An interesting cross-section of my GOP acquaintances are very angry at the Tea Party right now.

[stevenleser]

The question I have is how do we exploit it.

The wall street Republicans, of whom 3-4 of them are acquaintances of mine, are howling mad at the Tea Party. Yes, these are not exactly our friends and they support pretty regressive stuff (lower taxes for the wealthy, etc) but they absolutely are furious at how the debt ceiling debate played out and how that hurt the economy and market.

These are the folks who support the GOP with campaign money.

How do we widen that crack into a major fissure?

[drm604]

1. I'm not sure that there's a lot we can do.

I'm also not sure that we have to do anything. As you say, they're howling mad.

[opihimoimoi]

2. nothing like the truth to start with....the Baggersa have set a negative mood

for the Nation...its all WHINE from their side.....nag nag nag

[Lint Head]

3. If they're just watching Faux Boobs and Rush Limpballs they will be

propagandized back into their hypnotic state.

[stevenleser]

28. Wall st Republicans are not true believers of anything other than money.

They were happy with the 'baggers as long as it didnt affect their bottom line and as long as the 'baggers were fighting for lower taxes.

These folks are not interested in the social platform of the GOP at all.

They know who is responsible for dragging out the debt ceiling thing and that this is primarily what caused the issues with Standard and Poors. No propaganda from any corner is going to change their minds on that.

[Cronus Protagonist]

4. There is no such thing as a "Tea Party" - they ARE REPUBLICANS

The whole stinking lot of them.

[TalkingDog]

15. And there is the tip of your wedge, right there.

The OP needs to keep reminding his friends that people are associating Republicans with the Tea Party and vice versa.

He needs to make sure that the friends understand the need to get those freaks out of their GOP, by hook or by crook.

[Cronus Protagonist]

17. If these partiers can be cut out of the Republican party, all you'll have left are RINOs

While there are a few of them, they are not the party, the ones who are rabid, died in the wool Republicans ARE the ones claiming to be the "Tea Party" for the sake of their propaganda aims.

[harun]

26. +1

[stevenleser]

29. I agree and have been saying that from the beginning, but there are factions of the GOP

the Tea Party appeals most to the Free Republic faction. Very far right, very interested in the social platform of the GOP, ill informed and sophomoric.

The wall street faction is not interested in things like preventing gays from having equal rights for instance. They are only interested in money. They had no problem with the teabaggers until they started costing them money as some other commenters noted.

But I agree, the Tea partiers are and always have been Republicans. As I said here:


http://www.opednews.com/articles/Tea-Parties-are-Unmasked-a-by-Steven-Leser-100717-629.html

[Hart2008]

5. An interesting cross-section of my Dem acquaintances are very angry at Obama right now.

Failing to exercise the Constitutional option on the debt limit catastrophe has them very angry.

[stklurker]

16. constitutional option

... which constitutional option.. if its the 14th, its a non-starter. S&P AND Moody's would have downgraded us in a heartbeat, and the SCOTUS would have struck it down as unconstitutional.

[stevenleser]

27. Yeah, there are so few OPs here critical of Obama that you had to try to hijack mine

:eyes:

[rosesaylavee]

6. I think stepping out of the way while they go at it

is a good plan.

[socialindependocrat]

7. You keep posting...

Keep posting all the things the Tea Bags are trying to do with their religious fanaticism and throuw it in the face of your GOP friends - as though they were the ones who voted for it. they will get so tired of being blamed for supporting the Tea Party that they'll do everything they can to vote them out.

Look at it from this perspective - How do you think Boehner feels right now!!!

Get my point??

I'm sure that normal Republicans are really tired of the T/P rhetoric and now they are collectively getting blamed for the S&P crap.... nuf said.

[nevergiveup]

8. Wait and see what happens in Wisconsin tomorrow.

If Dems win back the state senate in Wisconsin this will be the clue as to how we exploit the Tea Party.

[Drale]

9. Unfortunately I still know people who are liberal

who still think the Tea Party people only want smaller government.

[CakeGrrl]

13. Another big problem: The Left underestimating the malignancy of the Tea Party.

Problem 1: Not understanding their dogma.

Problem 2: Naively assuming that if one stares them down long enough, they'll eventually blink when it comes to making decisions that will screw over the entire country. They DO NOT CARE if that happens.

[immoderate]

10. It helps Romney.

--imm

[Tesha]

11. on our local paper today

I used strong language on the usual idiots - told them they must be working with the terrorists
take their American flags off their cars, they lost the right to display them

and for the moderates, I offered sympathy... their party having been used to damage the country
and in doing so have further damaged their party.

[DrToast]

12. "How do we widen that crack into a major fissure?"

Call for compromise?

[southernyankeebelle]

14. Just let them keep talking. They are hanging themselves along with

the cryer of the house and Hostage taker of the senate.

[Tx4obama]

18. Just keep reminding them that the folks in the teaparty groups are REPUBLICANS.

If they are upset what the republicans/teaparty is doing then they need to change parties and become Democrats :)

[TalkingDog]

19. Or have the same effect of shrinking the voting base by splitting the Tea Party off

By telling the friends to make sure the GOP REJECTS AND CONDEMNS the Tea Party

They will go off and elect BatShit Bachmann as their vampire queen and leave real politics to serious people.

[C_U_L8R]

20. Now that it starts costing them money...

they begin paying attention.

Truth is the present day republican party and their useful
brownshirting idiots, the tea party, are truly bad for business.
So what are your pals gonna do to fix their own GOP ?

[whosinpower]

21. Truer words were never spoken

Now that it costs them money, they slowly realize how brinksmanship and hostage taking has harmed the US reputation, which had a direct affect on its ratings drop.

Boehner got 98 percent of what he wanted and was happy with the deal.
Rub that in until it bleeds.

[Dawson Leery]

25. True.

They still hate anyone who is not their twin.

[stevenleser]

31. "So what are your pals gonna do to fix their own GOP ?"

Well, I asked of them what I think is the billion dollar question.

"So, are you going to fund these idiots again?"

I got pained looks in response.

[C_U_L8R]

33. They should be remember that pain

next time they vote. : - )))

[EC]

22. Remind them that the so called sane repubs followed them

too. Mitch McConnell and Bauhner both repeated the requests that the tps asked for, as did other mainstream GOPers on all the talk shows. So it is not just the tps, it's the whole repub party.

[MadMaddie]

23. It's all about the money

their 401k and other investments probably took a huge hit.......they will continue to lose money as long as Repugs and Teapartiers are in DC.

[yardwork]

24. If Obama would demonstrate that he is a viable alternative, we might be able to get some traction.

Unfortunately, a lot of Americans can't tell the difference between Obama and the Tea Party right now.

[stevenleser]

30. I wouldn't advise even trying to appeal to anyone as myopic as that. n/t

[applegrove]

32. It is a good sign that at least some of the GOP are not getting their news

only from fox and the like. That means there is hope.