Posted by More than 1000 showed up at the Montgomery Tea Party yesterday. Pictures (courtesy of Derek Trotter and the blog ToxicCulture) show a mixture of mainstream Republicans, political theater, and the just plain jarring at the Montgomery event.
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| Courtesy of Derek Trotter |
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| Courtesy of Derek Trotter |
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| Courtesy of Toxic Culture |
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| Courtesy of Derek Trotter |
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| Courtesy of Toxic Culture |
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| Courtesy of Toxic Culture |
See more pictures from Derek Trotter at Flickr. The blog Toxic Culture has commentary and more pictures here.
Flashpoint has pictures from the Huntsville event where over 2300 showed up.
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Danny,
It was a great event in Montgomery, I’ve been told that the event in Huntsville also went well. The crowd was well-mannered, but passionate. The comments by Derek on his website was not an accurate assement of the manner or tone. While there could have been a racist or a nazi somewhere out in the crowd, those views by no means describe either the tone or the message. Any one that thinks those types of ideas were what that movement is about is sadly mistaken.
I mingled around a few minutes before it started & they just seemed like good people who are fed up with working their butts off to pay their taxes while the government squanders it as fast as they can.
Of course, one would expect those on the far left side extreme of the political spectrum to try to desribe it like that because they want to rally their folks.
From those pictures, it is hard to believe that over 1,000 showed up to this teabagging event in Montgomery. It, frankly, looks like a handful of people with crazy signs and costumes, and another handful of rubberneckers, many of whom were at the Statehouse that day. I guess the teabaggers can spin it however they please, but a picture is worth a thousand words.
Who is the rotund balding grey-headed fellow that is behind the speaker’s podium in some of Derek’s photographs?
Danny, Mike’s right. This was not a Conservative vs. Liberal rally. Most people were passionate about their cause and felt they were not being heard by congress or the president. Lip service from protestors against the TEA Party rallies was minor, but the few that did speak out agains the parties were arrogant, crude, and disingenuous. (I’ve never tolerated chanting or yelling profanity during someone elses speech.)
I was at two parties near South Alabama and was amazed at the level of civility and calm, all while a message of fiscal conservatency and limited government washed over the crowd. It was truly a site to behold! By the way DHS was at both of the rallies I attended.
Dear Mike Ball,
First of all, nobody named Derek writes for the Toxic Culture website. I know the Internet can be confusing and all, but it’s pretty clear that Derek is the guy who posted his Flickr pictures that show all of the politicians but none of the objectionable stuff. Toxic Culture is the other link, the one that you think is run by “the far left.”
Nobody thinks or claimed that there were actual Nazis in the crowd. Racists? Oh yes. There were plenty. You can dismiss criticism of the tea party as “the far left” if that makes you feel more comfortable, but facts are facts: there was definite white pride and nostalgia mixed in with the anger of the “good people” you mingled with. And no, we don’t have “folks” we are trying to rally.
But hey, you keep hanging out with the John Birch crowd and the Obama Birth Certificate people and the anti-UN nutjobs. I’m sure that plays real well back in your district. Everyone else will just be over here on the “Far Left.”
Stephen,
Sorry if I was confused who Derek is, but if you think think those crowds were the John Birchers and “nutjobs” you are sadly mistaken.
Mike
Mullet,
The “rotund, balding grey-headed fellow” is John Killian. http://www.johnkillian.blogspot.com/
And Stephen, thanks for clearing that up for Mike. Very funny comments, though.
I did see that the Tea Parties were filled with plenty of “Hurricane” Hank Erwin and Charles Bishop though. That says it all right there.
Is it just me or does Mac Gibson look like a character off The Sopranos.
Perhaps the best link about the Montgomery TEA Party
Is Montgomery Tax Day Tea Party Report @ http://politicsalabama.blogspot.com/2009/04/montgomery-tax-day-tea-party-report.html
HAS actually showed up for something?
