Tea Partier: 'We Might As Well Let Obama Win'

[kpete]

Jane Aitken is the spokeswoman for the NH Tea Party Coalition, which is made up of 51 separate activist groups. A Ron Paul supporter, she said that Romney has been “forced” onto Republican voters by the GOP establishment. On top of that, both candidates are being controlled by special interests in everything from the economy to foreign policies.

“There is not going to be much change with Romney, so we might as well let Obama win,” said Aitken. “We can agree that Obama is terrible, but they will make excuses for Romney because he has an ‘R’ next to his name.”

She clarified that she does not want to see Republicans lose, but believes the same powerful forces are behind both candidates.

Aitken sees Romney’s business background as a weakness in appealing to Tea Party voters. A combination of his “crony capitalism” and acceptance of bailouts conflicts with their principles, she said.

..............http://amherst.patch.com/articles/some-nh-tea-party-voters-still-not-sold-on-romney?ncid=edlinkuspatc00000006

[rfranklin]

1. I support the Tea Party position one hundred percent!

Why trade a perfectly good object of hate for one that's imperfect?

[randome]

2. It's going to get worse for them before November.

Acceptance is one of the stages of dealing with grief. We're not quite there yet. But we're getting there.

[Ikonoklast]

6. Teabaggers waking up to the fact that they've been used.

They thought that they were the vangaurd of a New Revolution, and have just recently realized that they were seen as Useful Tools by the Big Money, to be discarded after use.

[Ikonoklast]

36. Reading comprehension fail.

I never mentioned where your funding comes from.

But the entire Tea Party 'movement' was a complete Koch Bros. astroturf production, ready-made and waiting to be rolled out by Rick Santelli.

Big Money calls the tune you dance to.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. Funny, I've heard the exact same argument made here. Have the extremes gone so extreme...

that they've "accidentally" joined forces?

[elleng]

5. Probably not 'accidental,' but natural:

What goes around comes around.

[southernyankeebelle]

7. Congress, senate and the white house will be shitting in their pants once everyone from the

left and right unite. That is the only way we are going to be able to push back against corporations. Once the little people truly have had enough and go in the streets and they push back this attitude that our politicians have of conquer and divide will be what finally turns all of america out

[NNN0LHI]

8. I have witnessed people go so far to the left they ended up on the right

I don't think this is an uncommon trait.

Don

[DCBob]

9. Iwas thinking exactly the same thing.. both extremes have gone bananas.

Its mind boggling for anyone to say they cant see the difference between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

[Marr]

16. So close, and then you miss the point.

Where you see a dark conspiracy, I see an alienated populace.

It seems that a very large number of people feel that their interests are simply not part of Washington's agenda at all. They're on both sides of the phony, traditional political aisle.

This country is ripe for a populist movement that ignores the old song and dance wedge issues and focuses on the welfare of working people-- but both parties seem agreed that that issue is best ignored.

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. Sell it elsewhere. I heard the same shit in 2000, and how'd that work out for ya?

We went from surplus to deficit; from peacetime to two wars; from prosperity to financial meltdown; mass unemployment; and being hated around the world. And for what? Because Al Gore wasn't "pure" enough for the liberal intelligencia like yourself.

I realize there are sympathizers here with the woman named in the article; hell, she might even be a member, but I think folks like you are disingenuous. If you are the "populist" you claim to be, then you know that the lady in the article actually despises your "liberal" guts. She, and the whole Tea Party "movement" were tools of Dick Armey's K-Street operation, and the fact that you either don't recognize or can't acknowledge that it was all a sham, says quite a bit about you, and speaks to a certain gullibility.

Let me make this absolutely clear so that you'll leave me alone in future; I am a solid 4th generation Democrat, and I support Pres. Obama 1000%, and if he does nothing in his entire second term, but sit in the Oval Office, with his veto pen at the ready, I'll be thrilled to bits.

