Grassroots turned to Corporate Astroturf: The big money behind American conservatism

[Mane]

With a simple and elegant audiovisual presentation, NPR just demolished this whole idea that the Tea Party/GOP at large are for the people, by the people.

[url]http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130845545?[/url]

Click on the three play buttons on the right to make sense of the chart.

Hot damn.

[Jack_Thompson]

Was expecting badage boys, disappointed.

[not_Morph53]

Thank you, captain obvious.

[BURN DOWN]

I don't see how this invalidates the Tea Party in any way.

[Mane]

[QUOTE=BURN DOWN;25683075]I don't see how this invalidates the Tea Party in any way.[/QUOTE]

Are you familiar at all with their rhetoric?

[realmgen]

Pancakes really do taste great!!

[BURN DOWN]

[QUOTE=Mane;25683083]Are you familiar at all with their rhetoric?[/QUOTE]

Yes, I am.

[Mane]

[QUOTE=BURN DOWN;25683133]Yes, I am.[/QUOTE]

...So what's the problem with connecting the dots?

[BURN DOWN]

You're implying that the funding they receive invalidates what points they attempt to make.

[Mane]

[QUOTE=BURN DOWN;25683208]You're implying that the funding they receive invalidates what points they attempt to make.[/QUOTE]

No, it perfectly explains the points they are attempting to make and the policy positions they hold. Why else would a party for the lower and middle class end up being so anti-lower/middle class?

However, it [i]does[/i] completely invalidate their rhetoric that they are a grassroots campaign for the people, by the people. They can't have it both ways.

[BURN DOWN]

[QUOTE=Mane;25683389]No, it perfectly explains the points they are attempting to make and the policy positions they hold. Why else would a party for the lower and middle class end up being so anti-lower/middle class?

However, it [i]does[/i] completely invalidate their rhetoric that they are a grassroots campaign for the people, by the people. They can't have it both ways.[/QUOTE]

You're saying that they can't receive funding from private organizations who see benefit to themselves in their goals, or they have no validity.

And I don't see how the Tea Party is anti-lower/middle class.

[Mane]

[QUOTE=BURN DOWN;25683481]You're saying that they can't receive funding from private organizations who see benefit to themselves in their goals, or they have no validity.[/quote]

They can do all of that, but they need to explicitly show who is funding them and how it isn't some grassroots campaign started by noble, white Americans trying to take their country back from women, Latinos, Muslims, homosexuals, and minorities in general.

[quote]And I don't see how the Tea Party is anti-lower/middle class.[/QUOTE]

The corporations are doing a great job it seems then.