Tea Party sentiment: The Party of Hell No!
Are Plainfielders being infected with Tea Party sentiment?
Judging from the emotional temperature of comments to Plainfield Today blog posts in recent months, I wonder.
And Olddoc, in his Sunday 'Non Sermon' post (see here), touches on the issue of the temper (and content) of anonymous posters to Plainfield's active blogs.
What would Tea Party sentiment look like?
It's chief characteristics, in my humble opinion, are ANGER and OPPOSITION TO THE STATUS QUO, AS SEEN IN INCUMBENT ELECTED OFFICIALS.
In the beginning of its national expression at last summer's town hall meetings as members of Congress returned to their districts, I thought I saw the shadow of wingnut moneybags bugbear Richard Mellon Scaife hovering over the scene.
Over the weekend, I noticed a report that even mild-mannered and ever-so-decent Rep. Leonard Lance, the Republican who beat out Linda Stender for a Congressional seat, caught the dickens from some Tea Party types at a town hall meeting Saturday at Raritan Valley Community College (see story here).
The defeat of Jon Corzine can be understood with these two keys of Tea Party-ism.
As can, I think, a great deal of the commotion surrounding Dr. Gallon, the schools and the upcoming Board of Ed election.
Those who are angry are busy demonizing and sloganizing. The BOE is now the 'Board of Mis-Education' and you can forget about mentioning that Dr. Gallon has done some things right (he has! now watch me get slammed for that) as well as not-so-right.
You can also see it in comments on Plainfield Today in reference to Mayor Robinson-Briggs and her cabinet appointees. While I try to focus, as I have said before, on questions of PUBLIC POLICY and PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES, not all my readers restrict themselves to these points.
Anger is out there.
Annoyance at incumbents is out there.
Are the commenters just letting off steam, or will Plainfield experience a wave of Tea Party sentiment at the polls this spring?
First up will be the Board of Ed election in April.
Then comes the June primary race, in which the seats of Councilor Reid (Ward 1) and Councilor Burney (Wards 2/3 at-large) will be in play.
Will Plainfield have scenes of the village people metaphorically storming the castle with pitchforks and torches?
Maybe it's time to break out the chamomile tea.
Even Hillary Clinton is invoked on behalf of Tea Party-ism.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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2 comments:
Many "Tea Party" people have a political agenda that is more about very right wing politics than about good government. I would not consider attending a "Tea Party", but would be part of the "Hell NO!" sentiment when it comes to this administration and their accomplish nothing and make the City Council do it all.
While I prefer Earl Grey ( I am gay after all - lol ), I agree with ACTIVE CITIZEN per the right wing issue. My major argument with the Republican Party has always been their radical right wing that they allow to exist simply because of their $. It is also why I finally left that party for good. But, I can say my stomach turns equally at the left wing radicals in the democratic party espousing the "do as I say not as I do" philosophy ...oh can anyone say NJ Politicians???
- We can all be equally mad, but when someone as insanely incompetent like Assistant Mayor Sharon gets into office not once, but twice and we have a city council that allows her -- AND THEY ALLOW HER -- to play her games and fiscal stupidity to carry on ( music in the plaza anyone ??? ). We are all the victims. But, much like the beaten wife syndrome the populace of Plainfield go back to Mayor Jerry and Assistant Mayor Sharon asking for forgiveness.
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