Where was the Tea Party During the Bush Years?

[LizardofOz]

Well what do you guys think? Bush took us straight from a surplus into an incredible deficit. He spent massive amounts of money paying for a Medicare program that was actually a worse deal than what seniors were getting before. Where were these guys before?

 

[digsbe]

The Tea Party was at home voicing their displeasure with Bush's fiscal policy. They got a rude awakening when we were thrust with Obama's abysmal fiscal policy and his extreme deficit. He is far worse compared to Bush, and his budget many times worse. The Tea Party was a sleeping giant during Bush, but was forced to awaken when Obama came to power.

 

[LizardofOz]

The Tea Party was at home voicing their displeasure with Bush's fiscal policy. They got a rude awakening when we were thrust with Obama's abysmal fiscal policy and his extreme deficit. He is far worse compared to Bush, and his budget many times worse. The Tea Party was a sleeping giant during Bush, but was forced to awaken when Obama came to power.

Even though the Tea Party initially was started by Libertarians?

 

[digsbe]

Even though the Tea Party initially was started by Libertarians?

Not to sound offensive, but why does that matter? And why does it matter if the Tea Party wasn't active during Bush's presidency?

 

[Josie]

On talk radio voicing their frustrations. This has been building for a long time.

 

[soccerboy22]

Not to sound offensive, but why does that matter? And why does it matter if the Tea Party wasn't active during Bush's presidency?

Probably hurts creditability. They will complain when a Democrat is in office, but not a Republican when both do a lot of spending.

 

[Josie]

Probably hurts creditability. They will complain when a Democrat is in office, but not a Republican when both do a lot of spending.

Weird. I recall several Republican ideas/bills being protested by Republicans, conservatives and independents.

 

[MaggieD]

Well what do you guys think? Bush took us straight from a surplus into an incredible deficit. He spent massive amounts of money paying for a Medicare program that was actually a worse deal than what seniors were getting before. Where were these guys before?

First and foremost, most Tea Partiers tend to identify more with the Republican Party than the Democrats. So that's certainly one big reason. The Tea Party initially rose up after a famous Rick Santelli "Shout Heard 'Round the World" on-air rant suggesting a Chicago Tea Party. Furious with the bank/mortgage bailouts, it quickly went viral and others picked up the banner.

Tea Party. Kinda' catchy, don't you think? Really, though, it's much ado about nothing.

 

[lizzie]

Well what do you guys think? Bush took us straight from a surplus into an incredible deficit. He spent massive amounts of money paying for a Medicare program that was actually a worse deal than what seniors were getting before. Where were these guys before?

Well, they weren't in existence yet as a movement, because they didn't yet see what was happening to the country financially.

 

[LizardofOz]

So far the biggest reasons I am hearing are excuses. Let's be honest here, if McCain became president, chances are he would have continued with some form of bailout, one of the main contentions of the Tea Party movement. I don't know if any of you remember this, but the Tea Party movements early origins began around pork bbqs (get it "pork barrel spending"?) and despite that buzz word being used by both McCain and Obama, it was widely directed towards Obama, despite him having a much clearer and concise plan on how to reduce spending and get out of the deficit (if he is actually making good on those goals however could be debated) so seriously, can ya'll try and explain it again?

 

[Orion]

I think there are some interesting libertarian views coming out of the tea party, but they are vastly overshadowed by Republican maneuvering. The tea party is becoming little more than a political platform for Republican candidates, which is why it grew so rapidly after the public voted out the federal Republican administration.

It would have more solvency as a movement if more of its members had a cohesive platform that attacked the entire system of governance, rather than making one-sided, partisan observations.

 

[LizardofOz]

Yeah. This is how much faith I originally gave it. I initially though it was a bipartisan movement when they first had a rally in Cincinnati. When you get there, it looked more like an AARP meet-up than an actual political movement. It was a bunch of old people thinking that our president was in cahoots with the terrorist, and that he was born in Africa, and that at this rally at least seemed to be the main sticking points. No one really mentioned anything Bush did, it was all entirely focused on Obama. This was even before he began rolling out his healthcare initiatives this was just him continuing what Bush was doing in the first place. Since then, I have been completely against it because of the disparity in the kinds of people attending, and the total lack of knowledge of how the tax system works seen throughout the entire movement.

 

[randel]

I think there are some interesting libertarian views coming out of the tea party, but they are vastly overshadowed by Republican maneuvering. The tea party is becoming little more than a political platform for Republican candidates, which is why it grew so rapidly after the public voted out the federal Republican administration.

It would have more solvency as a movement if more of its members had a cohesive platform that attacked the entire system of governance, rather than making one-sided, partisan observations.

imo, they became nothing more than another arm of the republican party.

 

[LizardofOz]

It is my belief that they will eventually be party of the party, or they will be the new neo-con and will be that "extreme shift" that many Republicans are calling for. I'm just glad my grandfather didn't have to see what his party has become.

 

[VanceMack]

Probably hurts creditability. They will complain when a Democrat is in office, but not a Republican when both do a lot of spending.

You are either blatantly dishonest or where blissfully ignorant. MANY people were VERY vocal about Bush's lack of fiscal responsibility. Beck in his days at CNN spoke out about it virtually every day (of course...then he was speaking out against Bush and was on CNN and was actually ADMIRED by liberals. MANY talk show hosts ROUTINELY vented their displeasure. I have said several times I LEFT the republican party due to Bush's fiscal policies along with many others I know.

