Wednesday, February 3, 2010

When Animals Eat Their Young do Tea Party Instigators Cringe?

I just read a very exciting column in USA Today this afternoon about Sarah Palin and why she's speaking at the Tea Party Convention this upcoming weekend. The article got me to thinking again about all of the infighting going on among grassroots groups and of the criticisms both from within and from the left attacking the movement. The problem is that the attacks contradict two important Tea Party values: capitalism and integrity. Why is there so much infighting amongst the Tea Partiers and why are they inviting the left to get involved?

I got into a conversation with a very hard working organizer in the Midwest who said to me that they disapproved of the Tea Party Convention's price tag. I've heard this complaint before, over and over. But when it comes to my small business, I've paid for conventions out-of-pocket because it has always seemed justifiable to pay those people who worked hard to put up a great event and train me to be to be better at my job. I mean that's capitalism: come up with an idea or product and sell it based on what the market is willing to pay.

I don't understand why people such as Tea Partiers who are out there shouting that government has gone too far and become too intrusive in our lives would turn around and contradict their values. Why criticize an individual who is participating in the free enterprise system? Tea Party Nation came up with an idea for a convention, developed it and marketed it. If the event was overpriced, basic economics would have kicked in. People would refuse to pay that price and the venture would have failed. Instead critics for some unforeseen reason began to target speakers and attendees of the event and resort to name-calling in order to ensure that the event would fail.

Another big area of criticism of the convention is the keynote speaker. The Midwest organizer mentioned that they were disappointed that Sarah Palin had chosen to stay in the convention while everyone else had pulled out to escape coming under attack by the critics. Again I am confused by these Tea Party advocates since I believed that another quality they feel has been lost on Washington is INTEGRITY. Sarah Palin is a great example of fortitude and stick-to-it-ness! She promised the Tea Party Nation that she'd attend and speak at the event and she will. America needs more people like Governor Palin to stand up to opposition and go against the grain. I'm proud of her willingness to put herself in front of the firing lines to push the grassroots movement forward and keep the energy going. The critics can keep whining and threatening and lying but Palin has more moxy in her little finger than her critics have intelligence and common sense in their whole bodies!

Okay, this brings me back to my original question: Why then are Tea Party leaders lashing out and criticizing other people in the movement who have good intentions and who try to do good things? Why are they not saving their fire for the real bad guy instead: big government? Why in the past few months have I heard endless criticism of our own people and not enough criticism thrown in the direction of the true evil? Why are they eating their young, squelching the new ideas that are evolving from the movement?

If you believe that the system has a way of balancing itself out and the American people are smart enough to figure out a scheme when they see one, then welcome to the Tea Party movement. But if you feel like it's necessary to control this movement from the top down and be a gatekeeper of who gets to be in the movement and you believe that the American people are too naive to really understand what's best for them, then welcome to Socialism.

Full disclosure: I work for Tea Party Express, one of the many groups in this movement, and one of the targets of some of the friendly fire. We are separate, however, from Tea Party Nation, the organizers of the convention.

16 comments:

  1. Good Blog entry. I am one of those Tea Party People who was taken aback by the pricetag and the "For Profit" status of the event. Nice big rooms for large events run around $35-$50 a head, including dinner, but that is not my point.

    You correctly state that people are free to choose what they want to pay for and what they don't. The sad thing is that the Grassroots Base will be excluded for the simple reason that they can't afford it. That being said, I think it is wrong to critisize and name call. People who don't like the for profit status can simply choose not to go.

    Sarah Palin will be speaking for free in Searchlight Nevada on 3-27. Rooms there are cheap ($40-$50) and there is camping available also. For those who need
    fancy digs, you can stay in Las Vegas for $50 and up. Make a sack lunch, enjoy the food specials in the local casinos, or dine on lobster at the finest resteraunts in the world. All this can be had for basically the price of the gas to get there (or stick out a thumb).

    Now, this is really Grassroots! So quit your whining everyone. Sarah has a contract she must honor and she is taking the time to be at an event we can all afford.

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  2. Hey Tiffiny. Fat Libertarian here. I think the Tea Party movement is largely anti-establishment. So by its very nature it's going to be tough to organize it.

    The truth is there are 3 types of conservatives in America right now.

    #1. Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity Types.
    #2. Ron Paul, Debra Medina, Rand Paul Types.
    #3. John McCain and Lindsay Graham types.

    Where this will go I do not know. I just know that we've had #1 and #3 for many years now and they've only served to bankrupt us.

    It seems inevitable that the Tea Party movement is a necessary move to the right (libertarian and/or Ron Paul) to stop the progressive pro-war Republicans.

    If it's a libertarian movement like I thought it was, then God help anyone who tries to keep everyone organized! lol..

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  3. I didn't know until today there were 2 groups with similar names. What is the difference between the Tea Part Express and the Tea Party Nation? I can't believe we are not united on this deal.

    Tea Party Nation making a profit? What the heck. I thought everyone was united in a passion to defeat the democrats and liberal Republicans like a Lindsey Graham... No more fighting. Tea Part Nation pack it in.

