Tea-Baggers Rebuked by the President

The great American experiment is of self-government, not of democracy. Democracy is not the answer as it is unstable and prone to passions and mob rule (such as the Obama administration and his supporters are constantly trying to inflame). Remember John Adams who said "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself."

exactly Ken - and Peter, using the derogatory name for the T.E.A. Party is racist!

Lib/progs will NEVER 'get it'... *sigh

Seriously? You consider the inflammatory nature of the political discourse today not the exact nature of the Tea Party and other ultra-conservatives? That sir is intentional blindness on your part. I understand I am not the most intelligent of our species on this planet but I think you need to investigate the definition of self-goverment if you believe that it is not democracy. Here is something for you to consider from the American Heritage Dictionary:

self-gov·ern·ment (slfgvrn-mnt)
n.
1. Political independence; autonomy.
2. Popular or representative government; democracy.
3. Self-control.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

We are derogating the race of "tea"? Or of "bags"? What race are you talking about?

I also would like to know the racist nature of teabags. Early on people were dangling teabags all over themselves. It wasn't until after people learned the connotations amongst the gay community that they shied away from the designation. Gay is not normally perceived as racial, it is more sexual in nature. Unless, of course, things changed while I wasn't looking.

Wellesley...we're a Republic.

Almost, We are a Democratic Republic

Let's try it this way:

The United States is a representative republic, with constitutionally guaranteed rights to protect minorities.

exactly Ken - and Peter, using the derogatory name for the T.E.A. Party is racist!

Horrible maybe you should complain to the source.

Or better yet only associate yourself with groups that research names before they use them.

Wesley,
We are a constitutional republic. We are not a democracy because the founders wisely understood the dangers of governing based on the passions of the people (stuff like "tax the evil rich" or " give me more benefits regardless of what little or nothing I contribute and whether I work or not"). Their thinking on this was reflected in their limitation of direct democracy only to US House of representatives members. The 17th amendment changed this and shifted power dangerously to the federal government. Unfunded mandates on the states and idiots like Senator Franken were the unanticipated consequences of this (not to mention the more important ability to excite low information voters to put into government those who have no valid basis for being there).

What we certainly do not have is a monarchy where the President can act without accountability and make recess appointments whenever he pleases, or simply decide to give amnesty to some despite the lack of a law to support that action or to decide for political reasons that it is now "good" to have an unlimited debt ceiling when he said the very opposite when he was not yet president.

There is nothing that can be reasonably viewed as inflammatory in anyone asking about these things or in saying to the president "Demonstrate the Constitutional nature of your actions?" or "What conversations did you have immediately upon hearing about the Benghazi attacks and with whom?" or "why are you promoting climate change or gay marriage or anything before you work on the pitiful economy, the massive debt, and jobs"?

While you are looking up stuff, look up limited government, federalism, Judeo-Christian principles, the 9th Amendment, the 10th Amendment, and market economy and ask the president about those (and don't forget "unsustainable").
He, like many on the left, is completely unfamiliar with such foundational terms.

Ah yes, parroting the same old tired retoric of divisiveness. I, like President Obama, should have known better than to try to speak reason with fanatics. Excessive elocution does not sustain worn out foolishness or excuse how out of touch the right is when it has to crash into reality. How so easily you forget who is responsible and how our economy crashed in the first place. Still, once again, you sling around a phrase never uttered by President Obama, only by your right wing rabble rousers, "tax the evil rich", and try to put those words in my mouth, so sad. Oh, and by the way, womens bodies, sexual preferences, and choices of diety belief (or disbelief as the case may be) are also not yours to dictate. And lets not forget the 2nd Amendment. Screaming and stomping of little feets about how military style weapons should be every fools right with the money to buy one is stupid. I am an Ex-Marine. I served this country when wearing that uniform got me spit on in the LA Airport. I know what it means to believe in this country, to stand up and make the commitment to defend it. The idea that it is some basic right of anyone to own weapons designed as tools of war without having the training, the dedication to following orders, and the commitment that goes along with that uniform is moronic. Any firearm of the day could be a military weapon when the 2nd Amendment was written. Not so today. Not when 20 children can be gunned down in a very few minutes by some sad sick man that took it from his momma. Ignoring that difference is only for those who really have no idea what it means to take another life, or stand in a place where yours can be taken at any second. I am also a farmer, I have weapons. I do not have an assault rifle. When I took off that US Marine Corps uniform, I gave up the right to that kind of weapon. I can bring a deer down pretty easy with my 30-30, and I do NOT need more than 10 rounds to do it. Anyone who does, should not have ANY firearm until they learn how to use it! You want to fire that kind of weapon then nut up or shut up. Stand up and take the training, put on the uniform, stand in harms way and risk your life defending others. Then come tell me how any high school drop out with no sense of duty what so ever should be able to have essentially the same weapon. Look that up sir and be advised, while I will always defend your right to try to lecture me on the Constitution all you like, I know what is written there, and above that, I know what it means. I also know how little insight your judgemental tirade shows.

