Monday, September 19, 2011

Tepid Tea

The so-called Constitution Day Tea Party Rally on Saturday in Wilkesboro was a bit of a bust. It was touted beforehand as the greatest mash-up of super-patriots evah: "The Boone Tea Party has banded together with four other High County [sic] tea parties to host the biggest Tea Party Rally in the area...."

Organizers acquired (rented?) the 1,100 seat Walker Center of the Wilkes Community College for the event and dangled various other enticements: "over 20 dynamic speakers, rousing music and a family-oriented time."

They promised -- and delivered -- Congresswoman Virginia Foxx. Sen. Dan Soucek was there. Rep. Jonathan Jordan was there. Watauga County Commissioners David Blust and Vince Gable were there. One attendee told us that elected officials and candidates for office probably accounted for 20% of the 300 people ("maybe, at a stretch") in attendance. It was a small crowd in a big space.

Given that turnout, Congresswoman Foxx might be overheard to pout: "Do we have to keep kowtowing to these people?"

at

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:08 AM

    So, going by your figures, a local Tea Party event produced a third as many participants as your side could produce after advertising nationally for a protest on Wall Street in New York City. Sounds like we had a successful event even by your standards using your skewed data.

    ReplyDelete
  2. brotherdoc12:42 PM

    A: Irrelevant comparison. Considering the size of the arranged venue and the number of high-ranking notables assembled, not to mention advertising even on billboards, it's hard to spin the Tea Party's event as successful. Clearly a much larger crowd was expected. Why didn't they show? High price of gas? Too many of the elderly discouraged by the TP's repeated insistence on cutting Medicare and Social Security? My guess is as good as yours....

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Teahadist1:52 PM

    Anonymous,

    No need to rub it in. ;) Even liberals can do enough math to know what those two numbers mean.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4:48 PM

    I don't like the Tea Party but the local paper noted 600+ attended the event.
    http://www.journalpatriot.com/news/article_273ede50-e2e2-11e0-a5c5-0019bb30f31a.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous7:07 PM

    Well, actually, I was there. In all honesty, 600 is too high. I'd say there was about 350.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7:17 AM

    It is doubtful if the media reps knew of the events in the adjacent auditorium, where several hundred more people were. I was there from the mid-morning til the late afternoon. There were far more than the estimated 600. One organizer said the figure was more like 1,000+. The Tea Party was indeed a successful event.

    But JW and most within the biased media would never give credit when or where credit is due, especially when it comes to area people who do not embrace his philosophy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous8:05 AM

    Ironic that this took place at a State supported Community College

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3:35 PM

    Why as it ironic to use this venue? That makes no sense at all.

    ReplyDelete
  9. G.I.G10:03 AM

    This post really seemed petty. By the originator if 50 to 50k showed up to this event, to try and demean a opposing viewpoint in this matter seemed petty to me. Just my 2 cents.

    ReplyDelete