President Barack Obama - Term 1 and 2 Thread

[donnaplease]

This just bothers me a lot. This country is getting polarized and that is not a good thing IMO. Obama was elected as the first almost Black/American President to unite this country and now look what we're getting. I actually blame Obama for not working to unite America instead of trying to force his ideas on the American public. IDK, I'm just sad and scared about the whole thing.

I fault Obama for creating a leadership vacuum. His attempts at controlling the narrative have amounted to a charm offensive on TV talk shows, which quickly grew tiring. Now he's just sorta MIA. But that's ok. The president isn't a babysitter. I also don't think he has forced any ideas on the American public. He wasted a whole year wrangling with Congres over the health care bill. If he truly wanted to ram Canadian single payer down your throat, he could have.

I think some of BO's (and the liberal/democratic party's) tactics are now being used against him/them. When you only know how to tear down the other guy, and not look to the future and what is positive, then what can you expect? You get what you give in this world, and I think he's getting a taste of his own medicine. Certainly he's not the first to do it, and he absolutely won't be the last, but it's exactly what is WRONG with our country, politically-speaking.

What drives me crazy is that the democrats/liberals accuse the republicans/conservations of being fear-mongers. I won't say whether I think that's true or not, but what I will say is that if it is true, then by far the dems/libs are the hate-mongers. They are repeatedly calling republicans racists, anti-gay, etc and attempting to incite anger in folks. It really needs to stop. IF Obama wants to be a healer of our nation, he should take a page from MLK and turn his retoric around. I think he would get more flies with honey than the vinegar that's spewing from his mouth.

Add to that the fact that he seems to be in perpetual campaign mode, and not realizing that he is the leader of ALL Americans, not just the democrats. His constant bashing of the republicans or anyone that may not agree with him is causing more and more dissatisfaction across the country, IMO. It's time to do the job that he was hired to do. I don't think he really wants the job of President, he just wants the prestige that comes along with the job. Between stump speeches and vacation, when is he doing his job???

[donnaplease]

As for Beck, in what I've read and heard about his rally today, the purpose behind it was to bring attention to the idea that our country needs to find God and bring him BACK into our lives. Through that, we will regain our lost honor, dignity, and the peace that comes with a society that is working for the greater good. It is the same moral compass that many people believe is the key to turning things around, and by the looks of it (if those pics are truly from today) there are a great many Americans who agree. You can call them names and make fun of them, but they are Americans who love their God and love their country, and want both of them back. You must admint that is an honorable trait, even if you don't agree with their beliefs.

[Monker]

This just bothers me a lot. This country is getting polarized and that is not a good thing IMO. Obama was elected as the first almost Black/American President to unite this country and now look what we're getting. I actually blame Obama for not working to unite America instead of trying to force his ideas on the American public. IDK, I'm just sad and scared about the whole thing.

I fault Obama for creating a leadership vacuum. His attempts at controlling the narrative have amounted to a charm offensive on TV talk shows, which quickly grew tiring. Now he's just sorta MIA. But that's ok. The president isn't a babysitter. I also don't think he has forced any ideas on the American public. He wasted a whole year wrangling with Congres over the health care bill. If he truly wanted to ram Canadian single payer down your throat, he could have.

The Democats, not just Obama, should have 'rammed' a bill down the Senate's throat. It would have shown that the Democrats actually had some balls. Instead, they went on compromising, and compromising, and by the end what finally passed was MUCH too watered down...and the Democrats were STILL said to have rammed it down our throats. It's just a lie, propaganda, that the public has bought into.

The same thing with the mosque. At first Obama comes out defending the first amendment. The very next day he backs off...just as everybody else has. No balls.

The Bush tax cuts. They ALL want to cut the deficit...well, there you go. But, I fully expect the Democrats to back off on that too...and then the Republicans will bitch about the deficit...and the Democrats will lose twice, the tax cuts for the rich and the deficit arguments.

The Democrats are pussies that do not want to take a fight all ten rounds. It's as if they feel NO issue is worth fighting for. They deserve to lose congress if that is how they are going to govern.

