FreedomWorks Behind Tax Day Tea Party Protests

Submitted by John Stauber on

Who makes up the Tea Party movement? The Tax Day Tea Party protest movement is not as spontaneous as its organizers would like you to think. Chris Good writes, "Here is the organizational landscape of the April 15 tea party movement, in a nutshell: three national-level conservative groups, all with slightly different agendas, are guiding it. All are quick to tell you that the movement is a bottom-up affair and that its grassroots cred is real. They are: FreedomWorks, the conservative action group led by Dick Armey; dontGO, a tech savvy free-market action group that sprung out of last August's oil-drilling debate in the House of Representatives; and Americans for Prosperity, an issue advocacy/activist group based on free market principles. Conservative bloggers, talk show hosts, and other media figures have attached themselves to the movement in peripheral capacities. Armey will appear at a major rally in Atlanta, FreedomWorks said. All three groups vehemently deny that the movement is a product of AstroTurfing -- fake grassroots activism organized from the top down -- as some on the left have claimed."

Main Source: 
Atlantic.com, April 13, 2009
Topics: 
Activism
Astroturf
Right Wing

Comments

alex1 replied on

We respect your right to voice your opinion. But I also have the right to say that your opinion is stupid. That's the beauty of freedom of speech.

Anonymous replied on

I've fallen for BS, before, too. It's OK, just try not to let it happen again.

focus replied on

The argument about Bush putting us in a deficit cannot be defended. But, how does the logic behind saying "you only have problem with deficits now that Obama is in office!" make it right? If people on both sides of the political spectrum would see the common ground (gov't over spending = bad for future of country) then you wouldn't be sniping at each other. This simple piece of logic is repeated by Obama and his administration - but people don't see right through it.

The tea parties are a good thing regardless of who's behind it. A lot of people showed up because the ISSUE (not the politics) struck a chord.

Anonymous replied on

Your problem is obvious, the tea parties are effective and this bothers you. I'm an over the road truck driver and organized two events with the help of two of my children. I know you don't like hearing this but it's the truth, I understand that's something you just don't know about. People like myself however do understand how you follow George Soros and his cronies. We are grassroots leaders not followers.

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