Reflecting On the Tea Party

OK...I've been thinking about this for a while, so I'm going to try and get my thoughts down on "paper."

The Tea Party makes me nervous. There...I said it. I feel better already.

I'm a pretty conservative guy...OK...I'm a REALLY conservative guy...but there's something about the Tea Party that really sets me on edge.

Why did they get to do their own official response to the State of the Union Address last night? Are they setting themselves up as a new political party? And who's the money behind these guys really? Just a few of the more recent questions that I've had about this "group."

I keep remembering a quote from Sinclair Lewis from back in the 1930s or 1920s...I forget. Lewis wrote, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

I think Lewis may have been prophetic...and that scares me.

I can see how a group like the Tea Party could be commandeered by some ultra right-wing crazy (to be fair I believe there are left-wing crazies out there too. Just not many left-wingers in the Tea Party...at least not openly)...and if he was charismatic enough...they'd all get sucked in like lemmings...and many of the rest of us would probably jump on board too.

America these days is not generally a bastion for thoughtful people...it pains me to admit that, but most of us are far too easily swayed by the loudest, most passionate voice of the day.

I mean...think about it this way...Adolf Hitler didn't come to power in Germany because he ran on a platform of annihilating the Jews, invading all of Europe, and starting World War II. If memory serves, he basically ran (remember, Hitler was popularly elected) on a platform of nationalistic fervor, and a better economy for Germany. Kinda makes you go hmmm....at least a little.

Anyway, maybe I'm being overly cautious, but something about that group just doesn't ring (always) true to me...

OK...just needed to get that off my chest.