What will the Tea Party/Militia extremists do when they find out they're not that big?

[ck4829]

Tea Partiers and Militias like to run around saying they're a chunk of the population, and they're spontaneous, etc. But, what is the truth?

Here's one example from Mark Potok of the SPLC:

Washington, D.C.: Is it me, or does it seem like the media is hyping the "tea party" to be more influential than it really is?

Mark Potok: You may have a point there. I see that the gun rights rallies in DC and Virginia are getting far fewer people than the tens of thousands that organizers had predicted. These are not strictly tea party rallies, but I do think they include many of the same people and groups.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/04/19/DI2010041902890.html

And another one from Governor Ed Rendell:

"We had two recent Tea Party demonstrations in Washington. One a week before the health care vote, drew about 1,000 people. The tax day rally by the organizers' own estimate was 1,500 people," explained the governor.

"If I organized a rally for stronger laws to protect puppies, I would get 100,000 people to Washington. So, I think the media has blown the Tea Party themselves out of proportion," said Rendell.

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0418/rendell-media-blows-tea-parties-proportion/

Anti-war protests, civil rights protests, gay rights protests, etc.; these were all bigger and more spontaneous.

What will happen when the lone nuts of these two movements find out that they really are all alone?

[livetohike]

1. The question is: Who is pulling the strings of the major media

types who promote the tea party and Sarah Palin endlessly? Ed Shultz had a good rant yesterday about the media being to blame for covering 3500 tea party protestors in DC. Someone wants to push this organization into the forefront. Why?

[X_Digger]

15. It's in the media's self-interest to keep conflict alive.

You can't have the split screen back-and-forth without two people to bicker.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Back to your original question: "What will they do

when they find out they're not that big?"

Easy.

They'll start responding to all those unsolicited emails about enlargement.

[CLANG]

9. Where's "smiling Bob" when you need him?

[Ikonoklast]

3. The only thing keeping Teabagger movement alive is right-wing money

and the attention of the media.

And the media will soon find it a loser as the rest of the nation finds the 'baggers repetitive and not worth watching.

Their numbers are dwindling at their little get-togethers as the oldsters that attend them are finding other things to do with their time.

Like yell at teenagers to stay off their lawn.

[mwb970]

10. They don't seem to be advocating anything in particular.

It seems like just a way to publicly say "I hate progressives and liberals", like Glenn Beck told them to.

[Ikonoklast]

11. Arrrghlll- baarrrgghlll!!!

All they know is a, well, you know, umm, b l a c k m a n is president.

It all boils down to this, and this only.


Old, white people that have what they got, don't want to share their gubbamint benefits with anyone, and still want to say the 'N' word among their friends without having to look over their shoulders.


Demographics are against Teabaggers being anything but a footnote to history. In ten years time, half of them will be pushing up daisies.

[MineralMan]

4. What will they do? Return to their mom's basement and stock up

on Cheetos™ Snacks, and Hostess™ Snowballs™ (pink, of course).

[SoCalNative]

5. Buy some Extenze?

:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

6. To help ease the pain...Wasabi for the crow sashimi is in order

[pinboy3niner]

7. They believe the myth that they represent a majority of Americans

One reason they are angry is that they believe their government is advancing policies that most Americans oppose. They aren't dissuaded by facts, because they only believe "facts" invented by Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh et. al.

[Ian David]

8. The same thing they do every night...

[Froward69]

12. Deny it as Commie propiganda

... sorry propaganda is a big word to them ... LIES! they are "the majority of the American people" don't ya know.

after all 18% is a majority to them.

[Sanity Claws]

13. Good question

I've been thinking about that too. I've also been wondering about the media's role in all this. At first, I thought all that coverage was just proof that the media was supporting the Republican party.

However, lately it has come to me that this teabagging movement will split the GOP. It will lead to the destruction of the party. So there is either an ulterior purpose which I have not figured out or the GOP and their media are too stupid to realize that they are sabotaging themselves.

[deaniac21]

14. What will we do at DU ;-)