Is there any wonder why there are Tea Parties?

[DaTeacha]

As yet another example of politicians acting like politicians, I offer this.

The democratically controlled Ohio State House had a bill introduced after many years of work by its proponents. The bill prohibits discrimination by employers and landlords against employees and tenants based on sexual discrimination. The bill made it to the floor, whereupon the Democrats promptly amended it in a couple of places with minor word changes that did not affect the meaning of the bill in any appreciable manner.

The Republicans then introduced an amendment which would provide some protection for the employers and landlords in cases brought under the new bill, particularly when the accusations against them were shown to be false.

Under an Ohio House rule, a paragraph in a bill may only be amended once. The paragraph to be amended by the Republicans was the one previously subject to the meaningless Democrat amendments, so the Republican amendment was ruled out of order and thereby excluded from open debate on its merits.

The Democrats had managed to avoid open debate on a likely controversial topic (the protection) to be included in a bill that has no chance of passing in the State Senate, but which debate might have cast various representatives in a bad light among this or that segment of their constituency, no matter which way they argued about the amendment. They basically maneuvered the pointless Democrat amendments through first to avoid showing where they stood on the Republican amendment that protected the employers and landlords in the case of false accusation.

Things like this happen in our State House about 3 or 4 times each session. When a floor debate or discussion on which the constituency is likely to be divided enough and passionate enough to cost someone votes appears immenent, open debate showing a given politicians position on the matter is neatly avoided. And still the politicians wonder why people think the entire government needs some serious fixing.

[JimBob]

We all vote for people to represent us in government and take a stand on the important issues.But it seems when the time comes to fish or cut bait on something controversial or might cost them some votes they're all out cutting bait.As employers we should make the employees understand the rules of employment a little better next election cycle or two.I don't believe we are well served by professional politicians who seem to inhabit our state legislatures or congress.

[nathangdad]

I no longer wonder why there are tea parties as it seems self-evident.

What I look forward to is the next logical step when this becomes, I hope, a more politicized movement with a powerful block of voters. It is the vote next November that will either bring change to the current situation or perpetuate the current situation.

[Big Dog]

Hopefully the danged fools who sat out the last election, thinking their vote didn't count, or they didn't like the GOP geezer - they will have "seen the light" and realized the Koolade Drinkers DID turn out in numbers and got their boy 'voted' in. We could've avoided the last few months of fiscal banditry and utter criminal action on their part, IF all right-thinking voters would have come together to prevent the total assimilation of the FedGov by the Other Side. Eight months of unConstitutional tomfoolery did NOT have to have happened. In Noember of 2010, we have a second chance to put the brakes on the Crazy Bus to Hades. Let's NOT blow it this time!

[Cyrano]

nathangdad, a lot will depend on what oppressive policies the Democrats put in place or attempt to put in place win the summer before the election. Unless repeatedly reminded of earlier atrocities of law committed by whichever party you don't like, the average American has a political awareness of perhaps two months.

I'd like to see the Republicans hammer the Democrats on the national level with things like Obama daring to float a proposal that would have forced private insurance companies to reimburse the VA for medical treatment in connection with combat injuries at the same time he was spending America into bankruptcy court with his stimulus packages; with his demanding (and getting!) the head of the privately-owned company General Motors fired before they could get any stimulus money; with his putting the yankee gummint into private business by taking ownership of GM (shades of the late Soviet Union and Red China - even Nazi Germany was astute enough not to meddle with Krupp, Thyssen and the German shipyards!); jumping all over Lazard Freres for the millions in bonuses paid to their employees, while not saying word one about the BILLIONS in bonuses paid to the employees of Merrill Lynch before its acquisition by Bank of America, demanding that Lazard give back the bonus money but not demanding Merill Lynch to do likewise; bowing to a foreign monarch, something NO American president had ever done - hell, we won't even dip the colors to the International Olympic Committee at the opening of Olympic games when every other country, even Greece, does! - and betraying our allies in Central Europe by not deploying a land-based anti-missile system that would have made the whole of Europe and Western Asia safer. Plus of course, what other atrocities he and his lackeys commit before the election.

