Will birther nonsense backlash kill the tea party?

[Sandy]

Even Richard Land can see that continuing to push this birther nonsense will result in backlash that will damage the GOP, and perhaps completely discredit the tea party movement.

There may be a lot of Americans who disagree with Obama's politics. But those who continue to push the birther nonsense will lose all credibility. Trump's chances of winning either the GOP nomination, or the presidency right now are about as good as mine are.

I don't know if releasing the long form of the birth certificate, which is not a constitutional requirement, was the best strategy the White House could come up with, though. I think they should have let the tea partiers and the extremists in the GOP keep up with the shoot-themselves-in-the-foot gig. The White House staff has got to be dancing in the corridors over Trump's announcement that he is running, and that he seems to have a lead in the polls among the GOP. Perhaps the only thing that would do more to guarantee Obama's re-election would be if Trump did win the nomination and named Sarah Palin as his running mate.

[Dave Roberts]

If the Tea Party died in its influence in American politics, I doubt that the diehards in the movement would slow down one bit, even if no one was listening.

[Sandy]

I wish I remembered where the television was tuned this morning when I was listening to it from a distance. In the middle of all of the tornado news, a reporter cited a poll which showed that if Trump were the GOP candidate, he wouldn't get any electoral votes. (Well, he can always hope for South Carolina and Arizona) His appearance in New Hampshire yesterday was so laughable, and his blubbering remarks and actions so idiotic, that he disabled any remote hope he might have had at the GOP nomination.

[Mrs Haruo]

Donald Trump might be surprised to find out he can't buy everything he wants. This is just my own "cranky-pants" opinion, but I think he has a vastly over-inflated delusion of his own importance. He'd be a bad hair day for the U.S.A for sure. I think the whole "birther" movement is mostly a bunch of stupid racists who have their BVD's in such a knot over the idea of a black family in the white house they are desperate for any possible way to discredit the man. With all the problems this country is having with unemployment, gas prices going through the roof, one tornado after another, the health care system in a tangle and these folks are wasting time trying to discredit Obama's birth records??? Get real and quit wasting time that should go to more important problems. Lead, follow, or get out of the way!

[Hal Eaton]

I have opined on this subject somewhere (I've forgotten just where it was), but here 'tis again . . .

The authors of the constitution wrote in the restriction on possible presidential candidates -- that whoever should become Prez, it was required that he be a native-born Amurrican -- because they wanted to be sure than no Redcoats, indentured slaves, or cousins of King George would be allowed to serve.

The stunning absence of statesmen applying for the job now-a-days should possibly make us re-think the constitutional limitation in hopes that a truly qualified person just might have been born outside the narrow confines of our shores.

Oops, Donald Trump disagrees.

The constitution might will have added that horses' patooties shouldn't be considered for the task, either.

[John Sneed]

The tea party movement is about limited government and fiscal restraint. It is not about Obama's birth certificate.

If Trump runs, I know one person who will not be getting my vote. In fact, no one I have seen so far excites me. But on the flip side, I wouldn't vote for a democrat if they paid me.

Which comes back to Obama. It is not his race, it is his politics. I despise both Obama and what he is trying to do. I often pray he will be a one term president. There are a lot of important things to worry about going on in the US right now. And Obama is not the one to figure them out.

That is my opinion, for what it's worth.

[Jim]

[Sandy]

Yeah, that 45% increase in the stock market, which even conservative economists have to admit is largely due to Obama's economic policy, the large returns on the loans that were given to the major banks in trouble, the growth in the GNP over the past two years, and the job growth that is now just starting, after Bush perpetrated an economic disaster, is the work of a political "novice." Obama followed protocol through his Republican secretary of defense in Libya, an action taken in coordination with our NATO allies. I am a little disappointed that Obama was pushed into committing a small air defense force to Libya by Republican agitation and whining. If you've got a problem with what is happening in Libya, take it up with your GOP buddies in Washington, because they are responsible for it.

If Jim's view, and expression of it, is characteristic of the Tea Party, then that ought to make those who are working for Obama's re-election very happy. That kind of rhetoric will make it easy for him to carry all the states he needs to win four more years.

[Sandy]

[Gene Scarborough]

What is the point of all this blather when the economy is still a shambles / fuel prices are wrecking what little recovery has taken place thus far / we are still focusing on Corporate America with help / little or nothing is being done to help small businesses in their 30-70% reduction in income over the last 4 years??????

I think the Tea Party is a cover for white Republicans with a tremendous level of anger. I get their stuff out of curiosity / have attended their first rally here in Eastern NC. It sounds, in name, like "taxation without representation" should be their focus. To change things really there is only one legitimate solution, in my opinion =

TERM LIMITS for all Representatives!
Birther stuff is a distraction for the real issues of over-extension of our military in the Middle East / rediculous cost of petroleum / failure to have our own production working under a free market economy / too little competition in and over-regulated industry keeping any new competition down and favoring the existing fewer and fewer Oil Companies / reduculous numbers of tax loopholes so those who throttle us with prices pay hardly any taxes of support "their war" in the Middle East full of "Cartels and Corruption."

The new outrageously expensive retreats of Dubai might be better made a retreat from American Depression because, by golly us buyers of oil paid for every frill and frolic which, now, only the rich can afford to enjoy.

Do Ya feel a little pain over the rich getting and richer and the working people getting poorer---and pay the taxes?????

