From the article:

"But their Manhattan-based group has no leaders — on purpose. So far, Kansas' tea party is a loose coalition of groups without a statewide hierarchy...It's difficult to say how many Kansans are part of the movement because of the lack of a single, statewide organization."

From the dictionary:

anarchism (noun)

belief in the abolition of all government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion. • anarchists as a political force or movement : "socialism and anarchism emerged to offer organized protest against the injustices of Spanish society."

There are those who see the political spectrum of thought as a circle. At some point on a circle left meets right. Are we there yet?

I love the definitions of "Tea Party" from Urban Dictionary:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tea%20party

It isn't in this story, but as I recall some of the major organizers of the Kansas Tea Party are former members of the Minuteman Civil Defense group.

Apparently that group had been tainted, so now they have the safety of the Tea Party label to hide behind.

geekyhost...

Last I checked 51% (43% indep + 8% dem as quoted by you) is LARGER than 42% (indep & dem as quoted by jaywalker.)

Looks like he wasn't inflating any numbers.

To see the intelligence of those in the Tea Party movement, just read their signs. they appear to have their own language now - teabonics. How can anyone trust them with anything when they can't read and write? Elementary school students are smarter.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/galleries/teabonics_the_flawed_language_of_protest/teabonics_the_flawed_language_of_protest.html

Tom, even if someone is unhappy with Obama today, that hardly means that person thus wishes McCain / Palin had won the election instead, or that they would vote for whomever becomes the Republican candidate in 2012. It most likely means their expectations for Obama were higher than than the reality. It does not mean they would be more happy or happier with just any alternative.

jaywalker might be our perfect subject to ask. He begrudgingly or with reservations (from what I can tell) voted for Obama, and has written against many of his actions since Obama took office. However, I have a strong feeling that despite his unhappiness with Obama performance he still doesn't wish that McCain and Palin were in office instead. However, he is just one person and I can't speak for his feelings on this, but it could be of interest to hear his take. Jay, care to jump in on this?

"Koch"

Soros

"imagine that, they're from manhattan. rednecks."

I bet the significance of the word "redneck" in American culture would surprise you. If you are a true left winger and an honest man, you would appreciate the word. I'm no left winger, but I do appreciate what it means. Protip: it has to do with bandanas that coal miners wore.

Yes, *, you can quote that.

Battle of Blair Mountain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaWikipedia

"I hear these tea parties are always real real white"

Probably beige.

wow, unorganized, really? gee, militias stay unorganized so that no one has any culpability for their statements of platforms. They just want to hide their CRAZY views under the radar so that they don't have to answer for what they obviously don't know about. It reminds me of all of the times I saw Margaret Tutweiller and Ari Fleischer BS their way through real questions that no dumblican could answer beyond energy exploitation, labor exploitation, free market exploitation, or guns, god, and abortion. They really don't have to know anything other than the limited items their followers buy into. Know Nothing Party anyone?

Hey Barry Penders, posercare is better than Bob Dole care. At least with posercare I can afford to get sick. (Laughter).

How typical that liberals get all up in a huff when they are labeled as "socialists," but have no compunction of calling Tea Party members "rednecks" or "racists" or "inbred morons."

Keep it up. Only makes them more determined and increases their numbers. For every 10 that showed up, there are probably 1,000 who were at work. And they vote!

When the economy comes crashing down due to an out of control government, it's going to be the "rednecks" that can take care of themselves. All you statist, liberals will still get your gubm't check, it just won't be worth anything. You'll starve to death. Printing money without collateral or an end equals inflation. At the current rate it equals hyperinflation. It's really too late to stop it now. A correction will happen.

Saw a political cartoon I liked -- two guys: one a dude in a suit, the other a young punk with spiky hair. Caption read: Libertarianism is just Anarchism for the rich.

Meanwhile, should we expect private industry to start paying for the repaving the roads? Should we just trust UPS and FedEx to build bridges that we can use -- for a fee? Do you want your tap water to be based on a profit margin? Should we dump the food inspectors? If socialism means I don't need to worry about what's in a hot dog, maybe it's not such a bad thing.

Okay, maybe the hot dog isn't a good example. ;-)

Black Panthers? Really? Tom, you do know that there haven't been Black Panthers since the mid 1970s, don't you? What next, gonna start complaining about the northerners and their war of aggression?