Right now, Sarah Palin uses rallies like this to gain popular support of both the hard core Republicans, and those who are just tired of government. If caucuses were held today, I have no doubt that she would win Iowa for the Republican nomination...there is nobody who can compete against her.

That could be good or bad for Democrats...It's good if she can be painted as an out of control loony...bad if she can define herself as a rebel with a cause who can energize the Republicans to vote, and gain support of most of independents.

[Monker]

As for Beck, in what I've read and heard about his rally today, the purpose behind it was to bring attention to the idea that our country needs to find God and bring him BACK into our lives. Through that, we will regain our lost honor, dignity, and the peace that comes with a society that is working for the greater good. It is the same moral compass that many people believe is the key to turning things around, and by the looks of it (if those pics are truly from today) there are a great many Americans who agree. You can call them names and make fun of them, but they are Americans who love their God and love their country, and want both of them back. You must admint that is an honorable trait, even if you don't agree with their beliefs.

Any rally that passes out flyers with Obama, or any President, having a Hitler mustache does not have any honor to speak about.

They speak of God and honor and then defend hatred of Muslims, even hatred of their own President...I believe there is a plank in their eyes that needs to be pulled out.

Hypocrites.

So, no I do not believe it is an honorable trait to have such hatred and denigration inside of them, and then start talking about restoring some kind of imaginary lost honor...or lost God, which should be found inside their own heart, and not inside of the White House or elsewhere in government.

[The_Noble_Cause]

As for Beck, in what I've read and heard about his rally today, the purpose behind it was to bring attention to the idea that our country needs to find God and bring him BACK into our lives. Through that, we will regain our lost honor, dignity, and the peace that comes with a society that is working for the greater good. It is the same moral compass that many people believe is the key to turning things around, and by the looks of it (if those pics are truly from today) there are a great many Americans who agree. You can call them names and make fun of them, but they are Americans who love their God and love their country, and want both of them back. You must admint that is an honorable trait, even if you don't agree with their beliefs.

"Honor", "dignity", "peace" - again all buzzwords that mean something different to everyone. This event was about one thing - Glenn Beck. He's the con, and everyone on the sides of the reflection pool are easy marks. And for the last time, NOBODY stole your country away from you. There was an election. You guys lost.

[slucero]

Ya not feeling Beck.. don't watch him..

This next election cycle is gonna be about one thing... jobs.

The present administration, including Congress could resurrect Jesus and if he doesn't exit the cave and drop about 8 Million jobs on the masses like bread and fishes the incumbents would still get their asses canned.

[slucero]

It is absolutely ridiculous for anybody to blame Obama for not being able to fix in 2yrs Bush's 8yrs of destroying the economy.

"Fix" the economy? Probably not. But he's taking it in entirely the WRONG direction, and the recent economic data is proving that out.

I disagree with that. What Bush left Obama with was a mess of indescribable proportions. The entire financial system had colapsed. If NOTHING had been done, I believe we would be worse off then the great depression. To avoid this, they HAD to 'bail out' major portions of the economy. To not do so would have been foolish.

One man (neither Bush nor BO) is responsible for this. It's Congress.

\

Bush set the agenda for his entire second term by the Iraq war. There was NO investment in this country - none. If all of the effort and money that went into Iraq had gone into the infrastructure of this country, we would have been sitting in a much better situation when the financial sector fell apart.

So now Obama has to play catch up by rebuilding the infrastructure that was ignored for 8yrs by Bush. That creats job, whether you wish to admit it or not. He has to invest heavily in alternative energy, which Bush ignored for 8yrs. That also creates jobs and lessens the importance of countries such as Iraq. He has to focus solely on the middle and lower classes, which were ignored by Bush for 8yrs. He has to ring in the upper classes which were given multiple tax breaks leading to increasing deficits.

I could go on and on about this...and I did when we went into Iraq...saying it was a war we couldn't afford to fight. Bush was an idiot for doing it...and all of those who went along with it were idiots too. We have our own problems in THIS country to fix...and Bush consistently ignored them.

