Tea Bag Party, the next Ku Klux Klan?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The parallels are rather for a historian.

[normal]

[Animavore]

"tea-bagger".

[Robert_S]

It doesn't really strike me as having the longevity or focus of the KKK.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It doesn't really strike me as having the longevity or focus of the KKK.

Complacence allowed the KKK to become established.

[Ian]

I love the Tea Party! I want them to help propel the GOP to a majority in the House next month. Otherwise, the wind might be taken out of their sails as the GOP descends into a blame-throwing civil war over what could've been. If the GOP gets a narrow majority, they won't be able to do a whole lot of legislation with a Democratic Senate and White House, but there'll be lots of rancor and partisanship. And the Tea Party's sails will be nice and puffed up for 2012. IMO, nothing will help ensure an Obama re-election and a GOP Congressional catastrophe more than a Republican primary which nominates either Palin herself or someone who'll be kow-towing to the far right of the party.

It all comes down to demographics. The Tea Party has an awful lot of aging, white, suburban/rural conservatives in its ranks. But their demographic isn't going to matter much in 2012 compared to Hispanics, younger ("millenial") voters, quite a few Independents, etc. They'll garner some headlines and a few victorious candidates in this Midterm year, but that very success will be their undoing in 2012. Look for the GOP to nominate a genuine moderate in 2016.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I love the Tea Party! I want them to help propel the GOP to a majority in the House next month. Otherwise, the wind might be taken out of their sails as the GOP descends into a blame-throwing civil war over what could've been. If the GOP gets a narrow majority, they won't be able to do a whole lot of legislation with a Democratic Senate and White House, but there'll be lots of rancor and partisanship. And the Tea Party's sails will be nice and puffed up for 2012. IMO, nothing will help ensure an Obama re-election and a GOP Congressional catastrophe more than a Republican primary which nominates either Palin herself or someone who'll be kow-towing to the far right of the party.

It all comes down to demographics. The Tea Party has an awful lot of aging, white, suburban/rural conservatives in its ranks. But their demographic isn't going to matter much in 2012 compared to Hispanics, younger ("millenial") voters, quite a few Independents, etc. They'll garner some headlines and a few victorious candidates in this Midterm year, but that very success will be their undoing in 2012. Look for the GOP to nominate a genuine moderate in 2016.

So, the next Bull Moose Party?

[Robert_S]

It doesn't really strike me as having the longevity or focus of the KKK.

Complacence allowed the KKK to become established.

My impression is that the widespread racism facilitated that complacency. The human capacity for racism kept the Klan going all these years. What about the Tea Party has that sort of staying power?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It doesn't really strike me as having the longevity or focus of the KKK.

Complacence allowed the KKK to become established.

My impression is that the widespread racism facilitated that complacency. The human capacity for racism kept the Klan going all these years. What about the Tea Party has that sort of staying power?

It has the same things the KKK had, fear, hate, frustration, jealousy, etc.

[Robert_S]

It doesn't really strike me as having the longevity or focus of the KKK.

Complacence allowed the KKK to become established.

My impression is that the widespread racism facilitated that complacency. The human capacity for racism kept the Klan going all these years. What about the Tea Party has that sort of staying power?

It has the same things the KKK had, fear, hate, frustration, jealousy, etc.

Right, but the KKK had a focal point: Black people, although they also hated on Catholics, Jews, etc. What symbol or group does the Tea Party have?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It doesn't really strike me as having the longevity or focus of the KKK.

Complacence allowed the KKK to become established.

My impression is that the widespread racism facilitated that complacency. The human capacity for racism kept the Klan going all these years. What about the Tea Party has that sort of staying power?

It has the same things the KKK had, fear, hate, frustration, jealousy, etc.

Right, but the KKK had a focal point: Black people, although they also hated on Catholics, Jews, etc. What symbol or group does the Tea Party have?

Black people, Democrats, "enemies of the middle class", Democrats, Muslims, Democrats . . .

[maiforpeace]

I dunno about the KKK, but the Tea Party might be the new John Birch Society.

The billionaire Koch brothers: Tea Party puppetmasters?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I dunno about the KKK, but the Tea Party might be the new John Birch Society.

The billionaire Koch brothers: Tea Party puppetmasters?

"I'm a faithful follower of Brother John Birch.
I belong to the Gideon Baptist Church."

[Coito ergo sum]

I raise, by analogy, Godwin's Law, and suggest this thread be closed to the same extent as if Hitler had been raised as a comparison factor.

KKK:











Tea Baggers:










The latter may be stupid, angry, overly religious, self-righteous, etc. But, the KKK they ain't.

[Robert_S]

Complacence allowed the KKK to become established.

My impression is that the widespread racism facilitated that complacency. The human capacity for racism kept the Klan going all these years. What about the Tea Party has that sort of staying power?

It has the same things the KKK had, fear, hate, frustration, jealousy, etc.

Right, but the KKK had a focal point: Black people, although they also hated on Catholics, Jews, etc. What symbol or group does the Tea Party have?

Black people, Democrats, "enemies of the middle class", Democrats, Muslims, Democrats . . .

Way to broad. I don't doubt that they'll cause a lot of stupid things to happen, but it seems like they could very easily splinter. Especially since they deny being racist.

If you mean that in the next few years they're as dangerous, I think they're potentially more dangerous than the KKK. I just don't see them as being as long lived.