That's Sen. Mick Mulvaney making his way back up the steps in the foreground. He had been watching; I neglected to ask him what he thought of the gathering./Brad Warthen
Someone blew that whistle again — you know, that special whistle that only cranky white people can hear — and they came trooping dutifully down to the State House with their snake flags and other paraphernalia, the way they do at the drop of a hat.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day — 72 degrees and 43 percent humidity, the sun just warming and making you feel glad to be alive. So of course they chose to spend it getting together and bitching about how unfair it all is. They’re like that. They’re cranky, as I said.
Apparently, none of them work for a living, which accounts for the crowd lingering past working people’s lunch hours on a Thursday, just basking in the acrimony. Of course, to these folks, this was a holiday of sorts, one they mark faithfully each year. They call it “Tax Day,” which always strikes me as odd, since I’ve always done my taxes (or rather, my wife has always done our taxes) in January. You know, when the W2s arrive.
Unlike most American holidays, this isn’t one for celebrating. It’s a day for griping and moaning. Most Americans don’t do that. Most of us tend to mark days we’re happy about, such as the Fourth of July and Christmas. We only mark things we’re resentful about on Pearl Harbor Day and Sept. 11. But not these folks. They never pass up a chance to get together and grumble.
But as I say, it was a nice day for it, so I walked down to watch them for a time, and I didn’t even feel like taking my jacket off (not that many suits in this crowd, I did notice) until I was halfway back to the office. So I was glad for the exercise. Personally, I think life is fine, and I’m glad to live in a country free enough and affluent enough to waste time bitching and moaning about how awful it is.
So you *can* walk from the Capital City Club to your office….Think of the parking money you’d save!
Seems a rather dismal sort of tea party, doesn’t it? I see no lovely dresses and hats and gentlemen in pale, lightweight suits. Nary a cucumber sandwich to be had–not for ready money!
What are white people coming to these days!
White folks, qua white folks, just ain’t what they used to be…
Why in MY day (hock, spit into spittoon), being white folks MEANT something…
… for one thing, we had our PRIDE — none of this moanin’…
The handle chair things are truly atrocious….in my day, one reserved short trousers for athletic pursuits, too.
I could not help it and took a few minutes out of my lunch break to check it out again. Don’t know why I do this to myself because it depresses me each time I walk across the street to hear the hatred and venom at these things. I guess I do it because I am always amazed that our top elected GOP officials like Sanford, Bauer, Eckstrom and others feel the need to pander to this crowd. It is unconscionable that our top elected officials are endorsing this type of rhetoric. I mean come on… its the Confederate Flag, “Dont Tread on Me”, bizarre Secession crowd. Do these GOP leaders really believe this nonsense? Nicky Haley is featured speaker and openly courting these folks.Could it be worth it to be Gov if you have to pander to this crowd? I love this state and each time I witness a mob like this it reminds me how far we still have to go. Its imperative that we elect leaders of good will who can move this state forward and stand up to this kind of nonsense.
Brad- I saw you taking pics but I was too depressed to chat. Remind me to stop doing this to myself…
Oh please, griping and moaning is the new national pastime. Baseball is so gauche.
I received a call today from Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s office. I listened to a recorded message of him railing against House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi and vowing to be rid of her. Then a staffer came on and asked me if I felt she would uphold the Constitution. I said, “I don’t think that’s the right question to ask me. I don’t agree with her much, but I think she believes in the Constitution.” Clearly not the answer they were fishing for; the staffer said, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion” and hung up.
If they’d have asked if I felt she needed to be replaced, I probably would have said yes.
Boyd… stop doing this to yourself.
Remember, folks, Boyd and I were under surveillance last time we were at one of these things…
“Apparently, none of them work for a living”… so what were you doing there?
What does it matter to you to report about this, people rally weekly and I don’t hear you complaining about them.
Will you write a piece called “Cranky Black People of the world, unite!” at the next MLK Day at the dome?
Somebody’s getting CRAN-KYYYYY…
Oh, and I get paid for this now. Keep up.
No, you get paid to run a couple of ads for city offices. What were you doing at a national political rally?
