Here's a Tea-Party question for you.

[ThomWV]

Is there a Democratic wing of the Tea Party? Not out there being bussed into public political events, but very much agreeable to the Tea Party notions yet calling themselves Democrats? Hell, 5 "Democrats" voted with the Republicans on the waste-of-time House debt limit deal legislation. Are they anything other than Democratic Tea-Baggers? We've been calling them blue dogs for years, but maybe the new term paints an easier understood picture of who they are.

[onehandle]

1. Most of the Blue Dogs were replaced with real teabaggers in the last election.

That might be a more up to date term for the survivors.

[Dr Fate]

2. There is no Tea Party- just GOP rebranding. DEMS dont have a counter-version b/c they dont want one.

Why would a party with center-right poitions on war funding and tax cuts for the rich want Liberals to run against their centrists in the primaries?

In turn, we could see why the the GOP would not mind a "party" that simply runs RW Republicans in the generals.

Dont be fooled by the Tea "party"- they are not running to the chagrin of the GOP at all. If it were so, they would not be there and they would not have gotten the corporate funding.

The tea "party" exists b/c the GOP allowed or even contributed to it's creation. We dont have a liberal version b/c it would be counter to what our party leaders want.

[ThomWV]

3. So are you saying that essentially the Tea Party is the Republican's version of the Big Tent?

I could see it. It gives them access to the fringe and locks in their vote. Kind of like redirecting the Birchers and growing their total numbers for having done it. One thing for sure, they* don't mind feeding down lower on the food chain a bit.


* the controlling influences of the Republican Party, big money doners and religious zealots mostly.

[Dr Fate]

5. Not really. The Tea party "members" were already in the GOP's tent.

And the corporations that fund them already funded the GOP. Wait- they ARE the GOP!

It's just a way to get far right GOP politics into the media-disguised as this "new, interesting populist movement" that is going to "force the GOP to go back to it's core values" (Ie be more conservative)

It's just corporate re-branding.

The "Tea Party" is like Pizza Hut Pizza with cheese in the crust- they just put the cheese in the crust so they can put out a new commercial. Corporate rebranding.

DEMS dont do this b/c they dont want to convince the media that the DEMS need to be more Liberal.

DEMS do rebranding too, but in the opposite direction- it's called "DLC", "Blue Dogs" "New Democrats" etc-it's still the DEMS, just a new name to convince people that the party needs a new direction. In those cases, less populist but more conservative.

[ThomWV]

6. Gotcha!

I think what you are suggesting makes very good sense. Thanks!

[tnlefty]

8. Don't forget The Turd Way, un, I mean The Third Way.

The tea party are just louder, angrier versions of the crazed southern republican.

I've had a blast with some of them (repukes) who think they're different from the teahadists. I ask them, How?

It's a pleasure to remind them that Alexander wanted to abolish the Dept. of Ed. The deregulation of the banks led to the economic mess, but Captain 5'4" (Corker) states we're being too hard on the banks by trying to restrain them a little, oh, and don't be so mad at Wall Street either.

Slash and burn everything, well, that's what you want until it effects you or one of yours. One of the few bright spots of being in red state hell is fucking with the minds of those who make everything as red as possible. :evilgrin:

[spanone]

4. one is my rep...jim cooper blue dog....

[damntexdem]

7. Blue baggers?