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Tea Party linkfest!
10 days left until another round of Tax Day Tea Parties take place across the country, and there's some interesting polls out regarding the Tea Party movement.
Ed at Hot Air pretty much says it perfectly, so I'm just going to piggyback on him.
Then Gallup has a poll showing that Tea Party's are actually a pretty decent demographic representation of America:
Interestingly, a Rasmussen poll puts the Tea Party movement up against Obama himself:
The Tea Party vs Congress numbers are more laughable: 47% to 26%.
Dan Quayle is worried about the Tea Party 'going Perot', i.e. becoming a spoiler in upcoming elections.
Personally, I'm not pro Tea Party-Party. I think Dan is essentially correct about 3rd parties; we've seen it happen in the past. I would rather the TP movement focus on influencing the existing party that they most resemble ideologically, which is the GOP. If these numbers are anything to go by, maybe Dan should be warning the Republican Party not to 'go Perot'.
Ed at Hot Air pretty much says it perfectly, so I'm just going to piggyback on him.
For the past few months, media outlets have described Tea Party followers as racist, reactionary, Birthers, and just about every insult one could find in the dictionary. CNN’s Anderson Cooper helped popularize a sexual slur as a description for the group that others in the media continue to use: teabaggers. However, a new poll by the Winston Group of a thousand registered voters returned some surprising results, including the fact that 13% of the Tea Party followers are Democrats:Racist, reactionary, teabagging Democrats, I guess...
The national breakdown of the Tea Party composition is 57 percent Republican, 28 percent Independent and 13 percent Democratic, according to three national polls by the Winston Group, a Republican-leaning firm that conducted the surveys on behalf of an education advocacy group. Two-thirds of the group call themselves conservative, 26 are moderate and 8 percent say they are liberal.
The Winston Group conducted three national telephone surveys of 1,000 registered voters between December and February. Of those polled, 17 percent – more than 500 people — said they were “part of the Tea Party movement.” …
The group is united around two issues – the economy/jobs and reducing the deficit. They believe that cutting spending is the key to job creation and favor tax cuts as the best way to stimulate the economy. That said 61 percent of Tea Party members believe infrastructure spending creates jobs. Moreover, given the choice Tea Party members favor 63-32 reducing unemployment to 5 percent over balancing the budget.
Then Gallup has a poll showing that Tea Party's are actually a pretty decent demographic representation of America:
Tea Party supporters skew right politically; but demographically, they are generally representative of the public at large. That's the finding of a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted March 26-28, in which 28% of U.S. adults call themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement.
Interestingly, a Rasmussen poll puts the Tea Party movement up against Obama himself:
On major issues, 48% of voters say that the average Tea Party member is closer to their views than President Barack Obama. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 44% hold the opposite view and believe the president’s views are closer to their own.
Not surprisingly, Republicans overwhelmingly feel closer to the Tea Party and most Democrats say that their views are more like Obama’s. Among voters not affiliated with either major political party, 50% say they’re closer to the Tea Party while 38% side with the President.
The Tea Party vs Congress numbers are more laughable: 47% to 26%.
Dan Quayle is worried about the Tea Party 'going Perot', i.e. becoming a spoiler in upcoming elections.
There's a well-worn path of third-party movements in American history, and it leads straight to a dead end. A cause gathers strength, and its message speaks to millions; then, amid the excitement, a new political party is born, only to perform poorly on Election Day and disappear a cycle or two later. In practice, all that's achieved is a fragmenting of the vote, usually to the benefit of whichever major party the movement had set out to oppose.
Personally, I'm not pro Tea Party-Party. I think Dan is essentially correct about 3rd parties; we've seen it happen in the past. I would rather the TP movement focus on influencing the existing party that they most resemble ideologically, which is the GOP. If these numbers are anything to go by, maybe Dan should be warning the Republican Party not to 'go Perot'.
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in his fifites.For my taste, they're a little too extreme. If you read the wikipedia article, it basically sounds like they're against everything. You know I'm usually pretty liberal, but I also know when comes to fiscal issues, I tend to be very conservative. But these guys just scare me.