 

[VanceMack]

I think there are some interesting libertarian views coming out of the tea party, but they are vastly overshadowed by Republican maneuvering. The tea party is becoming little more than a political platform for Republican candidates, which is why it grew so rapidly after the public voted out the federal Republican administration.

It would have more solvency as a movement if more of its members had a cohesive platform that attacked the entire system of governance, rather than making one-sided, partisan observations.

Absolutely false. Thats like stating the Green party was just another branch of the Democrats. Point of fact, the Tea Party has and will cost republiucans votes, as did the Green party. When the candidates preferred by the Tea Party are defeated, the tea party members will be more likely to simply stay home and not vote for either candidate.

 

[soccerboy22]

You are either blatantly dishonest or where blissfully ignorant. MANY people were VERY vocal about Bush's lack of fiscal responsibility. Beck in his days at CNN spoke out about it virtually every day (of course...then he was speaking out against Bush and was on CNN and was actually ADMIRED by liberals. MANY talk show hosts ROUTINELY vented their displeasure. I have said several times I LEFT the republican party due to Bush's fiscal policies along with many others I know.

I know there were people that vocal about President Bush, but no where near the level there are now. And I know a good number of people left the Republican Party because of Bush's spending. But not the size the Tea Parties have grown. I also know people that were happy with how President Bush was spending, but are now unhappy with President Obama.

 

[LizardofOz]

Absolutely false. Thats like stating the Green party was just another branch of the Democrats. Point of fact, the Tea Party has and will cost republiucans votes, as did the Green party. When the candidates preferred by the Tea Party are defeated, the tea party members will be more likely to simply stay home and not vote for either candidate.

The difference here is that Republicans use the Tea Party as a tool.

 

[VanceMack]

I know there were people that vocal about President Bush, but no where near the level there are now. And I know a good number of people left the Republican Party because of Bush's spending. But not the size the Tea Parties have grown. I also know people that were happy with how President Bush was spending, but are now unhappy with President Obama.

Please...by all means...point to the republicans you know that were 'happy' about Bush's spending. ANd frankly...if you had said the first part of THIS post as a part OF your first post, I would have thanked you rather than disagreed with you. What you said in this post is true...MANY were upset...MANY left the republican party (or stopped supporting politicians altogether). And MANY including the talking heads were quite vocal about the lack of fiscal responsibility. That the oposition is more organized and vocal now can easily be attributed to "its the other guys" now...but that doesnt change the fact that many were vocally opposed...even when Bush was president.

I cant sepak for anyone else...I am simply AS vocally opposed to Obama as I was to Bush. Im not a Tea Party participant. I get their intent. I appreciate their intent. But eventually they have to became an actual party or just fade away as every other movement has.

 

[VanceMack]

The difference here is that Republicans use the Tea Party as a tool.

Oh I have no doubt that republicans are going to try to capitalize on it, just like many democrats went 'green' to garner their support. If republican candidates are going to be successful 'using' the Tea Party they are going to HAVE to adopt their principles...which would be the intent of the Tea Party all along...so thats nhot really 'using' them.

 

[Crosscheck]

Probably hurts creditability. They will complain when a Democrat is in office, but not a Republican when both do a lot of spending.

If McCain had been elected there wouldn't be any Tea Party.

The Tea Party are just as bi-partisan as the Swift Boaters......

 

[soccerboy22]

Please...by all means...point to the republicans you know that were 'happy' about Bush's spending. ANd frankly...if you had said the first part of THIS post as a part OF your first post, I would have thanked you rather than disagreed with you. What you said in this post is true...MANY were upset...MANY left the republican party (or stopped supporting politicians altogether). And MANY including the talking heads were quite vocal about the lack of fiscal responsibility. That the oposition is more organized and vocal now can easily be attributed to "its the other guys" now...but that doesnt change the fact that many were vocally opposed...even when Bush was president.

I cant sepak for anyone else...I am simply AS vocally opposed to Obama as I was to Bush. Im not a Tea Party participant. I get their intent. I appreciate their intent. But eventually they have to became an actual party or just fade away as every other movement has.

These are Republicans I know personally. You know the type of asshats that are OK with their party doing it, but when the other party does it all hell breaks lose. My grandmother and aunt are one of them. And I know that my view of the Tea Party is probably tainted by that because 3 out of the 4 I have been to were full of people like Bush=good, Obama=bad.

 

[soccerboy22]

If McCain had been elected there wouldn't be any Tea Party.

The Tea Party are just as bi-partisan as the Swift Boaters......

Well to continue off of what Vance and I were talking about. I am sure there would still be some people in the Tea Party that are just as vocal since McCain didn't seem like he would be that much different than Bush. Would they be as active or as vocal maybe not. But some of the people currently in the Tea Party would still be complaining.

 

[LizardofOz]

Well to continue off of what Vance and I were talking about. I am sure there would still be some people in the Tea Party that are just as vocal since McCain didn't seem like he would be that much different than Bush. Would they be as active or as vocal maybe not. But some of the people currently in the Tea Party would still be complaining.

I actually think it would have just fizzled out. A lot of why the tea party movement is what it is, is because of their demographics:

Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics

 

[soccerboy22]

I actually think it would have just fizzled out. A lot of why the tea party movement is what it is, is because of their demographics:

Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics

I don't doubt that the official party may not have started. What I was saying though is that there are still a decent number of people in the Tea Party that would still be complaining about spending.