If your defense of "potential violence that often accompanies frustrated ignorance" coming from the teabaggers is that other groups have resorted to violence, too, then that is just weak. Nobody here is condoning violence, but you are making excuses for it. Since when do two wrongs make a right?

geeky,

Just relaying the info I heard the way I heard it. If they broke down the percentages of dems and indies and I'd heard it, I would have included it.
But thanks for approaching me with all the rationality of a porch person. Here's to hoping you rise above that level. (Don't worry though, it ain't a long climb.)

"Libertarianism is just Anarchism for the rich."

small "L" libertarians that aren't hyphenated with "anarcho" support small government. Most libertarians in America fall into that category because they realize underlying law of our country calls for a government. I think you will find that libertarians dislike anarchists as much as they dislike liberals, which is a lot.

"Meanwhile, should we expect private industry to start paying for the repaving the roads?"

They already pay their fair share, just like everyone else that buys fuel. The government only acts as a middleman.

"Should we just trust UPS and FedEx to build bridges that we can use -- for a fee?"

There are private contractors that build the bridges, paid for with our tax dollars. As for using privately-owned roads for a fee, that's pretty commonplace.

"Do you want your tap water to be based on a profit margin?" That wouldn't bother me as long as there was no monopoly. In fact, it could drive prices down.

"The only thing that scares me about the TP movement is the potential violence that often accompanies frustrated ignorance. "

You don't need a teaparty for that. Go to a G12 meeting. Except the violence is never potential, it is always real.

"YEARS think that socialist is a slur."

I think it's a label, much like marxist, capitalist or anarchist.

"dumblicans"

LOL, the counterpart for the DIMocrat. Hilarity ensures!

"Is this really that bad? "

I'd rather work and own a vette, a boat and a house.

"they don't have to take group responsibility for racist behavior of their group members"

Why would being racist stop people from forming into a hierarchical group. There are thousands of them in America today. Vaious versions of the klan still exist.

"Gallup poll finds that 45% of Tea Party supporters lack the necessary bits to perform tea-bagging."

45% are female?

"Its you rednecks that will use vigilante force to get your way and you will probably team up with the Christian Militia. And how can you call yourself "moderate" moderateman?"

I'm a redneck, a well educated hick and a cracker. OTOH, I'm an atheist. My vigilante force is the dots I fill in on election ballots.

"yet the right-wingers don't think they are fascists" They aren't. Most conservatives want government and business to be well separated.. Fascism is the opposite of that.

"you do know that there haven't been Black Panthers since the mid 1970s"

http://www.newblackpanther.com/

"Railing against printing money like we're playing Monopoly ain't so party specific after all."

I love this comment Jaywalker! So true!

Actually Ed, I do know what a fascist is. Not really my thing. I despise the way the religious "right" has hijacked a party that once stood for limited government, fiscal restraint and personal responsibility. I'm pro-choice and think marijuana should be legalized (not that I've ever tried it..) I used to think I was a moderate due to those stances, but the Democratic party has taken control of the airliner and pointed it towards the ground. I guess that makes me more of a Libertarian than anything. (Not a newly "fashionable" Libertarian mind you. I was a registered Libertarian during the Bush years as well.)

The last thing I condone or look forward to is violence in our society. I work hard and have a family. Real violence is going to happen when people used to 'entitlements" stop receiving them because our nation is bankrupt. They are still going to feel entitled. They will just start taking what they want from the people who still have something. I spend every day trying to enjoy my life, our society, and basic rule of law before that happens. Everybody should.

Tomato Grower - If I recall, wasn't the Save our Schools Rally on a weekday during spring break? I'd be interested in knowing what percentage of that 1,000+ were teachers who had the day off or stay at home moms with their kids. I'm not saying these people don't deserve a voice but the strength of a movement can't necessarily be measured by the number that show up at a rally.

The Tea Party event was also on a week day and I would imagine most its supporters were at work. Many of those that did show up were probably older retired people. I think you're wrong to say that the Tea Party movement gets more attention than it deserves. This is the silent majority finally finding its voice. Many people who have never paid attention to government or politics are finally becoming involved in the process and it's a very good thing.

P.S. - Anyone remember those peaceful protesters at the 1999 WTO Conference in Seattle?