We're seeing a minority, supposedly "on the left", once again trying to destroy the Democratic Party in the hope that some fairytale, purple pony, liberal utopia will rise from its ashes. And to that I say, fuck that bullshit. I didn't buy it in 2000, and that dog still won't hunt in 2012. I'm a proudDemocrat. If others want to follow the likes of you over the proverbial cliff, then have at it. I'm not the one!

[Son of Gob]

19. Yahtzee!

[Marr]

21. Leave you alone? It's a discussion board, Sherlock.

If you want to be left alone, go write a blog.

I'm describing what I *see* here. You can ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist all you like.

[Tarheel_Dem]

31. Still not interested.

[DCBob]

22. You seem to admire the Teaparty.

I only see them as out-of-touch extremists/racists who only care about protecting their specific way of life. They dont care about the country per se.. they just want to force the country into some idealistic image they have from the past that simply isnt possible anymore. And that attitude is somewhat similar to the extremists on the left.

Both groups are completely out of touch with reality.

[Marr]

25. Really? You have to "admire the Tea Party" to recognize an obvious fact now?

A lot of things made the Tea Party possible. Yes, they're mostly rubes being exploited by big money. Yes, there seems to be a strong current of racism that runs through the group. The membership also seems to be mostly working class people who feel that the current political structure is not addressing their concerns.

I consider them a sign that our political establishment is completely out of touch.

[DCBob]

27. I dont think the Teaparty gives a rats ass about the working class.

Here is one list of the Teaparty's priorities I found on wikipedia:

1.Identify constitutionality of every new law
2.Reject emissions trading
3.Demand a balanced federal budget
4.Simplify the tax system
5.Audit federal government agencies for waste and constitutionality
6.Limit annual growth in federal spending
7.Repeal the healthcare legislation passed on March 23, 2010
8.Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy
9.Reduce Earmarks
10.Reduce Taxes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement

IMO, none of those items address the main issues of the working class at all, in fact, if enacted the results will likely hurt the working class even more.

[Marr]

28. They *are* working class, for god's sake.

They advocate a lot of stupid policy, yes. They're being manipulated by big money and can't even see it, yes. They seem like a big Idiot Club, yes.

But they are *also* mostly working class people who feel alienated and left behind by the current political establishment, and they're right in feeling that way. A lot of union people feel the same way, and they are equally right in feeling that way.

[DCBob]

29. They feel alienated based on idiotic ideas. Why should anyone care??

[cyberswede]

35. Who do you support for President?

[randome]

30. I think you're right.

I try not to be optimistic or pessimistic, just objective. And I think we ARE ripe for change right now.

[Politicalboi]

4. LOL!

They want their country back so bad, I say tax the rich back to the Ike Age. I think it was 75%. That is how we get back to the America they all know and love. Where more kids had an education, mothers stayed at home, fathers worked through a union, and the teachers were better paid with smaller classes. Americans were paid better so they could buy homes and cars, college, and raise their kids in a good environment. That is how to get this fantasy 50's dream back.

So yes let's take our country back from the rich bastards. Tax them at 55% and see how that works. If we find it is not enough, raise it again. If they want America of yesteryear they have to cough it up.

[jwirr]

14. That may be what they think the Ike Age was like but that is not how someone who is poor

remembers it. Ike was a great soldier, good with foreign policy but I do not remember him or congress doing much for the poor. The only safety net thing I remember him doing was adding farmers and waitresses to the social security program.

[tanyev]

10. That's the spirit!

And be sure and make a big disruption at the GOP convention. We're counting on you.

[Vogon_Glory]

11. The Tea-Nuts Would Be Wise To Let President Obama Win

The Tea-Nuts would be wise to let President Obama win this election. Being an irresponsible right-wing nutcase only looks good during periods of economic prosperity.

[goclark]

17. The NutTeas are waking up

and surprise, surprise ~ they have been used and abused by the 1%

How sweet it is ~

No Social Security for the NutTeas!

Seems like they should sign a pledge to say ~

We are the NutTeas and we are willing to turn over all our little pensions, Medicare, Social Security, and if we have a dime left ~ we'll give it to the 1% so they can get richer and we can get poorer.