And seriously, while I agree the health-care reform isn't the best ever drafted, I just don't get how it's a bad thing to give uninsured people insurance. Every health-care system in every other industrialized nation of the world works precisely like, I'll say it, obamacare. And it's a good thing to just be able to go the doctor, have him check you you out, prescribe you some pills and know that at the end of the day, you're neither gonna be in debt nor thrown out of your insurance.
All that aside, I totally love your layout. :)
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Living well under that evil $250k cap, my husband and I are already paying between 30 - 35 percent of our income to taxes, and that is without the burden of Obamacare. Given the costs and ramifications across all strata of the economic community, item prices will be going up as companies attempt to recoup some of the asinine penalties and fees. This adds further to the cost of the program, and is one add-on I seriously doubt Pelosi and her mob even thought about...to say nothing of the impact on businesses with 51 or more employees. Some of them are already contemplating either laying off personnel, or dividing up into smaller companies to stay below the 50-employee cap, requiring them to provide insurance. I can't say as I blame them.
Thus, if the "most ethical Congress ever" was really concerned about economic recovery, they would have examined the ramifications of this bill more closely.
Contrary to what Congress has said, too, everyone in America has access to healthcare; having insurance is not a prerequisite. Yes, going into an emergency room sans insurance, for a common cold can get expensive -- but any hospital accepting Medicare must provide medical attention to anyone who walks in the door, regardless of their ability to pay. Thus, it's a fallacy oft repeated that Americans don't have access. They do. It's a matter of how they pay for it.
And, for most people, medical debt on the level you are suggesting -- a simple doctor visit for a script -- is entirely manageable. Even with insurance, some debt is unavoidable: I still have some minor debts related to a surgery two years or so ago, covering deductibles. These debts, when in lower amounts, are often overlooked when applying for certain loans. Thus, if someone makes repayment of said debts a priority, they don't stay with them and do not negatively affect credit scores.
Does this apply for all people? No; I certainly understand that there are others treated for cancer and other ailments whose debt climbs exponentially. But for the "average" American, the former is the case. And those who cannot afford the "simple" doctor visit likely already qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. If we're already paying for that, they should take advantage of an already existing entitlement.
It should not be the role of the American government, however, to determine whether or not a citizen purchases health insurance. I resent the fact that Congress seems to think that I cannot manage my life: They are now mandating what type of health coverage I should have, what foods I should eat, and how I should spend my income. Rather than this, they should be lowering my taxes, cutting small businesses a break, and encouraging other faculties that enable the American dream. All they accomplish now is smothering it.
We are -- or were -- a nation of independent thinkers, driven by our work ethic to succeed on an individual level. We are a nation built upon the ideas of personal responsibility in the "pursuit of happiness." By allowing the government to define "happiness," and provide the means, we cripple ourselves and do irreparable damage to the republican form of government. We have been the "beacon of light" which serves as an example to other industrialized nations... They should look to us, not we to them.
(ETA: I'd posted a link to Washington's Farewell Address. The server now appears to be down. Highly recommended reading.)
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Living well under that evil $250k cap, my husband and I are already paying between 30 - 35 percent of our income to taxes
If I lived in Germany, I would most likely have to pay 48% of my tiny income plus the money for the insurance. Do I complain? No, because the other 80 million citizens are doing exactly the same and they are, in fact, my safety net if I get sick.
Imagine this: You're healthy and just paying more and more and more, just for the sick ones to use it. Okay, fine, I can understand why you'd be pissed to be giving away all that money. I know I would be.
Ten years from now, the doctor tells you you have cancer. And instead of worrying how to get all the money needed and thinking about having to sell your house and your car, all the healthy folks (that are thinking exactly what I described above) are paying your medical bills.
It's ridiculous a word like "medical debt" even has to exist in a country like the U.S. I also know French, German and Spanish and "medical debt" exists in none of these languages.
