The "Teabagger" Fallacy

[CallMeJoe]

What's funny is you think believing in The Constitution, responsible representative government and freedom is somehow "zany". But then again that's the traits of a leftist

There are certainly no legitimate grounds for criticism of Sharron (sharia law) Angle, Christine (I am not a witch) O'Donnell, Rand (civil rights laws are bad) Paul, Rich (Wiking SS) Iott, Carl (email) Paladino, Michele (Democrats are UnAmerican) Bachmann...

 

[cKGunslinger]

Not to intrude on your crapfest, here, but you're both fuckwits.

The TEA Party movement is about going back to the time of small, limited federal government, coupled with increased states' rights, and, in general, fiscal responsibility.

Basically, it's libertarian-lite. They're not quite ready for the social liberalism necessary for a libertarian style of government, but they favor small government and fiscal conservatism.

Of course, making a rational post in a circle-jerk, obvious troll thread is a mistake, but then I'm slightly toasted so I don't care.

Oh, a small element of the original Tea Party protests may have had those types of thoughts, but that's not the "Tea Party Movement" anymore. The Tea Baggers are a branch of the Republican Party, who love "Momma Grizzly" and other polarizing, yet clueless, political figures. They make claims of fiscal responsibility, yet refuse to make any real sacrifice that may cost them votes or lobbyists' "donations."

They are trying to capitalize on a growing sentiment, yet offering nothing but platitudes and outright lies for their followers to eat up.

It's pretty apparent who the "fuckwits" are in this scenario..

 

[jackschmittusa]

spidey07

Screw funny! What's sad is how you seem to miss the crazy, lying gibberish these candidates spew with regularity. You are willfully ignorant if you can't see it, and just as dangerous if you think it's OK to ignore it.

 

[Double Trouble]

They want to 'Take Our Country Back . . . '
Yeah, back to before the 60's, and those changes where the Civil Rights Movement and
the advancement of minorities became a threat to their perceived superiority status. Insecure, cowardly, and semi-illiterate buffons -

I think you're projecting your own bigotry and stupidity.....

Bitter and petty, willing to accept false information from the likes of Rove, Palin, Angle, Vitter, and O'Donnell - and take a stance against their own best intrests, entirely out of spite.

.... as opposed to the bitter and angry left, most of whom are willing to destroy the country with the goal of fulfilling their socialist utopia and politically correct dreams.

These people even have the audacity to think that they are 'well educated' and willfully place
themselves above those who really are highly educated and come from some of the best
schools and colleges accross the country.

Elitism at it's finest. I don't give a shit what school someone went to, if they have a good idea they have a good idea, and if they have a stupid one it's stupid. Most of the idiots in DC have degrees from top notch universities and look how well that's worked out for us.

To take the words (and the wit and wisdom) of a college drop-out (Limbaugh) who failed all of his college courses, over the actual accomplishments of well educated people,

Yeah, we should never listen to college drop outs like Einstein, Gates, Frank Lloyd Wright, Steve Jobs, and should instead listen to politicians. Like him or not (I'm in the "not" category by the way), Limbaugh is more successful than a nitwit like you could ever dream to be.

and to prefer to accept their close minded self serving messages over those who really are trying to make this Country better for all of it's citizens is truely amazing to behold.

Yeah, those who hold your views are "truly trying to make this country better" while those who don't are "close minded". I'd say you are retarded, but that's a disservice to retards everywhere.

<-- not a tea party member by the way.

 

[Generator]

I'm not getting it. What is the mission of the "Teabaggers?" Are they honest enough to end programs that benefit them....?

They're not honest, mostly racist, and dumb as shit. They "wanted their country back" when all of sudden they had a black person for a president. So deluded were they that they tried to will the president's legitimacy away. Magical thinking and what not.

The teabaggers have now been corralled and will vote whatever idiot they are told to. Christine O'Donnel is despised by Republicans but even she will sell out to whatever interest that lines her pockets. All the Tea candidates are truly empty shells, with empty ideas, and really don't stand for nothing but whatever someone with dough tells them to do. Basically they're politicians like all the rest.

 

[spidey07]

They're not honest, mostly racist, and dumb as shit. They "wanted their country back" when all of sudden they had a black person for a president. So deluded were they that they tried to will the president's legitimacy away. Magical thinking and what not.

