The Emerging Liberal Tea Party

Over the weekend, protesters took over town halls held by Republican lawmakers in New York and South Carolina.

They shouted slogans and demanded their elected representatives protect - and not repeal - Obamacare.

One town hall in Ashville, New York actually had to be moved outdoors because so many people showed up to protest.

If this sounds like a headline you've heard before - well, that's because it is a headline you've heard before.

So are we watching the birth of a liberal tea party?

And if so, how can Democrats turn it into victory at the ballot box?

Comments

Ron G McComb 6 years 14 weeks ago
#1

The Progressives should own the Tea Party. Given that the original Colonies were corporations, and the Boston Tea Party was a protest against the crown enforcing British East India Tea Corporation's right to tax coffee and tea. The New Tea Party should continually reinforce it's opposition to the Corporate retaking the American Government.

Dame's picture
Dame 6 years 14 weeks ago
#2

I hate to be called a liberal "tea party"....that Republican tea party was funded by the Koch Brothers....this movement is GRASS ROOTS, which is awesome!

NanuetLiberal's picture
NanuetLiberal 6 years 14 weeks ago
#3

The Billionaire thieves control the Executive and both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court is up for grabs. Marching and chanting and demanding are cathartic; but how can we actually pursuade the likes of Mitch McConnell, Jeff Sessions, Bannen, and Ryan? I fear that, we'll tire out in impotent displays and the Trumpers will keep on destroying 100 years of progressive steps. When I consider the environmental and financial regulations they've already trashed, I shudder to imagine four years of this!

tomcalwriter1's picture
tomcalwriter1 6 years 14 weeks ago
#4

First, off with the heads of the Democratic Party leadership who gave us Hillary. The corrupt bastards, and there are many in the Senate and Congress who are the

servants of Wall Street -- just count the 450 or so superdelegates who endorsed Hillary before the primaries and you've got your enemies list.

Dianereynolds's picture
Dianereynolds 6 years 14 weeks ago
#5

Now you are suggesting the Democrat party copy the Republicans? I don't remember the Republican Tea Party breaking businesses windows and setting police cars on fire.

Besides, most Tea Party members have to go to work during the day and don't have time for looting.

Perhaps another tactic would be better, like not endorsing a candidate that stabbed the favorite in the back a half dozen times.

Outback 6 years 14 weeks ago
#6

".... how can Democrats turn it into victory at the ballot box?" Answer: They can't. The Democratic party has wandered so far off course since FDR that it's unrecognizable in populist terms. If a new progressive party doesn't result from all of this, there is no hope.

deepspace's picture
deepspace 6 years 14 weeks ago
#7

Peaceful but pointed protests, strong resistance to destructive ideologies, and widespread political dissent are the most effective ways to change society for the better.

People of conscience must never give up the fight no matter how difficult. Each person in his or her own way according to their own unique talents must find the right action to rattle the cages of an out-of-touch political establishment. The First Amendment encourages (demands!) citizens to be heard -- to write, speak out publicly, join a political party (unfortunately, we're stuck with a constitutionally mandated two-party government), run for office, contribute to progressive-minded groups, withhold support of organizations and businesses that promote regressive policies, pester politicians by showing up at their town-hall meetings and calling their offices, join protests and march in the streets, and, most importantly, vote for progressive politicians and encourage others to vote, vote, vote!

The most effective grass-roots movements of the past spread like wildfire and were too fierce to be extinguished by a cynical media and too strong to be defeated by an opposition on the wrong side of history. Through stubborn persistence, sooner or later, the truth always conquers the lie. At this pivotal moment, the sooner the better!

Robindell's picture
Robindell 6 years 14 weeks ago
#8

Things are not always completely black and white. People seek out what they find to be the easiest to understand answers to them, based on their past indoctrination, socialization, upbringing, thought processes, influences, or whatever you want to call it.

g.sherri's picture
g.sherri 6 years 14 weeks ago
#9

Thanks, deepspace, that is exactly the encouragement we all need!

