I'll tell you when I'll take the Tea Baggers seriously

[AllentownJake]

When I stop seeing people in costume and crazy signs on the news. When I see them doing what the past 3 successful GOP candidates in big races are doing I'll be scared of them. Until than, they are the right's code pink in my eyes. 2 out of the 3 last big losses had a Tea Bagger on the ballot. The GOP candidate ironically enough won talking about how independent they were and about change, wonder who they stole that plan from :shrug:

I did a training on demonstrating with a progressive group about a year and a half ago. One of the key things I emphasized to other organizers were

1) Know your crazy people
2) Don't let your crazy people talk to the media
3) Screen the crazy people's signs before an event
4) Don't let your crazy people get creative (i.e. costume or performance art)

The media will latch onto your crazy people, and rinse and repeat, over and over and over again.

[Atman]

1. May not want to make "crazy costumes" your standard

When was the time you saw a big Dem rally that didn't have contingent of crazy-costumed protesters screaming about everything from equal rights for pets to Free Mumia? Sounds a tad hypocritical to me.

[AllentownJake]

2. How many left policies do you see being enacted

If you want to win over middle class voters and independents and convince them you are good for them, the best bet is to not act ridiculous.

If I want to see performance art, I work in a theater part-time, and the professionals are moving and a communicate a message better than the crazy people acting up at these protest. I hate the people that dress up, they kill the message.

[11 Bravo]

3. When they shave their balls?

[niyad]

4. you are comparing the teabag nuts to code pink? seriously?

[AllentownJake]

5. They are about as effective

Code Pink I agree with on many things ideologically, other than making us happy, the rest of the world thinks they are nuts and do not help our cause.

[niyad]

6. the rest of the world thinks they are nuts? where do you get that idea?

[AllentownJake]

7. correction, the US swing voter thinks they are nuts

[ChicagoSuz219]

8. I keep wondering where Monty Hall is... ;-)

[EFerrari]

9. You apparently have no idea who Code Pink is or what they do.

This is the woman you're comparing to those ignorant racist astroturfers.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/174673-4

[anigbrowl]

10. "people in costume and crazy signs"

You mean like code pink or those people on stilts who go to anti-war protests? The tea partiers are discovering that even within a conservative movement there's tension between social and fiscal conservatives. You're always going to have an increase in crazy as to go farther out the political spectrum.