I am one of the organizers, and the attendance total was closer to 2,500. I notice some of the commenters doubt that, so here is the video:
http://politicsalabama.blogspot.com/2009/04/montgomery-tea-party-video.html
Pictures are available here:
http://www.cfmills.com/teaparty/
And here:
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=DS&Date=20090415&Category=COMMUNITIES010305&ArtNo=904150804&Ref=PH&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
Picture #2 gives a good idea of the crowd size.
And despite some of the comments, I saw no racism. There were a few signs off topic, but most were right on point.
[...] Secondly, there’s fear. I certainly sympathize with my African-American, gay, or immigrant friends who see a crowd of angry white people, many of whom are economically hurting, and simply want to run in the other direction. I won’t try to claim that there’s nothing dangerous about the very real fear and rage that drives a lot of these emotionally-charged rallies. Although many of the posters to the Montgomery Advertiser message board and Doc’s Political Parlor claimed that there was nothing remotely hateful about yesterday’s statehouse rally, you can’t look at that sign comparing Obama to Hitler and say that what was on display was merely a critique of government fiscal policy. [...]
Am I to understand the left is complaining about a sign depicting Obama as Hitler? The same folks who spent the last 8 years calling Bush Hitler? Whatever happened to dissent as the highest form of patriotism? Speaking truth to power?
I saw the sign, and I didn’t like it either. But it is a free country, and that sign wasn’t the rally. The Tea Party was tight and focused. If you really want to read hate and fear into something, you can do it easily. But that wasn’t what the Tea Party was about, and saying it doesn’t make it so.
What are these events trying to accomplish? I don’t understand the purpose. Alabama voted for McCain going away. This state is extremely Republican. What change are they trying to create? Are these rallies just an opportunity for them to reinforce the notion that White Alabamians vote Republican? If so, then mission accomplished. However, was that really necessary?
Seems to me that these things are a waste of time, energy and passion.
Andy,
I typically agree with most of your posts but this time I’m just going to say, Go pay your taxes…
I’ve taken the sign-in sheet from the rally over to the Alabama Department of Revenue to make sure that everyone who was in attendance is operating in good faith.
Thanks for the carnival show and I hope that you all are able to locate the Bearded lady before the next show.
Whoops, I see you shaved her and gave her a bowl cut and some anti-communist /socialist propaganda.
Nice.
This may be beside the point, but communism and socialism aren’t the same thing. Just FYI.
thanks common sense @ 11, that made me laugh. needed that. too funny and so true.
The people are angry at the leadership of both parties.
They recognize they both have been growing government and selling out the people.
There are people from different backgrounds coming together because liberals, moderates and conservatives can rally behind liberty and upholding the Constitution.
Thank you, PrinceLiberty, it’s nice to know someone understands what happened yesterday.
I’ve heard political pundits calling yesterday the largest political rally that has been seen in the last 10 to 15 years. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of that claim, as I haven’t followed all political rallies, but I do know the response from Montgomerians was fantastic!
I’m no expert crowd-guesser but I drove past the event while it was going on and thought it was about 2,500 or so. I didn’t stop and participate or anything.
It was the biggest crowd I’ve seen at one of these State House rallies in my few years of being around Goat Hill.
@21: If you, an organizer of the tea party, are now posting on an Internet message board saying, gosh, it’s nice that SOMEONE understands what happened at my protest, I think it’s safe to say that your event was a failure. You get that many people together and are still complaining about being misunderstood? Weak sauce indeed. Good luck the next elections. Maybe Joe the Plumber will come campaign for your radical anti-spending, anti-tax candidates.
I was actually referring to those commenting on this thread… some of whom have said they don’t understand what the Tea Party movement is all about or what we hoped to accomplish. Response #20 was a good description of what is happening, so I commented on it. I’m sorry if you misunderstood.
As to defending the Tea Party, I feel no need to do that. The attendance numbers and response of the crowd is enough.
