Astroturf Tea

[ReverendHellh0und]

Hoplite,


What is a "teabagger" and why are you so into being obnoxious? Is tbis how you try to be "moderate" as you claimed in your other thread? Do you think bein rude and vulgar makes you sound intelligent and someone who others would loom to engage in with civil discourse? Personally i am embarrassed for you.

 

[RightinNYC]

Thats because you ignored it the first time

I pointed out that simply because some wealthy people were involved at the beginning, it doesn't mean that a movement is not "grassroots." You responded by repeating that some wealthy people were involved at the beginning. I don'r really know what else to say.

 

[Josie]

One of the big things that the teabaggers like to claim is that their movement is a welling up of all this "anger" that's hanging around. They say that their movement is a grassroots movement and use that to try to validate their point about it being made up of "angry Americans", they try to hide the fact that the teabaggers are basically just radical Republicans and radical Libertarians.

Define "radical Republicans" and "radical Libertarians".

And, yes, the tea parties have former Republicans, Republicans, Independents, former Democrats and Libertarians - and they're angry and American. It seems to me like you're defining "angry Americans" as people with no political party at all who just suddenly became interested in politics.

 

[Josie]

I pointed out that simply because some wealthy people were involved at the beginning, it doesn't mean that a movement is not "grassroots." You responded by repeating that some wealthy people were involved at the beginning. I don'r really know what else to say.

It appears as if Hoplite has run out of anti-tea party rants, so he's trying this moronic line of debate.

 

[Barbbtx]

Do you recall the vitriol against George Soros for spending money on political organizations? The Koch brothers are a wealthier, more political versioin of Soros

LOL, Soros has more money than God! And definatly political. He finances Center for American Progress, Media Matters and who knows what else. He pumped tons of money into the 2004 campaign because of his hatered for GW Bush. He's sitting this one out because he KNOWS it's a waste of money to try to save the liberals.
You're very ill informed if you think the Koch Bro. have very much in common. However, I do enjoy calling them the George Soros for the Conservatives, or bragging that now we also have a Sugar Daddy.

 

[Hoplite]

I pointed out that simply because some wealthy people were involved at the beginning, it doesn't mean that a movement is not "grassroots." You responded by repeating that some wealthy people were involved at the beginning. I don'r really know what else to say.

Having wealthy people build your movement for you is not grassroots. It kinda detracts from the "we're just angry Americans" line.

Define "radical Republicans" and "radical Libertarians".

Radical Republicans I would classify as people on the far right of the Republican spectrum.

Radical Libertarians I generally classify as people who seem to think we dont need government for anything.

And, yes, the tea parties have former Republicans, Republicans, Independents, former Democrats and Libertarians - and they're angry and American. It seems to me like you're defining "angry Americans" as people with no political party at all who just suddenly became interested in politics.

No, I'm just questioning the "grassroots" nature of the teabagger movement.

 

[Barbbtx]

Whats a teabagger? Why are you so obsessed with it?

He gets a thrill up his leg whenever he thinks of teabagging.. He can't help himself. Cut him some slack.

 

[Josie]

Radical Republicans I would classify as people on the far right of the Republican spectrum.

Who believe what?

Please provide evidence that tea partiers are anarchists. I know many people that have been to tea parties, organized them, agree with them, etc. and none of them are anarchists.

 

[BmanMcfly]

No, I dont. I just dont buy that this STARTED with a few angry Americans, it's not a grassroots movement

Hold up a second... the 'tea parties' were originally organized as a sort of blend between 9-11 truth and the Ron Paul supporters... this movement started to build momentum when the likes of Glen Beck coming in and through a process the 'tea party movement' had been infiltrated by many supporters of the group that are antagonistic to the original intentions of the tea party, by using rhetoric that WAS INITIALLY non-partisan, but giving it a sort of Republican right cover, and the left was able to demonize the movement (somewhat) as a bunch of racists...

ANYWAY, I do fail to understand what this guy is funding?? Is he paying people to attend the protests?? I mean the tea parties aren't exactly an 'organization' that you could donate to after all, so I find this curious. BUT, at the same time, the movement has been co-opted to a large extent by parties interested in playing politics and keeping this movement within the confines of the two-party system.

Thats not actually what it is. Astroturfing means something that was organized by a business or other professional group but made to look like a spontaneous grassroots movement. The term can extend to marketing as well but is usually used in reference to politics. The OP is case in point.

Originally, YES, the tea parties WERE spontaneously created grassroots efforts... BUT this is no longer the case.