So, yes, one man did cause this, IMO. He had eight years to do it. That's a lot of time of consistently ignoring the economy and it came around and bit us all in the ass.

No funding, No war!!!

I'm certainly not an advocate of war as a solution to anything. BUT if I remember my history correctly, wasn't WWII what finally led the US out of the Great Depression?

All of the votes for funding were politicized into being about patriotism. On the one hand, you are voting for your support of the war if you vote for funding...if you vote against, you are voting against the troops. IMO, that is the entire reason why Bush put this outside of the normal budget...politics.

IMO, those who voted for the war in the original debate should have been voted out of office...including Hillary. It was wrong, and many knew it but tried to shove responsibility to the President. Their responsibility were to those citizens they represented - and all of those who voted for the war failed the citizens they represented.

WWII helped the economy by boosting manufacturing. The US economy is no longer based so much on manufacturing....though it would not surprise me if Bush thought it was. Wars like Iraq and Afghanistan do nothing for the economy...they hurt it because they increase the deficit or are redirecting $'s which could be invested in the US.

The economic "boost" you cite as a result of WWII was short, shallow wand resulted in a 21 month RECESSION after WWII..
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content ... twarii.jpg


During the war only war goods were made.. nothing was made and sold domestically.. no toasters, ovens, sinks.. there was no domestic economy at all.. in fact any of the existing goods in the economy were RATIONED... Destruction is never productive. War does not boost an economy and did not end the depression. The end of the war ended the depression.

[donnaplease]

Any rally that passes out flyers with Obama, or any President, having a Hitler mustache does not have any honor to speak about.

I agree, and if that happened, it's totally wrong. Were those flyers passed out by the organizers of the event? Given a crowd of that magnitude, I'm sure there were some nutjobs there with something other than honor in their hearts. There are those folks on both sides of the aisle, unfortunately. Remember the mannequin depicting Sarah Palin hanging...? Some people are just plain assholes.

They speak of God and honor and then defend hatred of Muslims, even hatred of their own President...I believe there is a plank in their eyes that needs to be pulled out.

Hypocrites.

So, no I do not believe it is an honorable trait to have such hatred and denigration inside of them, and then start talking about restoring some kind of imaginary lost honor...or lost God, which should be found inside their own heart, and not inside of the White House or elsewhere in government.

I believe that for the most part, those are your words, not theirs. I personally haven't heard anyone say they hate either muslims or the president. It's just more hate-mongering rhetoric. If you are unable or, more likely, unwilling to try to grasp the concepts they are espousing, you will never get nor respect what values they are trying to restore. And that's just makes me sad for you.

[donnaplease]

As for Beck, in what I've read and heard about his rally today, the purpose behind it was to bring attention to the idea that our country needs to find God and bring him BACK into our lives. Through that, we will regain our lost honor, dignity, and the peace that comes with a society that is working for the greater good. It is the same moral compass that many people believe is the key to turning things around, and by the looks of it (if those pics are truly from today) there are a great many Americans who agree. You can call them names and make fun of them, but they are Americans who love their God and love their country, and want both of them back. You must admint that is an honorable trait, even if you don't agree with their beliefs.

"Honor", "dignity", "peace" - again all buzzwords that mean something different to everyone. This event was about one thing - Glenn Beck. He's the con, and everyone on the sides of the reflection pool are easy marks. And for the last time, NOBODY stole your country away from you. There was an election. You guys lost.

Absolutely agree with your 'buzzwords' sentiment, and it's what I've been saying here for a very long time. Each person's values are made up from their personal experiences. BUT... all rallies are about really one thing: people of a similar value/thought coming together in support of one another and/or a cause. I think those 'easy marks' sent a message yesterday. We'll see if the government sits up and takes notice. Somehow I doubt it.