You can brand our Tea Party a success or failure, as you wish, but either way it doesn’t affect reality. And the reality is that thousands of people went to the trouble to attend a political rally in the middle of a Wednesday. Many took off work to attend, and that speaks of a high degree of passion for this issue.
Yeah, good idea. Who cares what people think of your protest? It doesn’t matter how it’s labeled or whether people think it was a good idea or not.
Sheesh. And you wonder why you people are all isolated and raging that nobody is giving your issues the attention they deserve. Must be because the whole media is biased. Yeah, that’s got to be it.
The Hitler poster was just bad. I don’t think the person thought that one through.
As for the rest of the jealous liberal comments, it just proves we’ve hit a nerve!
For the aptly-named ToxicCulture and Baudrillard, your vulgar description of your fellow Alabamanians says much about you nasty leftists.
TC – I read your blog posts and your condescending attempt to find the humanity in ‘right wing extremists’ like me. I guess it’s a start…
Magnum PI – your comment that “communism and socialism aren’t the same thing” is correct, but communism -is- a subset of socialism.
BTW, the ‘Heil Obama’ sign may show a nuanced understanding of the so-called ‘Third Way’ that Mussolini implemented in Italy (along with that guy in Germany) – nominally private ownership of industry under Government control – it’s another subset of socialism.
Allegations of jealousy are truly a lame last line of defense. Reminds me of that Saturday Night Live sketch with that character Amber: “I can do the worm, I’ve served jail time, I’ve got mad skin tags, and I’m rockin one leg, bro. Yeah, I just farted. Jealous?”
I’d imagine most “liberals” (as if that stupid label means anything) took one look at the composition of the tea parties and said, “THESE people are upset with the way things are going? Maybe our country is finally doing something right.”
I should also say that the ‘Heil Obama’ poster was in poor taste.
But the poster wasn’t the event, and didn’t try to be.
Like the concept of the event or not, Matthew Givens did an excellent job on organizing it in Montgomery.
Great job Matthew!!
The difference between conservatives and liberals: for 8 years liberals did nothing but compare Bush to Hitler, believing it to be the zenith of savvy political analysis / one poster at a conservative rally depicts Obama as Hitler, liberals AND conservatives denounce it as out of bounds.
Draw your own conclusions.
Our protest in Alabama should not just be against Washington.
The leadership of both parties in Montgomery is corrupt and pathetic.
We have got to break up that good ole boy crowd that blocks this state from having any decent leadership.
The state media especially the papers is in bed with the good ole boys and gals (Don’t want to offend Ivey!)
Harrie Anne Smith speaking to the group was a joke however, she is part of the problem not the solution.
And she’s a nasty person.
Harri Ann Smith is Summer’s Eve.
This was the biggest political turnout since 1/20/09.
poor, poor harri anne. 2010 will not get here fast enough so we can retire her from office.
The very same nut-job Libs on this site, whose solitary accomplishment of the day is to get off the couch and go pick up their government check out of the mail, are the very same ones who disregarded the same fervor of the REAL working class that catapulted the GOP into the majority with the Contract With America. Please, I beg you, keep up the dismissive tone and posture.
These Leftists have nothing to offer but arrogant sneers against the people who are responsible for either employing them or buying coffee from them at Starbucks or a burger from them at the drive-thru.
Spare us the self-superiority, you leeching, marrow-sucking vermin. We’ll see how enthralled you are with Socialism in 20 years when the Social Security Trust Fund is bust because your punk-ass kids are too doped up, uneducated or incarcerated to hold tax-paying jobs to replenish it.
You panty-waist Libs are the dried up crust found in the crinkled folds of some stray dog’s ass, yet you fashion yourselves as the enlightened elect.
Obama will be ridden out on a rail in 2012. The problem is that it will take us 100 years or more to pay for all the damage.
And by the way, I for one, found the Hitler-Hussein Obama poster both hilarious and appropriate. Anyone who subscribes to the absolute murderous ideology on abortion as he does is the practical and immoral equivalent of Adolph Hitler.
