Neo-Confederate Origins of Today's Tea Party Movement

[Frodo]

I'm a but surprised no one posted this yet:

The Tea Party, the debt ceiling, and white Southern extremism:
The goal, methods and passions of the Tea Party in the House are all characteristic of the radical Southern right

BY MICHAEL LIND

The Tea Party movement takes its name from the Boston Tea Party of 1773, when American patriots dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest British imperial power. But while New England was the center of resistance to the British empire, there are few New Englanders to be found in today's Tea Party movement. It should be called the Fort Sumter movement, after the Southern attack on the federal garrison in Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12-13, 1861, that began the Civil War. Today's Tea Party movement is merely the latest of a series of attacks on American democracy by the white Southern minority, which for more than two centuries has not hesitated to paralyze, sabotage or, in the case of the Civil War, destroy American democracy in order to get their way.

The mainstream media have completely missed the story, by portraying the Tea Party movement in ideological rather than regional terms. Whether by accident or design, the public faces of the Tea Party in the House are Midwesterners -- Minnesota's Michele Bachmann and Joe Walsh of Illinois. But while there may be Tea Party sympathizers throughout the country, in the House of Representatives the Tea Party faction that has used the debt ceiling issue to plunge the nation into crisis is overwhelmingly Southern in its origins:
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To read more, click here.

[Del Tachi]

That article made me want to throw-up.  Can anyone say "brash ignorance"?

I mean, since the Senate's only self-described socalist is from Vermont I guess that makes socialism a political movement rooted in the history of the Northeast, no?

#absurd

[DrScholl]

That's clearly what it's rooted in, but they are too afraid of losing elections to be open about who they really are.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I got a kick out of the article.  Southern whites holding the nation hostage to get their way?  SAY IT AIN'T SO!

[Joe Republic]

Dale Robertson, founder and president of teaparty.org, as seen on 02/27/2009.

[Del Tachi]

If the Tea Party is a neo-Confederate movement, how does explain the wide geographic variety in House members, especially the Tea Party leadership?

The Tea Party is an Anti-Washington movement, there is nothing Southern about that.

[Badger]

If the Tea Party is a neo-Confederate movement, how does explain the wide geographic variety in House members, especially the Tea Party leadership?

The Tea Party is an Anti-Washington movement, there is nothing Southern about that.

If you re-read the article carefully, and further examine the attached graphs, you'll see that there is little "wide geographic variety" in the Tea Party Caucus. Rather, the Tea Party members in the house are overwhelmingly Southern, outnumbering the rest of the country by almost 2-1, and the TP is almost nonexistent in the Northeast.

[Keystone Phil]

So because Tea Parties are most prominent in the most conservative part of the country, they're "Neo-Confederate." Good one. Probably the cheapest rhetoric I've heard in awhile.

[Badger]

C'mon Phil. The article made a bit better and more detailed a case then that.

That said, I'll readily acknowledge that you have a point; the article made some good points and comparisons, but it doesn't entirely sell me on the neo-Confederate label either.

I think the truth in this case lies somewhere in between the author's article and your post.

[DrScholl]

Being neo-Confederate isn't exclusive to the South and it's not even really all about the south, it's a specific ideology. A lot of secessionists and other white nationalist types are big Tea Party members. There is a lot involved in the Tea Party that supporters want to cover up.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I think the point of the article is that southern mentality is and was always the same. They are willing to support the federal government as long as it satisfies its regional demands and interests.
The moment it stops doing that, they throw a hissy fit and try to subvert it, whether by nullification, secession, refusal to enforce SCOTUS decisions, etc.

[lowtech redneck]

The article is simply another part of the ongoing attempt by the media to to paint the Tea Parties as racist extremists, this time by appealing to crass anti-Southern bigotry.

[Kevin]

The Tea Party is more of a Red State movement then anything else, as much of it's leadership like other forumites pointed out is from outside the South. Even though the movement as a whole may have a strong base in the South.

Furthermore even though the Tea Party does represent a large fraction of the GOP base at the moment, the candidates it's backed have ranged across the ideological spectrum from extremely conservative/libertarian i.e. Sharron Angle/Rand Paul to quite moderate like Chris Christie or Scott Brown.

