What Will This Year's 9/12 Tea Party Rally Bring?

Later today, FreedomWorks will host its second annual 9/12 Tea Party rally on D.C.'s National Mall, built around the semi-V for Vigilante slogan "Remember in November." The headliner of the event in new media sensation Andrew Breitbart and he'll be joined by the Gatlin Brothers (!), Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), former Majority Leader and FreedoWorks jefe Dick Armey (along with his co-author and colleague Matt Kibbe), former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, and more.

For info on the rally, go here.

Reason.tv will be at the event and filing a report as soon as possible after it's over. Here's our footage from last year's rally:

And here's our report on Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally from late August:

Comments

[Frankie Powter]

Personally, I'd rather it were a Pee Party rally. That gets me hot.

These crackers hating on our handsome, caramel colored president, though? Major soft-on.

[John]

Yeah because they would just love this shit if only Hillary were doing it. And if you think it is okay to call these people crackers, I guess you have no problem with calling Obama coon then right?

[Mike Laursen]

It was just a (weak) attempt at humor, John.

[John]

Fair enough.

[Eat my dirty hole]

Are you retarded? I'm fairly certain the comment to which you're responding is a joke.

[Knee Jerk]

Gets him every time.

[Greer]

Can we get a chart or something so we know when someone is being sarcastic and when they're being retarded. There's just TOO much pressure here....

[Greer]

I did know that was sarcastic by the way.

[Nancy Serious]

Are you Pelosi?

[Yonemoto]

Better:

http://jimmsolo.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/a-new-beverage/

[?]

There will be inevitable comparisons with Glenn Beck's Jesuspalooza. This time, will it be all politics and no religion? I hope so.

[Reality Realty]

We libertools should not have fudge-all to do with these peckerwoods.

So, I say, let them make it about Jesus and not building mosques anywhere, let them speak of invading nations unprovoked, and a wall along our border line with armed guards from sea to shining sea, and let's stop behaving as though this Tea Party movement stands for anything related to actual libertarian values.

It was a wishful five minutes, but these are just standard-issue Republican voting conservatives. Give up the dream.

[Heroic Mulatto]

^^^This^^^

[John]

Shut the fuck up you liberal concern troll.

[Mike Laursen]

Jeez, John, are you mean hung-over this Sunday morning or something?

[Tulpa]

I think he had Garret Hartley, Drew Brees, and Marques Colston on his fantasy team.

Like the poor schlub who's up against me this week. I'd be irritable too.

[Mr Whipple]

I can see the little vein in his forehead bulging.

Don't have a cow, man.

[Cytotoxic]

Can't blame him. These liberal concern trolls are really cowardly assholes.

[Slap the Enlightened!]

let's stop behaving as though this Tea Party movement stands for anything related to actual libertarian values.

"Actual libertarian values" meaning the same politically correct shit sandwich our political class has already been trying to shove down our throats for the last 40 years? All they're arguing about is the condiments. A shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich. Why bother with that?

[James Anderson Merritt]

Libertarianism is anything but "politically correct." Boy, have you blundered into the wrong forum!

[Slap the Enlightened!]

I haven't blundered anywhere, pal. Show me an issue where there's any contention between the political class and We the Peasants, and at least 8 out of ten times, the libertarians at Reason will be on the same side as the political class, whether the issue is gay marriage, open borders, or building a mosque at the WTC site.

Why do libertarians consider themselves anti-government, anyway? Most of their political goals are already supported by our political class. It's We the Peasants who have been spitting them out in the street like a bad taste.

If I had to describe libertarianism in one throw, I'd describe it as "Cultural Marxism for Capitalists". It's a token rebellion that serves the same function the Court Jester provides to the King - nicking him around the edges for grins may look racy, but don't mistake him for anything but a loyal subject to the Crown.

[Jesse Walker]

There will be inevitable comparisons with Glenn Beck's Jesuspalooza. This time, will it be all politics and no religion?

You won't find Becky sharing a stage with the Gatlin boys. Not after the unfortunate events related in "Coward of the County."

[John]

Jesse,

I am disappointed in your knowledge of bad early 80s country music. "Coward of the County" is a Kenny Rogers song.

[Jesse Walker]

I know. And it includes the line One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling. They took turns at Becky -- and there were three of them.

[John]

I stand in awe of you knowledge of bad music. Wow.

[?]

That's at least six degrees of awesome.

[Maxwell]

In addition, Kenny Rogers wrote and performed it with ... you guessed it - The Gatlin Brothers (and there's 3 of them in the band). Kinda makes you wonder what he thought of his tour mates huh?

[More like a bowel movement]

I f the three gatlin brothers took turns on glen Becky, then I might be interested in this vacuous bullshit.

[-]

And yet you bothered to comment.

[Jay]

Creeptastic

/Jay

[junior]

Looks like G. Johnson is doomed in 2012.

[Ray]

He's the only 2012 hopeful to show up . . .

[Tulpa]

V for Vigilante

WTF?!

Not OK!

[Ivan]

Why not "V for Vendetta" (as in the movie).

[robc]

Agreed, is Nick like 12 years old?

Its a freaking 400+ year old reference.

[cynical]

Major nerd fail, Jacket, major nerd fail.

[Brink Lindsey]

These people are fakes. They are not like us. It is a lie. Now liberals in contrast are cool. They are like us. We can work with them. If we can just get an all liberal government, civil liberties will improve, the Patriot Act will be repealed, and all of our foreign wars will be over. Trust me. I just know it, especially if we can get a cool Ivy League black guy in the Presidency.

[: )]

You forgot all the cool jobs that they will create.

[Ivan]

and/or save

[Cytotoxic]

[phone]

[pat]

is anyone else concerned by the degree to which so many of the people interviewed @ the 9/12 rally are spouting talking points without much apparent critical thought or elaboration?

as inconvenient as this sounds, the problems that this country is facing are incredibly complex and require complex solutions. "EMG" is not a complex solution; it's a simplistic (and will be a dramatically ineffective) one. this video demonstrates to me the disturbing level of oversimplification and unrealistic expectations that pervades the tea party movement.

[pat]

I hope this year yields more attention to the complications and nuances of our governmental mess.

[John]

No. They are not complex at all. We can either learn to live with a small government or we can become Greece. The solutions are simple. They are just not easy.

[Tony]

The solutions are always simple to the simple-minded.

[Lisa]

I like how you complain about the talking points and lack of elaboration and all you can offer is, 'It's complex. The tea party is unrealistic and oversimplifies.'

[pat]

I concede to this point. I don't suppose that I am immune from the tendency or impulse to oversimplify in political debate any more than protestors with signs or politicians in office (@ CJ). I still remain uneasy, however, about the "everyone must go" sentiment, whoever holds it.

[Hillary Clinton]

Complexity troll is complex

[JOhnny MAckson]

Tautology troll is tautological. It makes sense if you think about, dude. LOL

Jess
http://www.anon-yes-please.com

[CJ]

is anyone else concerned by the degree to which so many of the people interviewed @ the 9/12 rally are spouting talking points without much apparent critical thought or elaboration?

I'm concerned by the degree to which so many of the people currently in office spout talking points without any critical thought or elaboration.

[mad libertarian guy]

This.

Can we be reasonably expected to critically think about anything when all those in Congress need do is look at the letter following the name of the guy who wrote the bill?*

*With the full awareness that it wasn't that guy who wrote the bill, but a bunch of lobbyists and interns with an agenda.

[pat]

i agree with you, mad libertarian guy. i still assert, though, that our inability to fully understand the complexities of legislation is no excuse for simplistic solutions. unilaterally voting everyone out of office is not an answer to this nation's problems... not even the beginning of an answer. it will only add another twist in our already tangled political system.

[Jay]

A black skinned African American male stole scholarship money...

http://www.google.com/hostedne.....AD9I5EHP00

[zoltan]

More like connected politicians give out scholarships to friends and relatives thinking they won't get caught.

Look up Eddie Bernice Johnson--she did the same exact thing.

[JD]

Ethics rules are racist.

[Mosquevite Sandwich]

None of this shit will make any difference until limited government advocates of all stripes start focusing on tax reform: a simple, consumption based tax.

This is reality: Handcuff gubmint?

[John]

A consumption tax would be even worse. No one sees it. It is a secret tax. It would allow the government to raise taxes without anyone noticing it. It is how they got such high tax rates in Europe.

[Mosquevite Sandwich]

Not a VAT tax, dude. You don't think people are aware of sales tax at the retail counter?

[?]

Democrats will complain that it "unfairly targets the working poor," regardless of the fact that rich people buy more things and would therefore pay more. Democrats will demogogue it as "a tax cut for the rich" that we "can't afford." Republicans will "study" it, clamor for more tax cuts, and continue the Democrats' ruinous spending policies. I could be wrong. Who will bet against me?

[J]

I will. I think the democrats would love a national sales tax. They could exempt products that they want people to buy (for whatever reasons, environmental, etc...) They could still exempt people from paying it, through rebates, or other means. Then, they could raise the rates even higher, because eventually, only the rich would be paying them. Kinda like our taxes now, where the bottom 50% pay very little income tax, and therefore don't mind it being raised on the rich.

As for Republicans raising spending, I'm not going to bet against that one. For a short period of time, they might cut back spending in response to the current spending backlash. But, it won't last long.

[John]

Okay. A straight sales tax that replaced the income tax, the estate tax and the capital gains tax would be a great improvement.

[J]

That is pure fantasy. If they did that, eventually, the government would sneak in an income tax one way or the other, then we would have both.

[James Ard]

The visibility of the sales tax is the exact reason why we'll never see it. Government doesn't dare tell us how much it really costs.

[Amakudari]

In Japan, they are required to show the before- and after-tax prices of goods in many cases, and you see the tax on the cash register and your receipt. The US rarely shows the after-tax price, but a) you can see the total tax on your receipt, and b) we could introduce that requirement. (I'd prefer the latter, so people could see how steeply an item is taxed before the register.)

Sales taxes can be the most visible taxes out there.

[Mr Whipple]

Taxes are meaningless in a fiat money regime. Except maybe as a curb against inflation.

[P Brooks]

Austan Goolsbee was on ABC a little while ago, claiming The Bestest President Evar has repeatedly cut taxes on the "middle class" and small business owners.

Assume for the sake of argument this is factually correct; what portion of those nominal cuts actually are realized by the taxpayer, and how much is captured by the various and sundry lobbyists, accountants, tax preparers, attorneys, and other symbiotes who inhabit the taxation ecosystem? And, as long as we're asking, how much was kicked back to the Congressmen and Senators who voted for them?

[Mosquevite Sandwich]

It's the new Hope and Change era: trickle down governomics.

[mad libertarian guy]

The government has a sea of freedom that trickles down to us peons.

[?]

Did you happen to catch David Axelrod's performance on Meet The Press? That man needs to do the right thing and pull a Vince Foster.

[Remote control]

He may be the genius policy wonk behind the scenes (at least that's what he is billed as), but in front of a camera he makes me sleepy. Good thing I got a tv in my bedroom.

[James Ard]

Imagine how much we'd save if we let retailers collect all federal taxes.

[P Brooks]

is anyone else concerned by the degree to which so many of the people interviewed @ the 9/12 rally are spouting talking points without much apparent critical thought or elaboration?

The amazingly dimwitted natterer on MSNBC this morning was interviewing a guy who wrote a "Why Go to College" piece in the NYT (I read it; it was pretty good). She kept asking him, "But how will these kids learn critical thinking if they don't go to college?"

I laughed.

[Jerry]

At least she's honest about kids not learning critical thinking in high school then.

[zoltan]

I recently saw this guy on the Today Show (I'm forced to watch it at work) and he is amazing.

[SIV]

Do you work at a nursing home or a laundromat?

[Warren]

I hope this year Reason will find more RACIST! You really missed the boat on that last year.

[Tony]

new media sensation Andrew Breitbart

You mean discredited Republican propagandist Andrew Breitbart? That one? You'd think tea partiers would look around in their sea of pastiness and wonder why their 'leaders' are a bunch of fat, semi-retarded alcoholics with daddy issues or shrill clinical narcissists in stilettos. Why anyone calling himself a libertarian wants to buddy up with these losers is just pathetic. Yeah, Dick Armey is interested in individual liberty.

I guess it doesn't matter that this is a transparent GOTV operation for the GOP. No alliance is too unholy if it means smacking Obama around, I guess. Yes let's give back the government to the people who RAPED this country and almost succeeded in their endeavor to turn it into a banana republic. They need to finish the job, and they'll do it via a combination of evil (Rove, Armey) and blind retardedness (Beck, Palin). Worth the risk... Obama might raise taxes on millionaires!

[John]

"I guess it doesn't matter that this is a transparent GOTV operation for the GOP."

No it doesn't even if it were true. Tony that is the thing about living in a free country, everyone has a right to have a say even if oppressive little fucks like you don't like it. Thank God you will never have any authority.

[Tony]

Of course it doesn't matter to you John.

As much as I'd like a volcano to erupt in the middle of these corporate buttboys and their idiot zombie sheep, I don't have a problem with them doing whatever they want. I'm just pointing out that this is a Republican vote-getting operation, nothing more.

[John]

Again, who cares? CNN and the the entire big media are nothing but Democratic vote getting operations. Why does that matter? You only scream that it is this or that because you have nothing to say to their points and ideas. You say it is a Republican Vote getting operation like that is in itself enough to indict them. It is only a bad thing if you think Republicans have no right to get votes, which shows what a little fascist you are.

And Republican voting getting operations wouldn't be such a threat to you and your ilk, if the Democrats were not so incompetent and hostile to 90% of the country.

Maybe you should take some of your own advice and wonder why so many people hate you and those like you?

[Tony]

John I realize that your perspective is somewhat murky from inside Matt Drudge's colon, but please spare me this tired old nonsense about how all of journalism (sigh... and academia, science, and entertainment) is part of a liberal conspiracy to oppress you. How about putting down the 90s era GOP talking points and consider for a moment that if all the smart people disagree with you, maybe you're wrong.

[Mr Whipple]

Democrats uh Republicans um Democrats no Republicans Republicrats are the problem.

Vote LP.

[Ray]

Three letters:

W.
A.
R.

No thanks.

[Galileo Galilei]

"consider for a moment that if all the smart people disagree with you, maybe you're wrong"
------------

More importantly, consider that house arrest is a motherfucker

[George Carlin]

Why is being sent to your room considered punishment. That's where all your shit is.

[John]

Tony you have no ability to engage at any intellectual level beyond personal attack. "All the smart people" gave us a second depression and have put us on the road to bankruptcy. You and your ild were right, it is 1932 all over again. You just don't understand that it is Barrack Hoover, not FDR.

[Tony]

John I suppose the economic crisis began on Jan 20, 2009?

This crisis has proved one thing unequivocally: that Republican trickle-dow, deregulatory voodoo bullshit should be put away forever as a serious policy alternative in this country.

[John]

Keep raging against the dying light Tony. Fair or not you and your ilk are getting the blame for it. You will never see another liberal government in your lifetime. And beyond that, you can't tilt at liberal windmills when you are broke.

[Kolohe]

John I realize that your perspective is somewhat murky from inside Matt Drudge's colon

Gotta give props, whomever's playing Tony today got some skilz.

[John]

LOL. The Tony franchise has kind of taken over at the pre-eminent liberal trolling machine since Edward stopped taking his medications and Shrike didn't make bail.

[Xenocles]

"...consider for a moment that if all the smart people disagree with you, maybe you're wrong."

You'd have the foundation of a good point there, if only "all the smart people" were in fact disagreeing.

[Tony]

Xenocles, but it's all of journalism (outside of FOX News) and all of academia (outside of Oral Roberts U, I guess) and all of entertainment (outside of Nascar) that is oppressing John with their giant liberal conspiracy. I'm just asking him to consider that maybe if the whole of the elite is against you, odds are it's not Boobs McGee, FOX News anchorslut, who has all the right answers.

[Tony]

And before anyone accuses me of sexism, I'm referring to Bill O'Reilly.

Hide your falafels!

[Tony]

And before anyone accuses me of sexism, I'm referring to Bill O'Reilly.

Hide your falafels!

[Lisa]

I don't think we can afford to be picky about the kind of people who support small government. If we could, this mess wouldn't exist because everyone would agree with us. I mean, at least these people are doing something more visible than just posting obscure comments on an insular website.

[Spur]

Lot of people at the 9/11 was an inside job rallies yesterday had RPaul signs - spout rhetoric in its own weird way close to small government paranoia that the tea parties display - should we support them? No.

[Amakudari]

Or, more importantly, what happened the last time social, neo-, big business and fiscal conservatives were rallied under the banner of shared values? They jettisoned any semblance of libertarianism the second they entered government.

The only argument I buy for voting in Republicans is increasing gridlock, but our interests are not aligned with their governing style.

[John]

Your interests are not alligned with the Republican establishment. That is true. But I think the Tea Party is attempting a hostile take over. All of the right people in the Republican Party hate their guts.

[TrickyVic]

The republican status quo is being threatened, of course they are not being liked by the right people.

[James Anderson Merritt]

Who's picky? I just ask that they actually SUPPORT small government. For example, getting rid of welfare entitlements while reinforcing the already bloated military and taking "democracy" to foreign lands at gunpoint is still a recipe for growing government, not shrinking it.

[P Brooks]

The visibility of the sales tax is the exact reason why we'll never see it.

Likewise the carbon tax; the last thing those guys want is for you to see a sign on the gas pump every time you fill up which says, "Global Warming Tax, $X.xx/gal" They want that cost concealed (via the complexities of capping and trading) in the outrageous profit of gargantuan evil Earth-raping BigOilCorp.

[sedated]

Mike Pence is speaking. One of the most hard core drug warriors arround. a real crypto fascist. Why is Gary Johnson involved with the tea party right wing extremists.

[SIV]

Because he is a right wing extremist.

[James Anderson Merritt]

Apparently not so crypto. Here is another reason I don't believe the Tea Partiers are sincere about shrinking government. Prior to the actual shooting wars in the middle East, the "War on Drugs" was the biggest justification for property seizure and violation of our rights, and so the biggest threat to liberty at the time. Let's get some practice stopping Wars by stopping this 40+year boondoggle first. After that, stopping the Middle East adventures might actually be -- dare I say it -- a cakewalk?

[SIV]

Try 96 years

[Spur]

What about some coverage of Power to the Peaceful - gets 70,000+ people everywhere - promotes peace - that thing libertarians claim to like and is more cultural than raw ugly politics - something again reason claims to favor...

http://www.spinner.com/2010/09.....-peaceful/

[Spur]

*every year

[dbcooper]

RIP Claude Charbol.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/rip-claude-chabrol,45039/

[dbcooper]

Chabrol

[John]

That is a shame. Breathless is a kick ass movie. The 60s were so much cooler in Europe even though they were all communists. They looked cooler.

[dbcooper]

From his later period Une affaire de femmes was pretty amazing.

[John]

That is a good one. I watched it a few months ago on IFC one night. And Isabelle Huppert is as always quite easy on the eyes.

[dbcooper]

Yeah, I really like Huppert. Whether she's in a eurotrash shocker or a masterpiece she's always worth watching.

[Shmenge]

Breathless was Jeann-Luc Godard, not Chabrol

[dbcooper]

Chabrol helped him make the film.

[Rhywun]

"What Will This Year's 9/12 Tea Party Rally Bring?"

Even more ridicule from every major form of media, followed by further erosion of popular support for any ideas -- good or bad -- the "tea party" supports. Do I win a prize?

[John]

"followed by further erosion of popular support for any ideas -- good or bad -- the "tea party" supports"

Why do you say that? I would say the Tea Party seems to be doing pretty well. They have a higher positive rating than the President these days. No one listens to the MSM anymore except morons like Tony who are going to hate any good idea anyway.