So, GFY’s.
#36
Buddy, my relatives fought the NAZIs so jerks like you could find comparing an American president to Hitler hilarious.
How sweet.
I spent 40 years running a machine in a factory until the “Contract with America” crowd sent my job to China.
I don’t need any lip from the likes of you about who’s a working person or not.
You should get back on your meds before you go completely off the deep end.
In case you forgot, Obama has been in office for only three months. Our problems started when Bush cut taxes for his millionaire buddies, twice, and then started a foolish, unneeded, trillion dollar war.
I hate to be the one to point this out; so many folks are working mightily to put it all on the new administration.
If there were any justice in the world, George Bush should have been forced to stay in office until he straightened out the mess he made. At no pay!
Of course, he would have probably been there for that hundred years you’re worrying about.
Work on your people skills, sonny. You are nasty. I can’t believe anybody would want you speaking for them.
I don’t think ANYONE would claim Scorpius as their spokesperson – he’s way too pathetic to have any credibility. Your assessment, leonidas, is right on target.
Can’t we just all get along?
As a liberal who has never compared George W. Bush to Hitler, I’m going to invoke Godwin’s Law.
Kathy– I looked up Godwin’s Law, just to make sure it didn’t have anything to do with Troy King. Boy, was I relieved.
And William: I’ve been praying we could all start getting along. Our situation is precarious enough without the right-wing trying to revise history before our very eyes.
I think it all started a few weeks ago when Rush Limbaugh performed that belly-shaking voo-doo dance on C-SPAN That was a signal for his zombies to get nekkid and go nuts.
It sent them into a mindless, writhing, psychotic frenzy.
Their next rally won’t feature tea bags — they will be killing goats and chickens.
And smearing themselves with blood and feces.
#37:
My relatives also fought the Nazis and they are rolling in their graves with rampant socialism running amok in a world they fought to save and in a nation they fought to protect. You’ve got no moral high ground over me, jack.
If your job got shipped over to China, blame Bill Clinton. While he was getting his willie slopped he was giving you the finger. To blame it entirely on Congress is a joke.
I acknowledge that members of both parties went berzerk with profligate spending over the last 8 years, maybe you don’t. I wouldn’t shed tear 1 if the whole lot was stricken with total paralysis and we were forced to elect 535 new people to head to Washington.
Bush wasn’t my idea of a true fiscal Conservative. His budgets, actions and policies scream as much. But Obama deserves scorn no matter how few months he’s been in office. You don’t solve the problems created by tax and spend economics by raising taxes even higher, blowing holes through the deficits and strangling the economy with indefensible, heavy-handed over-regulation. There will be even more factory machine operators losing their jobs in the coming years with that kind of program. Oh well, all in the name of “change,” right?
And as many folks in here will tell you, I don’t give a flying rip what you, or any of the other Leftist scr-tum-lickers in here, think of my opinions. I speak for myself.
Liberalism, Socialism, Communism have failed time after time. They can never be sustained without the rule of an iron fist. If that’s your idea of Utopia, you don’t deserve to cast the vote others have died to grant you the privilege.
Obama is a joke (the least qualified candidate for president…ever). He will continue to be a joke (bowing to foreign kings). And all you clowns who attempt to defend him are jokes. And disgraces.
Have a nice day.
Watch your mouth, Scabio. Do you kiss your mother with that filthy mouth?
Most people I know hold the moral high-ground over people like you, as evidenced by your mindless, juvenile blather.
What taxes has Obama raised? Name one.
Yeah, it was funny when Obama bowed to that king.
It was even funnier when Bush kissed that Saudi Arabian prince.
Pal, you are flogging a dead mule. You can’t possibly know how silly you sound.
We have got to meet in the middle ground and get this country back on track.
Extemists on both sides are just making the situation worse.
I can’t believe your extremist views represent the majority of the Conservative movement.