I never suggested anyone stole anything. That's YOUR side who likes to throw that claim around.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Absolutely agree with your 'buzzwords' sentiment, and it's what I've been saying here for a very long time. Each person's values are made up from their personal experiences. BUT... all rallies are about really one thing: people of a similar value/thought coming together in support of one another and/or a cause. I think those 'easy marks' sent a message yesterday. We'll see if the government sits up and takes notice. Somehow I doubt it.

I doubt it too, but not because Obama is deaf to the will of Beck's groupies. The message is garbled. A month ago, this event was all about Beck debuting what he called "The Plan", a book detailing how to win back government. Then he started talking about reclaiming MLK's message, oblivious to the fact that MLK was a HUGE progressive. Then he made it all about restoring God...etc. Just a mess. I still have NO idea what this thing was about. You guys say you want a government as good as its people, and then you turn around and say "let's take our country back." Back to what? The Bush years? An administration so corrupt that it made liberals actually pine for the good ole days of Nixon?

[The_Noble_Cause]

The economic "boost" you cite as a result of WWII was short, shallow wand resulted in a 21 month RECESSION after WWII..
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content ... twarii.jpg

Wasn't that the result of post-war demobilization? I thought the GI Bill (more socialism. Ahhh!) was passed because so many returning soliders couldn't find jobs. Some Ron Paul types say that the war did not end the depression, and that rationing lasted long afterwards.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Ya not feeling Beck.. don't watch him..

Riiight. That's what they said about Limbaugh when he debuted. Now he is the most influential voice inside the Republican party. Lying assholes need to be called out, especially those who offensively rewrite history for personal gain. Luckily, Jon Stewart, Colbert, and Olbermann are around to even the score.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/jon-stew ... -a-scheme/

[treetopovskaya]

Any rally that passes out flyers with Obama, or any President, having a Hitler mustache does not have any honor to speak about.

I agree, and if that happened, it's totally wrong. Were those flyers passed out by the organizers of the event? Given a crowd of that magnitude, I'm sure there were some nutjobs there with something other than honor in their hearts. There are those folks on both sides of the aisle, unfortunately. Remember the mannequin depicting Sarah Palin hanging...? Some people are just plain assholes.

They speak of God and honor and then defend hatred of Muslims, even hatred of their own President...I believe there is a plank in their eyes that needs to be pulled out.

Hypocrites.

So, no I do not believe it is an honorable trait to have such hatred and denigration inside of them, and then start talking about restoring some kind of imaginary lost honor...or lost God, which should be found inside their own heart, and not inside of the White House or elsewhere in government.

I believe that for the most part, those are your words, not theirs. I personally haven't heard anyone say they hate either muslims or the president. It's just more hate-mongering rhetoric. If you are unable or, more likely, unwilling to try to grasp the concepts they are espousing, you will never get nor respect what values they are trying to restore. And that's just makes me sad for you.

i'm guessing it was the larouche people. they used to stand outside my store before we moved... and they did the EXACT same thing to george w. bush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?a&feature= ... pBZM88mHvQ

http://www.larouchepac.com/

[treetopovskaya]

larouche website...

http://www.larouchepac.com/

believe me... whoever is president will be on their posters. they did it with bush, obama... next!

[slucero]

The economic "boost" you cite as a result of WWII was short, shallow wand resulted in a 21 month RECESSION after WWII..
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content ... twarii.jpg

Wasn't that the result of post-war demobilization? I thought the GI Bill (more socialism. Ahhh!) was passed because so many returning soliders couldn't find jobs. Some Ron Paul types say that the war did not end the depression, and that rationing lasted long afterwards.

I actually think the GI Bill was/is a good thing... those soldiers went willingly and the country owen them that much. Serving one's country, voluntarily or otherwise is still something that should be honored. A primary component of the GI Bill (passed in 1944) was unemployment compensation but only 20% of the money set aside for it was ever used.

Returning GI's returned to a USA that had retooled 100% of its industry to make bombs and bullets... Post WWII all that industry had to be retooled to make consumer goods... and wait on the world (meaning Europe) economy had to recover to the point that European consumer demand would rise to a level that would support even a modicum of US exports... Eventually "Rosie the Riveter" returned to being "Rosie the Homemaker", and her husband Ron took her job.

Folks forget that bankers made FORTUNES funding WWII from both sides, and even more funding recovering economies and consumers spending.

[slucero]

Ya not feeling Beck.. don't watch him..

Riiight. That's what they said about Limbaugh when he debuted. Now he is the most influential voice inside the Republican party. Lying assholes need to be called out, especially those who offensively rewrite history for personal gain. Luckily, Jon Stewart, Colbert, and Olbermann are around to even the score.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/jon-stew ... -a-scheme/

Seriously... don't watch the guy... don't even watch FauxNews...

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

The economic "boost" you cite as a result of WWII was short, shallow wand resulted in a 21 month RECESSION after WWII..
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content ... twarii.jpg

Wasn't that the result of post-war demobilization? I thought the GI Bill (more socialism. Ahhh!) was passed because so many returning soliders couldn't find jobs. Some Ron Paul types say that the war did not end the depression, and that rationing lasted long afterwards.

Real believers in free market capitalist (like Ron Paul ) point out that was is the "health of the state". To pay for a war you have to levy taxes, conscript your citizens, all things which limit the freedom of the states citizens. Great way to control your citizens.
Necessary or not, no war has ever led to econimic growth. for the same reason that peacetime Keynesian government spending,. It needs to be financed with capital - there is then less capacity for the private sector to invest and build wealth.

This why, when it comes to governing, the leadership of the Democratic party is no less pro- war than the Republican party. It just too much power to give up. Eisenhower was right in the warning that he gave about the military industrial complex - sadly we didnt listen.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Luckily, Jon Stewart, Colbert, and Olbermann are around to even the score.

Just spit out my coffee.. God you guys are funny, especially Monker, dragging out the tried and true "handing out Hitler pics of Obama." At least it appears that 7 Wishes has given up defending the shit you guys do.

Funny, I do the same exaggerated sitcom spit-take every time you quote Rush Limbaugh, as if his words were etched on stone tablets. In your pitiful life’s mission to bash Democrats, you have copied articles from such "reputable" sources as The Moonie Times and World Nut Daily. If Stewart and Colbert don’t meet your standards, odds are they’re actually telling the truth.

[donnaplease]

I want a good ol' fashioned debate... Congressional leader of both parties - head to head - to discuss the issues that are affecting our country. I don't want spin, I want answers. HOW each party would fix the economic situation we're in. All I get now is shit-slinging and half-truths, and I'm sick of it! Anybody know how we can get some real-time answers???

[conversationpc]

Any rally that passes out flyers with Obama, or any President, having a Hitler mustache does not have any honor to speak about.

That rally didn't pass those fliers out.

They speak of God and honor and then defend hatred of Muslims, even hatred of their own President...I believe there is a plank in their eyes that needs to be pulled out.

Weren't you the one who was parroting the lie that Timothy McVeigh was a Christian even though the vast majority of the evidence indicates he was either atheist or agnostic? You might want to grab a pair of spiked boots and a chainsaw, pal. You have some logging to do.

[Monker]

Any rally that passes out flyers with Obama, or any President, having a Hitler mustache does not have any honor to speak about.

I agree, and if that happened, it's totally wrong. Were those flyers passed out by the organizers of the event? Given a crowd of that magnitude, I'm sure there were some nutjobs there with something other than honor in their hearts. There are those folks on both sides of the aisle, unfortunately. Remember the mannequin depicting Sarah Palin hanging...? Some people are just plain assholes.

He comes out and preaches about unity and restoring honor but he is probably one of the most divisive people in America. It is so hypocritical, it's ridiculous.

So, no I do not believe it is an honorable trait to have such hatred and denigration inside of them, and then start talking about restoring some kind of imaginary lost honor...or lost God, which should be found inside their own heart, and not inside of the White House or elsewhere in government.

I believe that for the most part, those are your words, not theirs. I personally haven't heard anyone say they hate either muslims or the president. It's just more hate-mongering rhetoric. If you are unable or, more likely, unwilling to try to grasp the concepts they are espousing, you will never get nor respect what values they are trying to restore. And that's just makes me sad for you.

