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At CNN.
As usual, I don’t agree with Cillizza - he contends that the Tea Party’s central tenet was cutting government spending. They may have given that lip service, but for most (that I’ve observed) the central points were 3) Oppose Obama, 2) Stop giving money (largely imaginary) and aid to the
Wrong People, and number one, like most conservatives, cut my taxes. (They were Taxed Enough Already, although the level of total federal taxation at the time
was at a 60-year low).
Trump fulfilled 3 and 1 (if you were a corporation or got your income from them), and gives some lip service to 2. But mostly, without the black guy in the White House, they have less reason to exist.
I think declaring them dead is inaccurate - they just morphed into full-bore Trumpies. But that’s a pity on both counts.
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Oh remember the old days, before Republicans in Congress lost their party to Trump? They’d howl about something like this.
It’s as if Cillizza never heard of what they became: Freedom Caucus. But call it what you want, it’s always been the minority most rightward wing. Of course, he’s made them obsolete as well by absorption of their worst ideas.
Regardless, debt’s always been OK if you’re a Republican spending the money.
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deckeda wrote:
Regardless, debt’s always been OK if you’re a Republican spending the money.
That's because tax cuts always pay for themselves... eventually... somehow.
miley-laughing001:
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The TEA party lost its way well before Obama.
TEA = Taxed Enough Already.
It absorbed too many hangars on and morphed into the K-lan inspired party of insanity it is now. The TEA people are still getting lip service, but only for those making more than $250K per year and above. Which is about 0.1% of the TEA base membership.
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The Republicans were losing control of the baggers so the movement had to be killed. Keep it off talk radio and Faux News and it dies.
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The TEA party lost its way well before Obama.
It didn't exist before him.
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Tea Party was active 2009 -2016, Trump went to one of their meetings in 2015 and heaped praise on them; they were definitely helpful in getting him elected. Members of that now defunct caucus (started by Rand Paul) went to Freedom or Liberty caucuses.
Their followers did a huge amount of damage at the state and local level, pushing draconian budget cuts and tax cuts. Of course their big unifying theme after 2010 was killing the ACA.
The press really got this group wrong. They were not dumb hillbillies waving assault rifles at rallies- they were mostly well-educated, wealthy white males. You know, Trump's base. (well only a few waved assault rifles at rallies. most would've been too busy playing golf that weekend) Most Republicans support Tea Party ideas - rose by another name.
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Are we talking about the tea party as they claim to be or the tea party as they actually are?
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From what I have read, about the 40 largest tea bagger groups have all been co-opted from the inside by billionaires. The groups took off after Obama was elected. Several had existed before the 2008 Presidential election, the first major group was funded by the Kochs supposedly back as far as 1991.
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Wouldn't be surprised to find out there are a few Comrades on the payroll, as well…