Yes, Straight F, I do remember the protesters in Seattle. Not at all peaceful. Bunch of hooligans, mostly children of white urban yuppies. Interesting that you would use them as a comparison to the Tea Party.

Same with Tom and Liberty275 talking about the Black Panthers, and this basically non-existant New Black Panthers Party (note the word "New" in their title - they aren't really "the" Black Panthers, which is a thing of the past. You can call yourself a New Centurian, but that doesn't exactly make you a Roman, now does it?)

Difference is, the protestors in Seattle and the Black Panthers are not part of the Democrat Party's mainstream. You will never EVER find a Democratic candidate for Vice President talking at their conventions, let alone being their keynote speaker the way Palin was for the Baggers.

No, big difference between the extremists groups is that the Republicans embrace and invite the lunatic fringe of the right to be part of their party, while Democrats don't consider the left fringe part of their party. Palin, standing next to John McCain, told a gathering of Republicans "We are all Tea Party members," and nobody objected. See the difference now?

Any other examples you care to make?

Beatrice, the difference is the Tea Party protesters are largely peaceful. Of course the liberals want to claim they were spitting and yelling profanities at congressional representatives but there has never been any evidence. I bring up the WTO protesters because they're really is no comparison. The liberal WTO protesters were violent and very destructive. Democrats may not want to claim them because it's bad PR but the truth is the ideology is one in the same: big corporations are evil (note those in these postings who want to demonize the Koch family, those evil rich people who employ Kansans).

Liberals are all speaking from the same talking points: Diminish Tea Party supporters by labeling all of them as ignorant racists. Call them tea baggers and rednecks who are fanning the flames of anarchy, hoping that if you say it often enough, people will start to believe it.

Some may be misinformed but for the most part, they are Americans who are rightly concerned about over-reaching government and an exploding debt (even on top of the debt Bush left us with). Democrats seem to think money grows on trees. It's gotten to the point that a couple hundred billion dollars seems like pocket change. Conservatives know the difference between limited government and no government and they understand the intent of our constitution.

Tomato - maybe the ignorant rednecks should unionize right? Then they could get days off and go stand with you and all the intellectually elite.

" I'm surprised they just don't come out and use the "n" word."

That's a hallmark of the TPers.

"Why do I say "teabaggers?" Certainly not because I'm sexually-obsessed like none2 is. In my mind, "teabagger" has nothing at all to do with that."

Some may believe the term means something else, but it is intended as a vile smear against those who don't agree with the current state of affairs. The term has one meaning when used in the context of the Tea Party, past meanings notwithstanding.

Using it is still vile, no matter how you try to spin it. You know what it references. Sick.

Yes Porch, I knew they used it first. It had a historical meaning, but it has turned into a perverted one. Most decent folks, and I include those on this board, did not know what the 'street' version was. Now that the Tea Party and its detractors know the coarse version, there is no excuse for using it. Sick.

I'm glad you find it obscene too. Intelligent people can have a civil discourse and disagree, and don't have to lie down in the gutter in the process.

straightforward (anonymous) says… "Tomato - maybe the ignorant rednecks should unionize right? Then they could get days off and go stand with you and all the intellectually elite."

Good grief, first you guys accuse me of being jealous of the elite corporate CEO's, then I'm accused of being an elitist. Ho hum. People who can't read for understanding, who are not educated enough to know that not everything you get in an email is true, who can't spell when they make a rally sign, cannot expect people to take them seriously.

edjayhawk (anonymous) says… Liberty275 (anonymous) says… They aren't. Most conservatives want government and business to be well separated.. Fascism is the opposite of that.

Incorrect. Corporate America wants the government to fund them when they lose money. They also don't want to pay their fair share of taxes and don't. The government doesn't enforce that. Lobbyists represent corporations and give money to the politicians so corporations can get their way even if unethical. Even Republicans like President Eisenhower warned us of the Government-Military-Industrial Complex and was right.

Oh no, now the rightwing will label Eisenhower a socialist in the history books. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/apr... They'll definitely leave out that speech.

tea baggers, great white hopes and birthers.

LOVE IT!

Agnostik,

My comments were not an evaluation of the Tea Party movement either way. Just the continued display of a vulgar term when the initial use had been dropped after the street definition was widely circulated. The use of the term now is meant to slam the movement, no other reason. You are to put together an intelligent opinion on why you don' like them, so the use of the crude phrase should be beneath you.

Still sick.