In lieu of the next 1,000 words…
The much ballyhooed Beverly Hills Tea Party took place yesterday and exceeded all expectations – for lameness. It was the epitome of a Beverly Hills Flop. The turnout was a paltry couple of hundred in a city of four million. And, not surprisingly, it was almost exclusively white.
Just to underscore the significance of that, the population of Los Angeles, which surrounds the tiny patch of real estate that makes up Beverly Hills, is only 49% Caucasian. It would be nearly impossible to snap a photo at random anywhere in L.A. County without capturing a fair representation of people of color. Only at a Tea Party could this homogeneity be accomplished. [Note to Tea Partiers: Relax, that’s not a gay reference. Look it up]
What they hope to achieve by staging an anti-tax rally in the heart of one of the most affluent communities in the country is difficult to surmise. The denizens of Beverly Hills are the prime benefactors of Republican policies that favor the rich and well-connected. And since those are the same people who bankroll the Tea Party you can’t help but notice a certain conflict of interest. The sad part is that the Tea Partiers have fallen for this crusade on behalf of the enfranchised insiders and truly believe that these elitist millionaires are fighting for the interests of working and middle class citizens.
The festivities were led by ancient pop crooner Pat Boone. And it just got better from there. The speakers roster included the terminally choleric Andrew Breitbart, the neo-fascist David Horowitz, and internationally renowned political analyst Victoria Jackson, who sang her big Tea Party hit “There’s a Communist Living in the White House.” That’s just a representative sample of the reality-based insight emanating from the 90291 stage.
And what Tea Party would be complete without Fox News pumping up the propaganda volume? William La Jeunesse covered the event for Fox like a giddy high school newspaper correspondent at a Justin Bieber concert. After a perfunctory acknowledgment that L.A. is predominately liberal, as are many actors, directors, etc., he says that behind every one of those celebrities are numerous grips, electricians, and production people, who he implies would sympathize with the Tea Baggers. Had he spent more time in Hollywood he would know that those people are mostly union workers who support health care reform, Wall Street regulation, taxing the rich, and other Democratic initiatives that form the basis of the Tea Party’s grievances.
To be sure, there are celebrity types who embrace conservative causes, including those held by the Tea Party. They include inspiring contemporary artists like Chuck Norris, Jon Voight, and Ted Nugent. But if they think that their little soiree in the park adjacent to Rodeo Drive is an indication of their widespread acceptance, they are even more delusional than was previously believed.
what do you bet they drive from up north to bolster expected low numbers?
You mean like the unions and leftie groups busing people in to protests? Like people that egg a Tea Party bus? Like people who steal Republican candidate’s signs, and vadalize their homes? Key cars that have conservative bumper stickers? Like people who physically and verbally attack handicapped people?
Do you have any proof of anybody on the left doing stuff like that? Just because you say it doesn’t make it right. Prove it next time.
On a day when the temperatures climbed over 100 degrees there were over 400 people that turned out. Far from a flop except by Lefty standards. Funny how the article forgets to mention the presence of the “Black” speakers, Reverends Wayne Perryman and Jesse Lee Peterson, and another gentleman whose name escapes me at the moment. There were people of every background there. Far from the assertion that Tea Partiers have “fallen” for anything, and thus are “stupid”, is the fact that we are well-educated and informed. But the lack of curiosity, honest, integrity, and critical thinking on the author’s part is expected. The defamation of the speakers and attendees is outrageous. You’d rather play class warfare and race baiting than listen to speakers with first hand experience, who are warning of what is going on and the path that we are going down. No wonder you site is “News Corpse”.
HA! Playing the suppressed underdog, how funny. If the tea bagger crowd was better educated, they would be able to easily see through the corporate funded and established movement made to fuel issues everyone would be for, less taxes. The only portion of the country’s population whose taxes weren’t cut by this president and congress was the people who bitch and complain about 3-4% on 250k and above. BOO HOO!!! The whole talking point that rich people create jobs is bunk; what creates jobs is what makes them rich in the first place-DEMAND. Lower and middle income families that spend money create jobs. I don’t blame government for CEO’s and rich shareholders canning people over a few percentage points in increased taxes. I blame the people doing the downsizing. If I get fired cause my bosses don’t want to take a pay cut to save my job (our jobs), then they are GREEDY! Well paid people not willing to downgrade their lifestyles (and still end up being more than well off) in a time of the worst economic national crisis in 70 years are greedy selfish and unworthy of my tears.
You’re right. There were more African-Americans on stage than in the crowd – just like at Beck’s DC Revival meeting.
As for class warfare, I didn’t start it. It’s already going on and the rich are winning. They have you Tea Baggers wrapped around their little fingers. The movement is funded by the Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch, Phillip Anschutz, etc. 91% of the funding for Karl Rove’s new organization (American Crossroads) cane from three billionaires.
Seriously – you are being played. Wake up. They do not have you interests at heart.
A paltry THREE black people doesn’t represent “every background“. If there were Mexicans, Indians, Asians, and Middle Easterner’s, then you would have a case. But, obviously, you don’t.
Wow, it is surprising that there was such a small turnout for anything akin to the TEA party in the posh community of Beverly Hills. California is liberal to the point of bankruptcy, correct? California is where illegals burn US flags in protest.
Hey, it’s California and anything goes there except usage of one’s common sense.
I now understand the mass exodus from that state.
Did you notice that we are in a recession and most states are hurting financially?
Nevertheless, you are completely wrong about California. We still have a net increase of people moving here from other states.