If Obama steps on his crank often enough and badly enough before the election, and continues to act as if he is the leader of a cult whose word is law to his followers, I believe the American people will rise up as they did in 1994 and repudiate the Obama administration by voting out a pile of Democrats. I'll settle for the Republicans taking back the Senate, because that will enable them to stop any real idiocies the Democrats want to do; but I'd rather they had both Senate and House back to make it clear to Obama that the American people are rejecting his program.

The People standing up on their hind legs and telling the government "NO" is not about race. It never was. It's about the People objecting to the direction in which Obama is trying to move the country. It's about the People objecting to his plans that have the government meddling in things that are not its business, and getting larger instead of smaller. It's about the People objecting to their money being used to pay off the greedheads who put the economy into the toilet by incredibly unwise investments and making loans and the types of loans that forty years ago would never have even made it to a loan committee for consideration. It's about the People objecting to Obama running up the national debt like no President before him, not even George W. Bush, with no plan for how to pay it down without taxing the People to death. It's about Obama having the arrogance to send lesson plans to teachers to accompany a pedestrian "stay in school because education is the key the the American Dream" speech that read like they were written by Joseph Goebbels for inculcating the Fuehrerprinzip into the Hitler Youth. And by the time the election comes around, it will be about more than that!

The way I see it, Obama and the Democrats are really cruisin' for a bruisin' come the midterm elections. All the Republicans have to do is ask, "Are you better off now than you were in 2006?" and "Was going from SNAFU to FUBAR the 'change' you voted for?" Provided they can get that message across, there is going to be real change in DC. Trouble is, it won't be the kind of change Obama had in mind when he was elected.

[nathangdad]

This is a tough call.

Gallup National Political Polling is consistently showing a trend that is not what most conservatives want to see.

Dissatisfaction with the Obama administration and the Democrats is not translating into support for the Republican Party. People are, in general, too apalled by the Bush2 administration and the McCain campaign to vote Republican out of anti-Obama/liberal Democrat feeling. They are, in growing numbers, describing themselves as independents not associated with either the Democrat or Republican parties.

The Republicans, to gain ground, will have to put forth candidates and platforms that both address concerns of the middle class and present solutions supported by the middle class. This must encompass everything form mid-East policy to health care to social security.

Otherwise, the trend will be for those anti-Obama/liberal Democrat people to simply not vote for any candidate. So, the Obama/Democrat control will continue. You can clearly see evidence of this in the political crash of Sarah Palin. Palin is, probably, the best politician at touching emotional buttons yet the voters do not respond to her. They want action plans.

On the positive side, conservatives have a clear understanding of what to do and time to prepare for the elections next November. It is, now, really up to the conservatives to do something.

Anyway, have a great day

[Palladin8]

I agree with nathangdad. Both parties are worthless as far as I am concerned. If you look at what is happening both parties are stripping this country of jobs, freedoms, and anything else you can think of. The ones who say they are opposed still vote for the bill but say they didn't want to.
The only way to address this issue is to vote them all out and put in place people who really represent what Americans want.

[DaTeacha]

The little stunt in the Ohio House has been used by both parties. How long will it take for a 3rd party to gain any significant following if a decent leader breaks rank with one of the 2 majors and steps out on his or her own?


Suppose Ron Paul declared himself an independent or joined the Libertarian Party? If he could find some dollars, it might be interesting.

[ArkansasHunter]

1st. most all job application have a clause that says you will not be discrminated against due to your sexaule orintations.

2nd. McCain's problem was Bush 2. He stayed within his partys lines though he should of spoke out against Bush 2. instead of staying mum.

3rd. We had the best canidate to elect which was Mike Huckabee but he did'nt get picked.
I hope he runs again. If you watch his show on Fox you'll soon see I'm right...A.H

[woody1981]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

I no longer wonder why there are tea parties as it seems self-evident.

What I look forward to is the next logical step when this becomes, I hope, a more politicized movement with a powerful block of voters. It is the vote next November that will either bring change to the current situation or perpetuate the current situation.

I also! I'm waiting for someone to make all of the tea party goers into a cohesive voting block. Only with the power of the group vote will we become recognized as a force to be reckoned with.

[DaTeacha]

Maybe a new political party should be called ..... wait a minute...... The TEA Party.
Heck, it could even be green tea to get the environmentalist and healthy lifestyle types on board.

Who here is going to start it?

