Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Like most people it's my nature to avoid confrontational situations. I prefer to spend my time and energy on activities that support my own liberal philosophies. However as an Independent voter it is a responsibility to acknowledge and try to understand differing ideals. With this in mind the Tea Party National Convention caught my attention.

With statements like "America is ready for another revolution" and "Take back America" they sound powerful. But what are they taking back, what needs to be revolutionized? CNN reports on the key note speech by Sarah Palin show she received a standing ovation as she held President Obama's feet to the fire for the economy, the Iraq and Afganistan wars and health care reforms. Palin To Tea Party All issues the current administration did not create. Yet the Official Tea Party web site, 1776 Tea Party, claims as their platform "recapitalizing failed businesses and creating jobs, provide affordable health care and 21st century education" which are all objectives Obama claims. So what are the Tea Party solutions? How will we pay to recapitalize these businesses when they say the free market will prevail? How do we provide affordable health care and not have "socialized medicine"? How do they propose we get out of war yet keep fighting until we win? I can see the power of their anger yet I don't see anything else uniting their movement. No new ideas, no action but tearing down anyone else's attempts. They fear the Republican Party hijacking their movement yet they claim Republican Scott Brown's election as their own victory. Even as Sarah Palin's speech touts the strength of real American's taking action, the founder Dale Roberts calls Palin a turncoat who's "well delivered speech and attractive demeanor is little more than a veneer for her less attractive political philosophy." While I stand by my principle of considering differing points of view I'm still waiting for a cohesive idea from these folks.