The teabaggers have now been corralled and will vote whatever idiot they are told to. Christine O'Donnel is despised by Republicans but even she will sell out to whatever interest that lines her pockets. All the Tea candidates are truly empty shells, with empty ideas, and really don't stand for nothing but whatever someone with dough tells them to do. Basically they're politicians like all the rest.

The next senator from KY, Rand Paul, is no career politician and neither is Todd Lally running for KY 3rd district. But way to play the race card. A lot of these tea party candidates will win senate and house seats. You can scream racist all you want but we're going to turn out at the polls in record numbers. The motivation to stop Obama is so strong right now the tidal wave is getting even bigger.

teabagtag

 

[CallMeJoe]

The next senator from KY, Rand Paul, is no career politician and neither is Todd Lally running for KY 3rd district. But way to play the race card. A lot of these tea party candidates will win senate and house seats. You can scream racist all you want but we're going to turn out at the polls in record numbers. The motivation to stop Obama is so strong right now the tidal wave is getting even bigger.

teabagtag

How dare anyone imply that Rand Paul is racist!
The Civil Rights Act was a patently unconstitutional infringement of the States' Right to keep Negroes in their place...

 

[cKGunslinger]

Tea Party rally interviews

Always good for a chuckle.

And I have no doubt you can find some nuts at most political gatherings, no matter which side, but these seem to have a slightly higher concentration of ignorance.

 

[her209]

Tea Party rally interviews

Always good for a chuckle.

And I have no doubt you can find some nuts at most political gatherings, no matter which side, but these seem to have a slightly higher concentration of ignorance.

They celebrate it.

 

[Jhhnn]

I think that tea partiers were originally well intentioned people who unfortunately believed in the lies that their political heroes had fed them. Left to their own devices, they might have figured that out, so the Koch Bros and the Republican establishment stepped in to help them out, redirect their rage using the same lies they'd already accepted. Tea Partiers fail at rational analysis, and their selected candidates reveal that all too well.

Republicans are not the party of smaller govt, fiscal responsibility, stay at home foreign policy, values or anything else tea partiers think they are. They're the party of starve the beast, international deregulated bankster capitalism and spreading of Free! Freedom! and Liberty! at gunpoint, exactly the opposite of what tea partiers actually want, but they'll never figure it out because their thinking processes are based on lies in the first place, now reinforced.

 

[shira]

Not to intrude on your crapfest, here, but you're both fuckwits.

The TEA Party movement is about going back to the time of small, limited federal government, coupled with increased states' rights, and, in general, fiscal responsibility.

Basically, it's libertarian-lite. They're not quite ready for the social liberalism necessary for a libertarian style of government, but they favor small government and fiscal conservatism.

Of course, making a rational post in a circle-jerk, obvious troll thread is a mistake, but then I'm slightly toasted so I don't care.

It's easy to say, "I'm for small government and fiscal conservatism," but that's a totally meaningless goal if no specifics are offered to achieve it.

Do they propose cutting the Defense Department budget by 30&#37;? How about Reducing both Medicare and Social Security taxes and benefits by 25% - are they for doing that, and will tea party candidates openly run on that platform?

How about withdrawing all public support for schools - that's about $45 billion that the poor and middle class will have to make up if their children are going to continue to get an education; will the Tea Party run on THAT platform?

How about eliminating the Department of Veterans Affairs (let those veterans pay for their own injuries) and the Department of Homeland Security (what's a few more domestic terrorist attacks in the scheme of things)? Eliminating those two departments will reduce the size of government by about $100 billion. Does the Tea Party plan to run on THAT platform?

How about letting our national highway system collapse? We could accomplish that if we eliminate the Department of Transportation - saving us about $75 billion. Is that a Tea Party plank?

All I see from the Tea Party is self-righteous anger and exactly zero solutions.

 

[cKGunslinger]

It's easy to say, "I'm for small government and fiscal conservatism," but that's a totally meaningless goal if no specifics are offered to achieve it.

Do they propose cutting the Defense Department budget by 30%? How about Reducing both Medicare and Social Security taxes and benefits by 25% - are they for doing that, and will tea party candidates openly run on that platform?

How about withdrawing all public support for schools - that's about $45 billion that the poor and middle class will have to make up if their children are going to continue to get an education; will the Tea Party run on THAT platform?

