Speak Out: Tea Parties?

Replies (32)

• I dont' like sweet tea. I am, however, convinced that the shift by restaurants from real brewed tea to this cold-brewed, machine dispensed tea beverage is a symptom of the decline of Western Civilization.

  Instead of throwing tea bags, perhaps we should be throwing those dispensers into the sea...

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 1:44 PM

• I don't like tea ... so wondering: is the tea made in those machines as opposed to actual 'brewing' something like the difference between brewed and instant coffee?

  If so ... yuck!

  It's getting warmer, James ... almost time for a little wine and conversation maybe.

  -- Posted by gurusmom on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 2:40 PM

• gurusmom wrote:

  "I don't like tea ... so wondering: is the tea made in those machines as opposed to actual 'brewing' something like the difference between brewed and instant coffee?"

  Yes. Very similar. 'Fake tea", we call it, although I believe real tea leaves are used somewhere in the equation.

  As I said, it is a sign of the collapse of Western civilization. Tea has helped to build empires, messing with it can come to no good.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 3:18 PM

• I like sweet tea both cold and hot. It is so nice to go into a Southern restaurant and have them give you a choice.

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 3:19 PM

• Check Capaha and Arena parks. I haven't heard anything, but they are usually at one of those two places. I checked both during lunch but didn't see anyone there yet, I will check again after work.

  -- Posted by youn.gonzales on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 3:22 PM

• We'd be happy to let the Tea Party organizers use the Mississippi Mud House for a meeting. Give us a call!

  -- Posted by timexx on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 5:01 PM

• WHY NOT, A good reason to set the corner post square and plumb so the 2 gallon jar will sit on top.

  -- Posted by Old John on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 6:52 PM

• I watched Glen Beck today. His program was about bringing home our military, closing bases abroad and building on a policy of military might to deter any agression on the United States. He also contends the reasons we spend money for aid and military assistance are becoming more and more blurred.

  I am not sure where Tea Party folks are on this. I have heard Beck bashers on this forum suggest what he says.

  -- Posted by Old John on Thu, Apr 15, 2010, at 9:31 PM

• Really looking forward to a visit, James, and KNOW the conversation will be an interesting! I'll return your book, also ... finally! Hope you don't charge a late fee like libraries do ...

  Always rather thought that the primary reason for America being involved in 'war' was ... money. Well, maybe that and power. It worked during WWII in helping us after the Depression, and guess the government powers figured it always would ...

  Hmmm, one of the reasons I voted for Obama was because I somehow got the impression that he was going to put an end to our never-ending battles. Wonder why I thought that ... it surely couldn't have been anything he said, could it?

  -- Posted by gurusmom on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 12:54 AM

• Agreed James, as I said in a different post, what do all politicians say before they get elected... they won't raise taxes or will reduce taxes. Otherwise, more of the same. Pretty soon the Tea Party will find something that they will need another tax to support.

  -- Posted by almighty on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 10:57 AM

• I think most people attending Tea Partys are advocating smaller more responsible government and representitives that listen.

  I think the overall Tea Party in effect will give lip service to that, but it's influence will be of little consequence in changing the status quo.

  -- Posted by Old John on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 11:10 AM

• I think the overall Tea Party in effect will give lip service to that, but it's influence will be of little consequence in changing the status quo.

  -- Posted by Old John on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 11:10 AM

  Old John,

  Unfortunately you are probably correct.

  So what do we do, just accept the status quo being stuffed down our throats by the self appointed elites of the country? I should say so called elites as I don't find them so.

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 11:14 AM

• Ike,

  Certainly we have the right to vote, but the hand picked candidates we get to vote on stink in way too many cases.

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 1:38 PM

• Have democrats been uninvited to speak at tea parties or are they not seeking invitation? Clearly to me, repubicans and democrats are in general, equal in making promises to please.

  Is it possible that "all these fools" are starting to see they were foolish?

  -- Posted by Old John on Sat, Apr 17, 2010, at 12:27 AM

• vulcan2004, if you're going to cut-and-paste the right-wing Heritage Foundation's dubious talking points, you should at least acknowledge your source for the material you lifted verbatim.

  People might think you're plagiarizing instead of thinking for yourself.

  -- Posted by Ediacaran on Sat, Apr 17, 2010, at 9:08 AM

• James Nall wrote:

  "Tea Parties="The Big Government Party" passing itself off as being for smaller government and less taxes."

  The TEA party isn't a creation of politicians, it was started by people tired of politicians. Largely, I believe, it was started by Ron Paul supporters who wanted to keep their small movement going after Mr. Paul lost the primary. Ron Paul may be in the Republican Party, but he is hardly a big-government kind of guy.

  The politicians came later, courting the vote. Some have long been advocates of smaller government, other are suspect, since they seem to be 'converts' to the cause. Nonetheless, the TEA party remains a grassroots movement. The Republicans have more credibility, slightly, than do the Democrats in the small-government arena, even though many, if not all of them, have strayed from the camp.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Sat, Apr 17, 2010, at 3:06 PM

• As I indicated earlier, the Tea party will bring out the best of promises from polititians. The republicans are postering for Tea Party publicity. By November both parties will give lip service to rescuing America from big government with big government ideas.

  -- Posted by Old John on Sat, Apr 17, 2010, at 7:42 PM

• James Nall wrote:

  "The Americans with disabilities act, the EPA, the Clean Air Act were signed into law by a Republican President."

  I do not believe that either of the Bush's, nor President Nixon, ever claimed to be part of a movement for smaller government. TO be sure, President Nixon ran against conservatism in the primary, near as I recall.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Sat, Apr 17, 2010, at 8:08 PM

• James Nall wrote:

  "The left has nothing compared to this record that would indicate that they are more liberal than the Republican wing of the Big Government Party."

  The New Deal, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, The 'Great Society', Vietnam, Earned Income Tax Credit, Health Care Reform...

  Yes, they do.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Sat, Apr 17, 2010, at 8:11 PM

• What's even more amazing than the Republicans' campaign slogan - "Yeah, We Messed Up, But Trust Us This Time!", is that there are people out there that are actually buying it!

  -- Posted by Lumpy on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 12:59 AM

• A third party vote for someone that will lose will be a vote for a Democrat. -- Posted by WHY NOT on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 11:17 PM

  Exactly what I was trying to explain to Pops the other evening. Even if 'the Tea Party' somehow became an actual political party ... that would drain off more Republican votes than Democrat votes ...

  Which makes me a little puzzled at the Democrats' behavior in trying to 'sabatoge' the Tea Party. Seems to me they be doing all they could to support that movement, because it could in time be their 'life saver.'

  -- Posted by gurusmom on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 2:21 AM

• I grew up a tea drinker and enjoy it to this day. I was long out of college before ever attempting to drink my first cup of coffee. It required time to find it tolerable. Even so, I'm not especially fond of the brew and drink it only in social circumstances which require being polite.

  -- Posted by voyager on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 12:22 PM

• Suppose what I was trying to say was no coffee drinking events of any consequences have occured in southeast Missouri either let along the rest of the United States that I'm aware of.

  -- Posted by voyager on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 12:27 PM

• Gurusmom, Perhaps the Republican wing needs a shock. -- Posted by James Nall on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 5:42 AM

  Guess both parties do ... They dictate what their members are supposed to believe and support ... Some buy into it, but it's my opinion that the majority of Americans are not as far left or far right as the party leaders want them to be.

  Like my mother, though ... many just find it more acceptable or easier to vote party lines. Mama is against abortion, against most welfare programs, against Affirmative Action and all its related programs, against unlimited government spending ... but she'll never vote anything but a straight Democrat ticket. When asked why she supports her party, she says it's because Democrats are 'for' the average citizen while Republicans are only 'for' the wealthy. ~sigh~

  Well, voyager, that's an idea ... A Coffee Party. Could cause some dissension, though ... coffee with sugar and/or cream ... or black. Guess they'd have to split off into still other parties then? ~smiling~

  -- Posted by gurusmom on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 2:52 PM

• Well, voyager, that's an idea ... A Coffee Party. Could cause some dissension, though ... coffee with sugar and/or cream ... or black. Guess they'd have to split off into still other parties then? ~smiling~

  -- Posted by gurusmom on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 2:52 PM

  Mom,

  They could split off into caucuses. That's an acceptable alternate. You could have the black Caucus for those who take their coffee straight and the white caucus for those who take cream. Not sure what to do with the folks that take sugar. Nobody should ruin coffee like that anyway.

  Do you think this would be acceptable and nobody would try to make something .... ah.... no forget it.... I'm not going there.

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 3:01 PM

• Voyager,

  I see yesterday produced results. Welcome back.

  I started to address you a bit ago and was called to eat. I miss a lot of things, meals generally are not one of them.

  But please, don't let that make you think I would rank you any lower than eating. ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 3:35 PM

• Spaniard wrote:

  "What was "liberal" about the vietnam war?"

  Nothing. That was to contrast this statement:

  "It was a Republican president that put this nation into two nonsensical wars and with that nation building." Since two Presidents generally associated with "the left" (Kennedy & Johnson) are generally credited with that war.

  I generally don't think of war as either liberal or conservative, as we have found ourselves fighting them during the terms of both. We entered World War II during Franklin Roosevelt's term, and he is generally recognized as the most liberal of all Presidents, with the possible exception of Lyndon Johnson, who is generally credited with getting us into Vietnam (although Kennedy played no small part there).

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 3:39 PM

• Spaniard wrote:

  "What was "liberal" about the vietnam war?"

  Nothing. That was to contrast this statement:

  "It was a Republican president that put this nation into two nonsensical wars and with that nation building." Since two Presidents generally associated with "the left" (Kennedy & Johnson) are generally credited with that war.

  I generally don't think of war as either liberal or conservative, as we have found ourselves fighting them during the terms of both. We entered World War II during Franklin Roosevelt's term, and he is generally recognized as the most liberal of all Presidents, with the possible exception of Lyndon Johnson, who is generally credited with getting us into Vietnam (although Kennedy played no small part there).

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 3:40 PM

• Sorry about the double post. This computer is acting up a bit.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 3:41 PM

• A mixed bag, Wheels. Looks like Hunter is also having little computer problems also.

  -- Posted by voyager on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 7:48 PM

• A coffee cup campaign or party would surely be conservative since Reagon used "Coffee Cup" way back.

  Gurus, You describe what I hear most regarding a third party. The best we can hope is that the movement will influence those in and those seeking in to listen a bit. As for as right or left, I do not think the polititions know the difference. Most are concerned with getting there name on a bill and passing pork to make themselves look good in their districts regardless of right, left, liberal, consevative or just plain wrong.

  -- Posted by Old John on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 8:14 PM

• ... the black Caucus for those who take their coffee straight and the white caucus for those who take cream. Not sure what to do with the folks that take sugar. Nobody should ruin coffee like that anyway.

  Do you think this would be acceptable and nobody would try to make something .... ah.... no forget it.... I'm not going there. -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 3:01 PM

  First of all ... I take sugar (well, Splenda) ... lots of it, along with cream ... I think it's because I don't really like coffee.

  As soon as I posted the Coffee idea, that thought popped into my mind ... Didn't mean it that way, but figured someone would just have to try to make something of it ... surprised and delighted that no one has.

  If my memory is correct, Nam began with Kennedy and Johnson accelerated it?

  Yes, Old J. ... it's all about getting votes and having/retaining self-importance and power. The suspicion is ... as happened to someone fairly recently ... a politician's party isn't much known to support a candidate who strays from the 'party agenda.'

  -- Posted by gurusmom on Sun, Apr 18, 2010, at 11:01 PM