I had the pleasure this past weekend of attending a phenomenal tea party in the South Bay of Los Angeles, Redondo Beach.
The tea party was put forth by the group Celebrate Freedom America.
This was more than a political get together. It was a celebration of the best aspects of America.
The theme for the event was “Don’t tell me it can’t be done.”
Patriotic music was on display with singer Steve Emerson.
http://www.donttellmeitcantbedone.com/
The emcee for the event was Kevin James of KRLA 870AM.
http://krla.townhall.com/pages/KEVINJAMES
The Beach Cities Republican Club took part in the event.
The South Bay Tea Party group also played a role.
http://southbaytaxdayteaparty.typepad.com/
On the political front, the crowd was pumped up by Ari David, John Stammreich, and Chuck DeVore.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elect-Ari-David-to-Congress/82097997122?ref=mf&_fb_noscript=1
http://www.facebook.com/john.stammreich
Ari David is running in California’s 30th Congressional District against Henry Waxman, who has been in Congress since the Civl War.
John Stammreich is running in the 28th State Senate Seat in California, which covers the South Bay.
Chuck DeVore is running for the California Senate seat currently being held hostage by Barbara Boxer, whose main skill seems to be advancing wacked out legislation that never becomes law.
One of the things I learned very recently is that a rally is better than a protest, and both of them are better than counter protests.
While this may seem like semantics, the distinctions are the difference between persuading people toward the intended point of view and pushing them in the opposite direction.
This gets to the heart of the problem with the GOP. The ideas are right, but the marketing is awful. Worse, in recent years the implementation has not always been true to the conservative ideology.
Yelling and screaming in anger does not sell. Yelling “Where’s the outrage?” will not produce outrage.
This is why the South Bay Tea Party was so important and so successful.
For one thing, it was indoors in an air-conditioned amphitheatre. Heatstroke is not good for any movement.
Many people paid to attend the event, although some did have free tickets. Like Hannity’s Freedom Concerts, the politics contained a healthy amount of music, justifying the cost.
Turnout is everything, and people who are committed will always be stronger than paid mercenaries. Nancy Pelosi may see 80 year olds in wheelchairs as “Astroturf,” but saying it does not make it so.
A good example of this came at a recent protest and counter protest outside Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office. Three pepole showed up an hour early to help set up for when others arrived. Senator Feinstein released 150 workers to go downstairs and flood the street to create the appearance of a successful counter protest. 150 against three is not a fair fight. However, by the time the rally was supposed to start, the two sides were even in numbers.
Then a very interesting thing occurred that should provide a lesson to everybody. The clock struck 5:00pm, and Senator Feinstein’s “counter protesters” did what paid mercenaries do. They left. They clocked out and went home. They were not willing to work without being paid overtime. Now nobody is suggesting they should, but remember why Marc Antony was able to defeat Brutus and Cassius after the death of Caesar. People fighting for a cause are going to be more passionate than paid hired guns.
The more liberals try to attack the people rallying against Obamacare, the weaker their hand will become. This is because it is the pro-Obama forces that contain many paid agitators.
This is not to imply that true believers only exist on one side. It is just that the anti-HR 3200 forces keep coming back again and again, day after day. They are awfully committed for astroturf.
This brings everything full circle to Celebrate Freedom America.
The crowd was energized, mobilized…and optimistic.
Unlike “hope,” “change,” and “Yes we can,” “Don’t tell me it can’t be done” is more than a vacuous slogan. There is substance behind the rhetoric in the form of people demanding action while maintaining a civilized decorum.
The title “Celebrate Freedom America” begins with the word celebrate. Celebrations are positive.
Today there will be another get together outside Senator Feinstein’s office. Moveon.org is planning a protest. If anybody thinks that these people will be peaceful and polite, think again. Moveon.org is hate speech.
So the important thing for those opposed to HR 3200 that will be assembling outside Senator Feinstein’s office should behave like they are at a rally, not a counter protest.
The media loves to portray conservatives as an angry mob. Conservatives need to come across as the wonderful people that attended the South Bay rally. The Moveon.org people are incapable of faking civility. They can’t do it. The rage will flow. Once the public sees enraged leftists vs reasonable conservatives, we will be on the right track to defeating a bad bill.
After all, this is not about hurting others for sport like the left does. It will be about celebrating freedom and the right to assemble peaceably.
Don’t tell me it can’t be done.
Celebrate Freedom America.
eric
I’m missing something here… What exactly was this rally about? What freedoms were you celebrating and why? Don’t tell you what can’t be done?
I think it was George Will who once said, “Conservatives define themselves by what they oppose.” You can call opposition whatever you like – celebration, freedom, patriotism, bla bla bla – it’s still just plain ol’ opposition. A rose is a rose, and a pile of trash is a pile of trash…
Republicans have no plan to do anything about the spiraling costs and ever-mounting failures of the healthcare sector. They have no plan to get us out of this recession. They have no plan to extract us from the wars they stuck with us. No plan to bring our government’s finances back to where they were bfore the GOP put us so deep in the Red (pun intended). Nothing. Only opposition to other people’s plans. Even plans Republicans once endorsed – like encouraging people to have DNRs and Living Wills – they now oppose because someone else is proposing them now. When the Republicans do propose something, it’s nothing but an unworkable sham – like Tort “reform” – that they know full well are not constitutionally federal prerogatives, but make for great fodder for the rabble.
The GOP has one great thing going for it now though – it’s minority status. They can oppose everything, propose utter nonsense, and say all sorts of lunatic things to rile up the rabble, because they have no power to actually act – to do loony, nonsensical, purely oppostitional things. It’s easy when you’re in the minority, because you have no responsibility, and so you can behave any way you want without any serious consequence. You can say, for example, that the “stimulus doesn’t work” even though you have no statistical control to prove it. You can say, for another example, that the “public option will lead to a single payor system” out of one side of your mouth and then out of the other say “the public option will be a failure,” as if millions of Americans will intentionally opt for a failure. You can be for “small co-opts,” when you know they have a history of not working. You can propose all sorts of nonsense and it doesn’t matter because you have no power.
You guys can “rally” all you like, but eventually reality will win. It always does. Eventually the unsustainable inflation of the healthcare sector will cause it to implode. It’s just a matter of time. So, if you are “successful” at stopping this reform, all you will have accomplished would be to postpone the inevitable. As Barney Frank warned about the financial regulations he proposed back when Bush was still in the White House and the GOP was threatening to block him – be careful what you wish for. Frank was saying, simply, if you don’t pass these now with Bush in the White House, just wait ’til you see what we propose when a Dem gets in there! If the healthcare sector implosion is as bad as it could be the future reform could be much greater than anything they’re proposing now. Be careful what you wish for.
JMJ
There is an expression, ” Blacks get back, browns stick around
and if you are white you are all right”.
Me thinks Obama put an end to this outrageous generation which
I kept hearing for years at my employment.
This applices to criticism of “Liberals” or “Pregressives” and of
Republicans or Conservatives.
Basically, not all Conservatives are right, and not all Progressives
are wrong. Barbara Boxer represents the Pregressives.
Folks, this is ALL ABOUT SEELING THE TWO PARTIES. But a party
has to have something to sell.
Even though I am a moderate Conservative..but a registered Democrat ( admit to voting for Hillary in California and McCain in the national elections).
In California, both Avi and Eric know that it’s about numbers, all about numbers. The Republicans simply don’t have them.
We all know about the flight out of California for 50 years..and the immigration in. This complete change in demographis changed
how the state votes.
My state is the bluest of states..and along with another state with
a huge migration in…put Obama over the top before the votes were
counted.
The Republicans may have had a tea party…but did they discuss
Iran’s latest bellocose inference that the “Zionists” are pressuing and
influencing Britain and Germany vis a vie it’s quest for nukes..to use
as leverage AND possibly an attack on Tel Aviv, the US forces in Iraq
and Afghanistan..and in the Persian Gulf..maybe also Washington D.C.
or New York or Los Angeles.
Looking at the fires in the Southland, I can imagine a nuke going off
lets’ say in downtown LA. Actually I cannot imagine it.
With our porous borders, would it be difficult to smuggle parts into
San Diego or Texas for sleeper cells to assemble?
Did those attending the parties say outright that Cheney was right on.
We should have and could have taken out Iran’s nuke sites during
anytime in the Bush’s administrations.
Now we will wait and see what country Iran bombs first?
Health plan: I’m hoping that it was discussed, that is, the socialization
of America..piece by piece, bail-out by bail-out, US ownership of
GM AND more money pumped into mortgages that were bad to begin with
to allow everyone to experience the US dream ( hey wha about us
renters?).
I find it most interesting that 3 very private companies (Wal-Mart, Kroger
and Kaiser Permanente) have NOT asked to be socialized.
All three above are extremely successful.
But back at the ranch, Obama will be replacing thousands of US
soldiers in Afghanistan with trigger pullers. This will be accomplished
partly by retating people out, replaced by private contractors.
Am I crazy but wasn’t there once a tumolt about private contractors
absent which 160,000 more soldiers would have been needed in Iraq (and the draft)?
Just another one of Obamania’s fourflushing, pull the wool over our eyes
absurdities.
Are the American people being fleeced..you know we are.
I love the typical crap Jersey keeps spewing thats been refuted by yours truly to which he’ll say “where, when”? And then in his reply he’ll say “no, but seriously mickey, where, when”?
This is the problem with some on the left, its what will sink them if they keep living in this vacume of ignorance. Were only a minority in the sesethat notenough of svotedn the eletion. Sure, congress etc holds the majority but as anyone wo does an ‘ honest’ cursory tour will tell you those days are short lived because itsactually the left whos been vacant of any deent plans for anything. The only reason it appears as if the right is offering nothing is because it takes a majority to onvinethe masses this is true. That majority not only consists of the left, the dnc etc but also the media, which any fool knows is the lefts puppet.
Of course the right has a message and offered policies but theyare not repeated policies dressed up in bells whistles and glitter to look like something new. They are policies that are old but proven, so they just dont get the attention that a one hit wonder with the same formula as the previous one hit wonders have.
Let us have our money, let the private sector do what it does and stop with havig one government head for every 5 civilian heads.
Its really quite simple, but by listening to guys like Jersey you’d never guess it.
You can re invent and dress up a mousetrap all you want but in the end it has to still hold its basic simplicity to do what its always done so well.
If this administration is any example of how well the trap on the left is supposed to work and an example of ‘the answer’ we are all seriously screwed.
None of it is working
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