Nicely done Wesley.

Nicely done, Ken.

Wesley,
I know perfectly well that the Fed holding interest rates artificially low while the democrats in Congress forced banks to “promote” home ownership with loans that they wouldn't normally make, and enabling Freddie/Fannie to transfer much of that risk to the public was the cause of the housing caused economic troubles. You see 'good citizens' make good home owners, not the other way around (regardless of what the morally and mentally challenged Barnie Frank would tell you).
I never said Obama or you said X or Y (although he came very close). I was clear that inflaming the passions of the people to say and believe X or Y was the game. I'm not dictating anything just asking questions. Why does that make you so uncomfortable?
I appreciate your military service but that service doesn't extend to you any special constitutional knowledge or standing. You are free to not own an assault rifle (please define such a term before you use it) but your position has no bearing on such a decision by another. I agree that all adults that have a firearm should have the requisite training to use it but to artificially limit such to 10 rounds is of little comfort to your scared wife at home alone with just her two small children facing two criminals breaking into her home. Your holier-than-thou” politically correct clip limit may very well get her killed.

Lebrea,
I don't loathe democracy but I do, like the Founders, understand the pitfalls and limitations of it. Such is knowledge that the democratic left will never bother to consider. This is understandable given that all recent Democratic party election success is dependent on the uninformed, the unprepared, the uncaring, the low-information voter. The modern Democratic party wants as many such people voting as possible. Why else would they oppose any voter ID verification checks although they love them EVERYWHERE ELSE (except when abortions are requested – that is to be done without question or delay)? Why else would they continually banter to end the electoral college? Analyze the results of the 17th Amendment honestly and you will begin to see how such steps have hindered our nation not helped it. Maybe even go and read what the Federalist Papers said about unfettered democracy.

Wesley/Lebrea/Peter,
Is Inauguration day the day the president should "rebuke" other citizens simply because they disagree with him. Isn't such a response petty?

btw, on guns:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/338261/do-gun-control-laws-control-guns-thomas-sowell#

Whatever the nation was at the time the Constitution was adopted, it is more democratic today - and no one can say whether or not this is something of which the founders would approve.

The Constitution, itself, reflects compromises between very different perspectives on the "ideal" government and it anticipates the changes that would be required and would be made in generations to come.

One of the reasons it is easy to love the founders and to disdain the "originalists" is that the founders were so much more aware of how a growing and developing nation might need to amend the Constitution.

No one "knows perfectly well" the reductionist and simplistic comments that you make about the Fed, Benghazi, Freddie and Fannie, or the political awareness of voters in the recent election, Ken.

If you have facts to share, it might be interesting to hear them. It is inconceivable that one can criticize Barney Frank without mentioning the slimey "bankers-can-monitor themselves" Dick Armey -toadie for big tobacco.

Believe me Ken, I am quite aware that my service gives me no special understanding of the constitution. I never claimed it did. It was in fact the opposite, my understanding of the constitution is what led to my service. I understand that freedom means defending your right to make any inflammatory statements you like that add nothing to discussion. It amazes me how the left can only provide personal attacks instead of adding anything constructive. Whether you like him or not, Barney Frank is serving this country, what are you doing? The economy is recovering, despite obstructionists like yourself. Amazing how that happened with President Obama being so incompetent :).

I appreciate your concern for my wife and childs safety but rest assured, 2 criminals break into my home when I am not there, they will wish I had been there. I would take them down, my wife would take them out and it will not take 10 shots for that either. There is something in what you say that escapes you and all the "pretend soldiers" so enamered of having the same kinds of weapons real soldiers use. A 20 round clip in a weapon that a frightened individual is not proficient in the use of is as dangerous to him/her self and innocent children as the criminals are. Not to mention the neighbors and other innocent bystanders.