All you have to do is go back the cultural center debate...categorizing ALL Muslims as being no better then the terrorists who executed 9/'11. If they want unity, they would be FOR the cultural center. Instead, Beck, Palin, Newt, and the rest of Fox are divisive and turn it into a political issue and denigrate ALL Muslims with their silly political rhetoric.

Beck preaches unity but in the past he calls the President racist...which, of course, he NOW apologizes for - because of the obvious hypocrisy. He constantly goes on about this and that being tied to Nazi's and socialism. You can take almost ANY show he does and it is soooo easy to see that he is incredibly divisive. The only people he truly wants to 'unite' are Republicans - not ALL Americans.

Then there is all this imaginary lost honor and lost God. You can go back to ANY age in this country and point out examples of where the society had 'lost God'. There has NEVER been a time in US history where everybody had God in their heart and followed the same path and values that Beck is saying are now 'lost'.. That's a fiction, a myth....you can't lose what you never had. If he wants to go and be a preacher and ask people to be moral and do what is right - fine...But, don't attach it to the myth that we somehow 'lost' that.

Now he is going on about being a victim because people criticized him. I think he WANTS the critique...he welcomes it. He knows that any attention he gets from his show, or his rallies, or whatever, puts more focus on the "issues" that HE wants to have focus on. And, I think he simply loves the attention - good or bad...and he loves to 'perform', pushing people's emotional buttons to make them feel what he wants them to feel to get their sympathy and their support.

[Monker]

Any rally that passes out flyers with Obama, or any President, having a Hitler mustache does not have any honor to speak about.

That rally didn't pass those fliers out.

The fact is that I read an article right on Yahoo news (not something like Huffington post) that they were passed out at the rally. Whether the rally itself passed them out is not my point. From the beginning, this type of thing has been going on at Tea Party rallies. That's just fact. The movement is fueled by hatred towards Obama and Democrats/liberals in general. Denying that is denying reality.

Weren't you the one who was parroting the lie that Timothy McVeigh was a Christian even though the vast majority of the evidence indicates he was either atheist or agnostic? You might want to grab a pair of spiked boots and a chainsaw, pal. You have some logging to do.

Oh, please. The point of that was that people condemn an entire religion based on the acts of a dozen terrorists. If that is the criteria for condemning a religion, then all religion should be condemned and all places of worship should be banned.

To tie this back to Beck...when he says one thing on his show and then portrays himself differently at a rally like this, it's hypocrisy, When he tries to tie every Democrat he can to Nazi's and socialism, and then preaches unity, it's hypocrisy. When he fuels racial anger by calling the President a racist, and then aligns himself with MLK's niece, it's hypocrisy. You shouldn't condemn an entire religion based on the acts of a few followers. But, when it's the leader and living prophet being a hypocrite, then the entire movement is laced with hypocrisy.

[conversationpc]

The fact is that I read an article right on Yahoo news (not something like Huffington post) that they were passed out at the rally. Whether the rally itself passed them out is not my point.

Yes, that was your point and that's how it was stated.

The movement is fueled by hatred towards Obama and Democrats/liberals in general. Denying that is denying reality.

I don't deny that and never have. Much of the liberal agenda is what the folks in the Tea Party movement stand against. It's that simple.

To tie this back to Beck...when he says one thing on his show and then portrays himself differently at a rally like this, it's hypocrisy, When he tries to tie every Democrat he can to Nazi's and socialism, and then preaches unity, it's hypocrisy.

To stand against big government and progressivism is not hypocrisy.

When he fuels racial anger by calling the President a racist, and then aligns himself with MLK's niece, it's hypocrisy.

Not even close. Obama sat under a racist pastor who preached inherently racist and Marxist ideology for approximately 20 years. It's not a huge stretch to make that kind of observation. The only time Obama had a problem with it is when it was starting to cost him politically in his Presidential run. If any white person had been part of a church that was preaching KKK-type ideology, for instance, that person would have been rightly identified as racist and hung out to dry.