How about eliminating the Department of Veterans Affairs (let those veterans pay for their own injuries) and the Department of Homeland Security (what's a few more domestic terrorist attacks in the scheme of things)? Eliminating those two departments will reduce the size of government by about $100 billion. Does the Tea Party plan to run on THAT platform?

How about letting our national highway system collapse? We could accomplish that if we eliminate the Department of Transportation - saving us about $75 billion. Is that a Tea Party plank?

All I see from the Tea Party is self-righteous anger and exactly zero solutions.

I'd *LOVE* to see an answer to this. Hell, even a non-answer response would be a start.

 

[werepossum]

There are certainly no legitimate grounds for criticism of Sharron (sharia law) Angle, Christine (I am not a witch) O'Donnell, Rand (civil rights laws are bad) Paul, Rich (Wiking SS) Iott, Carl (email) Paladino, Michele (Democrats are UnAmerican) Bachmann...

Let's just pick the first. Angle is running against Harry Reid, the man who, as Senate leader:
1. Purchased a large tract of land dirt cheap in Nevada, because the federal government had declared it to be vital irreplaceable habitat for some endangered species. Although the federal government refused to purchase the land, it would not allow it to be used by its owner in any form or fashion, rendering it effectively worthless.
2. Immediately sold this tract to his good bud for exactly what he paid, so that it was no longer reported on his assets.
3. Successfully lobbied the federal government to set aside the ESA restrictions on behalf of his constituent, his good friend.
4. When his good friend sold the now very valuable land for a killing, Reid suddenly remembered a gentleman's agreement by which he merely sold half interest in the land to his good friend, whereupon his good friend cut him a check for his half of the huge profit. Note that had he remembered that he owned half the land, he would not have been able to lobby for setting aside the Endangered Species Protections on the land without committing an ethics infraction. Note also that endangered species protection is supposedly one of the Democrats' core principles.

There is NO way you can argue that these are the good guys. All the slurs against these candidates remain just that: slurs, designed to cover up how fundamentally dishonest and corrupt the Democrat Party has become. Whether it's Reid and his land scheme or Blumenthal repeatedly claiming his nonexistent Vietnam service or Rangle with his many rent-controlled apartments or Waters and others steering grant money to their friends and family, the Democrat Party has become an elite group of criminals forcing one set of laws on the rest of us while totally ignoring those laws for themselves and their friends. No matter how bad these Tea Party candidates are, they can't possibly be as bad as what we have now.

 

[werepossum]

It's easy to say, "I'm for small government and fiscal conservatism," but that's a totally meaningless goal if no specifics are offered to achieve it.

Do they propose cutting the Defense Department budget by 30%? How about Reducing both Medicare and Social Security taxes and benefits by 25% - are they for doing that, and will tea party candidates openly run on that platform?

How about withdrawing all public support for schools - that's about $45 billion that the poor and middle class will have to make up if their children are going to continue to get an education; will the Tea Party run on THAT platform?

How about eliminating the Department of Veterans Affairs (let those veterans pay for their own injuries) and the Department of Homeland Security (what's a few more domestic terrorist attacks in the scheme of things)? Eliminating those two departments will reduce the size of government by about $100 billion. Does the Tea Party plan to run on THAT platform?

How about letting our national highway system collapse? We could accomplish that if we eliminate the Department of Transportation - saving us about $75 billion. Is that a Tea Party plank?

All I see from the Tea Party is self-righteous anger and exactly zero solutions.

How about doing just what the Republican Congress did from 1995 through 2000 - merely slow the rate of growth and start no new big programs? Reducing the rate of growth of government (not cutting it) balanced the budget remarkably quickly, not counting the IOUs issued for Social Security. I'd say that would be a pretty good start.

Beyond that, eliminating the Department of Education would be a pretty good start, considering that ever since it's been in existence our schools have gotten progressively worse. We have WAY more intelligence agencies that we need, and there's huge amounts of redundancies in other programs and areas as well. And NASA could be cut to the bone - perhaps studying global warming and raising Muslim nations' self esteem might wait until we're not disintegrating as a nation?

Certainly we're in a hell of a hole, dug by both parties and by extension ourselves. But when you're in a big deep hole, finding a solution is not as immediately important as to STOP DIGGING! Bush and the Pubbies were steam shovels; Obama and the Dems are nuclear powered steam shovels. If the Tea Party folks are nothing more than defective versions of steam shovels, at least their own dysfunctional nature should slow the digging.