And since you need a definition that should be obvious, ASSAULT WEAPON-ANY MILITARY STYLE MULTI-SHOT SEMI AUTOMATIC. Those weapons are tools, designed to kill people. Soldiers know what those tools are for and exactly what it means everytime they pick one up. I am so sick of childish little minds that want to run around the underbrush and woods playing soldier with no concept of what it means to be in real combat. Those who need a "safe" taste need to go to a paintball course. That is a game, combat is not. Without the training, discipline, and commitment it takes to earn a uniform, you should not dishonor real soldiers that have earned the right, who have the need of those tools, and who know it is no game. Many of them paid the ultimate price for you to sit at your computer and cry foul because you're afraid someone might have the sense to require you to earn the right to have those tools. Demanding the right to "play" with their tools without earning them is cowardly and demeans their sacrifice.

Like you, Peter, I was thrilled with the content of the speech.

Haahahaaha!!!

Obama is a communist wanna be totalitarian and he is an anti- American to his very core. Shame on you Obama!
Big Mama has rebuked Obama!

And another Nazi weighs in!

Let's see, the prices of housing and sales of houses are going up along with home construction. The stock market is nearing historical highs and profits are high. The American treasury note is paying less than one percent for a five year bond.

So the U.S. business community thinks that Obama is doing great since it's making money hand over fist and there's no inflation on the horizon. So do they really think Obama is a communist? No, I didn't think so.

You can set the seats of a wooden lifeboat on fire and be warm and fine for a while - but then bad things happen.

Wesley I'm sure we have never met so only an imbecile will call someone a name when they have never interacted at all. consider yourself re-buked also. LOL

Ahhhhh yes, you have met President Obama have you? Yet you have no reticence calling him names and adding nothing of value to the conversation other than your name calling. I take your re-buke as a badge of honor :)

Oh I have sent him plenty of mail, emails and made phone calls. Ev3n got a few responses ( that is to his credit). Also I know more about him then you do about me. He is a public figure so of course I would know much more concerning him then you would about me. Of course due to you liberal handicap I can understand how you wouldn't be able to understand that.

Oh, we know you, Big Bubbles... we know you.

Is the fact-challenged vulgarian properly addressed as "Big Bubbles" (which you use) or "Big MoonPie" which I have employed?

If you are going to start noting each contradiction or logical fallacy of the Gather tea-baggers, Michele, this comment thread will set new records for the site.

A rebuke from a man they loathe so irrationally will hardly register positively or constructively -- if at all -- with the Tea Baggers, but as you say, with “all reasonable Americans of good-will”, it will. I don’t think it was a great speech, but it was a very good one.

Nothing irrational at all about loathing a man who has heaped trillions of Dollars of debt on my children and grandchildren. What is irrational is supporting a man that you have very little information about. Have you seen his school records? have you found out why he uses someone elses SS number? These are just the basics we should know about him. He wouldn't even be able to pass a general background test to work in healthcare. Why should he be in the highest position in the land? It is real sad that folks are to stupid to realize they know next to nothing about this man and yet have given him the presidency.

Wow, thats just to stupid a statement to even respond to!

And that's why I don't. I've heard chili belches with more sense than most of her comments.

As usual the same inane BS from the usual head up their butt's lefties.



Yep Another Typical Obama voter has his Head up his butt.

And the usual cogent, incisive and highly pertinent comment from Big Mama. Always a pleasure to share a thread with her.

When pushed, the BM spews invective toward those who challenge her truth-limited statements, then shares the latest conspiratorial "messages" that seem to come to her from her pets, houseplants, or appliances.

When these pitiful devices fail, she then unloads a lot of vulgar pictures or comments.

I feel that if I can generate this sort of reaction from this sort of giant intellect, I am obviously doing something right. Once you realize that you are not going to get anything resembling sense out of her, and if you can appreciate the vulgarity on which she seems to thrive (verging on Brooksian -- maybe she's Mongo's mother?), she's actually amusing, totally unaware of her inanity.

I concur, Pete. Vulgarity can be used dexterously to emphasize a point.