Start revving that chainsaw up, you've got some work to do on your eye.

[hoagiepete]

The comments that the Tea Party is fueled by hatred of Obama and Democrats is not accurate. They are conservatives that are fed up with big government and high taxes for the most part. The core group of these folks were going at it long before Obama. This movement did not just appear when they elected him. Maybe the Tea Party name is recent, but not the movement. They were there, just not as organized and not getting the press they are today.

They are going after moderate Republicans with as much venom as they are Democrats. I've seen them do it...a lot.

For the record I am not one. They are a little out there for me. However, they are serving an excellent purpose and that is to counterbalance the whack jobs leadership in Congress and Obama, forcing the US back to the middle, where a large majority of us lie.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

They are going after moderate Republicans with as much venom as they are Democrats. I've seen them do it...a lot.

.

This is long overdue - but if the Tea Party is really gong to make a successful impact its going to have to stay on message - focusing soley on the messages of individual freedom, capitalism, and limited government. I 'll be glad if they can, but Im a little skeptical of whether it will.

[The_Noble_Cause]

The comments that the Tea Party is fueled by hatred of Obama and Democrats is not accurate. They are conservatives that are fed up with big government and high taxes for the most part. The core group of these folks were going at it long before Obama.

Then where have they been? Also, if the Tea Party is truly concered with corruption, why were they nowhere to be seen during the recent Wall Street reform debate? The modern Tea Party movement was started by Ron Paul's followers. Sensing the grassroots energy, this movement was co-opted by Beck, Fox News, and other GOP hacks who helped drive the country right over the cliff. Today, it is little more than a 12-step group for disaffected Bush voters. You may find some independents among their ranks, but not many.

[The_Noble_Cause]

This woman to me represents the stereotypical Tea Partier. Kind hearted, hard working, patriotic, but ultimately just misled and completely confused.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzCoPh8D ... re=related

[Monker]

To tie this back to Beck...when he says one thing on his show and then portrays himself differently at a rally like this, it's hypocrisy, When he tries to tie every Democrat he can to Nazi's and socialism, and then preaches unity, it's hypocrisy.

To stand against big government and progressivism is not hypocrisy.

Correct...but doing so with divisive words and actions laced with racist remarks and general hatred and then holding a rally that denounces those very things and calling for unity IS HYPOCRISY.

When he fuels racial anger by calling the President a racist, and then aligns himself with MLK's niece, it's hypocrisy.

Not even close. Obama sat under a racist pastor who preached inherently racist and Marxist ideology for approximately 20 years. It's not a huge stretch to make that kind of observation. The only time Obama had a problem with it is when it was starting to cost him politically in his Presidential run. If any white person had been part of a church that was preaching KKK-type ideology, for instance, that person would have been rightly identified as racist and hung out to dry.

That is totally irrelevant. Accusing somebody of being racist, is being divisive. Accusing the President of this nation of being racist is even more divisive...and adds fuel to the fire. Then he holds a rally about unity and all this crap. Glenn Beck is the very definition of a hypocrite...and he knows it which is why he made his very timely apology.

[conversationpc]

This woman to me represents the stereotypical Tea Partier. Kind hearted, hard working, patriotic, but ultimately just misled and completely confused.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzCoPh8D ... re=related

That lady was obviously way nervous on that show and probably not representative of how she would normally be. That being said, I've seen that clip before and that host should be completely ashamed of himself.

[Monker]

The comments that the Tea Party is fueled by hatred of Obama and Democrats is not accurate. They are conservatives that are fed up with big government and high taxes for the most part. The core group of these folks were going at it long before Obama. This movement did not just appear when they elected him. Maybe the Tea Party name is recent, but not the movement. They were there, just not as organized and not getting the press they are today.


They are going after moderate Republicans with as much venom as they are Democrats. I've seen them do it...a lot.

correct...which is why I said 'liberals in general'. To them, moderate Republicans ARE liberal.