TEABAG!!!

[captain_slinky]

I really hope that The Teabaggers (or "Teabag Movement", or whatever they finally decide on for a name) become a full-fledged Political Party soon, along the same lines as The Libertarians, The Green Party and all of the other etceteras out there. It would REALLY help The Republican party weed out all of the more extreme members and bring some amount of focus to both factions instead of having them constantly at odds. And it would be nice to see the actual message of each party without it being muddied by the agenda of the others.

I'm still a bleeding-heart Liberal Democrat who believes in big government and even bigger government spending, but I'm excxited to see as many different opinions as possible so I can tear them apart and look down upon those who think differently than I do :)

Comments

[sasjhwa.livejournal.com]

They don't call themselves Teabaggers. The liberal side of the press came up with that one, or at least perpetuated it. It is pretty common for ridicule to wash over anyone who is trying to say that the two large parties are equally useless.

The problem with the Libertarians is that they have wasted their little time in the spotlight. Instead of fielding well rounded candidates they put up people like the one that ran for Washington governor a few years ago who somehow managed to make foreign affairs an issue having to do with lesbian rights. Like so many Libertarian candidate she was a one issue candidate. Gay rights, while part of the Libertarian platform that calls on government to get their fingers out of our personal lives as much as possible, is hardly the only issue that makes a person qualified or not for office. But the party would rather put someone like that up for office than to have nobody.

They have also tried to run on a very independent minded platform that ended with their message being pulled in tons of directions, thus weakening it.

The comparably large wellspring of support for Ron Paul, who is a Libertarian working as a Republican shows that if they would get organized, get on message, and get all their little splinter groups together they might be able to actually do something. The potential is there with the right person and the right message. I don't know if Ron Paul is the right person, but he has inspired a lot of other people to rise to the challenge of his platform so someone else may come along.

The Tea Party Convention was essentially designed to do just that with all the groups that have sprung up since before the last election. There are so many small groups all spouting the same message that the party is trying to organize them so their voice is louder.

I don't think that the Tea Party is that great of a name either although it is appropriate based on their platform. They believe that our Representatives are not actually representing the People, but other special interests and thus the stimulus package is a form of taxation without representation, the expressed reason for the original Boston Tea Party.

What will be interesting is if the Tea Party movement ends up encapsulating the Libertarian Party and taking it over. They get the established infrastructure and a core of very dedicated workers. If a key person rises to take control over the whole thing and has the social personality to make it appeal they could become a serious third party. It is possible that other small parties would lend their support as well if they are close on the issues. I know I would be more likely to vote for them.