Uncle Ralph's picture
Uncle Ralph 6 years 14 weeks ago
#10

I would love to see a Liberal Tea Party develop. I wonder, though. Much of the neo-con tea party's power came from it's dogged mindlessness. For better or worse, liberals and progressives tend not to be doggedly mindless, opting more often to way over-think things.

Maybe we could harvest Trump's mindlessness and use it to our advantage to keep us focused and moving in the same direction long enough to neuter him (with a democratic senate and congress in 2018) then get rid of him with a massively decisive presidential victory in 2020.

Go ahead; be ashamed to be an American. Be very ashamed that we've allowed our country to fall this far. Then let's get off our butts and do something about it. No . . . let's do everything about it.

Scotty11 6 years 14 weeks ago
#11

Liberal Tea Party? sound bite?

How about Progressive Party...or hey, take over the Independent Party...without losing the huge base of 42% of registered voters.

I will no longer support a candidate simply because they're 'better' than the other person, and I will continue to vote my consciense.

Personally, I don't think the Dems get it. My bet says 4 years from now it won't be a Sanders or Warren running against Trump, rather another Corporate Dem in a 3 button suit.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 6 years 14 weeks ago
#12

I would never compare a liberal movement to the Koch's Teabagger Party. Progressives I know aren't very likely to be brainwashed by anyone, especially by crazy billionaires.

There's a big difference between a grassroots movement and a billionaire sponsored astroturf one. Progressives believe that truth is not a matter of opinion .....unlike the Teabaggers and their Fox Newsesque alternative facts.

I've come to the conclusion that to vote Teapublican is an admission to being a complete sucker in life. Under Fascist rule working class taxes are not going down and jobs are not coming back. Health insurance will be more unaffordable than ever, property tax will skyrocket when medicaid gets cut, and job loss will be back to the 2008 blood bath levels in less than a year. However the billionaires will make a fortune out of this misfortune...just like last time. If your not extremely rich and you vote Teapublican, you're a fool.

Victory at the ballot box isn't likely to happen until the election fraud is stopped. Crosscheck election fraud is never mentioned, even by progressive dems... ???

Putin did serious harm to the social and economic stability of this country and his plan will come to fruition soon enough. ...he knows Trump is a complete idiot. What Putin doesn't seem to know is that he has people close to him that want him stopped...and that will happen too....the old bomb under the table!!!!

Speaking of Ashville NY, many of Reed's offices in upstate are under sister protests once per week....I've been to them. Reed is a self serving con man much in the style of Paul Ryan....the sort Thomas Paine warned us about. He's kissing Trump's raggedy butt hoping for a position with the Fascists.

Shark's picture
Shark 6 years 14 weeks ago
#13

I agree with others, the Tea Party moniker leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But your point is well taken. I believe the only way to make this work in our favor is to keep the wheels of this revolution rolling faster and stronger. We need to make a lot of noise and initiate campaigns against every GOP congressmember running in 2018. Same for the Democrats who are closet conservatives. We need to get progressives in ofice or at the least liberal leaning moderates. Now is our time and we have a purpose. Revolt. Activate. Continue hitting the streets in larger numbers with signs, fliers and a voice. Make the people hear the truth. Show them the person running who will represent them, not the corporations.

dlittle75@earthlink.net's picture
dlittle75@earth... 6 years 14 weeks ago
#14

I agree about your comment on "interstate crosscheck" . We can hope that there are folks out there, maybe in our intelligence agencies, that will expose through various means what's missing, the inside workings of the Trump team during the election, Trump's tax return, and especially the rigging of the election and his signing off on it- whistleblowers, hackers- get busy. There is so much to discover. Trump said he ordered his team to protect themselves from outside hacking and then blamed Hillary's campaign for not doing the same- he probably did both but I can't believe there aren't emails out there - conversations, directives, hints, that could get at the truth.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 6 years 14 weeks ago
#15

If Comey's extreme right-wing FBI no longer cares to protect "we the people" from hostile foreign intervention of our democracy, then by god they need to be privatized and no longer benefit from the wonderful non profit socialist jobs they have.

