Is anyone still laughing at the Tea Party?

We shouldn't be, not with the addition of Christine O'Donnell's Tea Party win in the Delaware Senatorial primary and Paladino's gubernatorial primary win in New York. The only question now is: Will the current semi-three party system we've been experiencing since Obama's election (Democrats, Republican and the Tea Party) return to two in November? Will the GOP (the same GOP who, right up until the polls closed in Delaware, were doing their own 'robo' calls AGAINST O'Donnell)  dissolve all appearances of ever being Moderates and embrace the Tea Party as their own in order to win in 2012? 

I say yes, that's exactly what will happen and, as a result, I predict huge losses for the Democrats in November. HUGE. Gigantic. Which means horrible losses for America.
 
Why horrible? Why would that be so unbelievably scary to this writer? Is there really anything wrong with ousting the old timers; the men and women who have held their seats for years doing nothing but bow to their owners, Big Business?

In this particular case, the answer is yes - because it's not an issue about power, politics or money, O'Donnell's race proved that. She had 10% of the amount of campaign funds that her fellow Republican (a man who has never lost a race and is considered a moderate and fair Republican) had to defend his seat. And now, she's going into the race for the Senate against her Democratic opponent with $20,000 in the till (that will undoubtedly grow between now and November - unless she continues to do what the Republican party has accused her of, namely using campaign funds for her own use). And yet - she won. 

They're all winning - because at the core of their movement is something more powerful than money - and responsible for more death and destruction in Earth's history: Religion.

And that's the problem. 

Yes, people are tired of Republicans and Democrats, of the lies, compromises, and the political crap, so never has there been a better time for a semi-third party based on "God, country and We the People" to step in and fill the void. And on the surface, it sounds wonderful, excellent...except....

Yeah. Except.

The Conservative Religious Right has found a stronger voice in the Tea Party  than even the most savvy pundit could have predicted. And if they do indeed win in November and then in 2012, the separation of Church and State will disappear - and the very thing our forefathers feared and tried to keep from happening, will. 

The right to worship as we please (or not, as we please) will disappear in laws based on what the Fundamentalists and their version of Christianity want. And their version will be set gay rights, the Civil Rights Movement, the ADA - and many more rights won in our lifetime - back to the dark ages.
 
IF DADT is repealed before November (it won't stand a chance after), the celebration will last until January, 2013, when the Tea Party President takes his or her oath of office (I'm betting on Glen Beck and Sara Palin) and replaces DADT with something far worse. Something like, "You WILL be asked and you WILL tell and if you lie and make it into the military, you WILL end up in prison followed by a dishonorable discharge." All gay rights currently available - will die (and if Christine O'Donnell has anything to say about it, masturbation will be illegal [sic]).

Even as I watched the news reporting on the September 14th primaries, the pundits on the left were still laughing, still refusing to take this seriously. For God's sake, Paladino WON his primary.  

Paladino.

Voters ignored the proven fact that he used government money paid to him through his business to run his campaign, ignored his sexual escapades, perversions and racists remarks and beliefs - and chose instead to listen to the Tea Party defense and endorsement. So how does one explain how a party based on strong religious mores could endorse and vote for a man like that? Simple: Denial and, as they've been doing since Obama won, listening to lies in the form of disclaimers followed by outlandish accusations against anyone who spoke ill of their candidate.

There's a famous scene from the movie, "The American President" which I think is very current for today's politics - and which should be engraved above the entrance to the Capitol Building and the walls of the White House (obviously in a different format *wink*). The scene comes near the end of the movie where the President (Michael Douglas) is having an argument over his Republican (one who is very similar to the current group of Tea Party members, btw) opponent, Bob Rumson (played by Richard Dreyfus). In the scene, the President is talking with his Chief of Staff (Martin Sheen) and his speech writer, Lewis (Michael J. Fox). Michael J. Fox's character says something to which Martin Sheen's responds:

"The President doesn't answer to you, Lewis."

"Oh, yes, he does," Lewis answers. "I'm a citizen, this is my President and in this country, it's not only permissible to question our leaders, it's our responsibility. But you already know that, Mr. President, because you have a deeper love of this country than any man I've ever known, and I want to know what it says to you that in the past weeks, 59% of Americans have begun to question your patriotism?" 

To that, the president says, "Look, if people want to listen to Bob Rumson--" at which time, Michael J. interrupts with these golden words: 

"They don't have a choice. He's the only one talking. People want leadership and, in the absence of genuine leadership, will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership, Mr. President. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."

The above is where we are now. The only ones talking are the Tea Party candidates and they're using all the right phrases and words - like Patriotism, God, Country, We the People, and "It's time to take back our country!" (I can't help but wonder from whom). And the Democrats? The Republicans? Nothing. They're all saying nothing and, in all reality, neither is our President.

Of course, what was even scarier in the movie than the lines spoken by Michael J. Fox's character - were the lines written for the President's response:

"Lewis, we've had Presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty, they drink it because they don't know the difference."

I'd hate to think we don't know the difference between the real thing and the mirage, but these primaries have certainly proven that in the absence of true leadership, the people will be drawn to the ones doing the talking and using the right buzz words. And yes, they'll follow the mirage anywhere it leads.

At the end of the movie, the President finally decides to step up to the microphone to say what needed saying about his politics and his opponent.

In 2008, Americans did the same as they rallied in a way they'd rarely rallied before. We went out in record numbers and, united, Democrats and Republicans voted for our first black President. But where are those voters now and, more importantly, where will they be in November? 

Polling results from the primaries to-date show they're nowhere to be found. Republicans have outnumbered the Democrats in almost every primary so far and in several primaries, showed up in record-breaking numbers.

So the question now becomes: Can we do it again? Can we change the current tide, or is everyone too afraid? Too tired? Has all the crap filling the airwaves squeezed the intelligence right out of our brains and confused us beyond reason? 

If so, it's time to shrug it off and act with the power of OUR words and OUR vote. 

And it's time for our President to step up to the microphone.