't think they are too extreme. The only ones who do are the status quo RINO's. We can't do status quo anymore.
Wayne Harrison wrote: Time will tell. Unlike others, I have no idea how the elections will turn out. I never try to second-guess voters.
I do think the Tea Party is not really a third party but just an "adjustment" of the Republican Party further right.
I think the emergency of the Tea Party is going to make real third parties, like the Libertarian Party, a lot more acceptable as an alternative to voters.
Real third parties? The toothless paper tigers out there, including the libertarians? If the emergence of the Tea Party were to have the effect of making "real third parties" more acceptable to voters, it would have happened already. No, I doubt it. If the Tea Party were to become a "third party", it would end up choosing a more mainstream name. As I see it, the Tea Party is basically a watchdog with enormous influence on the political landscape, as witnessed by their stunning successes thus far with the victories of the candidates they endorsed, with more certainly to come.
Your Tea Party Contract that you posted may be one accepted by some Tea Party Group somewhere, sounds similar to some of the things we as an individual group have espoused, but as explained previously, many times by the way, we are not a nationally organized group, not funded by some mysterious billionaire, but a whole lot of pissed off people. Unlike other groups, which definitely includes the Left, we don't receive marching orders or Talking points put down from on high, and then goose step to those orders.
We establish our own priorities. Concentrate on what we think is important and do what we can. To you, as an individual, and as a journalist employed by the mainstream media, everything fits neatly into some box that you paint, but we don't agree to get into your box.
outdoor338 wrote: the tea party is calling out republicans who don't follow basic republican values, and exposing them!
Exactly. At least Republicans are holding thier representatives feet to the fire and doing something about it and voting in change. Again I ask, what are the Democrats doing other than whining and voting in the same old people and then wondering why nothing changes? :bash
Nmysys wrote: we are not a nationally organized group
We establish our own priorities. Concentrate on what we think is important and do what we can. To you, as an individual, and as a journalist employed by the mainstream media, everything fits neatly into some box that you paint, but we don't agree to get into your box.
And therein lies your problem. You are not a nationally organized group.
And painting me in a box is no different that what you are accusing me of.
As I stated before, I am posting my opinions as an American citizen. I have that right. I don't appreciate you constantly bringing my employment into the picture when I never mention it.