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  4. We have to work within the Republican party. Be smart. But we also can fight for across the board conservative values.

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  5. Funny. "Eat their young." Shouldn't Tea Party Express/OCDB be looking at themselves when it comes to that?

    Or should it be called "thrown under the bus" due to all the staffers and supports that Tea Party Express does away with?

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  6. Oh, and there's lots of groups with similar names. Tea Party Patriots, Tea Party Express, Tea Party Nation, etc. Tea Party Express did a good job at hijacking the tea party movement, same as Tea Party Nation, by filling the pockets of their leaders... Tea Party Express believes IT is the leader. They are the ones lashing out and saying they can defend the negative claims against them yet can't because they know it's all true.

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  7. Hello Tiffiny~~
    I just read your personal blog titled “When Animals Eat Their Young Do Tea Party Instigators Cringe?? EXCELLENT ANALOGY!! And good for you for revealing the situation behind the bickering (somewhat small but disappointing) among the Tea Party groups. The liberals are already frothing at the mouth, thinking that the “unrest”, if you must call it that, will disassemble our grassroots and powerful movement. They will soon be gagging on that froth when our American citizens come out in force to support our mission and vote these socialist out ~~ We should know by now that they will do ANYTHING to distort the truth and our fight for liberty and freedom. Their power has been through corruption, money and lies. The grassroot Americans win with truth, passion for our country and integrity in our hearts. GOD BLESS AMERICA and God richly bless you and the Tea Party Express for your dedication and perseverance.
    I am a so pleased that Sarah Palin will be speaking at the Searchlight kickoff rally. It is going to be a “blow-out” experience. Sarah will be helping weave the tread of unity within the Tea Party movement.

    Blessings and prayers for our beloved America~

    Bea Thomas
    Tualatin, Oregon

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  8. GO, TIFFINY, GO!!!! God Bless you, Marty RicKard

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  9. TeaPartyRealist... really Mr. Eustis? Are you still bitter about losing your position after not showing up to work for a week? Sounds like! I understand your prob with Tea Party Express since they fired you but what do you have against Tea Party Nation?

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  10. (facebook)Nina Pellegrini Tiffiny: you did it again! great article! I sometimes feel that the criticism comes from people that have infiltrated the Tea Party Movement with the ends to destroy it! and of course they come from the enemy camp...the Progressives and Communists in the present administration! which are many! Does Van Jones sound familiar?

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  11. Great post Tiffiny. Now on to Tea Party Express III.

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  12. Well written post on a critical aspect of the Tea Party movement. Bringing many disparate elements of the conservative movement together for a common cause is going to be quite a challenge. The for-profit status of of the Tea Party Nation convention was a mistake, they should have done it as a 501c4 non-profit event. Costs would have been lower, with resultant greater attendance. Of course, the entire argument about cost is mitigated by C-SPAN freely broadcasting the entire event. Saw the Joseph Farah speech last night, outstanding!

    As for Sarah Palin, she has displayed great courage, intelligence, and political acumen over the last many months with her book tour and speaking engagements. Great that she will be speaking at SearchLight event. However, many common-sense conservatives are extremely upset that she has now promised to actively campaign for the re-election of AZ senator John McCain. Her continued and open support for RINO McCain defies logic. John McCain and the socialist agenda are seemingly one, with McCain openly supporting amnesty for illegals, the $800 billion Bush bailout of Wall Street, and the "global warming, climate change" myth. We could go on and on regarding John McCain's proven track-record of support for various socialist schemes. Bottom line is that if Sarah Palin is a true conservative she would NOT support the re-election of a big-government advocate like John McCain. Let's work to keep her honest, which is the only way the Tea Party movement will succeed.

    “It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.” – Thomas Jefferson

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  15. Hello to all of you. I have to inform you that this movement will not work if you do not unite on the first and foremost principal that has to bind us together. We must establish it to be, that God is the first and foremost factor in all that we do. Our country's ruin is not due to anyone thing except that we quit being salty salt and the light of the world. Our country's collapse is due to our not trusting God, as written on our Dollar. Our representative form of government will not work if we do not send representatives to represent our Gods will. Our country has collapsed due to free will where we are all looking for our own glory. Our God will bring glory to each and every one of us if we will practice growing the spirit within us by obeying our Fathers will. We must deny our earthly need and rise to the high calling that our spirit is so capable of. We must practice humility as we work to save our country from a ruthless enemy who wishes to destroy our organization through causing inner turmoil among us. Do we not believe in Jesus as Lord of Lords & King of Kings ? If so let us practice following his lead and Jesus will draw all men unto himself through us. God will anoint our leaders and we will know who he has chosen as you will know them by there fruits. They will be constructive critisers who build up our body.They will lead by example and they will walk in righteousness. You will know just like Kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar & King Darius knew of Daniels extraordinary spirit. They will be shrewd, while being innocent,as you can only have the strength of God when you are in the right.Open your eyes people, we already have our king, let us follow him, and only listen to those among us who follow him. If we do not restore our country to its Godliness it will not stand. "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free" Godspeed and be honorable in all that you do.

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