[Sandy]

Term limits for all Congress, two for the senate, three for the house, and a set amount for campaigning, generated from the presidential election fund. The problem with partisan gridlock now is that stupid unlimited contribution without accountability thing that the Supreme Court allowed, which basically lets corporations buy Congressmen and Senators in exchange for campaign contributions.

Also, we really need some truly independent candidates running for office. The Republicans have one agenda right now, and that is to bring down any chance of recovery from the recession, keep unemployment high and keep feeding the pockets of their wealthy contributors so that they can bring down the Obama administration. They can only win if the economy worsens. The Democrats are so caught up in their agenda that they don't care what the cost is. The only way this is going to change is if there are truly independent candidates who can get away from the radio diskjockey extremist agenda, and the left wing agenda, and operate on the assumption that they've been elected to protect the people and represent their interests. I don't think there is a single congressman or Senator in Washington today who is thinking in those terms.

[Gene Scarborough]

Sandy---

The things above you cite are absolutely true in my observation! I see no solution short of term limits. We have tried election contribution limits and that has done nothing to quell the excesses of a bought Congress.

The worst thing you cite is that Republicans WANT to see a bad economy to help them in 2012. Is it not bad enough already and we are now going into the 4th+ year of the mess started during Bush and a lack of regulation of the Financial and Investment community. Things put in FOR A GOOD REASON after the Depression were allowed to come back in even though they were totally ILLEGAL!

The most audatious thing I have read in recent months is that higher fuel prices are a result of an improving economy---REALLY!!!! The speculation of that writer was that an improving economy could stand higher prices. What total nonsense to me and others struggling to get to work and pay their basic bills. It is a combination of a Cartel setting prices---totally non-competative---and speculators buying oil a lower prices and hiking it to make more profits. To me this sounds like legalized robbery of the public!

Were there simple competition supply-and-demand along with natural competition would keep prices at the lowest level possible. How is it we are paying for the military forces in oil land and they are not paying for our services. This is one of the greatest costs of government in the last years since Bush got us there in 2002!!! They can't eat oil. We produce the most food of any nation on this earth, yet we are so kind not to form a food cartel to set our prices. It just proves that we are the world's biggest suckers to not return the favor of high prices if the Arabs persist in their gouging of us. We are our own worst enemies to let it go on and on and on.

FDR started bringing us out of the Depression with the Soil Bank. It's help was focused on the largest number of small businessmen in that day---the family farmer. My grandaddy went immediately to pay every business in town he owed. They, in turn ordered more goods because grandaddy had money left. The suppliers immediately called back in their laid off workers to produce more. The same SINGLE DOLLAR epended from taxpayers went to 4 or 5 levels and the economy started to recover. It's not like we haven't been there before. We just were interested in helping rather than hurting one another for the sake of political "success." The only thing which keeps us from soup kitchens and tent cities is the constant spending on Unemployment support we can't afford without further inflation. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary and that will never change!

[Jim]

[Gene Scarborough]

Jim---

It's been a long time since I read such senseless garbage---with the "right" flame words attached = socialism / democrat agenda / etc.

Give me a break and get real. Bush Administration fostered it. Obama has not done half what it could to expedite recovery. Republicans are fostering the disaster for political advantage with no regard to those of us citizens and small businesses suffering under the "caring wisdom."

If horse manure were being sold as perfume, you would lead the sales force!!!!!

[Jim]

[Gene Scarborough]

Common, Jim---surely you aren't that dense!!!!

The approach to the economic recovery by Republicans + stupid Democrats was to dump tons of tax money into Corporations / Autos / Banks / AIG----not a penny of which "trickled down" to the taxpayer who provided it!!!

The approach to recovery is a "pretense of recovery" when everything is being done to prevent small businesses from recovering----grants go to the big guys / both parties are responsible for that kind of stinkin thinkin!!!

I have yet to see anything in the last 4 years (2 Bush / 2 Obama) which went smoothly with a unified desire to really help us with our own money and to quit spending it lavishly on the Defense Industry when we are not under actual attack. We drove the USSR into the dirt with "Star Wars" more about fake weapons than real ones!

The weapon of choice for crime and terrorism is the simple old AK-47 as opposed to high tech rifles of the US. On top of that weapons trade out of the USSR is a backbone of their economy and a hotbed of killing in countries whose opression is lauded by weapons dealers on all sides! This does not mention weapons grad Uranium now who knows where in the world!

War Industry is a money maker for the few and not the many US taxpayers.

Now am I being clear about your empty criticism with not the first concrete way of helping everyone besides those with much money wanting to make more? It's not socialism, but free enterprise which needs the boost!

[Jim]

[Gene Scarborough]

"Common" = come on! It the Southern accent that got you on that one.

I well remember the epithet of "Socialist" applied to FDR when he used taxpayer money to help the poor farmer out of his hole. My Grandaddy Williams was one and he went immediately to pay off all his bills.

Unlike the large and wealthy organizations which have gotten such in the last 4 years, he had no tax advisor / tax lawyer / CPA to find all the loopholes to keep what taxpayers provided.

Tell you are real story I heard just this last week: A home builder here had a pre-sale on a house with certainty and contract to prove it. Guess what????? The banks would not loan him enough to complete it for his customer!!!!!!

That's reality of supposed "trickle down economics." The bank had great figures to show on their reserves, but they would not use the money for anything other than their own benefit!!!

Make sense to you????