[Sbane]

I think the best point made by the article was how the TEA party isn't really fiscally conservative, but rather selfish bastards who want to protect their own interests. They want to protect defense spending, most of which helps out the south, while slashing entitlement spending.

Of course entitlement spending helps out the south as well, and big cuts to medicare and social security without tax hikes for richers would cause a backlash in the upper south and places like appalachia. The deep south on the other hand.....

[tpfkaw]

We'd be much better off if the thread title were actually true.

[Sbane]

You're a fan of slavery, Wormy?

[phk]

I love how the people belly-aching about slavery support underpaying, really enslaving, Mexican illegals for a vote bank.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

I love how the people belly-aching about slavery support underpaying, really enslaving, Mexican illegals for a vote bank.

*yawn*. The OMG-Look-at-those-liberals-they-are-such-hypocrites card is so Bush adminstration. Especially considering that you can't even get your facts right.

[Sbane]

I love how the people belly-aching about slavery support underpaying, really enslaving, Mexican illegals for a vote bank.

No, you don't get it. Democrats want a vote bank and Republicans want cheap labor. Mexican immigration makes everyone happy. Although Republicans like to bitch about them being a vote bank and the Democrats like to bitch about how they are being "exploited"(consider the conditions they would have faced in Mexico). Awesome, isn't it?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm openly a Neo Confederate, and I think the Tea Party thinks were "too Liberul" cause we "hate Israel and want the terrorist to win". HK Edgarton was a former leader of the NC NAACP, and a openly black Neoconfederate. He marched in the civil rights movement! Of course, to Northern, closeted racist Democrats, he is a "Uncle Tom". Alot of Ron Paul supporters are secessionist, some are White Nationalist, you cant hide that, but most (including myself), are just supporters of States Rights. The Federal government goes too far, too often. Hence secession comes up.

[Sbane]

Blacks want to be enslaved again? That's news to me, though I could just be a closeted racist, who knows.

Or is the argument that the civil war had nothing to do with slavery?

Btw, why are you guys in the party of Lincoln?

[Joe Republic]

I'm openly a Neo Confederate, and I think the Tea Party thinks were "too Liberul" cause we "hate Israel and want the terrorist to win". HK Edgarton was a former leader of the NC NAACP, AND A OPENLY BLACK NEOCONFEDERATE!!! Of course, to Northern, closeted racist Democrats, he is a "Uncle Tom". Alot of Ron Paul supporters are secessionist, some are White Nationalist, you cant hide that, but most (including myself), are just supporters of States Rights. The Federal government goes too far, too often. Hence secession comes up.

I wonder if this post might have been easier to read if it had been upside down.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Blacks want to be enslaved again? That's news to me, though I could just be a closeted racist, who knows.

Or is the argument that the civil war had nothing to do with slavery?

Btw, why are you guys in the party of Lincoln?

Ask Allen West (my Congressman) if he thinks States Rights is automatic slavery. The Civil War was mainly about Slavery, that was the issue that pushed the envelope, true, and I will not make that arguement. The GOP is the party of Lincoln, and I dont hate Lincoln. He was right 100% on slavery, his reason for war was right (we, meaning Southernors, launched a irrational attack on Ft. Sumter), though Lincolns method too end Slavery was wrong. It would of phased itself out .

[DrScholl]

Phased itself out? Some people are such a trip. No, it wouldn't have phased itself out, because conservatives back then were far to reluctant to do farm and housework or take care of their kids on their own or actually pay someone to do.

And a lot of conservatives get busted for hiring illegal help, Linda Chavez, Tom Tancredo and others. It seems nothing really changes for conservatives, they'll always want someone to do their work for cheap.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Phased itself out? Some people are such a trip. No, it wouldn't have phased itself out, because conservatives back then were far to reluctant to do farm and housework or take care of their kids on their own or actually pay someone to do.

And a lot of conservatives get busted for hiring illegal help, Linda Chavez, Tom Tancredo and others. It seems nothing really changes for conservatives, they'll always want someone to do their work for cheap.

Do you really think Slavery could last? The Slave market would fail sooner or later. More slaves were being born into slavery then their was land for cotton to grow. It was going to end up with mass overpopulation. The South would not economically survived. It would if seceded today, Texas alone can survive without the rest of the Union..