In the case of Big MoonPie/Big Bubbles, however, the vulgarity is a sign of desperation.
"I have no points to make, no facts to share, but I can still hate you", she says.

Imagine what her vulgar, hate-filled, ill-informed, ill-educated interior monologue must be like.

Pete's comment with Michele's comment following boomerangs on them...again. Quite a crew you've got going along with you this time, Mr. Wimsey! Please write more soon.

Sue,
I didn't think of boomerang, my first thought was was of a Three Stooges clip where one of them tried to hit another but punches himself in the face.

And I love Peter's line, ""I have no points to make, no facts to share, but I can still hate you"
It sums up his main post so perfectly.

Three Stooges works well too, Ian. It certainly is funny no matter how you see it.

Poor Ian; one always hopes that the ill-educated can learn something in life, but observance of punctuation seems too hard for the third-rate brains of fact-challenged rightwingers.

The line you "love" is in quotes, and is a description of the careless and mean-spirited habits of mind displayed by Big MoonPie.

One can see why you would love it; it describes you pretty accurately, too.

YES, the article achieves the trifecta of gathering the illogical and and intellects impervious to reason.

Anyone who has watched "The Thoughts Are Worse Than the Grammar" try to extricate herself from the logical fallacies in which she entwines herself is pleased to see her appear.

Of course I will be writing more!

The mere fact of President Obama's re-election by such a large majority was a rebuke to the extremists.

Haahahaahaa!!!

It was by a small minority!

Hmmmmm, President Bush the 2nd didnt even win the majority, but he was President. President Obama won going away, says it all for rational people :)

In 2012, Obama's popular vote margin of victory eclipsed George W. Bush's margins in both 2004 and 2000. After his 2004 win, Bush said "Let me put it to you this way: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it." (Bush lost the popular vote in 2000, one of only four candidates to do so and win in the electoral college.)

(Obama's 2008 victory was by the fifth-largest popular vote margin in history.)

Thaks for noting, Dave, that Obama is supported by a larger majority of Americans than George Bush ever was.

Of course, we will always remember that the Obama margin of victory in 2008 was the fifth largest in the US history of Presidential elections.

The Tea Party is opposed to higher taxes, and to illegal immigrants.

We should follow the words of Jesus Christ:

Matthew 17:25-26
. . . When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons or from foreigners?” After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

We should let the illegal immigrants come in, do all the work, and then tax the hell out of them.

We do.

All except the tax the hell out of them part Larry.

You do get quite the interesting folks commenting on your articles, don't you, Peter?

Their arguments are such, rebuttal would be moot.

I love the quality of the folks who "recommend" my articles.

The cognitive abilities of the folks leaving comments, however, varies quite widely.

As you note, the fact-challenged, conspiratorial musings of the Gather tea-baggers cannot be rebutted because they are neither logical nor based in the real world.

Does anyone really believe the Great Divider wants to do away with the division he has perpetuated? Not anyone with a bit of common sense would believe that.

Yes, and you promote such wonderful ideas for coming together huh? How moronic are you?

Since the tea-baggers have been forced to retreat on tax increases, and have folded on the debt ceiling, the President must be a "Divider".

To sane people, it looks as thought the tea-baggers have "cried wolf" too often, especially as they have done nothing but try to attract wolves for the last four years.

The speech gave me great hope for the next four years! Thank you for the link! : )

The speech gave me great hope for the next four years!

Most Americans, especially the intelligent ones of goodwill, felt the same way.

Even tea-bagger blowhards said nice things about it.

After four years of repeatedly extending his hand to an obstructionist party that was more interested in trying to defeat him than in governing the country, it was nice to see him instead extend a finger to the most disturbing, delusional elements of an increasingly-extremist party.

Kudos to President Obama, and to his speechwriter, Jon Favreau.

The Teabaggers are becoming increasingly isolated from, and unpopular with, the rest of the country. They blew it in the most recent election, and apparently things are getting so bad that the South Florida Tea Party is changing its name to the National Liberty Foundation. It looks like they're hoping that thing will work out better for them if they drop the millstone the "Tea Party" label has become.

"After four years of repeatedly extending his hand to an obstructionist party that was more interested in trying to defeat him than in governing the country, it was nice to see him instead extend a finger to the most disturbing, delusional elements of an increasingly-extremist party. "

What are you saying, Wil? Do you mean that "King Obama" has not spurned the Constitution, destroyed American freedoms, blighted our future, and blinded all Americans to his "real" agenda?

