The tea parties are an expression of the fear that many whites have over the slowly decreasing privileges of whiteness. Obama hatred and suspicion is simply a symbol of that anxiety. America is changing and it scares the hell out of many whose access to opportunity was previously assured by skin color.

I love how they found two non-white people to add to the video to make themselves seem diverse. That black dude with the beard--I believe I saw one of his youtube videos. It was posted by a known racist white woman on a TV show forum before the election. The black guy was ranting crazily about how Michelle Obama looked like she might beat someone's kids and Palin looked "nice". The racist white woman who posted it said "I love black conservatives." I explained to her that wasn't a black conservative--that was a "Tom". I also told her that blacks are in large conservative but they know when people dont like them. I told her good luck winning the election under a party that alienates black people because they will never vote GOP in large enough numbers to help them. Then we won. :)

These tea-party protest are a joke!If these folks are so pro-patriotic and pro-republic, where were their protests when G. Dubya Bush was in office! This goes for the comparisons to Hitler or Stalin!Yes, their is corruption and waste of money inC.C. But alot of that happened on Bush's watch!I am not sure race is the only thing, but it is a heck of a factor!

I hear ya Carmen and I appreciate the steps you are taking to stand in the gap for kids. I am equally displeased when the fiscal conservatives enact policies that seem to trample people under foot. The state is a one step above the worst case scenario.

The last election proved your last point. As for me, I am a social conservative and with somewhat moderate fiscal leanings. You know the terminology is giving way when you have to define your own 'label'! Anyways, as always thanks for a good discussion!:-)

Carmen, on the handshake - point to you. Apart from language far below your standards on the one post, they do show a long history of such foreign relations. And yes, recalling Richard Wurmbrand's account in "Tortured for Christ", of life in a Communist prison, they were disheartened by a lack of Western intervention (I doubt he saw the pictures). What is disconcerting about Obama and Chavez is that most believe their political ideologies are the same. I haven't seen anything to indicate different.

As for Bush/Cheney's consolidation of executive power - I agree with you. Obama is not slowing that down or stopping it. He is actually building on it and accelerating. What I heard was common at the protests were signs of Bush and Obama side by side with the caption "Dumb and Dumber".

I will have to listen to the crowd speeches again. I heard one lady say some things that were not right. But again, I am not especially surprised by that nor am I going to jump to the conclusion that they represent tea parties that were 'too numerous to list' around the country. You know my position, and we have interacted enough I think for you to know it isn't about my suffering from extreme color arousal disorder.

On Sanger, I thought you would have written on that topic as well - just couldn't find it in the search. I'll look harder.

Without debating abortion here - you cannot ignore that as an incendiary issue for conservatives in this country. The truth is - little has actually changed legally with regard to that in this country whether an R or a D has been in the Oval Office. Obama who said he wanted to bring people together has taken such an extreme left stance that you could not expect a different reaction from many people. Not racism, deep concern for the sanctity of life - yours truly being one of the concerned, now labeled an 'extremist'.

Carmen I don't understand your stance on abortion but I can't believe that you agree that leaving babies targeted for abortion but that are born alive should be left on a table to die alone in a hospital. Obama not only does, he defended the practice. That I suspect is why he believes it is above his paygrade to say when a baby gains human rights. That is the incendiary issue for many, add the leftist political ideology and the reaction is very, very predictable. But racism isn't the fuel.

Hey Z. Here is where we agree:
I am disappointed that Obama who promised a less divisive climate has done some thing in the opposite direction. For a moment last month, the pitch of class anger really disturbed me.

I am against late term abortions. During a story I did for ABC, I got to see a 12 week old aborted fetus. It looked like a mini-baby. I have never been faced with the prospect of having an abortion. I don't believe I could do it. But I will defend the right of every woman to make that decision for herself. Further, I am spending more and more time working with community organizations and working to create positive educational options for underserved youth. And I and slowly getting into working with kids in our penal system. Most of them have been in state care at some point. I say to anyone who opposes abortion, work to change America's priorities in terms of how she takes care of children who have no one to take care of them. When the state of those services improves dramatically, then you will find many moderate allies. Still, with all I have said here, I don't expect you to understand my stance on abortion. That's okay.

