Alaska's political scene (Metlakatla: sales, 2013, lawyers)

[richelles]

I did a search for subjects that I'd like to ask our self-proclaimed tea party experts to verify as the absolutely most accurate listing of the core beliefs of the tea party. The realization that the "donate' button isn't among the tea parties values has me lost as it was the single common theme of every tea party site I visited. Several of these sites brought my antivirus system to declare you don't want to go there. I avoided these sites. Does this mean the ordinary person who thinks they subscribe to the core beliefs of the tea party is gullible enough to fall for such a scam? That is one charge the "liberal fringe" hasn't caught but now that it has been exposed it will surely become similar to the assaults on Anthony Weiner by TPers.

There were many different core belief systems on the different web sites so choosing one was difficult. I solved this by using a fake ID to ask a TP blog where I could find the leading synopsis of the tea party's core beliefs? I only got a couple of answers but both of them mentioned the same list. I found the site called TeaPartyPatriots.org and here are the core values.
Illegal Aliens Are Here Illegally.
Pro-Domestic Employment Is Indispensable. Stronger Military Is Essential. Special Interests Eliminated. Gun Ownership Is Sacred. Government Must Be Downsized. National Budget Must Be Balanced. Deficit Spending Will End. Bail-Out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal. Reduce Personal Income Taxes A Must. Reduce Business Income Taxes Is Mandatory. Political Offices Available To Average Citizens. Intrusive Government Stopped. English As Core Language Is Required. Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged. Common Sense Constitutional Self-Government is our mode of operation.

Notice that none of the core values of the tea party have ever been before the Supreme Court. There is a List of SCOTUS "Milestones Cases In Supreme Court History" starting in 1803. So in 210 years nothing they seek was important enough to warrant the time of the Court.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by RedJacket

The average Tea Partier is indeed against government spending -- with the exception of money spent on them. Go to most any Tea Party rally and half of them are motoring around on their medicare paid for scooters which they use to travel on down to their mailbox to check to see if their Social Security check has arrived, and if they happen to be close to 65, checking to see if their medicare card has found its way to their independent address.

Now that's a snapshot of what they truly represent.

That's new to me, never seen anyone at a ralley on a scooter, seen a few Harley's though.

That is like saying you're white so you have to be a racist. Sorry, but that is pure Baloney, a racist comes in all colors and creeds, as do people that care about leaving a good world for our children and others.

[Metlakatla]

What are you hoping to accomplish here? Are you thinking that you're going to be able to browbeat people into your way of thinking? Seriously, what's the point? No one is going to change anyone's mind here.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

What are you hoping to accomplish here? Are you thinking that you're going to be able to browbeat people into your way of thinking? Seriously, what's the point? No one is going to change anyone's mind here.

Well I can tell you that at least 6 folks "now" may realize that Palin didn't make the Russia Statement the left loves to attribute to her instead of a SNL skit, and the skit was ROTF funny and still is.

But it's like a wreck on the highway, people love to come back to see it. So there has to be some entertainment value here for them as well!

Alaska's political arena is small compared to most other States and many here know a lot of the Players, just fuzzy on the facts. Sometimes you do change minds when someone realizes they were hoodwinked into believing false statements and a light bulb comes on and they do change... Truth has a funny impact on some folks, others just can't see the forest because the trees are in the way!

[Metlakatla]

I don't know one single person who thought that Palin actually said that. Again, not one, and I'm pretty damned familiar with the American "left." Everyone knows it was a television spoof. I don't see the point in trying to say that it was commonly thought that she really said that.

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I don't know one single person who thought that Palin actually said that. Again, not one, and I'm pretty damned familiar with the American "left." Everyone knows it was a television spoof. I don't see the point in trying to say that it was commonly thought that she really said that.

I don't know how many / what percentage of people believed it, but someone I work with believed it. Not from seeing it on SNL, but from reading in a blog or article or something that said she really said it. I think people who want to believe something like that read it and simply accept it as fact, since it affirms their beliefs.

[richelles]

Originally Posted by starlite9

... Truth has a funny impact on some folks, others just can't see the forest because the trees are in the way!

In the past twenty years a number of network and cable shows have formed what is commonly referred to as truth squads which do a fairly commendable job of unmasking some of the common really stupid lies that politicians tell. Perhaps the best example is the number of members of the House of Representatives who have weighed in on the subject of rape with their false reports. They have been taken down and in all probability they will be defeated in the next election cycle. The problem is the voters frequently have no idea of what someone stands for other than the few blurbs they parrot from their party's talking points during the election contest. This isn't limited to any one party or viewpoint but is found across the spectrum of political views. The fact there are no term limits on electoral service is what is really at fault. it is when lifetime tenure in the House becomes a mantra that the fallacy of not bringing in new people begins to show. The fact that the Congress derives much of it mystique from seniority is the driving force that keeps term limits, except for the President, as a status we can only hope for.

[starlite9]

Term limits would be a good thing, doesn't matter what party, they all have bad apples in them. By having them becoming Dynasty's, the work of the country is lost in the game.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Term limits would be a good thing, doesn't matter what party, they all have bad apples in them. By having them becoming Dynasty's, the work of the country is lost in the game.

Congressional term limits, while being insignificant in the Senate, would be disastrous if implemented in the House. In the Senate every State is represented by two Senators, so seniority is not as important.

However, in the House seniority is the only way for any of the small populous States to have any kind of authority, as in Chairs of Committees. Term limits in the House would destroy that seniority and give all authority to only the most populous States, which is a very bad idea. Rep. Don Young would never have been Chairman of the Transportation or Natural Resources Committees had it not been for seniority.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

I don't know how many / what percentage of people believed it, but someone I work with believed it. Not from seeing it on SNL, but from reading in a blog or article or something that said she really said it. I think people who want to believe something like that read it and simply accept it as fact, since it affirms their beliefs.

Yeah, you can always find the exception, but to try to infer that the entire election was swayed by it is a stretch, at most.

There's some underlying truth in Tina Fey's skit; the funniest political satire contains at least a few truthful grains. Geography wasn't Palin's strong suit, and there were plenty of things that she actually did say that can back that up. She really wasn't ready to play in the big leagues, and it more than showed.