Pure, beautiful insight on the Tea Party

Nate McD wrote - and I grabbed it, because it is just so perfect.

"The GOP was only ever a control-lever employed by the power-brokers of American commerce to exert control over the political system."

"But some select interests (Kochs, et al) who wanted government to be more responsive to their demands, unable to jigger that control stick to do their bidding, hacked the machine by creating the Tea Party as an alleged grass-roots movement. They created the Tea Party with the fiction of it being a 'leaderless' organization that was reacting to the outrage of the nation...

They thought they could control the mob using the same invisible purse-strings they manipulated politicians with, but the mob bought the 'leaderless' fiction and once they built up a head of steam, broke free of the strings and went on a rampage. Like all mobs though, a charismatic appeal to their base instincts was able to take control... Thus Trump Drumpf.

We can't change the course of history, but we can learn from it and adapt. Progressive organizations need to have more presence and make positive cases for the existence of the programs that the Right reviles. ACORN was ground to meal and scattered on the wind. Sure, it continues on as a myriad of smaller and even more underfunded organizations, but those are now even easier to prey upon if and when they are noticed. Planned Parenthood is fighting for it's existence now, as the steady push against it has become a full borne assault. Voting Rights are currently crippled and under continued threat. Affirmative Action is being challenged and hangs in the balance now; and so on."

"Democrats, Liberals, Progressives... the leaders and organizations must begin making positive cases going forward and engaging with more people to join in the fight. Waiting for the people to join of their own accord will only turn out pallbearers and mourners. "