If I’m cranky, it’s because I read where you’re “Unparty”, or so you want everyone to believe, yet you bash everything the Republican party does and embrace everything the Democratic party does… Joe Wilson, if he met you would say, “You lie”. Brad, admit it… you vote the straight Democratic party behind the curtain.
BTW – You didn’t answer my question about the other rally.
I was at MLK Day at the Dome a few months ago. That event does not even compare to the silliness I witnessed today. MLK Day was about honoring Dr King and celebrating the positive advances this country has made regarding Civil Rights.Their was no yelling about hatred of governmnet, “taking our government back”, or intolerance.Sure some of the speakers called for more social justice and racial harmony. Some of the speakers called for the Confederate Flag to be removed from the front of the State House. The MLK Day at the Dome was a celebration- what I have witnessed at the two tea parties is fear mongering and intolerance.
@ Walter
[sigh]
Yeah, Boyd — if he’d try attending both, I suspect even ol’ Walter would be able to see the marked difference in tone between the two kinds of gatherings.
The constant whining and negativity coming from these Tea Partiers makes me nostalgic for the Confederate Flag rallies that were sort of their predecessors. Those were much more upbeat. Upbeat about some pretty weird stuff, but upbeat.
Walter doesn’t like it that I have fun with these gatherings. Well, how could I possibly resist. The contrast between this beautiful day, and the fact that these people are so free and independent that they can turn out for these things so regularly, with no jackbooted thugs stepping on their necks the way they would do in a country that actually DESERVED their absurd, paranoid rhetoric — how can I possibly do anything but laugh?
And if you think this is what being Republican is about, then that’s really sad. Of course, the GOP is in sad shape right now, and groping about for support in some pretty weird places.
By the way, just for the record, I just counted up in my head how many times I’ve voted each way in presidential elections (which are the easiest to recall) in the last 8 elections — four times for Democrats, four times for Republicans.
And generally speaking, I vote in Republican primaries more than Democratic — because where I live, in Lexington County, that’s the only way you get a choice.
Kathryn, if you don’t like what I have to say… don’t read it.
Brad, do you agree with anything you hear at these rallies? Or do you stand around with a smug look on your face? I’ve never been but it sounds like you’re a regular.
Brad, I have never seen you so snarky. Though I do not as a general rule advocate snarkiness, this was excellent. Just read it out loud to my husband, laughing the whole time. loved it.
A
I just want to know: Is it Partiers or Partyers? I use the latter.
I can see November from my house.
Why do you consider April 15 as an odd choice for Tax Day?
No one is obligated to file before that. Anyone with a modicum of sense will plan their affairs so that they will actually pay taxes with their return. Joyously waiting for a refund of a tax-free loan to the Feds makes no sense.
Brad for someone as sensitive as you were when I made fun of the way you dress (i.e. – bowtie), I couldn’t help but notice you sure didn’t have a problem mentioning how unrefined and undignified these people were for not showing up to this event in a suit and tie the way you did. I didn’t go, but I don’t wear a suit to anything other than a funeral or a wedding, and I’m no country bumpkin, I have a master’s degree, several IT certifications and probably make more than you did at The State. Khakis and golf shirts or long sleeve casual shirts work just fine for me and my clients. People today don’t dress like Ward Cleaver, especially on their days off.
Now I’m going to take a cut, “back to the office”… would this be the same office that is property of a company that you don’t work for or pay rent to use? Is this the office you mooch off of them when you’re not at a bookstore reading books you have no intentions of buying?
What got me were the busses. I was in the area just before 11 because I volunteer at Trinity Cathedral Book Store. I had not been expecting to deal with that messs. But why all the busses. At an MLK rally I understand; that flag we fly tends to attract people. After all, not every state has one. But there was nothing at this rally that was not available in other states/areas, was there? For a short distance (such as pretty much within state) wouldn’t it have been cheaper (by the time you factor in hiring a driver, etc) and more convienient for most people to simply drive, maybe carpool? Were some of the people brought to us from elsewhere? Is there someone(s) bankrolling these gatherings?
