The Tea Party Is America
For the last year or so since Rick Santelli sounded the clarion call on CNBC, I have watched with fascination and awe as the Tea Party has burst onto the scene across the country. Santelli, standing in the commodities pit on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, simply stated what so many Americans were already thinking …what the hell is going on with our country?
When did it become the business of the government to become so involved in the private sector? When exactly was it decided that people who walked away from their mortgage obligations would find themselves bailed out by their more responsible neighbors? Who decided that we would need a car czar to oversee our new government-operated auto company? And let’s not forget that we were also wondering whether Barack Obama and his minions were now the good hands people, with the government signing on to operate insurance companies, as well.
Santelli’s frustration with the direction America was being pulled, pushed and prodded to follow was palpable and his concern resonated with people across the proverbial fruited plain. What happened to rewarding success? When did businesses become too big to fail? Why does GM now stand for Government Motors?
The Tea Party movement grew from this, as people around the country asked each other those questions and more. And frustrated with either not finding answers, or alarmed at the ones they discovered, they began to take action. A small group here, a couple of people there, and so on until there were millions of ordinary Americans standing up and proudly proclaiming that they were Tea Partiers. Their concern was derided by the mainstream media and their numbers were minimized in any of the reports.
Nonetheless, the Tea Party folks continued to move forward – a few more at each event. Rallies were held in even more areas of the country and, almost predictably, more nasty coverage followed. Yet even as angry invective was hurled at the Tea Party, its members kept chugging along: a couple of hundred over there, a thousand over here. All the while, I must confess, I mostly stood back and watched. I was fascinated by the organic way in which this grew and I watched in awe as more and more regular folks stood up and asked, “What the hell is going on?”
The first Tea Party event that I attended was just last week in Boston. I was humbled when I was asked to be a featured speaker, along with Sarah Palin. Standing on the stage facing 10,000 attendees on The Boston Common, I found myself moved in a way that I have very rarely experienced.
I thought that I’d be a nervous wreck speaking to such a large crowd. I felt, instead, a true sense of calm. Looking at that crowd I realized that it was simply a collection of ordinary folks: thoughtful, peaceful people; regular people, who I might have known from work, or the supermarket, or the synagogue, or my neighbor down the street. I didn’t see the mean bigots that I had been told by the mainstream media were the only people who participated in Tea Parties.
The Rasmussen Poll released just a few days before the event showed very clearly that the composition of the Tea Party crowds are the same as the country as a whole. I saw that first hand as I looked out and saw men and women of all ages and races. It felt like a wonderful county fair.
People were still asking, “What the hell is going on with the actions of the government,” but they were also loudly proclaiming their love for our nation and their willingness to work tirelessly on its behalf. I saw why that call from Rick Santelli had resonated with millions of us. I saw, as well, that the actions of the Obama Administration had served to rouse the sleeping giant we call patriotic Americans.
Joining with ten thousand good, decent people on The Boston Common made it clear to me that the Tea Party is America and that America is the Tea Party.
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=1708