It they do, that movement is on the way out.
It’s just unfortunate that Scorpius is able to find platforms that allow him to spew his venom.
Ah, so now we’re going to resort to third-grade nickname calling, huh?
Well, okay, Lenin-idas.
What taxes, name one, you ask? This, from the Associated Press on April 1, 2009, Titled:
PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama tax pledge up in smoke
WASHINGTON – One of President Barack Obama’s campaign pledges on taxes went up in puffs of smoke Wednesday.
The largest increase in tobacco taxes took effect despite Obama’s promise not to raise taxes of any kind on families earning under $250,000 or individuals under $200,000.
This is one tax that disproportionately affects the poor, who are more likely to smoke than the rich.
To be sure, Obama’s tax promises in last year’s campaign were most often made in the context of income taxes. Not always.
“I can make a firm pledge,” he said in Dover, N.H., on Sept. 12. “Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”
He repeatedly vowed “you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime.”
Now in office, Obama, who stopped smoking but has admitted he slips now and then, signed a law raising the tobacco tax 62 cents on a pack of cigarettes, to $1.01. Other tobacco products saw saw similar or much steeper increases.
“Listen now,” he said in his widely watched nomination acceptance speech, “I will cut taxes — cut taxes — for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.”
An unequivocal “any tax” pledge also was heard in the vice presidential debate, another prominent forum.
“No one making less than $250,000 under Barack Obama’s plan will see one single penny of their tax raised,” Joe Biden said, “whether it’s their capital gains tax, their income tax, investment tax, any tax.”
Well, well, well…
This is but one tax, hidden or otherwise, that Obama will unleash on America.
Whether he is bowing in obsequious fashion to a raghead or breaking promises on pledges, Obama is a disgrace.
BTW, when are all the Leftist Peace-purists going to demand that Hussein Obama be brought up on charges before the World Court for ordering the killings of the Somalis that were shot by our military last week? There was certainly hue and cry about prosecuting Bush for his martial actions.
Y’all wouldn’t want to be regarded as hypocrites on something as fundamental as World Peace, right???
Call me when Amnesty International issues its official denunciation.
Later, Lenin-idas!
Matthew,
If this was against government, then why have all those politicians?
Scabio –
I resorted to the third grade stuff because I wanted to approach you on your level.
Let me rephrase my statement: Name one tax Obama has raised except for the added tax on tobacco. Maybe this tax will make some of these folks stop smoking and dipping before it kills them.
(If you are one of those snuff-dippers, let me give you some advice: try and keep your head level so the juice doesn’t run down just one side of your mouth.)
Anybody with speck of sense knows what these tax protests are all about — Republicans don’t want to pay taxes. It’s not that they are paying more taxes, they don’t want to pay any.
You are not seriously comparing the killing of three pirates with the deaths of 5,000 Americans and who knows how many thousands of Iraqis whose only crime was to be born in the wrong country, are you?
You need to get a life and stop wasting your valuable time listening to Rush Limbaugh.
I know you are a member of the Lastwordites, and will offer up your lame guff until the cows come home, just to have the final say.
But you are not impressing anyone but yourself. Your comments are silly, foolish and comtemptible.
[...] Here are some pictures of the event. [...]
It strikes me odd that some of these same politicians supported and even co sponsered Amendment One. What short short memories they think we have. They are some of the biggest hypocrites I have ever seen, or is it that they are just scared to go against their sacred party when it comes to a big vote. What an absolute disgrace they are to this state.
Curious, when I stood in front of the Tea Party and told the crowd we had some politicians to speak a little later, a good number booed. I told them to LISTEN to the politicians and then do something we voters don’t have a great track record of doing: HOLD THEM TO WHAT THEY SAID!
Keep in mind that the goal in most politicians’ lives is to increase his own personal power and ensure his continued survival in politics. We must convince them that they’d durned well better start putting the country first… and if they don’t WE’LL put paid to their political career!