Legend 6 years 14 weeks ago
#16

You have to hit bottom to bounce back.

deepspace's picture
deepspace 6 years 14 weeks ago
#17

Cheeto Benito is following the classic fascist playbook to the letter and very possibly could be writing the last chapter.

Boasting "reform," an unregulated economy will be run by dark-money billionaires and big-corp bosses who will use the power of government to benefit the top one percent and their global monopolies. Trumpeting "law and order," the key security jobs will be commanded by war-mongering generals who will radically increase the size of the military-industrial empire spanning the globe and the police-surveillance state crisscrossing the nation.

The trillions it will cost to erase the last traces of democracy will be provided by the working poor. The blood that will be spilled to secure the world's dwindling resources will be provided by their sons and daughters.

Political power is being stripped from the people through fraudulent election processes and consolidated into fewer and fewer greedy hands. Domestic spending is being decreased; military spending is being increased; the press is being marginalized and intimidated; the public is being lied to and indoctrinated; dissent is being criminalized and prosecuted.

At the beginning of his presidency in his "Cross of Iron" address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Eisenhower (a Republican who sounded like today's liberals) spoke out against the true cost of militarization. At the end of his presidency in his farewell address, he warned future generations of the "iron triangle," describing it as the "military-industrial [-congressional] -complex."

Throughout American history, the major political parties have been guilty of undermining the democratic principles of the Constitution by varying degrees; however, since World War Two and especially during the Reagan era, the growth of fascism has accelerated. Then, as the uncompromising Republican Party strayed further to the right, dragging along the compromising Democratic Party, a corporate-friendly Supreme Court pushed both parties over the edge by turning politics into a big-money game far removed from the people.

The stage is set for the final act. On cue, hiss boo, enter the main antagonist, "F*ckface Von Clownstick." (Thank you, Jon Stewart!)

James Clark's picture
James Clark 6 years 14 weeks ago
#18

Cris Kobach's "cross check" must be stopped and made illegal, I can't believe that it is'nt being challenged in the courts, it uses non fact as it's base, where are the liberal "legal eagles" that have the knowledge and the money to take steps to stop this? Would the ACLU have a standing to challenge this, obviously peoples rights as citizens are being violated, though deception and no proof whatsoever of any criminal acts and no legal comparison to justify the destuction of voters abilities to legaly cast ballots this is truely a dangerous president that has been set . Keep up the great work Thom!

Legend 6 years 14 weeks ago
#19

This kind of hits home. my brother in law recently passed away at 60 years old. He had a private small business for 20+ years that kept his lifestyle in good condition. It was crushed by the 2007-2008 Bush depression. Financial problems caused the breakup of his marriage and the sell off of his home during the middle of the housing bust. Lost a lot more money. He tried to start several other small business's but failed. He lived in Texas, one of 19 states that the Republican governors refused to expand medicad. He developed health issues but could not afford insurance. We had no idea until he passed away how bad it was. He died with about $5000 total assets and $130,000 in medical bills. Cause of death is probably stress.

DBRichard's picture
DBRichard 6 years 14 weeks ago
#20

The guy who was just on, Sauer, does not believe in anthropogenic climate change. That pretty well denigrates his views on anything else as well. It will all be moot soon however as we run out of oil. Strongly suggest you dig into some of the literature already out on the end of oil and how it will affect the world. I have been researching this for a couple years and it appears to be the root of all of our problems in the Middle East. Very serious stuff.

Ou812's picture
Ou812 6 years 14 weeks ago
#21

@James Clark

The reason no lawyers, the ACLU, members of Congress, the DNC, or anybody with an ounce of gray matter aren't investigating 'Cross Check is because it's total BS. The allegations that 7 million people were prevented from voting, is made up by the washed up lefties as an excuse for losing the election.

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