I’m not familiar with News Corpse (seemingly aptly named based upon the quality of its news reporting, if this article is any representative example), but this author is clearly not a reporter (and of course, he may not claim to be). But in a time where real reporting has been replaced with opinion everywhere (including much of Fox News), I guess it fits right in. Too bad. An honest report of this event might have been nice to see. But I guess honesty is one of those “ancient” traditions nobody cares about anymore.
Sadly, no longer can good people disagree–without ridicule by one side or the other. Rudeness and coarseness has replaced civility…especially by those whose ideas are too weak to compete in the marketplace of ideas.
Are you kidding? There is nothing on the left that equats with the blatant Republican Tea Party channel’s own Faux News. Even the channel itself has stopped trying to prove they are anything but a fundraising tool for the Right.
Five potential Republican presidential candidates are employed by — and speak almost exclusively through — Fox. As Media Matters documented, five potential Republican presidential candidates are employed by Fox News as contributors or hosts and have made at least 269 appearances on the cable channel — compared to a total of six appearances on all other major news channels combined. Fox also has a record of supporting ex-employees’ bids for elected office with free airtime, fundraising opportunities, and on-air adulation. http://mediamatters.org/research/201009280020
Then , There’s the 1 million dollars given by Faux parent company New to the Republican Governor’s Assc. And I haven’t even mentioned Faux News’ misrepresentations and outright lies.
LOL at Deborah Leigh citing Jesse Lee freakin Peterson as an example of a proud black Tea Party supporter. The same Jesse Peterson who is thankful for slavery, believes roughly 90% of blacks are “racist” against whites, believes Obama was only elected by “black racists” and “guilty” whites, and calls for whites to stand up.
Peterson has mad a career being used by idiots like Hannity and now the Tea Party to speak out against Black Americans as threatening and racist to the good ole white man he seems to love and defend so much. He’s pretty much an anti-black racist in disguise, used by racists to attack other blacks. The living embodiment of a modern day house negro.
I remember that other fool you Teabaggers first used to pretend you have strong black support. The one that jumps around, talking about how much of an American and not African American he is, plays country music, singing and dancing to his Tea Party anthem, and doing his best shuck n jive routine. Peterson makes his ass look like Huey Newton.
You Tea Baggers arent foolin no one gettin the biggest Toms you can find and pretending these are blacks who support the Tea Party. If half these idiots had their choice they’d be just “Americans” (white) and not the dreaded “AFRICAN AMERICAN” (OH NO, AFRICAN! OOGA BOOGA!) just like the rest of the party.
Oh and before you call me another hateful liberal racist for callin out these clowns for who they are, I’m black myself. Thanks.
Well said. thanks for the info about “Rev” Peterson.
Mo, you’re very angry….why all the anger? disappointed with something or someone?
Sorry for antagonizing – it’s my worst quality…
There is so much wrong in this post. It was 110 degree heat, and 400 people is a good turnout at any local rally. Even OBAMA couldn’t get more than 450 at his last one – in case you have trouble reading the news. Beverly Hills is a Democratic party enclave for the extremely rich, mostly white LIBERALS, and HALF THE SPEAKERS WERE BLACK you idiot. And apparently your sense of history goes back only as far as the last TMZ report. Do you have any idea of the background of David Horowitz? neo-fascist? What a dolt.
Really? You think Pat Boone outdraws the President? Really?
400 people might be a big number for Des Moines. For L.A. it’s an hour at McDonalds. And the heat didn’t stop 38,000 people from showing up at the Dodger game.
It only matters who shows up in november.
True. It’ll come down to who’s better: ACORN or Diebold. 😉
Beverly Hills rich could care less that Lyndon Johnson stole the Social Security funds and put them in the general fund to make the deficit look better. The Social Security funds have been in surplus for the last 26 years. Those people most of them democrats should be hunted down, tried, and sentenced for this theft of the elderly.
As a long time reader of this blog I’d like to thank the Tea Partiers for showing up and giving so many erstwhile opinions. I just have a few questions: When Victoria Jackson sang, “There’s A Communist Living in the White House” was she booed? I would imagine an intelligent group would find that kind of idiocy insulting and would express their disapproval. Also, was there something intrinsically meaningful in the number of people who showed up in the heat? I know that a lot of people eat at McDonald’s but that doesn’t make the food taste better or give it more nutrition. Finally, apart from a bolstering of complaints and feelings of insufferable body temperatures, was there a single viable expression of real political solutions to our problems outside catchphrases, slogans and cliches? For instance, apart from maybe calling the new Health Care Bill “socialist” did anyone mention how to insure children with pre-existing conditions if insurance companies don’t outside of a “socialist” government program? Be honest, now.
B8ovin
But what about Johnson?
Seriously? First, even if this is true, the crime is over 40 years old, who would you even prosecute? Secondly, do you really believe that Johnson is the only president to manipulate the budget? Finally, as far as I know Social Security is stable for at least 25 years, so what is your point? No one has been denied their Social Security because of lack of funds so I don’t understand the “theft” issue. What would really help is a link or a hint where I can read the facts. I mean no disrespect to you, but I am not inclined to accept at face value everything I read in a comment section. If I read one of Mark’s posts and I don’t already know something about the subject I research it before I come to conclusions. So if you would like to give me some information where I can pursue this further I’ll try and figure out what you’re talking about.
Good idea. Check it out to see if it is true. Clinton used this fake unified budget to create a total surplus which never really existed.