E.J. Dionne has the Tea Party sussed.

[mwb970]

Tea Party’s views aren’t what ‘the people’ want by E.J. Dionne Jr.
(Springfield (OH) News-Sun, May 25, 2011)

You wonder: Will Republicans realize that this is their Pauline Kael moment? Will they understand that the anti-government cries they think they hear from “the people” are the voices of no more than 20 percent to 25 percent of the electorate who constitute the die-hard conservative core?

(snip)

Let’s see: Voters don’t seem to like cuts to Medicare, cuts to education, or tax cuts for the rich. So what are “the people” trying to say?

From the beginning, too many Republicans (and too many in the media) saw the Tea Party as a broad-based movement whose extreme anti-government views reflected the popular will. This was never true. The Tea Party consisted of citizens on the right end of politics who were always there, but got angrier and better-organized after Obama was elected. They crowded the polling places last Nov. 2 while progressives found other things to do. The Tea Partiers were joined in voting Republican by many middle-of-road Americans understandably unhappy with the state of politics and the economy.

But those middle-of-the-roaders never bargained for what Paul Ryan — or Govs. Rick Scott, John Kasich of Ohio or Scott Walker of Wisconsin — had in mind for them. Now they’re talking back. They’re not as loud as the Tea Party. But as Hochul’s victory showed, they’re starting to be heard.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Here's what Dionne is not recognizing.

Republicans' focus is not democracy, making policy based on what "The People" want. The Tea Party's policies are in sync with what their corporate donors, the lobbyists of those donors want, which is a statistical minority. And they have a kind of security that they won't be voted out of office for ignoring the will of "The People".

[Mister Ed]

2. Yes. They act as if they have nothing to fear in the upcoming elections.

Do they know something Dionne does not? About electronic voting machines? About voter suppression? About the power of unlimited corporate campaign spending in a political landscape radically altered by the Citizens United decision?

[999998th word]

15. My thoughts as well

and for the same reasons.

The arrogance and total lack of concern re: public opinion makes this obvious.

No fear of reprisal or consequences @ all.

They don't even pretend to care anymore.

In Wisconsin, when the legislature is in session, the repub legislators either completely ignoring Democratic representatives -talking on cellphones ,to ea other

coming and going -during debate of those bills. Even worse, they crack jokes,and make 'fart noises'.I kid you not, Wisconsineye cameras don't catch this because

they're focused on the speaker.The blatant disrespect and contempt they show for our elected representatives ,and us, is sickening.

We think people need to see this,but they have now banned the use of cameras etc.. won't allow the public to film these proceedings.

[HereSince1628]

6. I am afraid that the focus you attribute to republicans is also

what adjusts the focus of many democrats.

As revealed on DU and FR, there are people in both major parties, and I dare say probably the minor parties as well, begging for change, pushing for 'action' and gleeful when politicians sound in anyway confrontational.

The super-rich are in a position to exploit that by channeling the angries into blocks of votes using jingoistic fake patriotic names, and campaign hyerbole never to rally around. The result is election of governments composed of corporate lackys who are making revolutionary economic changes (read give-aways) that suit the greedy needs of the
masters.

[CTyankee]

7. I agree. Why doesn't Dionne see this?

Or if he does, why doesn't he write about it?

Is there a dictum out there that says that nationally syndicated columnists cannot challenge the myth that the Tea Party is a true, grass roots based movement of Main Street?
I mean, how many times have you heard commentators parrot the line that the Tea Part is not racist? It's insane...

[mulsh]

10. You know those "beltway pundits" Racheal Madow talks about?

Dionne is definitely one of them.

He's got his own version of beltway blinders on and probably doesn't want to dropped from too many cocktail party guest lists. After a certain age it's not worth the humiliation getting caught crashing a party especially in a small company town.

[CTyankee]

11. But he seems to have carved out a niche of "caring liberal." And I get that.

He must have been warned that he could have that title as long as he didn't step over the line in certain areas...and this must be one of them...

[Dawson Leery]

12. Like it or not, there are "common folk" who are middle/working class

who believe that what is good for corporations, is good for everyone. They are "supply siders". Yes, they do exist in within the ranks of the working class. Decades of propaganda (right wing hate radio) has been one of the best investments for the reactionary oligarchs.

[Populist_Prole]

13. It's true. I used to be one of them

Not rabidly so, but more along the lines that I figured economists knew more than I did, even though "my lying eyes" often disagreed.

Well, as I read and learned more, I found that:

1) Well my eyes weren't lying, and as time went on began to see the unabashedness of the elite's contempt of the working class, and they were just trying to trip me up.

2) Not all economists are supply siders

3) I've come to be in utter opposition to supply side economics to the point it's a litmus test for any office holder or candidate. They won't get my support no matter what else they do or say.

I've since quit the GOP, and now hate the bastards with a passion ( as well as corporatist Dems )

You see, there is hope. I can imagine more like me, for whatever issue or issues that are responsible to making us see things more clearly.

[Scuba]

3. It appears they drank their own Kool-Ade and thought there really were millions....

...of teabaggers.



Time for the pendulum to swing to the left.

[n2doc]

4. Repubs response is to make sure ONLY those core members CAN vote

That is what's up with all of the voter suppression efforts. And if all else fails, 'add' a few thousand votes here or there in 'safe' repub districts.

[Tesha]

5. This is the same ~30-35% who never stopped liking Bush.

...Who *HATE* any Democrat.

...Who are the core of the Religious Right.

...Who are the most rabidly pro-gun.

...Who are thoroughly anti-women's rights, even though
many of them *ARE* women.

...Who hate, hate, hate gays.

...etc.

...etc.

They are lice of the American body politic.

Tesha

[izquierdista]

8. They're simple folk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZvT2r828QY&feature=fvst

The common clay of the New West.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Somehow, I just knew that was gonna be a link to Blazing Saddles.

[underpants]

14. Love E.J. - He very accurately called the GOP the "Party of fhe South" in 2006

With Frank Rich now out of weekly rotation Dionne is about the only op-ed worthy of reading.

[The Wizard]

16. The Party of the Confederacy (NT)

[Enthusiast]

17. That is why they were incensed

over (Northern) auto company bailouts.