Karen, those buses were for the elementary school annual reading event at the statehouse earlier in the morning.
Just noticed this release from the Dems from a couple of days ago. It interested me because I had just met Mick Mulvaney (in the top picture above). Tom Davis had introduced him to me at the top of the State House steps:
I have no idea whether that’s fair criticism or not. I do know that I see no point in replacing John Spratt, who is probably the best representative in our House delegation.
As Walter said, some of those buses could have been for schoolkids. I saw about three separate groups of them touring the State House when I was inside…
And if they were for the Partiers (and Burl, I don’t know which way to spell it), so what? I’ve nothing against folks organizing and taking a charabanc trip together. What I object to is what they do when they get there…
Including the non-school busses? I was discounting those, but I saw at least 2 other busses when I came out at 1. But maybe they were for the kids.
BTW, Many of the people I saw at this gathering appeared to be of age for medicare. Since they’re objecting to taxes and government intrusion into health care, I assume they are all refusing to accept said medicare? Maybe I shouldn’t ask that question tho. When I asked that question to 2 people whom I know, who are of tea-party type persuasion and are medicare age, they got all huffy.
Told you. They’re cranky.
@Walter–it was I who scoffed at their apparent lack of Tea Party style–it was a joke. (I guess humor is also an Elites value.) Then I got snarky about the handle chairs and shorts–not nice, but then again niceness is not their strong suit either.
I josh and jibe at Brad a lot, but he knows and I hope everyone else knows that I hugely admire him–and like him. I’m not at all sure you aren’t just being nasty when you snipe at Brad.
Hey, Brad–I think your blog timer is still on Standard Time.
> Since they’re objecting to taxes
>and government intrusion into
>health care, I assume they are all
>refusing to accept said medicare?
You can’t refuse Medicare or Social Security even if you want to.
I would gladly opt out of both if I could.
I trust my good sense over the government’s lack of same.
And spare me the “Oh, but too many people are too stupid to be responsible for themselves and that’s why we need to take money from everybody and distribute it to them so we can make sure those ignorant people don’t do anything stupid.”
A forces B to give money to C so C will vote for A. A great system if you’re A or C.
@Doug–I thought you had to apply for Medicare and Social Security benefits.
Kathryn,
I can’t refuse to participate in either one, can I?
All I want is the option to choose whether to participate or not. If the government plans are so good, it shouldn’t be an issue, right?
No thinking person can examine the details of Medicare or Social Security and come away thinking either system is fair or solvent.
“I can’t refuse to participate in either one, can I? ”
If by participate, you mean “not pay FICA” –sure. This brings us back to the evergreen debate about Taxes: fee-for-service or price-of-living-in-a-just society.
I have paid plenty of Social Security taxes that I will likely never collect on–I will get more as my husband’s spouse because of when and how I have worked. Medicare may be obsolete (please, Jesus!) by 2025 when I am 65, because we have a government-run system for all.
I’m glad that poverty among the elderly has been ameliorated. I don’t want to live in a society where the improvident eat cat food, and I speak as a “provident” person.
> I’m glad that poverty among the
>elderly has been ameliorated. I
>don’t want to live in a society
>where the improvident eat cat food,
>and I speak as a “provident” person.
Better start taste-testing Whiskas and Little Friskies because if you live to 80, by 2040 there won’t be enough workers to pay you the Social Security you’ve been promised. The way Social Security is set up requires a workforce that significantly outnumbers the recipients. With the Baby Boomers retiring and life expectancy increasing, the model breaks unless:
a) taxes are raised
b) benefits are cut
I’m not counting on Social Security. No one should. It’s supposed to be a minimal back-up plan, not an all around retirement plan, any more than Medicaid is a full service health program or WIC provides snacks.
Two observations.
Back in ’65, my grandmother, after hearing some of the earliest cat food stories, remarked “Those people don’t need more money, they need to learn math. Have you seen the price of cat food?”
Saw a bumper sticker down in Fairfax today: Libertarian. The Tea Party for the thinking Man. (Out-of-state plate, though)