 

[BigDH01]

How about doing just what the Republican Congress did from 1995 through 2000 - merely slow the rate of growth and start no new big programs? Reducing the rate of growth of government (not cutting it) balanced the budget remarkably quickly, not counting the IOUs issued for Social Security. I'd say that would be a pretty good start.

Beyond that, eliminating the Department of Education would be a pretty good start, considering that ever since it's been in existence our schools have gotten progressively worse. We have WAY more intelligence agencies that we need, and there's huge amounts of redundancies in other programs and areas as well. And NASA could be cut to the bone - perhaps studying global warming and raising Muslim nations' self esteem might wait until we're not disintegrating as a nation?

Certainly we're in a hell of a hole, dug by both parties and by extension ourselves. But when you're in a big deep hole, finding a solution is not as immediately important as to STOP DIGGING! Bush and the Pubbies were steam shovels; Obama and the Dems are nuclear powered steam shovels. If the Tea Party folks are nothing more than defective versions of steam shovels, at least their own dysfunctional nature should slow the digging.

NASA gets 18.7 billion.

Dept of Education is 46.7 billion.

Deficit is 1.42 trillion.

Let's cut everything the gov't does except for the mandatory programs and DoD. Still a deficit. Let's cut the entirety of the DoD. Finally, a small surplus that will be gone in the next year or two as boomers start really collecting benefits.

Budget will never be balanced unless you make drastic cuts to Medicare and SS (unless the only function of gov't is to transfer wealth from the young to the old). So have Tea Party candidates been running on that platform? I wouldn't think so given that 62% of people who identify with the Tea Party feel that SS and Medicare are worthy government programs (and incidentally, utilize these programs in greater proportion than the general population).

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/14/us/politics/20100414-tea-party-poll-graphic.html#tab=3

I also found this news story:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010...enate_8001783.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews

Given the Medicare fight in Kentucky and that Paul is now having to back away from any idea that he might cut Medicare or raise deductibles (and not get elected), he's now suggesting that the rich pay more. You see how quickly that works? Conservatives hate entitlement programs... for everyone else.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Let's just pick the first. Angle is running against Harry Reid, the man who, as Senate leader...

Got it. Until the Democrats run only Saints for office, all Tea Partiers are entirely immune from criticism.

 

[Jhhnn]

Werepossum merely repeats the "They're just as Bad!" Meme ad nauseum.

The sad truth is that, in general, the Tea Party and their candidates can't think straight and are pawns in the greater repub strategy, sometimes uppity pawns, but pawns nonetheless. The lone exception might be Rand Paul, who'll likely become Chambliss' understudy if elected.

I'll agree that we could use some fresh thinking in Washington, but the Tea Party doesn't have any, so they're obviously not it. Their campaign slogan might as well be "I hate teh ebil Gubmint, so elect me to run it!"

Electing people who hold the govt in contempt, who see it as inherently corrupt and incompetent certainly won't make it better. Eight years of GWB should have taught us that.

 

[Zebo]

I don't see what's so hard to "get" all this personal bashing aside.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement
1. Identify constitutionality of every new law: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the U.S. Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does. (82.03%)
2. Reject emissions trading: Stop the "cap and trade" administrative approach used to control carbon dioxide emissions by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide. (72.20%)
3. Demand a balanced federal budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax modification. (69.69%)
4. Simplify the tax system: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the Internal Revenue Code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words – the length of the original Constitution. (64.9%)
5. Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities. (63.37%)
6. Limit annual growth in federal spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%)
7. Repeal the health care legislation passed on March 23, 2010: Defund, repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (56.39%)
8. Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation. (55.5%)
9. Reduce Earmarks: Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%)
10. Reduce Taxes: Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend current temporary reductions in income tax, capital gains tax and estate taxes, currently scheduled to end in 2011. (53.38%)

 

[Zebo]

It's easy to say, "I'm for small government and fiscal conservatism," but that's a totally meaningless goal if no specifics are offered to achieve it.

Do they propose cutting the Defense Department budget by 30&#37;? How about Reducing both Medicare and Social Security taxes and benefits by 25% - are they for doing that, and will tea party candidates openly run on that platform?

How about withdrawing all public support for schools - that's about $45 billion that the poor and middle class will have to make up if their children are going to continue to get an education; will the Tea Party run on THAT platform?