[White Rook]

I like the Tea Party (Taxed Enough Already) but I don't like the Green Tea Party. We don't need the Tree Huggers or Environmentalists who wouldn't want us to drill for our own oil or stop logging because of the Spotted Owl.

I hear Spotted Owl tastes like chicken...

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by ArkansasHunter

3rd. We had the best canidate to elect which was Mike Huckabee but he did'nt get picked.
I hope he runs again. If you watch his show on Fox you'll soon see I'm right...A.H

I did some work for the Huckabee campaign here in the capitol city during the caucus' last year. I thought him electable. Who knew?? I still think he'd be better than Romney.

[Windwalker]

Cyrano, I've had it with the B/S of both parties. I want to vote for people who will support the views of "We, the People," not the Party planks or Party line of any Party. I want to vote for a candidate that will stand up and say Yes, I will support and Uphold the Constitution of the United States and I will recommend that charges be brought against those who violate their Oath and try to get them removed from Office.

[Rave]

Originally Posted by White Rook

I like the Tea Party (Taxed Enough Already) but I don't like the Green Tea Party. We don't need the Tree Huggers or Environmentalists who wouldn't want us to drill for our own oil or stop logging because of the Spotted Owl.

I hear Spotted Owl tastes like chicken...

Yeah,and they prefer K-Mart signs to redwood trees.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

This is a tough call.

Gallup National Political Polling is consistently showing a trend that is not what most conservatives want to see.

Dissatisfaction with the Obama administration and the Democrats is not translating into support for the Republican Party. People are, in general, too appalled by the Bush II administration and the McCain campaign to vote Republican out of anti-Obama/anti-liberal Democrat feeling. They are, in growing numbers, describing themselves as independents not associated with either the Democrat or Republican parties.

The Republicans, to gain ground, will have to put forth candidates and platforms that both address concerns of the middle class and present solutions supported by the middle class. This must encompass everything form mid-East policy to health care to social security.

Otherwise, the trend will be for those anti-Obama/liberal Democrat people to simply not vote for any candidate. So, the Obama/Democrat control will continue. You can clearly see evidence of this in the political crash of Sarah Palin. Palin is, probably, the best politician at touching emotional buttons yet the voters do not respond to her. They want action plans.

On the positive side, conservatives have a clear understanding of what to do and time to prepare for the elections next November. It is, now, really up to the conservatives to do something.

Anyway, have a great day

I agree with you completely. The Republicans tried running on the "I'm not Bush!" platform in 2008 and did not win. They did not get their heads handed to them - I don't call a 48-52 split a repudiation but rather the opposition eking out a win - but there was no substance to the 2008 Presidential campaign on either side. Palin is in many ways a female Obama: she can push people's buttons but that's not enough, if it ever was. It certainly isn't enough after six months of Obamism. The People want deeds, not words.

Anyone running as a Republican today will have to be armed with facts, figures, a definite program with a solid description of how to implement it and sharpness in debate. Further, if they want to present a definite and solid contrast to the Obamists or even to old-line Republicans, they will have to be squeaky clean in their personal lives and their campaign financing. Given what Obama is doing with the military, a good military record would be an asset, and a distinguished military record would be a Democrat-killer. But unless a Republican candidate is a political virgin on his/her first campaign, above all they will need a record in government with solid achievements to point to: bills introduced; bills fought for even if they didn't win; laws they got passed; programs they put in place; stands that they took that put them out in the public eye. No voting "present;" no lurking in the back benches doing nothing to rock the boat; no voting the straight party line like a mindless automaton.

If a Republican candidate can put all that together, he or she will be able to stomp almost any Democratic Party candidate for any office. Trouble is, what candidates for the House and the Senate are out there who meet that standard? Where are they, and will the Republican Party be willing to put the necessary resources behind them to help them win?

[woody1981]

Originally Posted by Windwalker

Cyrano, I've had it with the B/S of both parties. I want to vote for people who will support the views of "We, the People," not the Party planks or Party line of any Party. I want to vote for a candidate that will stand up and say Yes, I will support and Uphold the Constitution of the United States and I will recommend that charges be brought against those who violate their Oath and try to get them removed from Office.

^ +1. Thank you. This couldn't be said any better.

[nathangdad]

Thanks for your complimentary post relating to my analytical post.
It means a lot coming from you as I have a great deal of respect for you.

Have a great day.