Conservatives from around the country have congregated in Washington, D.C. this week for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). It’s an opportunity to hear some great speakers on the topic of conservatism, get a chance to shake the hands of presidential candidates, and meet and greet other political activists.
Of course, these days, wherever conservatives gather, there’s sure to be a crowd of unwashed hipsters there to beat drums and protest capitalism because it’s way no fair that anyone should have to actually work for a living.
On Friday evening, a couple hundred Occupiers set up camp outside the Marriott (where the event is being held) to taunt us conference-goers. “We are the ninety-nine percent,” they shouted at people just trying to make their way back to their hotel. “We want the same things you do!”
Unless they want them to take a shower and get a job too, no, we don’t want the same things.
The Occupy protests have been compared to the Tea Party movement, but the two things have little in common. I’ve participated in the latter, and have witnessed the former, and the only thing they have in common is the fact that there are people there.
The first thing you’ll notice is the difference in the law enforcement present at the two rallies. Tea Party events have the stray cop or two, milling around just in case anyone gets a little too rowdy. They usually end up being really helpful in directing traffic or giving directions. Occupy events have a multitude of cops – in riot gear. They are helpful in keeping the peace.
The attendants are a little bit different too. Tea Partiers represent a broad cross-section of American demographics. Grandparents, babies, blacks, whites, men, women … you name it, they’re there. Go over to Zuccotti Park, and you’ll find a majority of white kids under the age of 30.
Their goals are different. The Tea Parties are gatherings of people that want to share ideas on how to get the government off the back of business so that we can get America to work again. The Occupiers hate the police, but want the government to pay all their bills. I wonder if anyone’s told them that the government sent the police.
The Tea Party has been demonized in the media. Occupy Wall Street has been praised by President Obama.
They are not the same thing. As online conservative activist said in a speech at CPAC as the Occupiers swarmed outside, “There are two paths … one is America, the other one is Occupy.”
Image via Glyn Lowe Photos/Flickr
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Comments 67
You must have forgotten the elderly woman who was pepper sprayed as well as were the orderly protesters at UC Davis. I'm old enough to remember Bull Connors and the murders in the south. Some things never seem to change. Your party has changed from the party of Lincoln and even Eisenhower to something hateful I don't recognize. And don't tell me the Democrats were responsible for the evils of segregation - I know that and I also know that after LBJ pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the southern Democrats switched sides..
I watched (while holding my nose) some of CPAC and the shots of the almost all white, middle aged, conventioneers who long for "freedom" while denying it to anyone who isn't just like them..
Let's see. You have Mitt (will the real Mitt please stand up), Newt (who never met a wife he didn't like), Rick (too extreme to even hold on to his Senate seat) and Ron (the kids love him because he supports legalization of pot and they haven't bothered to read the rest of his crazy agenda). What a crew.
Are you a 70 year old man? Is your name Red Forman? Or does it just make you feel super special and super smart to use ridiculous cliches like "take a shower dirty hippy!" "get a job!"?
It's hilarious that you just pull stuff out of your ass, and you don't even try with your sources! :)
I remember here in Seattle, some "occupiers" "occupied" some poor guys vacant house. Dumb a$$es
Hey HotIced? You got a little brown Jenny on your nose.
You'd think the occupy movements would realize that sitting on their butts all day and complaining about how "terrible" everything is isn't working. Why not get up and get a job? Talk to your congressman? Effect social change? Instead of taking up public space, creating a mess, and wasting taxpayer dollars?
News articles ahead of the CPAC event indicated numerous lobbyists would be attending, therefore, many people weren't attending. CPAC represents the wealthy of all ages; the Tea Party is a conservative group whose members have been quoted as being racist toward African Americans, going so far as being members of the KKK. President Obama has distanced himself from the Occupy group as they represent various ideologies, one being the 99% of which I am a part, as opposed to the 1%, of which the writer is obviously a part. As far as lobbyists go, they tend to make large donations to the GOP, of which the Tea Party is a part, which makes the Senators, Representatives, etc. beholding to them in their voting in Congress. For these reasons, I do not agree with CPAC, the Tea Party, the GOP, and any other group who feels the 1% should not help support this country with the same tax rate that most of us pay. As an American, this is wrong for people to lose their homes while the rich get richer by sheltering money in foreign countries and not supporting their country.
For all of you who think that the Tea Party is "rich white men", here is a Gallup Poll from March 2010, showing that, "Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics".
Hey HotIced? You got a little brown Jenny on your nose.
Oh, look - feedback from one of the cellar dwellars! Does your mom know you're online?