How about eliminating the Department of Veterans Affairs (let those veterans pay for their own injuries) and the Department of Homeland Security (what's a few more domestic terrorist attacks in the scheme of things)? Eliminating those two departments will reduce the size of government by about $100 billion. Does the Tea Party plan to run on THAT platform?

How about letting our national highway system collapse? We could accomplish that if we eliminate the Department of Transportation - saving us about $75 billion. Is that a Tea Party plank?

All I see from the Tea Party is self-righteous anger and exactly zero solutions.

Everything you listed and a lot more, except "defense", an enumerated power, would be history if tea-party ran USA.

 

[sandorski]

I don't see what's so hard to "get" all this personal bashing aside.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement
1. Identify constitutionality of every new law: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the U.S. Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does. (82.03%)
2. Reject emissions trading: Stop the "cap and trade" administrative approach used to control carbon dioxide emissions by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide. (72.20%)
3. Demand a balanced federal budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax modification. (69.69%)
4. Simplify the tax system: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the Internal Revenue Code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words – the length of the original Constitution. (64.9%)
5. Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities. (63.37%)
6. Limit annual growth in federal spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%)
7. Repeal the health care legislation passed on March 23, 2010: Defund, repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (56.39%)
8. Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation. (55.5%)
9. Reduce Earmarks: Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%)
10. Reduce Taxes: Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend current temporary reductions in income tax, capital gains tax and estate taxes, currently scheduled to end in 2011. (53.38%)

Pretty much all stupid ideas, but #3 stands out as especially stupid.

 

[EXman]

They suck at being honest people...

...Trolls like you suck

 

[EXman]

Oh, a small element of the original Tea Party protests may have had those types of thoughts, but that's not the "Tea Party Movement" anymore. The Tea Baggers are a branch of the Republican Party, who love "Momma Grizzly" and other polarizing, yet clueless, political figures. They make claims of fiscal responsibility, yet refuse to make any real sacrifice that may cost them votes or lobbyists' "donations."

They are trying to capitalize on a growing sentiment, yet offering nothing but platitudes and outright lies for their followers to eat up.

It's pretty apparent who the "fuckwits" are in this scenario..

<hands you a mirror>

They are not capitalizing on a growing sentiment they with the missteps of Obama created it.

I dunno what about keeping government simple is a problem for you?

All I see is Libs calling names.

typical MO.

 

[sandorski]

<hands you a mirror>

They are not capitalizing on a growing sentiment they with the missteps of Obama created it.

I dunno what about keeping government simple is a problem for you?

All I see is Libs calling names.

typical MO.

lolFail.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Let's just pick the first. Angle is running against Harry Reid, the man who, as Senate leader...

On further consideration, I see your words as the strongest indictment of the Tea Party offered thus far.

In this year of anti-incumbency, when Democratic "Leadership" is far more of a debit than an asset, the Tea Party's irresponsibility in foisting such a sad excuse for a Republican Candidate on Nevada's voters is inexcusable. Any reasonable candidate would have made quick work of "Leader" Reid, yet Sharron Angle persists in her Herculean efforts to waste the opportunity.

Come January, when a slim Democratic Senate majority returns Senator Reid to the Majority Leadership, remember the Tea Party's role in the lost opportunities in Delaware and Nevada...

 

[cKGunslinger]

<hands you a mirror>

They are not capitalizing on a growing sentiment they with the missteps of Obama created it.

The Tea Party (along with Obama) created the sentiment of discontent with the US Government? :hmm: That's quite the ego there, Champ. Did they also create Skittles, the concept of love, and the internal combustion engine?

I dunno what about keeping government simple is a problem for you?

Really? Keeping the Government simple? Like it is now? Just 3-4 guys in a room talking about stuff and making laws, eh? Not a multi-trillion dollar institution that's over two hundred years old, with millions upon millions of direct employees (not to mention contractors,) that has direct influence on each and every one of the 300+ million citizens (as well as the remaining 7 billion humans across the world?)

Voter: Gee, how are you gonna do that, Tea Party Candidate? Can you give some specifics?

Tea Party Candidate: Uh, you know.. We'll just.. you know.. make it simpler. With stuff. Simple stuff. Small town values. Lower taxes.. stuff like that.

All I see is Libs calling names.

typical MO.

*psst* Who threw out the "fuckwit" comment in this piss-poor thread? One of those damn Libs, I bet!!

:biggrin: