Tea Party Attrition

1. 61

   Doug Hughesposted 6 years ago

   From 'Crooks & Liars' today.
   
   "A listing of events on the umbrella group Tea Party Patriots’ website for Monday and Friday showed a total of 145 events —the same listing shows 638 events on tax day 2010. Notably, there was also no tax day tea party rally in Washington, D.C. this year, unlike in years past. And in dozens of state capitals and major cities across the country, turnout at rallies on Monday and Friday (the typical tax day of April 15) was down precipitously from last year, as a small sampling from ThinkProgress’ analysis shows:
   
   -Albuquerque, NM: From “thousands” in 2010 to “dozens” in 2011.
   
   –Boston, MA: From “several thousand” in 2010 to 300 in 2011. While last year’s rally featured Sarah Palin, this year’s featured Tim Pawlenty. –Chicago, IL: From “at least 1,500” in 2010 to “[s]everal hundred” in 2011.
   
   –Columbia, SC: From “more than 1,000” in 2010 to “a paltry 300” in 2011, even though this year’s rally featured Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) while last year’s featured disgraced former governor Mark Sanford.
   
   –Denver, CO: From 2,000 in 2010 to “hundreds” in 2011. Friday’s rally was “nothing like the thousands who mobbed the Capitol lawn in previous years,” the AP noted.
   
   –Des Moines, IA: From 700 in 2010 to 340 in 2011. 2009′s rally drew 3,000. –Hartford, CT: From 1,200 in 2010 to 700 in 2011, even though Hartford was the only city hosting rallies this year, while there were rallies in three Connecticut cities last year.
   
   –Indianapolis, IN: From 2,000 in 2010 to “hundreds” in 2011.
   
   –Lansing, MI: From “more than 1,000” in 2010 to 300 in 2011 in front of Michigan’s Capitol. In 2009, a rally at the same spot drew 4,000.
   
   –Pittsburgh, PA: From 2,000 in 2010 to 500 in 2011. –Sacramento, CA: From “2,000 to 3,000” in 2010 to a “light turnout” of several dozen. 2009′s tax day rally at the Capitol brought out 5,000.
   
   –St. Paul, MN: From “more than 500” in 2010 to “dozens” in 2011.
   
   –Tulsa, OK: From “several thousand” in 2010 to “less than 30” in 2011. “The turnout was a far cry from the 5,000 who showed up to a similar event on April 15 two years ago outside the Capitol,” the Tulsa World notes.
   
   ThinkProgress could also find no media reports of Tea Party rallies this year in several cities which hosted large rallies last year, such as Houston, TX and Atlanta, GA, which saw rallies of 6,000 and 3,000, respectively, in 2010.
   
   Yet one only needed to tune in to Fox or CNN last weekend to see lavish attention paid to the teabaggers, with little to no acknowledgment of the reality that counter-protesters outnumbered teabaggers."

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   1. 86

      DTR0005posted 6 years ago in reply to this

      Partisanship aside, Americans don't like extremes - both extreme liberalism and extreme conservatism ultimately burn themselves out on the political stage. Frankly, I am hopeful that America will got back toward the Center. The insanity is starting to weight on us all....

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      1. 59

         weholdthesetruthsposted 6 years ago in reply to this

         The center is well right of the GOP.     There is no attrition in the TEA Party.   In fact, it's growing.     You just are clueless.

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         1. 61

            Doug Hughesposted 6 years ago in reply to this

            And you know this because???

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         2. 86

            DTR0005posted 6 years ago in reply to this

            WHTT - Well I guess you are right - as always. Facts be damned! As long as YOU say the Tea Party is healthy, alive and well, IT IS! Why don't you wave your magic wand over the economy? With a few simple affirmatives, everything will be ok!
            Passionately saying something "IS" doesn't change the facts.

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            1. 71

               I am DB Cooperposted 6 years ago in reply to this

               Dear Tea Partiers,
               
               Please use your magic to bring grandma back from the dead. I've heard you can say she's alive and well and that'll make it so.
               
               Sincerely,
               Her loving grandson

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   2. 59

      weholdthesetruthsposted 6 years ago in reply to this

      Funny how a site named "crookes and liars" is named after the writers of the site.

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2. 90

   Mighty Momposted 6 years ago

   The TP rally here in Sacramento did make the evening news. They commented that fewer than 100 people showed up.
   Can't blame inclement weather, either.
   
   But honestly, how can the TP complain about taxes? They got the Bush tax cuts extended, for goodness sake!

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3. 60

   knolyourselfposted 6 years ago

   "TP complain about taxes?"
   Most of the run-of-the-mill don't make enough to pay much in taxes. TP was taken over and is a front for the rich.

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   1. 59

      weholdthesetruthsposted 6 years ago in reply to this

      looks like you ignoranced yourself.

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4. 79

   lovemychrisposted 6 years ago

   No surprise here;
   
   "Published on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 by Save the Internet Astroturfing Net Neutrality
   by Tim Karr
   Free speech online has come under withering attack from the Astroturf lobby -- corporate front groups that are determined to hand control of the Internet to companies like AT&T and Comcast.
   
   They've joined the forces of the Tea Party and pro-corporate attack groups like Americans for Prosperity to urge weak members of Congress to betray the public interest by voting to strip the Federal Communications Commission of its ability to protect our basic freedom to access an open Internet.
   
   More than two million Americans have sent letters to the FCC and Congress urging leaders to "stand with the public by protecting Net Neutrality once and for all."
   
   Members of Congress without regard to party or ideology should ignore the astroturfing of a few to protect an open Internet that helps so many."
   
   I think it's EDUCATING so many...!!
   You know--the knowledge you never learn in college
   
   Time to act like Focus on the Family;
   Call Call write write e-mail e-mail
   
   Don't let them buy our speech AGAIN!!!

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5. 77

   Evan G Rogersposted 6 years ago

   everyone is realizing that the Tea party is nothing more than Neo-Conservatives.
   
   Anyone following it from day one (Dec. 16th 2007) could have told you that the Tea Party died before the beginning of 2009.
   
   The Tea Party is just as void as the Republican party or Democratic party.

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   1. 71

      I am DB Cooperposted 6 years ago in reply to this

      Indeed. The Karl Roves and Sarah Palins of the "movement" pushed out the people who actually believed in the libertarian ideals that led to the creation of the Tea Party, and particularly the Ron Paul supporters. Sarah Palin has about as much in common with Ron Paul as she does with Karl Marx.

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      1. 77

         Evan G Rogersposted 6 years ago in reply to this

         lol
         
         Ron Paul 2012, my good sir!

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