Coffee Party movement now over 95,000 strong on facebook alone.

[Snarkoleptic]

It's all about having government function and do so for the people.
I'm hoping to work with the Chicago group to organize counterprotests when the teabaggers show their ugly faces.

Facebook-
http://www.facebook.com/coffeeparty?ref=share

Youtube-
http://tinyurl.com/y8zmqss

Homepage-
http://coffeepartyusa.com/

[tabbycat31]

1. I'm attending my county's first meetup on Saturday

should be interesting. I am going to refrain from judging the movement until after I attend the meetup. I really hope it can wake up the Democratic base for November.

[SargeUNN]

2. I have too many questions

I have looked at the coffee party, but I see things that says tread with caution. I think this is best dealt with from the outside and not be so ready to embrace, because it sounds good, but the more I look the more I see DANGER written on it.

[Snarkoleptic]

3. Please elaborate on your concerns.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Frankly, it looks like a copycat organization created by

people too unimaginative to come up with a name/theme that strikes a chord the way that "tea party" did for the right wingers.

[Snarkoleptic]

9. What drove me to sign on is that they WANT government to work.

The name appears to have been decided on-the-fly as the founder also floated the idea of red bull party, which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

[movonne]

8. Well that explains it...you find problems but none mention any of

them...

[Snarkoleptic]

10. Right...mebbe he'd rather hide in the basement rather than risk being heard/seen.

[SargeUNN]

11. whooo horsey

Actually I was busy doing something else and was thinking about my answer. Please contain yourself and I will give you the concerns if you can wait. People who can't wait and insist on stuff right now usually are the most gullible among us. I will answer my concerns but am busy right now.

[southernyankeebelle]

4. I read the other day on DU this was another organization that is a milder

than the Tea Party but were still run by a republicans. I will wait.

[eShirl]

5. this thread? ------> "Coffee Party USA = GOP front group" (link)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=7843427

[Snarkoleptic]

7. I'm new to the group, but have high hopes.

Here are some highlights from the thread you linked-

"Someone on FB sent me a message about this yesterday. The girl who started it was active on the Obama campaign and is still in OFA.
This sounds like another fake grassroots group to me. Just because they claim to be liberal hasn't convinced me to trust their agenda."
I personally hope to help drive a progressive agenda and use the local group as a vehicle to counterprotest when the teabaggers come out of their caves.

"They actually want to seek common ground with moderates from all sides and discuss these issues in a forum free from partisan rancor. So obviously they're a GOP front group. *rolls eyes*"
Right on.

"Well, considering that it was founded by an Obama campaign volunteer, I doubt it. Pay no heed to their discussion boards right now. The TeaBaggers are pissed about the whole Coffee Party thing, and 90% of the people on that board right now are TeaBagger trolls trying to destroy it. The Coffee Party isn't anti-Obama, it's anti-corporatist. They aren't a "left wing" group OR a "right wing" group, but are a middle of the road group trying to counter corporate dominance in Washington. I have no problem with the idea, but I think it's laughable that they think they can accomplish anything. A hundred thousand people on Facebook isn't much of a force, and if they're not willing to protest, they're going to get ignored."
While I'm a progressive, I like to get in front of and influence centrists who agree that the monied interests are controlling the agenda in DC"

"This is kinda dumb considering the founder of the Coffee Party, Annabel Park, has probably done more to help elect Obama and Democrats than 99% of the people on this forum."
Good enough to get me to join and pull the party to the left.

[SargeUNN]

12. Now my concerns

First thing that caught my eye was "alternative to the Tea Party", which prompted the question why do we need ANOTHER alternative to the tea baggers. I went to the website and took a short look at it and was not impressed by the amount of information, but the generalizations listed. I read a few comments and the name libertarian kept coming to my mind, and the more I read the more I started wondering what is this about. I saw it was started by people in Virginia which is a "southern state" albeit a more moderate Southern State, the fact it is Southern in origin, the more I realized it should be thought about carefully. I was born in New Orleans, grew up in Mississippi, and lived in Mississippi for most of my life so I know anything Southern rooted should be looked into in depth before jumping at it. I love the South and respect many from the area, but I am also very aware of the traps that Southern stuff can have.

Also it has a republican flavor as well as an appearance I saw here in Arizona from the libertarian. I first came to Phoenix to do a show on Nova M/KPHX and met a fellow named Ernie Hancock. My first impressions of listening to Ernie was that libertarians aren't too bad, but as I got to talk to him and others of his group, I saw they were more repulsive than the republicans I knew back in Mississippi. Now I have learned more, I am so glad I didn't accept Ernie and Co.'s false front.

As for the remark of being an Obama Supporter, that remarks tells me a lot of that person. First yes I do support this President because he is in office and I did vote for him. I also experienced first hand Katrina and eventually was forced to leave Mississippi due to the horrors of that event, so I certainly don't want more Republican control. I also am fustrated with Obama, but he is showing somethings that I like. I read True Compass Memoirs of Ted Kennedy and remember his fustrations with Jimmy Carter. Instead of throwing out Carter, Kennedy tried to work with him and only when he had exhausted all efforts, and the primary run was needed to be decided did Ted abandon his support of Carter. Obama has been in office not 14 months yet so it is still early to say he is a failure and he has done things that give me hope he will make more progress. I don't think it is time to give up yet on the Democrats or Obama. Anyone who thinks things should be where we want them is a fool.

The Coffee Party lacks defination and is very open to being hijacked, plus I think we have enough good Democrats yet that we can strength our party, plus the power is there where a new party is powerless and will have to fall into the Democratic or Republican Caucas anyway.

By the way, let me add this, for those who thinks their little I guess are suppose to be insults, that you are showing your lack of being able to communicate your thoughts. You are being reactionary and that can be dangerous. Mussolini said, "Fascism is not afraid to call itself reactionary... so when you jump to a reactionary position, you run the risk of feeding the very things you say you oppose.

[Snarkoleptic]

13. "The Coffee Party lacks defination and is very open to being hijacked

Right...which is why I suggested above we should get involved and move it left, left, left....
These people want governement to work and that's a great place to start. If we can get centrists involved and help them to crack to MSM code, mebbe they'll better understand what's really going on.

[SargeUNN]

14. Maybe you can, but what if you can't

Always the risk of that is that you fail and then you have lost any influence you had to start with. I saw a guy here that had some influence, although limited, influence in the Progressive/Democratic Party here in Arizona. He decided months ago that obama was bad and the Democrats just another form of Republicans so he would start his own party. Well, he lost all he had built up, made angry statements to anyone trying to find out what his concerns was by attacking them, and abandoned the few who wanted to give him time to figure out where he was. His name now simply makes some laugh, some uses the word traitor, some thinks he is nuts, and most feels sad for him, but will never put much stock in him. He now is just some nut that nobody considers worth listening to, and while he claims to be running against McCain as an Ind. he probably won't be able to get on the ballot, found his chances to speak to groups gone, and little support for anything.

[Snarkoleptic]

15. Prolly right, I should give up before I start.

It would be too risky for me to express my political views and try to make a difference.
OTOH...FUCK THAT, people need to become involved at the local level.
Being a member of the 101st chairborne blogger squad won't cut the mustard.
We need to get out in front of people (esp. moderates who are confused by RW misinformation) and discuss the issues.