Not only did I enjoy the speech, I appreciate what it meant. President Obama recognizes that the majority in this country are sane people who will stand behind him while he saves this country from the pathetically uninformed who left the humorous comments here.

President Obama recognizes that the majority in this country are sane people who will stand behind him while he saves this country from the pathetically uninformed who left the humorous comments here.

Even more humorous is the flight of delusional ideas expressed in comments to the idiotic article featured recently in Gather "Politics".

I fear that "Big MoonPie" is receiving coded messages through her household appliances once more.

I'm not going to bother with the blather from the Gather Teabag Coalition. I'm just going to say well done to you, PW.

The speech was uplifting, especially to those of us who share the vision and would like to live in a country that does amazing things like explore space and make science fiction real.

"I'm not going to bother with the blather from the Gather Teabag Coalition..."

I respect your good judgement, EmJay, but you will miss some delightful examples fo myth-making, conspiratorial nutbagggery, along with the vulgarity of inarticulate haters.

Tea-baggers called themselves "tea-baggers" as this movemnet of angry, low-information, racists was forming.
It's hard to see how using their own language is "racist"; it sounds more like a childish echo of what reasonable adults pronounce about the tea-baggers.

One can, however, find pity for the likes of "pugnacious peggy", who is fearful and anxious, but clueless about the reasons for this.

What is really interesting about that statement is that the teabaggers claim they are diverse and have minority members however that statement implies racism against white people only.

Lori, I failed to thank you for the wonderful link to one of the third-rate minds who provides "political analysis" for Faux News.

Fox was all over the "tea-bagger" phenomena, until the blowhards realized that the term had a sexual connotation.

Not a problem Peter. I have used that article as a reference several times when someone complains about the liberals disparaging the teapubs. Notice the date of the story is 2009 and the fact that it is Fox News is priceless.

Big MoonPie presents the spectacle of someone so desperate to find a shred of evidence to support their bigotry that she is willing to believe absolutely anything.
Borrowed social security numbers, lack of academic reports, never passed a background check... do you still hear the washing machine reciting Bible verses to you?

Any article to which John-Jacob Jingleheimer adds his asinine braying is likely to be informative and well-reasoned.

" I don’t think it was a great speech, but it was a very good one. "

I concur with your opinion, Pete.
Strangely, that was reassuring to me.
I prefer the bald review of what the current political struggle means in the long arc of increasing Democracy to any rehetorical flights.

I agree. Rhetoric often uses metaphor, which can be seen as a flight of fancy, or by the hemidemisemiliterate as an untruth by taking it literally.

And now that Mark-down has conquered his subject matter, is it too much to ask him for at least an attempt at writing a well-formed English sentence?

You are asking Mark-down to compose a well-formed English sentence?

I regret that you have earned the "Braying Ass" award:

Haahahaahaa!!!

Very good! Now do Big Mama! And then let's hear your Cagney and Bogart.

Anyone can create a typo, anyone can misspell a word now and then, but their incredibly consistent illiteracy in what I must assume is their own native language absolutely amazes me. And it speaks so well for their education, their intelligence, and their ability to focus on things other than shiny moving objects. Are they drunk? On drugs? Undergoing the Rapture? Or just plain mentally deficient?

Yes, but it requires voluntary commitment in the LaRouche-LaPierre Home for the Bughouse Loony.

Excellent article, Peter. I especially enjoyed the history lessons that Schlesinger wove in.

Funny, how "they" set their posts to "Friends Only," but still find the need to spew on posts other than their friends. On 2nd thought, not funny~hilarious!!!

Tea-baggers lack courage, August Lady.
They cannot deal with contradiction or participate in real argument.

Few venture to address anything about the articles on which they comment.

This is not noted in order to inflame, but as a reflection of the only honest commentary I ever heard on Fox News -on Election Night.
The rightwing punditry had five minutes of discussion about "how were we so wrong?" and noted that the the right speaks only to one another.

People who are open-minded and informed by facts cannot conceive of "closing comments" or setting to "friends only".

Only people who are afraid of truth, anxious about the shallow myths that comfort them, and unable to engage in discourse would do such a thing.

True of the tea-bagger right on Gather, to be sure.