The closest I could offer would be the feminist movement as analogy : The ORIGINAL feminist movement was largely grassroots efforts to bring equality of the sexes, but then private entrepreneurs have corrupted this original feminism and turned it into 'girl power' which for all intents and purposes has corrupted MANY women to think that their power comes from their use of their genitals for power. Now, before all the feminists come at me with a hate-on, I just have to clarify here that this is a VERY simplistic explanation of the events, and was not meant to be a nuanced analogy, also, I do believe that women deserve an equal pay for an equal job, but also understand that even if this is the case, the way the numbers are calculate women will still make less then men because of the women that go through pregnancies, or leave the workplace for family, etc... even though their actual pay is the same.

 

[ReverendHellh0und]

Having wealthy people build your movement for you is not grassroots. It kinda detracts from the "we're just angry Americans" line.

Radical Republicans I would classify as people on the far right of the Republican spectrum.

Radical Libertarians I generally classify as people who seem to think we dont need government for anything.

No, I'm just questioning the "grassroots" nature of the teabagger movement.

No your being vulgar and lying about the tea party in order to troll :shrug:

 

[Strucky]

Radical Republicans I would classify as people on the far right of the Republican spectrum.

In other words....Libertarians.

Radical Libertarians I generally classify as people who seem to think we dont need government for anything.

In other words....Anarchists......Who by the way tend to work hand in hand with the left for some strange reason.

No, I'm just questioning the "grassroots" nature of the teabagger movement.

Never heard of this "teabagger" movement.I HAVE heard of the Taxed Enough Already Party though.

 

[Barbbtx]

Here's how I think the whole thing started. It makes as much sense as anything else, and I remember local tea parties being talked about on local radio stations here. Some were bragging at the time that they were expecting 50 people and they ended up with a couple hundred. I don't believe they were called tea parties at that time. I think maybe Rick Santelli can take credit for that. I'd have to check the dates.

Apr 15, 2009 ... Relive history - make history: Tax Day Tea Party! ... Malkin » Anniversary of a porkulus protest: The roots of the Tea Party movement ...
Michelle Malkin » A Tax Day Tea Party cheat sheet: How it all started

Feb. 15 Keli Carender, who blogs as “Liberty Belle ” spread the word about a grass-roots protest she was organizing in Seattle to raise her voice against the passage of the trillion-dollar stimulus/porkulus/Generational Theft Act of 2009. It’s the first time she had ever jumped into political organizing of any kind. She is not affiliated with any “corporate lobbyist” or think tank or national taxpayers’ organization. She’s a young conservative mom who blogs. Amazingly, she turned around the event in a few days all on her own by reaching out on the Internet, to her local talk station, and to anyone who would listen.

 

[Deuce]

And then came the custom painted buses to get people to the events.

 

[Josie]

And then came the custom painted buses to get people to the events.

And...........?

 

[Strucky]

Speaking of Astroturf.....Here's an interesting read-

The Secret Side of David Axelrod


The Obama campaign's chief strategist is a master of "Astroturfing" and has a second firm that shapes public opinion for corporations

By Howard Wolinsky

David Axelrod has long been known for his political magic. Through his AKP&D Message & Media consultancy, the campaign veteran has advised a succession of Democratic candidates since 1985, and he's now chief strategist for Senator Barack Obama's bid for President. But on the down low, Axelrod moonlights in the private sector.

From the same address in Chicago's River North neighborhood, Axelrod operates a second business, ASK Public Strategies, that discreetly plots strategy and advertising campaigns for corporate clients to tilt public opinion their way. He and his partners consider virtually everything about ASK to be top secret, from its client roster and revenue to even the number of its employees. But customers and public records confirm that it has quarterbacked campaigns for the Chicago Children's Museum, ComEd, Cablevision, and AT&T.

ASK's predilection for operating in the shadows shows up in its work. On behalf of ComEd and Comcast, the firm helped set up front organizations that were listed as sponsors of public-issue ads. Industry insiders call such practices "Astroturfing," a reference to manufacturing grassroots support. Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward, who has been battling the Children's Museum's relocation plans, describes ASK as "the gold standard in Astroturf organizing. This is an emerging industry, and ASK has made a name for itself in shaping public opinion and manufacturing public support."

Lowest of Low Profiles
Eric Sedler, 39, a former public relations director at AT&T and corporate-reputation specialist at PR giant Edelman, is the "S" in ASK and the company's managing partner. The "K" is John Kupper, 51, a former congressional press secretary and ad-industry consultant, while the "A," of course, is Axelrod, a onetime Chicago Tribune reporter who got his start in politics when he managed Illinois Democrat Paul Simon's first election to the U.S. Senate. Sedler says opponents mischaracterize what ASK does. "I reject the notion that a company can't advocate a public policy," he says. "These issues are complicated, and people have different points of view." Axelrod, 53, did not respond to phone messages and e-mails.

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[Strucky]

What?The Tea Party bashers have nothing to say about Axelrod's corporate astroturfing?