We are NUTS!

[spanone]

12. if my brain had the twisted logic of the baggers, i couldn't possibly vote for mitt romney

[seabeyond]

13. ok. lets. nt

[upi402]

15. Teabaggers realizing they were useful idiots for the true elites

are getting uncomfortable.

After denial comes anger, bargaining, depression... THEN acceptance.

The deception of people by pragmatic players needs to stop and I blame the main stream media.

[Lugnut]

20. Cool!

All the tea partiers can stay home in November!

[B Calm]

23. They know Obama is going to win,

so lets act like we don't care. . .

[magical thyme]

24. if you meet any tea partiers with this attitude, don't gloat

Just nod knowingly, shrug and say something along the lines of, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know."

IOW, just let them go there without wounding their pride or pissing them off.

[mmonk]

26. Let's see, a "movement" created by special interests

bemoans candidates for being helped by special interests. Alice in Wonderland for the 21st century.

[Jane Aitken]

32. Hello - I was quoted in this thread.

Just to be clear, our movement was formed in 2007 by liberty activists in NH and across the nation with the first tea party even held on December 16 2007.

There was no money involved in our formation at the time, and in 2012 are still not funded and do not accept or deal in money.

Please do not confuse our group with fake 'tea party' groups like TPE, which are in reality, GOP PACS set up by GOP consultants to funnel money to establishment GOP candidates. (TPP, TownHall, FW, AFP, TPN, etc)

We have no affiliation with them whatsoever. We are the original liberty-oriented tea party who formed in opposition to the policies of Bush 43 which continue today under Obama and will likely continue under Romney if he is elected.

So we were not 'used' by anyone and continue to do our work on a 100% volunteer basis.

[Sedona]

37. Teabaggers ignore the facts. Enjoy your stay.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Prosperity#Americans_for_Prosperity_and_the_Tea_Party

According to a 2010 article on Koch Industries and the billionaire Koch brothers in The New Yorker, the advocacy wing of Americans for Prosperity organized a July 4th 2010 weekend summit called Defending the American Dream in Austin, TX. Five hundred people attended the summit, which The New Yorker said served, in part, as a training session for Tea Party activists in Texas. An advertisement cast the event as a populist uprising against vested corporate power: “Today, the voices of average Americans are being drowned out by lobbyists and special interests. But you can do something about it” without making any mention of its corporate funders. The White House has expressed frustration that such sponsors have largely eluded public notice - David Axelrod, President Obama’s senior adviser, said, “What they don’t say is that, in part, this is a grassroots citizens’ movement brought to you by a bunch of oil billionaires.”[55]

Reports indicate that the Tea Party Movement benefits from millions of dollars from conservative foundations that are derived from wealthy U.S. families and their business interests. Is appears that money to organize and implement the Movement is flowing primarily through two conservative groups: Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks.

In an April 9, 2009 article on ThinkProgress.org, Lee Fang reports that the principal organizers of Tea Party events are Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works, which it described as two "lobbyist-run think tanks" that are "well funded" and that provide the logistics and organizing for the Tea Party movement from coast to coast. Media Matters reported that David Koch of Koch Industries was a co-founder of Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE). David Koch was chairman of the board of directors of CSE.[56] CSE received substantial funding from David Koch of Koch Industries, which is the largest privately-held energy company in the country, and the conservative Koch Family Foundations, which make substantial annual donations to conservative think tanks, advocacy groups, etc. Media Matters reported that the Koch family has given more than $12 million to CSE (predecessor of FreedomWorks) between 1985 and 2002.[57][58]

[TahitiNut]

38. Is it even possible for you to know you're not being "useful idiots"?

It's sophomoric and far too easy to throw feces indiscriminately ... condemning "all politicians" and using the memetics of the right by equating broad-based citizen organizations to narrow self-interested plutocrats under a common umbrella of "special interests."

I have almost no respect for the worshipers of the Gospel of St. (Ron or Rand) Paul. There's no greater TOOL for the Corporate Plutocracy than that particular gene pool.