I was disappointed by the "above my pay grade" comment too. My husband thought it was exactly right. But what social conservatives may be missing is that many fiscal conservatives are social moderates. Meghan McCain is gaining traction among the Conservatives I know personally.

Carmen, where did you write about Sanger and abortion?

(If it was in this thread, sorry I missed it . . . )

Hi Macon d. Here is the bit on Planned Parenthood, black preachers and then Presidential candidate Obama - http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2008/07/01/pla...

I thought I'd written it on AAR. gettin' old. ;)

Carmen, I think you have two posts here. One dealing with the nature of the Tea Parties, and one dealing with the similarities of the Nazi solidification of power over the course of just 2-3 years after Hitler won by a small slight majority and the steps being taken by the Obama administration. Oops, did I give indication of my concerns there. There is reason people watch the first 100 days - they set the direction of what is to come. Obama had not achieved anything prior to this office beyond holding office. He has done as much as he can to move us in the direction that at least half of America rightly fears, before the 'honeymoon' wears off. The Obama administration knows that eventually the illusion of being anti-Bush will wear off, as most of the policies that angered both liberals and even conservatives are being expanded, not reversed (I not a sold-out Bush fan either).

I haven't gone back through the histories, but I would be willing to bet no president has brought more scandal over appointments to the white house.

As for being an advocate for human rights, our nation, while not perfect, has been the most influential in global politics, which is reflected in the long, long lines of those desiring to immigrate here. The following is simply one article I read today demonstrating the cost of Obama's lack of wisdom in foreign affairs: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124044123114545...

As for Hitler comparison and 'crazy' - Hitler used the media and the power of his office to make any criticism of him an attack on Germany itself and racism was a key tool. Obama uses the media masterfully and a 'pseudo-antiracism' is a key tool being used to silence opposition. But you are right, at this point, saying Obama is Hitler is premature. I did think the video was hilarious. It would be more appropriate to say Obama is like Hugo Chavez. I would say Fidel Castro but he came in with a revolution. Chavez came in and systematically changed their system of government so that he could be 'the will of the people' forever. End result pretty much the same. What happens to those holding other ideologies is what will determine whether Obama is indeed like Hitler or Stalin.

And I haven't yet touched on Obama's all out assault on the sanctity of life within his first 100 days. I'll wait until you post on the overlap of racism and Obama's beloved sponsor and 'human rights' group Planned Parenthood. Margaret Sanger founded it with the principle of eliminating the unfit (minorities fell under that category) and based on the disproportionate number of black americans eliminated each year - it appears right on its barbaric track. I guess that is one way to address poverty - but that is a barbaric change that does not give me hope. Call me crazy.

Carmen, in a previous post you asked for examples of accusations of racism. In that post you, I believe, insightfully pointed to the apprehension about being called a racist being a factor. I think you should explore that - specifically how the liberal left benefits from this apprehension. I believe that the liberal left not only does not really combat racism - they use it for their benefit. As long as they can create the illusion that all Republicans are white and by default racist, overtly or covertly, they command the vote of the majority of black americans. By keeping this tension heightened and the focus, black americans are distracted from the fact that democrats have not made anything better for black americans when they have had power in their hands.

I watched all of the videos you posted. I second what Mike J. said about ACORN tactics. I have no reason at all to believe those two examples were anywhere representative of the entire movement and also hold out the very likely scenario that they were there to discredit the movement. In both cases there are not numerous protesters like them, the camera is focused on them and them alone. In the videos where many people are shown - there is NO evidence of this kind of display.

Macon D., I appreciate your question. I certainly would have been uncomfortable in the presence of such signs. However, freedom of speech does make it difficult for tea party protesters to say 'get out of here with that sign!' Also, it is not an accurate comparison. There is a world of difference between a few individual protesters saying something and a high profile democrat driven political campaign organization producing and running the ad. Also, I am pretty sure Bush's ratings were still very high in 2003.