Tea Party Confessional Runs In Playboy

[philw]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/18/tea-party-confessional-ru_n_617418.html

The new Playboy magazine has an anonymous confessional from a K Street consultant who lifts the curtain on many of the politically crafty, somewhat seedy underpinnings of the Tea Party movement.

The article has not received much attention. But its contents, if true, are illustrative and fascinating. The consultant, who doesn't identify for whom he actually works, paints a picture of a movement that has strength in its legions of followers outside the Beltway but harnesses its power from the "black arts" of politicking.

Among the author's various claims are the following:

Tea Party strategists have "quietly acquired Service Employees International Union shirts to wear at Tea Party rallies," which he or she describes as the equivalent of "handing out TSA uniforms in Kabul."
Sarah Palin isn't the leader of the movement. Big Government's Andrew Breitbart is. "Breitbart is one of them, except smarter, better connected and angrier; compared with him, Palin is Las Vegas dinner theater. That's why he is loved by Tea Partyers in a way Palin can never hope to be loved."
Actual elected officials are bowing down to the Tea Party throng in ever-growing numbers. Describing a meeting he held with his finance team at the Richard Nixon suite at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. the consultant writes that members of Congress came in and asked for a list of what to do. "The second meeting drew 10 congressmen," the consultant writes. "There we sat, inside the Capitol Hill Club (which shares the building that houses the Republican National Committee), sharing ideas on how we can work together. The third meeting drew 17 congressmen."
Strategists deliberately try to stir up rage among average Americans, calculating that it's much easier to push a political movement if it's deeply frightened than if it's entirely hopeful. "We're playing to the reptilian brain rather than the logic centers, so we look for key words and images to leverage the intense rage and anxiety of white working-class conservatives," the consultant writes. "In other words, I talk to the same part of your brain that causes road rage."
Along these lines, the strategists behind the Tea Party movement are using variable-print technology to send out thank-you notes "from an imaginary Wall Street executive to working-class taxpayers."

The Tea Party is distrusting if not disdainful of the conspiracy theorists with which they are often associated. The consultant writes that during one candidate-interview process, two simple questions are asked. "(1) Are you a birther? (2) Are you a truther? If the answer is anything but "no" or "hell no," the conversation ends right there. If the candidate answers correctly, the conversation continues."
Because it's written without identification, the piece has to be read with a measure of skepticism. That said, much of what is written seems grounded in reality. The Tea Party movement described by the consultant doesn't come off as inherently outlandish. In fact, there is a sense of admiration in the prose. "This cause is worthier and more real than anything I've done in the past," the consultant writes. "I'm all in."

But the piece certainly dispels the myth -- if it still existed -- that the Tea Party is some sort of folksy grassroots movement merely trying to add a modicum of sense to today's corrupt political process. In fact, the movement gets giddy pleasure from sticking it to institutional powers but is quietly dependent on the type of politicking they deplore, as even the author admits.

"[T]he worst thing I can say about the Tea Party I work for is that it can make lots of noise but can't win without professional help. I love the irony of helping run this organization from the St. Regis Bar [one of D.C.'s fanciest hotels]."

(Hat Tip: Political Correction)

UPDATE: SEIU spokesperson Michelle Ringuette responds to news that Tea Party protesters are dressing up in union t-shirts:

Every day all around this country, women and men who work hard for a living are proud to put on purple to symbolize their strength when they stand united. It doesn't matter how many t-shirts the Tea Party puts on to cover themselves up -- the Tea Party leaders' ugly and anti-American rhetoric is out of sync with SEIU's 2.2 million nurses, janitors, child care providers and other members who through their union want to win justice for all working people.

[Ichiban]

Sounds more like a White House press release.  And I'll give it about as much credibility.

[Pathfinder]

Leftist babble.

T-shirts - this is how the left operates, and they have a long history of projecting - and decrying in others - actions they themselves are about to perform. It prevents the opposition from using the accusation else they sound like parrots. Very effective, especially among the sheep. This story itself is most likely an example of pretending to be a Tea Party member and in fact actually being a leftist plant.

Breitbart - as much as the leftists hate Palin, Breitbart scares them more simply because he is able to expose the left's actions to subvert this country so effectively.

Reptilian brain vs. logic - classic fear politics of the left

[fightingquaker13]

Leftist babble.

T-shirts - this is how the left operates, and they have a long history of projecting - and decrying in others - actions they themselves are about to perform. It prevents the opposition from using the accusation else they sound like parrots. Very effective, especially among the sheep. This story itself is most likely an example of pretending to be a Tea Party member and in fact actually being a leftist plant.

Breitbart - as much as the leftists hate Palin, Breitbart scares them more simply because he is able to expose the left's actions to subvert this country so effectively.

Reptilian brain vs. logic - classic fear politics of the left

Pop your cherry Path, both sides play this game. The sign of a moron in politics is claiming the other side cheats and your's plays by the rules. BS. This is hardball, big boys rules. Don't tell me Carville and Emmanuell are evil and Atwater and Rove are choir boys, it just doesn't fly. We're playing for all the marbles here, and sadly, that means all options are on the table for both sides. We, the voters get scewed, but that's nothing new either.
FQ13

[Pathfinder]

Pop your cherry Path, both sides play this game. The sign of a moron in politics is claiming the other side cheats and your's plays by the rules. BS. This is hardball, big boys rules. Don't tell me Carville and Emmanuell are evil and Atwater and Rove are choir boys, it just doesn't fly. We're playing for all the marbles here, and sadly, that means all options are on the table for both sides. We, the voters get scewed, but that's nothing new either.
FQ13

Maybe, maybe not. The left (Alinsky) did write the book on it tho.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

Yea, I read Playboy for the politics........yea, that's the ticket...

 

[tombogan03884]

Yea, I read Playboy for the politics........yea, that's the ticket...

 

That may work for you Tim, I only look at the naked broads and jokes. (although the interview with Hunter S Thompson was a riot    )
                                            

[Timothy]

That may work for you Tim, I only look at the naked broads and jokes. (although the interview with Hunter S Thompson was a riot) 
                                            

Actually, when the centerfolds are younger than my daughter, I get kind of a skeezy feeling when I take a glance...

Besides, I can't afford that magazine anymore.

 

[fightingquaker13]

Actually, when the centerfolds are younger than my daughter, I get kind of a skeezy feeling when I take a glance...

Besides, I can't afford that magazine anymore.

 

Its a hell of a thing isn't it? I rememeber the day I officially got "old". It was rush week at UT. I was sitting at the deck of this bar, about half a block from one of the big private dorms. Here comes this parade of youg co-eds, all dressed up to go to receptions. They just looked coltish. Too much leg, no coordination, too much make up, yet they were almost all very attractive. I realized I was seeing them as kids I should be babysitting, not the girls I would have been drooling over a few years earlier. It was kind of depressing. On the other hand, the 40 year old waitress started looking a whole lot better.
FQ13

[philw]

Its a hell of a thing isn't it? I rememeber the day I officially got "old".

your only as old as the women you are feeling