patrick.net

That would be more like 8% of the people there. Maybe another 30% just because they think it's fun (and what the heck - they agree with the protest). Most the rest really are there to protest.

At least that's my take on it.

TMAC54 says

when...
when...
..
..
..
..

WHEN he designed plans to take over the health care system and put
> it under government control, people said it didn't matter.

I'm disappointed in Obama in some ways, but this is so much partisan (and or racist) bullshit.

marcus says

I'm disappointed in Obama in some ways, but this is so much partisan (and or racist) bullshit.

Please, for the sake of freedom, post your counter points !
I personally don't care the nameplates or the pink on the inside diversions you may fall for. I see a fine line between gov't controlling us and us retaining choice.

Government's nature will install tracking devices & cameras on our cars. DAAAMN!

TMAC54 says

Please, for the sake of freedom, post your counter points !

I have no counterpoints to the silly Muslim bs or the claims of socialism.

I'm disappointed in Obama because he has not been willing to stand up to the corporatocracy/Plutocracy. Because he caved in on undoing the Bush tax cuts based on the lie that tax increases on incomes over 300k will hurt the economy. Because he didn't even try to do the correct health care reform (medicare for all - not forced - but an option - although everyone should have some kind of insurance).

He behaves like even more of a republican in disguise than Clinton did, so all of your "he's a socialist !" talk is surreal from my perspective. It's pretty hard for me to fathom the emotion behind such silliness.

MAybe it's because you know you're supposed to hate him, and you can't choose any real policies and back them up, because Obama's done most of what McCain would have done, except probably way less war (as hard as that is to imagine).

TeaMac, the only feeling your post above evoked was vicarious embarrassment.

marcus says

MAybe it's because you know you're supposed to hate him

Love & Hate is the same thing. (from the book "ONE") Obama is insignificant to me. HIS ACTIONS though, will fubar our future.

I truly hoped someone would scratch at least half of those lines for the benefit of my Grandchildren.

What SCARES me, My Father fought in England in WWII. He pointed out to me, most people said, " OHHHH leave Adolph alone. He will soon mend his ways and everything will be OK". History does repeat itself. People just don't want to confront bad news.

Virtually ALL presidents elected since the inception of television have been the better looking one. I avoid the "American Idol" like campaigns like the plague. Have you seen "WAG THE DOG" do you think similar scenarios are NOT played out in MANY aspects of gubmint ? I do not judge by the cover (the lead puppet).
I pray to retain rights for the people instead of CORPORATIONS. Even Jim Kramer of "Mad Money" stated this country's spirit used to be of the people by the people and for the people. It has become of the corporation by the corporation and for the corporation.
The Protests are about TOO many things to simplify, just like that list. Not just one single straw to break the camel's back. MANY people see a bleak future.
Any GUBMINT is needed only to protect it's people. OURS protects banks instead of it's people. WHY ?

If the gov't loaned me 66billion dollars, I could pay it back in a year. I'd invest much of the money in a low risk savings account then repay it and keep the interest.

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Tony Manero says

The protests are about:

Shove your fist up the bankster's ass!

Rip out bankster's heart!

Stick a toothpick in it!

Drop into martini for garnish!

Toast bankster!

if that were the case, more working folks would be there, and it would have happened in 2008.

these hippys are just smoking dope, looking to meet chicks, and pretending to be their crazy Aunt Star that wears the tie-dye moo-moo and collects Indian Feather dream catchers.

When someone starts talking for these people, we're all going to be in trouble. These kids Are out for an evening on the town. There is Not a cohesive topic of demonstration. All it will take is a creative mouth piece to step up and speak in their proxy.

I don't know why they are getting so much attention. The numbers are less significant than the attendance at an Eric Clapton concert.

And city Parks, are you kidding me? Who are they trying to convey their message frustration too, Marge Smith, the weekday park frequenter that jogs through the park every week day morning, pushing her baby stroller?

I've been waiting for years, for a good old fashioned "Stick it to the Man" protest. Now that we've got one, it's as lame a "Woodstock 2000" and similarly the new version, doesn't stand up to the original.

1. You are expecting too much from the early days of a movement. How cohesive were Tea Party rallies in the beginning?

2. "Pot smoking hippy kids". What are the actual demographics? Are you projecting your wishes or reality?

I think a lot of it, is indeed youngish people some of whom graduated after 2005, and have been waiting for their their "real careers" to start for a long while now. Others are recent grads who have never known anything BUT GD 2.0 it seems, and went into college thinking it would be all over with by the time they got out. Boomers are still squatting on the job spots they hoped to occupy, so of course they have a lot of frustration.

All of the kids with Piss and Vinegar are out there making their future happen. They aren't at the city park demanding their middle aged income bracket and life experiences NOW at 21.

These dolts see minimum wage jobs, or entry level jobs as beneath them. I saw them as life experiences. You have to work the worlds worst crappiest job,(in your opinion) at some point in your life, to realize you deserve better.

As Vincent pointed out, Boomers are still squatting on the job spots they have occupied, because there's no young challengers with the stuff to oust them.

Those of us over 40 can count our lucky stars, if this were ten years ago. We'd be the ones on Wall Street creating a rabble that some young punk took our Jobs.

This is unique in modern economics. From Sales to IT, the faces are getting older than ever before.

MarsAttacks! says

But I thought everyone on p-net said that the TP stuff was organized and ran by the Koch Bros? So, which is it?

I don't know of any concensus on this matter.

Personally I'm of the opinion the first month or so had some real grassroots people. Back when they claimed to be independent. Those people were of course later pushed to the margins by the Koch-fueled drive to exploit them as GOP shock troops. These days there's no question about it, you could take a hypothetical candidate and list off positions that a Teabagger agreed with with and watch them nod yes yes I'd vote for that person. Then tell them, oh by the way this person is a Democrat or 3rd party candidate and watch them freeze. Tea Party is now the rightest wing of the GOP and utterly subservient to that. Ron Paul has been booed at Tea Party events when he deviates from any GOP dogma.

The GOP says

Vincent pointed out, Boomers are still squatting on the job spots they have occupied, because there's no young challengers with the stuff to oust them.

My point was not about "stuff", it was about Boomers feeling they cannot retire because their retirement cushion and medical worries panic them. So they cling to their job with both hands and will not get out of the way. I see a lot of jobs filled by hidebound oldsters who want to bore the interns talking about their hip surgery, who cannot or will not go out to pasture. Yeah yeah, great story about punch cards Gramps now let me show you how your new phone works one more time....

Vicente says

Personally I'm of the opinion the first month or so had some real grassroots people. Back when they claimed to be independent. Those people were of course later pushed to the margins by the Koch-fueled drive to exploit them as GOP shock troops.

Right, originally there were some grass roots people, but then they got astroturfed by the Kochs and other GOP supporters.

Agree with Vicente's characterization here:

Vicente says

Tea Party is now the rightest wing of the GOP and utterly subservient to that. Ron Paul has been booed at Tea Party events when he deviates from any GOP dogma.

Ron Paul is an odd duck in the Republican party. He is far more libertarian than a typical GOP member, but is farther to the right on many issues than the typical GOP member. This puts him in an odd part of the 2D political spectrum.