[TrickyVic]

How many of them were tools for Pastor Terry's 15 minutes of fame?

[Cytotoxic]

Very few.

[Rhywun]

Because I think lots of people who might be receptive to libertarian ideas think twice when they hear it coming from the "tea baggers".

[John]

I think anyone who sees it that way is an elitist and will never be receptive to Libertarian thinking. Anytime someone thinks they are a smarter more worthy human being than the rest of the country, they will always fall pray to putting the right people in charge to save the world. Their ego can't help it.

To be libertarian is to have faith in people. If you don't have that, you are not a libertarian.

[Max]

How long has Gillespie had the moron beat?

[Hugh Akston]

Max, you need to stop this obsessive behavior. Nick Gillespie is never going to love you, no matter how hard you troll him.

If you really want a rugged, leather-clad man to heap abuse on you for your obvious inferiority, there are better websites to find one.

[dbcooper]

+1 🙂

[Mr Whipple]

I believe the Blue Oyster Bar is a nice place to hangout.

[TrickyVic]

Frankly, I don't trust the government enough to rewrite the tax code. If they do so it will be done in a manor that favors them.

I prefer to see energy going into the idea of lowering spending, not a new system of paying an outragous sum of money.

[Max]

I wouldn't trust you to wipe your ass and chew gum at the same time.

[TrickyVic]

And the government tool responds.

[-_-]

Max is implying that, due to his germophobia, and despite his eager desire, he doesn't know TrickyVic enough to perform ass-to-mouth.

[Robert]

I don't trust the government enough to rewrite the tax code.

Who else could?

If they do so it will be done in a manor that favors them.

Yeah, those richy-riches.

[TrickyVic]

""Yeah, those richy-riches.""

I'm not talking about richy-rich folks. I'm talking about the government ability to tax. They will not limit themselves and I believe a rewriting of the tax code will favor the governments ability to tax.

[Cyto]

A few events recently have reminded me of the "government shutdowns" of the 90's used so effectively as a weapon by the left the tar and feather the republicans. So much so that I commented about the connection a couple of times here. Well, it looks like someone in the White House saw the parallels too. They've already announced their "shut the government down and blame it on the republicans strategy, even before the republicans take the house.

Great moment from the same White House propaganda blurb:
While the President was laying out bipartisan solutions to continue creating jobs, this Republican Congressman was rallying his political base in favor of his preferred solution

Wow, that takes a great deal of cognitive dissonance to take in. The President, with no cooperation from republicans whatsoever has announced his "bipartisan plans". Oh, and in other news, up is down, black is white, and we've always been at war with Eurasia.

[Robert]

Actually one was in the 1980s and the other in the 1990s. Each time the media managed to pin blame on the Republicans -- in one case the president, in the other Congress. And it seems the major media succeeded in swinging opinion against the GOP in both cases.

[James Anderson Merritt]

Me, I was cheering. Did the country run any the worse for the lack of government?

What I don't get is why people didn't focus on the government employees whose jobs weren't considered "essential" during the shutdowns, and follow-up to eliminate those non-essential jobs once the government was running again.

Other than government employees, the people hit worst by the government shutdowns seemed to be the media, who had little to report, as they had been used to massaging and passing along official statements from government press-secretaries, between cocktail parties. It's too bad that the government shutdowns didn't coincide with "Turn off your TV week." Had that been the case, I'd bet that almost nobody would have noticed.

[mad libertarian guy]

What I don't get is why people didn't focus on the government employees whose jobs weren't considered "essential" during the shutdowns, and follow-up to eliminate those non-essential jobs once the government was running again.

Man, that place sounds awesome.

[jtuf]

I just got back from the Liberty Walk at Ground Zero. It was to promote religious tolerance. There were a couple of bigoted Liberals there, but I guess that is not bad out of a crowd of 1,000.

[LibertyGal]

Fave homemade sign in Reason.tv's vid:
MLK pic: had a dream; Obama pic: We got a nightmare.

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