And, for most people, medical debt on the level you are suggesting -- a simple doctor visit for a script -- is entirely manageable.
Is it? My sister works two jobs and neither one of them provides healthcare. She has a boyfriend with an alcohol problem who she has to care for... Not so affordable anymore, I can tell you that. The result: She's moving to Germany this summer to work here. That's how you lose your workers, it's that easy. Of course, the other way to lose your workers is to just let them die from an entirely curable diseases. Those things should be in a book called "How to screw up your economy".
I resent the fact that Congress seems to think that I cannot manage my life: They are now mandating what type of health coverage I should have, what foods I should eat, and how I should spend my income. Rather than this, they should be lowering my taxes, cutting small businesses a break, and encouraging other faculties that enable the American dream. All they accomplish now is smothering it.
Okay, I understand that. Like I said, on certain fiscal issues, I'm more of a Conservative than anything else. I agree with you that the small and medium-sized businesses are really what make an economy strong. The thing is - certain branches of the American economy (take GM for example) were no more than a huge bubble - and about two and half years ago, the bubble burst and threw the economy into the black hole that it's in now.
We are a nation built upon the ideas of personal responsibility in the "pursuit of happiness."
I get it, you're the United States of America, you want to do your own thing and let everybody do what they want. And you're perfectly capable of that under normal circumstances. But sometimes, it doesn't work like that - maybe that's the reason why the U.S. is still trying to find the "road to recovery", while the rest of the world already has recovered.
We have been the "beacon of light" which serves as an example to other industrialized nations... They should look to us, not we to them.
I'm not very religious, but I do know that one of the seven deadly sins is "Pride". The world changes constantly and for once, the U.S. is not the center of the world and is not who everybody looks to. Is that so bad? I doubt it, let the others have their say for a while, it'll change again, it's just a question of 'when'.
I know you probably won't care, but... The U.S. mission in Iraq was allegedly to "spread democracy", right? So, if you're so keen on democracy, why aren't you living it?
And one last thing: You're not happy with your President, but you should at least be a little grateful that thanks to him, the rest of the world doesn't consider you total douchebags anymore. If nothing else, you can give him credit for that.
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I worry because national defense is one of the duties designated to the federal government by the Constitution; the money spent on that war -- and any other -- helps maintain our interests and our national security. Tax payer dollars should not be used for providing a function that encroaches on individual liberties the way that "nationalized healthcare" does -- the way "Obamacare" does.
Do I complain? No, because the other 80 million citizens are doing exactly the same and they are, in fact, my safety net if I get sick.
You should be complaining. That's approximately 18 percent of your income that you could be allocating as you see fit, maybe paying for your insurance, rather than that "safety net" you may never use.
As an American, I'm already paying for three "safety nets": Medicare, medical insurance coverage for the seniors; Medicaid, medical insurance coverage for the "underprivileged"; and Social Security, which is supposed to provide a stipend to me once I retire. All three are currently in the red, with the money originally allocated spent on other projects. The money I put in now is paying for my grandparents' benefits, and it is entirely likely I will never see a dime of the thousands I've already "contributed." Obamacare, should it ever come to full fruition, will be just like it.
Imagine this: You're healthy and just paying more and more and more, just for the sick ones to use it. Okay, fine, I can understand why you'd be pissed to be giving away all that money. I know I would be.
Damn skippy. And what pisses me off even more is that I would be paying that because some "enlightened statesman" on Capitol Hill decided what the basic standard of living should be for all Americans, and I have to "pay my part." Nevermind the fact that some of those Americans have yet to earn their own part. That's how socialism works, not how capitalism works.
Ten years from now, the doctor tells you you have cancer. And instead of worrying how to get all the money needed and thinking about having to sell your house and your car, all the healthy folks (that are thinking exactly what I described above) are paying your medical bills.
Without this "healthcare reform," I wouldn't have to sell my house or my car to obtain the funding for treatment. I'd have invested the money in savings and retirement accounts that I could use. With the provisions of the bill, however, I'm not only going to be paying more for my health insurance, I'll be paying into that "reform" kitty, and paying higher prices for just about everything in daily life. That restricts my savings, restricts my spending, and further exacerbates the continued recession.
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That is not how we "lose [our] workers." We lose our workers because American businesses are taxed through the nose and are forced to lay off employees, and cut back benefits for others. This situation is going to get worse before it gets better.
And what type of jobs does your sister take? Part-time? Minimum wage? Neither are ever going to offer any kind of healthcare benefits. And I'm willing to bet that her boyfriend hasn't been able to help his own cause any either? So, in short, your sister is taking responsibility for the poor life choices her boyfriend has made. I'm all for short-term assistance for those we love, but if someone isn't making the effort to help themselves -- that assistance goes away... and so does that relationship.
Incidentally, the boyfriend, if he's not helping himself? Is exactly the type of case that I don't want to continually support with my tax dollars. Cold and heartless? Maybe. But I refuse to endorse failure.
But sometimes, it doesn't work like that - maybe that's the reason why the U.S. is still trying to find the "road to recovery", while the rest of the world already has recovered.
We're still on the "road to recovery" because our President and his Congress are taking steps in the opposite direction from what is needed -- not because we should follow Europe's lead.
I'm not very religious, but I do know that one of the seven deadly sins is "Pride". The world changes constantly and for once, the U.S. is not the center of the world and is not who everybody looks to. Is that so bad? I doubt it, let the others have their say for a while, it'll change again, it's just a question of 'when'.
Influence is always a give and take. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union provided a balance, and was a means of curtailing American influence, just as we attempted to curtail theirs. This is not an alien concept to me, and it is one I understand. But we were the first nation of our kind, setting an example for others to follow. It's called American Exceptionalism. It's a belief I embrace. If Europe is to be that balancing factor, to emerge as the counterbalance, then so be it. It doesn't mean that the republic should crater and give way to a socialist form of democracy.
And one last thing: You're not happy with your President, but you should at least be a little grateful that thanks to him, the rest of the world doesn't consider you total douchebags anymore. If nothing else, you can give him credit for that.
I'd rather be considered a nation of "total douchebags" than the weak-willed, kow-towing cowards our president has made us appear to be.
"not happy" my view
at the drop of a hat. I'm not happy with a President that is showing
weakness and apparently does not have a clue when it comes to our nations
genuine danger from Islamic terrorism. Which shows weakness to our enemies.
He's the worst President already that we have had in many years. He will have a lot more trouble enacting his idiotic and dangerous policies after our midtern elections this November. We are going to vote his cronys out of office. Enjoy him while you can because we are going to vote him out of office in 2012 and
send him slithering back where he came from. LOL
Re: "not happy" my view
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I just don't get how it's a bad thing to give uninsured people insurance.
It's the 'give' part I have a problem with. I don't want the government to 'give' me stuff... I want them to get out of the way so I can live my life, do my job, make money and provide for myself.
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Amen, sister. I'd rather earn it myself than have it handed to me. Seems increasingly like we're in the minority, though. =\
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tea parties etc
supporter of the Tea Party movement, though i have not yet been able to attend one. I don't fit the polls findings. I am a 57 year old female lifelong Democrat. I do not think very many of the Tea Party
supporters will go the third party route. Too many poeple fell for that with Perot. The Tea Partiers (many of them like me) also are concerned about the administrations incompetence in creating jobs, facing the threat of terrorists (the idiotic plan to try the terrorists in civilian court in
New York City for instance). Oh and illegal immigration. Yeah Arizona!
I wish every state would pass a law like that. I'm looking forward to November eagerly to help vote hopefully everyone possible that voted for the health care atrocity. And the 2012 election cannot come soon enough.
The thought of the damage to be done to our counry till then is frightening. I've had discussions with liberals on the net recently and they all seem to think the Tea Party supporters will forget before the Nov election. No, we are far to angry to forget.
Re: tea parties etc
Re: tea parties etc
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