‘Top Line:’ The Meaning of ‘Tea Parties’ — Grassroots or Astroturf?
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: As we’ve discussed, the meaning of today’s anti-tax, anti-spending “tea parties” is being debated even as protesters make themselves heard at rallies across the country. The portrait that’s emerging of today’s events puts them somewhere in between a genuine grassroots event and a so-called Astroturf (as in fake grass) display. Perhaps the best way to describe them is Miracle-Gro — the real thing, but with some fertilizer sprinkled down from the top. On ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” today, we got two different perspectives on what the events mean, from one of the events’ large number of organizers, and from a savvy observer. Katie Favazza, who helped connect activists to each other through the Website Smart Girl Politics, told us that — despite support from some national conservative organizations — today’s events are “absolutely a grassroots effort.” “I think it’s a good exercise for conservatives to get out there and to get active and, you know, we’re fighting an uphill battle,” said Favazza, who is the Website’s director of strategic events. “We’re the minority in Congress and the people across the country are just fed up with the spending. And so I think that moving forward the effort is to get the politicians to pay attention and to understand that maybe the government like the families and businesses across the country should be looking at how to save some money.” Favazza said the events could mark a turning point for conservative activists, who seem to have found a way to organize around social-networking sites. “A lot of that has to do with the social media. I mean, without Facebook and Twitter and the blogs that have been so active in this, there’s no way that this kind of event could have been organized in the size and the scope that it has been,” she said. “So much of the motivation has just come from word of mouth, through Twitter, people signing up for Twitter that, you know, haven’t normally been very involved with the Internet or active online. It’s a new kind of activism and without the social media, it wouldn’t have happened.” Click HERE to see our interview with Favazza. Ana Marie Cox, an Air America host and Daily Beast columnist, said activists on the left have no reason to be concerned. “The thing is, the progressives won,” she said. “I mean, there’s not a lot of counter-protest to these tea parties because the stimulus bill passed, you know. I mean, you don’t need — you don’t need to support something if you’re already in power.” “So, I do think, I actually do support these people coming out and protesting and I think it’s actually kind of hilarious and great and fun,” Cox added. “I just think that we should not confuse, like, this outpouring with something that is a huge movement.” We also chatted with Ana Marie Cox about President Obama’s recent speeches on the economy — and, of course, the First Puppy. “Oh my God — soooo cute! And seriously, so like a bunch of reporters were kind of grumbling about it, but still — puppy. I mean, how can you not like the puppy?” she said. “I think they’re going to be able to milk the puppy for a very long time.” Check out our full interview with Cox HERE.
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Of course Obama’s people will want to blame the tea parties on astroturfing. It’s one of David Axelrod’s specialities, and a tactic that the Obama campaign employed during the primary and the GE.
Posted by: Keith | April 15, 2009, 3:19 pm 3:19 pm
““A lot of that has to do with the social media. I mean, without Facebook and Twitter and the blogs that have been so active in this, there’s no way that this kind of event could have been organized in the size and the scope that it has been,” she said.”
Translation: Rednecks have discovered the internet can be used for more than copy/paste.
Posted by: Silky | April 15, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Keith:”Of course Obama’s people will want to blame the tea parties on astroturfing.”
Or they could just be observing the deep involvement of the Republican Party and the fact that the protesters have their own television network sponsorship (FoxNews). But that would just be reality.
Posted by: jhw539 | April 15, 2009, 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
All in all it looks funny. Nevertheless, we are still in April and 1st April did not pass long time ago!
Posted by: RS | April 15, 2009, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
I was at a Tea party today in Richardson Texas, and the turn out was great ! There were many people like myself, who are not affiliated with any groups, and some people that are members of various groups. The response from the passerbys was wonderful and very supportive. God bless America and freedom of speech.
Posted by: Melis | April 15, 2009, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
Well just looked at the pictures in my local city for the “tea party”. Once again the headlines read thousands attend. They might have had maybe 2000. There were some that were protesting the protesters. Plus the normal sidewalk traffic which is usually packed around lunchtime when the pictures were taken. There are over 2.1 million people that live within a 10 mile radius of this tea party event. 21000 would have had to attend just to make 1%. Looks like they fell short big time. Looks like the republicans are exposing their ranks. LOL!
Posted by: rightbehind | April 15, 2009, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
The small town I live in is seeing a large turn out for the Tea Party. Don’t let the liberals blow smoke up your A&%, this is a very real expression of peoples feeling about the government and it isn’t some small thing as the press would have you believe.
Posted by: ridus | April 15, 2009, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
everyone always says fox news is conserative. SO WHAT! ABC NBC CNN ect are all liberal. SO WHAT. You liberals have many news stations behind you I don’t know why you whine about conseratives having one. You talk about repubs being cry babies! whaa whaa whaa. You guys won remember. STOP your whining. your beginning to bore me! You name call, spew hate, blame the other guy, belittle and make fun of everyone who doesn’t share your views, and cry. Not including mine, there are 3 neg posts by libs and one by a conserative so far on this blog. That really shows the libs are the new party of love, hope and change right? Nothing but a bunch of left-wing naysayers. I know, I’m the pot calling the kettle black but I DON’T CARE! I could go on any blog on this news site and the number of leftys name calling and insulting others will out number the number of rightys name calling and insulting others.
Posted by: notafan | April 15, 2009, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
It really is an @ssroots movement.
Posted by: Mack | April 15, 2009, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
lmao O-DUMB-Ah new tax code: how much you make? send it to me
Today Obama is the laughing stock of millions as networks scramble not to let the people see what is going on…DUMP THE MEDIA STOCKS GE, DISNEY, CBS inc, TIME WARNER, NYTs, WASHINGTON POST,
time till this post is down ….20 seconds and counting
Posted by: The Media is the problem | April 15, 2009, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
Tea parties?!?!………is this the BEST you right-wing loons could come up with?
BWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Posted by: Can rush get any fatter | April 15, 2009, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
Tea bagging, unlike grassroots, is always from the top down.
Posted by: ICDogg | April 15, 2009, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
I was shocked to find any mention on the tea parties on ABC’s site. It doesn’t matter what the media or liberal activists say, this thing is big and it will grow, 2,500 people in my lil hometown of Greensboro, NC.
Posted by: william | April 15, 2009, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
To be honest I feel so tired of Republicans trying to continue governing.
I say that we democrats and thinking individuals need to Stand Up.
This is not an honest tea-party.
This is a party of lies.
I want my democracy and my government back.
We won the election and I am getting tired of the being so nice and understanding with these people who have no brain and only hate our president and our country.
We waited 8 years of lies, diabolic manipulations and evil doings of Republicans in power.
Now is our turn and I say we need to show our support for our president.
We need to stand up to the Republican lies.
The original tea-party was for an utopia life in the USA. Look at the Utopian life republicans have lead us. We cannot even get our people out of war. We cannot even live in our homes without wandering till when it will last. We cannot breath peace because we are in 2 wars. We do not know when we will be fired from our jobs. This is the Utopian life our republican brothers have left US with.
We have been subjugated and abused by the Republicans for the last 8 years.
America we need to Stand UP to this nonsense.
Posted by: Candie | April 15, 2009, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
I am going today, but I am going to promote Dr. Paul’s agenda not the neoconservatives that promote the warfare state. I will also be protesting against the progressives who promote the welfare state. So basically I will make both republicans and democrats mad. I love it!
Posted by: Huh | April 15, 2009, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
Gotta love the right turning out to protest the lowering of their taxes.
Posted by: Silky | April 15, 2009, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
How interesting that those against these teaparties bill them as Republican protests! Those attending are saying they are AMERICANS, of any party.
Posted by: taxpayer | April 15, 2009, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
As a democrat, can I go?
It is my PROPERTY taxes that are killing us.
Posted by: tammie g | April 15, 2009, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
i hate that these things are being passed off as a republican thing! what ever happened to a normal american citizen wanting washington to notice us? i think they’ve all screwed us up, not just the democrats.
Posted by: Corie | April 15, 2009, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
I’m one of those “grassroots” organizers that either the media doesn’t think really exists, or that is taking marching orders from some Republican leader. NEWS FLASH–I am a stay-at-home mom and small business owner with three children under 5 and my name and phone number were on a tea party website link up so the rest of the “non-existent” grassroots people could contact me about the tea party location! Wake up media, stop trying to explain away a REAL movement of disaffected folks. And by the way… the parties are about the out of control SPENDING and power grabs which will INEVITABLY LEAD to high tax levels in order to keep us from going bankrupt!
Posted by: michelle | April 15, 2009, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Well guys…hate to burst everyones bubble but I attended a TEA party in my small hometown today…turn out 1000+…I heard about the upcoming party on the web and national news and was excited to know that someone felt the same as I did and was willing to take a stand. So without the support and encouragement of any organized group (because I’m a free wheeling, free thinking, don’t need a “village” to tell me how to think person)I attended and participated in this show of protest. Now, to address the guy who thought the media was playing up the numbers that attended, the local media here (NBC,ABC,etc) posted a report not thirty minutes after it started and said that “maybe” 200 people attended. I’m in the business of sales and sounds to me like the competition is getting a bit worried and wanting to play around with his competitors numbers to make himself look better. Besides if you’re a “progressive” and happen to be a “chosen” member of the “obama-nation” then you are excused from paying taxes and a TEA pary is really none of your concern.
Posted by: Phil | April 15, 2009, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
Sad 95% of the people that are there got a tax cut Oh that’s right it’s about the spending Hmmm where were these American when we ran through a surplus and 500k a minute in Iraq hun? Oh that’s right that wasn’t spending it was the great American give away.
Posted by: David | April 15, 2009, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
Does that mean that the people who didn’t attend didn’t get a tax cut! Give me a break there Super Prog and do the math….dollars in Irag won’t touch what the folks in DC are doing today….oh and in case you forgot those sorry A&% muslims killed over 3000 of our citizens in one day (I paint them all with the same brush, just like the Progs do with conservatives). A friend of mine had a great idea…instead of deducting our taxes from our paychecks, why not make it a law that taxes can only be paid by personal check on April 15th….bet the TEA party business wouldn’t seem so much like a “conservative” thing then.
Posted by: Phil | April 15, 2009, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
Hey cons, no matter how you want to spin it Bush and you spent 11 trillion on the Chinese credit card for a war that weanened our country and now Obama is spending 3 trillion to fix the Country that you pushed over the cliff and make up for 30 years of Republican stymying of reforms that were needed decades ago. So you rednecks can make all the noise you want and false claims you want, but pay back the 11 trillion you and your party wasted on Wall Street giveaways and the Iraq War and then you can start griping what Obama is spending on trying to pull our whole country out of recession, not thrown down the toilet and producing nothing but a depression and a country with no infrastructure or jobs left which is the legacy YOU left us. You can point one finger back at Obama but you have four fingers pointing back at you. Have your tea party. Hope Fish and Game fines you for the fish you poison. You’ve already poisoned the rest of the country with your phony anger.
Posted by: JL | April 15, 2009, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
rightbehinD:”There are over 2.1 million people that live within a 10 mile radius of this tea party event. 21000 would have had to attend just to make 1%. Looks like they fell short big time. Looks like the republicans are exposing their ranks. LOL!”
This may be true.. because the Republicans are the ones working to support all of the “less fortunate” on welfare. I’m sure the turnout would be much bigger if this was a protest to benefit the left.
Posted by: repstudent | April 15, 2009, 5:47 pm 5:47 pm
I think the recession will need to get even worse before you’ll see a lot of Republicans or unaffilliant people protesting in huge numbers. It is relatively easy to get illegal aliens, hippies, environmental activists, anarchists, etc to protest because they often don’t have jobs or responsibilities or if they do they are flexible jobs (parttime, artistic, internet, contract, etc.) It is harder to motivate a small business owner, corporate workers, farmer, rancher, housewife, etc to protest….until those jobs are gone also. It is also usually harder to get those to live in suburban or rural areas to protest because they need to drive into town to do so. Lastly, the large protests (civil rights, sodomy rights, anti-war, etc) could be, focused on a single-issue and activists have an ad-hoc system (you come to my protests I come to yours). Where as small government types have many issues, although this tax issue is bringing larger numbers than normally expected.
Posted by: Ed | April 15, 2009, 5:47 pm 5:47 pm
Whether you like it or not, to me it looks like the revolution is starting to brew. A few hundred last month and thousands this month, something is starting to happen and they’re not all conservatives attending these things.
Posted by: buckaroobonsai | April 15, 2009, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Hey Phil: the taxes that you’re so mad about are the ones the Bush left behind. Obama hasn’t raised any taxes on anyone. Even the rich who will have to pay more will have only 3% more, which is what they were under Clinton, but under Reagan they were far higher percentage than under Clinton. And Obama is only reversing the TAX CUTS for the RICH that Bush reduced from Clinton’s rate and Clinton’s tax rate was way lower than Reagan’s tax rates. Why are your Super-Con hearts bleeding for Wall Street and the Bankers and the people who made the mess we are in? Haven’t they stolen enough from the rest of us that you have to have a tea party because your hearts bleed for the rich…Obama will be LOWERING taxes on 95 percent of us. Why didn’t you have a tea party for Bush when he was stealing our tax money for his cronies and fighting a war that strengthened Muslim extremism worldwide? You people make me sick with your re-writing of history and your twisting of facts. I guess you cons have finally graduated from cutting and pasting to dragging and dropping. What your droppings are I won’t say.
Posted by: steve_detroit | April 15, 2009, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
While a lot of you cons sniff about being victimized by the press for the so-called ‘under-coverage” of your tea party. You people in your right wing voting base make up no more than 27 to 30 percent tops of the population. If ten percent of your 27 percent population base showed up you’d still only account for 2.7 percent of the American population. And you didn’t get anywhere near ten percent show up for your Tea Party. You sure as “H” didn’t get anywhere near the “Million Man March” did you? Maybe the press and most of the public doesn’t care because people elected the Democrats to sweep away undo the damage of the 11 trillion you handed to Wall Street Banks and ‘big warmonger’ corpies who pocketed windfalls. And the war wasn’t even listed on the budget. But now you cons are “straining at a gnat” after you killed the Camel via your last Commander in Chimp. Don’t blame Obama, blame yo’ mama for having imbeciles like you who can’t think or get their facts straight. Party’s over and your “tea party” got voted out. Sore losers and whiners is what you are. Sorry, reality hurts when nobody cares about your “cause”.
Posted by: Dont_Blame_Obama_Blame_Yo_Mama | April 15, 2009, 6:12 pm 6:12 pm
THE NEWS MEDIA IS DECEIVNG THE WHOLE WORLD IN TO THINKING THAT LOW INCOME PEOPLE PAY NO INCOME TAXES. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, “LOW INCOME PEOPLE PAY TAXES.” THIS FALSE PERCEPTION HAS CREATED ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE MIDDLE-CLASS AND LOW INCOME. THE TRUTH IS, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, “A LOW INCOME PERSON MUST HAVE TAX WRITE OFFS TO PAY NO TAXES.” ACTUALLY, “LOW INCOME PEOPLE WITH NO TAX DEDUCTIONS AND NO CHILDREN WILL BE LUCKY TO GET BACK 25% OF THEIR INCOME TAXES.” IT IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE TO SAY, “LOW INCOME PEOPLE DON’T PAY TAXES.” A LOW INCOME PERSON WITH ‘NO’ TAX DEDUCTIONS AND NO CHILDREN, WILL PAY ‘UNCLE’ SAM A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF TAXES, THAN, “A MIDDLE-CLASS PERSON WITH NO TAX DEDUCTION IN THE SAME SITUATION. I REALLY FEEL THE MIDDLE-CLASS SHOULD NOT BE HARSH IN THEIR JUDGEMENT OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE. REMEMBER, “A LARGE NUMBER OF MIDDLE-CLASS AND LOW INCOME ARE ONLY ONE PAY CHECK AWAY FROM THE WELFARE LINE.”
Posted by: Sandy Obu | April 15, 2009, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
Whether you like it or not, to me it looks like the revolution is starting to brew.
________________
The American Revolution. old history.
It’s just like the neoCons and the GOP to keep looking back, reaching back further in history to resurrect some action that they can stir up, that has no basis of application TODAY.
I can’t wait for their clock to turn back to, say, the Greeks.. the Roman Empire. Let’s go back to enslaving others, & feed the neoCons to the lions!
Posted by: historical | April 15, 2009, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
THE NEWS MEDIA IS DECEIVNG THE WHOLE WORLD IN TO THINKING THAT LOW INCOME PEOPLE PAY NO INCOME TAXES.
_________
No media source I’ve read ever quoted this. Why would they? No one who can read, nor in their right mind would believe this.
Is this an item from FOX news?
Posted by: Poor in Missisippi | April 15, 2009, 6:25 pm 6:25 pm
“Of course Obama’s people will want to blame the tea parties on astroturfing”
Because they are astroturf promoted by all the right wing media outlets and funded by right wing groups.
Posted by: Ryan C | April 15, 2009, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
Why ABC thinks The Tea party only joined by the conservatives AKA Repubs?
It’s wrong. Just admit it some Dems people also join this protest. The only thing is they do not tell they are The Dems because maybe they feel ashame that they voted for him.
At my place I know they are some Dems are doing it now.
It’s about spending money not only tax.
Posted by: catleya | April 15, 2009, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
Watched a bunch of people protesting, everything BUT spending and taxes…mostly just anti Obama rally-wheres the birthcertificate and teleprompter people..we all know who they are…don’t have a leg to stand on
Posted by: cowgirl | April 15, 2009, 10:40 pm 10:40 pm
No Buckaroo..they are not all conservitives attending..but some serious “tin foil” people who showed up to protest abirth certificate….anti gay, anarchists, the timothy Mcveys..a fine group to represent america…so glad we got rid of you all before you took this country completely down…
Posted by: cowgirl | April 15, 2009, 10:45 pm 10:45 pm
Nice analogy, Rick. I like it very much. The flowers were going to sprout anyway, nice to have a little food to help them along. We had a great rally here.
Posted by: NPage | April 16, 2009, 12:46 am 12:46 am
The out of control bail outs that don’t fix anything must stop. Its creating a country of lazy people who expect something for nothing. Pull Obama off his pedestal. I’m from the Las Vegas area and his flippant remarks had a major hit on our local economy and hard working Americans/Nevadans are paying the price for his stupidity.
Posted by: Christine | April 16, 2009, 3:40 am 3:40 am
Why is it that those of you on the left want to deny the right to free expression by those with whom you disagree? Does the First Amendment only protect your speech?
Posted by: ProtectFreedom | April 16, 2009, 6:25 am 6:25 am
There was a huge turnout for no particular party. Tea is symbol of unrest due to excessive spending by government, both parties, past and now worse present even worse! News media seems to be ignoring the real grass roots movement here. These people are not from some organized ACORN paid volunteer – they’re from the kitchen, the shop, the office, school and retirement.
I would have gone but I’m recovering from operation. I’m not involved in any “organization” just a patriotic American like the people I saw on TV.
New media is ignoring this for some reason??
Posted by: Bill | April 16, 2009, 8:51 am 8:51 am
Forget it. What I said was not spam. I was talking to the article. I was stating reasons why I did think the Tea Parties were grassroots.
Posted by: George | April 16, 2009, 9:43 am 9:43 am
Excuse me, I meant to say that I was stating reasons for why the Tea Parties were not grassroots. I don’t consider that spam.
Posted by: George | April 16, 2009, 9:45 am 9:45 am
“There was a huge turnout for no particular party. Tea is symbol of unrest due to excessive spending by government, both parties, past and now worse present even worse! News media seems to be ignoring the real grass roots movement here. These people are not from some organized ACORN paid volunteer – they’re from the kitchen, the shop, the office, school and retirement.”
That’s exactly right Bill.
Posted by: lilly | April 16, 2009, 10:40 am 10:40 am
If you all pay your taxes and behave as resposible citezens you won’t be heavily taxed – you will be reaping dividends.
PLEASE BE REAL -You all have consumed beyond what the mind can comprehend while the rest of the World have been looking in asking themselves how they got it so wrong.
The reality is that you are not as wealthy as you thought – it has been the result of false accounting and creative accounting.
Wake up and smell the coffee – I will give you ideas for your next party.
1) Enrol all your participants on Economics 101
2) Seek out all the Tax havens and block all loop holes.
3) Call all ypur past/politicians to account to see how they created their wealth
4) Stop being used as pawns – We are here for roughly Three Scores and ten years – Use your days wisely.
5) Put your house in order.
These are steps I have taken – I work at living within the constraint of my means – don’t have much but I am going to keep paying my taxes for the good of everyone and not just a priviledge few.
By the way I still have a job which I am thankful for and I am an Accountant so I know what I am talking about.
Posted by: Compassionate Capitalist | April 16, 2009, 10:53 am 10:53 am
I’m sure that King George III dismissed the original tea party in Boston as just being a few malcontents and really nothing to be concerned with.
Well you foolish people at ABC just go right on believing what you will as you dismiss what went on yesterday as any serious threat to the Obama agenda.
Just remember King George lost the American colonies, and, King Louis and Marie Antoinette lost their heads when they dismissed the common people’s objections as being nothing to worry about.
Our Founding Fathers said it best:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. … That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. … That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government …”
Adopted by Congress: July 4, 1776
It’s not that anyone wants to over-throw our government, but we just want our government to listen to the people! When we said in large numbers “No” to the TARP and to the Stimulus Plan, we were ignored by our senators and reps who voted against the will of the people.
Posted by: Ed Oldham | April 16, 2009, 11:13 am 11:13 am
Ed Oldham – 1776 – are you that old?
Posted by: Compassionate Capitalist | April 16, 2009, 11:30 am 11:30 am
I attended a “tea party” in the cold and rain; because, as a senior citizen, I see changes happening in our government that scares the bejesus out of me! This discreditable spending of our tax dollars by Congress will enslave generations of Americans who will be working for government.
I will support any elected officials who uphold and enforce the Constitution of the USA. I will not support those who advocate “change” that involves the Constitution, way of life, and rights of the American People!
Since our country is the greatest that the world had ever known, it does not need “change”,but fixing – starting with Congress (Reps & Dems)by ousting of the dishonest politicians who use our tax dollars for their personal agendas.
The fix (change) we need — Our elected officials are to SERVE the American People. ALL of the People.
“WE THE PEOPLE”!
Posted by: Provoked Protester | April 16, 2009, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm