There have been plenty of racist signs and slogans at tea party rallies over the years, but some who've looked at tea party rallies have determined that racist slogans actually aren't all that prevalent. If that's true, it's probably because shrewd political insiders -- FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity -- guided the teabaggers from the movement's early days and urged participants to tone the offensiveness down a smidge.
Those same insiders also provided lots and lots of money, along with networking opportunities and free publicity. And so the tea party became a real force in American politics.
What about newer grassroots anti-Obama movements? Well, they don't seem to be getting the cash and advice. Especially advice:
Hundreds of protesters wielded signs, chanted slogans and argued with each other Tuesday outside Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, while President Barack Obama spoke about housing and the economy inside....What group was behind this protest? It appears to be a little-known one:
Racially-charged sentiment infused the protests and split the crowd....
Obama foes at one point sang, "Bye Bye Black Sheep," a derogatory reference to the president's skin color, while protesters like Deanne Bartram raised a sign saying, "Impeach the Half-White Muslim!"
... “He's 47 percent Negro,” shouted Ron Enderle, a 77-year-old Chandler resident....
A grassroots group with thousands of members is planning nationwide protests August 6 calling for President Obama’s impeachment.The group also has a non-Facebook site. The list of rallies at the site includes a link to a video of this Phoenix protest. (None of the nasty stuff shows up in that video.)
The group, "Overpasses for Impeachment," has gained steam since launching in mid-June and now appears to have a presence on all 50 states....
The organizing has been done mainly via the group's Facebook Page, which has spawned Facebook groups in all 50 states....
The group may have racist elements, but it seem, well, pathetic. The crowd in the video is sparse; the chants are at the level of "Obama sucks!" And when you click from the group's site to its gofundme page, there's this bit of sadness:
Wow ... only $999,076 to go to reach that $1 million goal!
Sparse crowds, racist slogans, and no money. The tea party minus Koch and Fox News would have equaled this.
