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Tea Party Open Thread

You Say You Want A Revolution....

By: Dan McLaughlin (Diary)  |  April 15th, 2009 at 11:14 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Let us know in comments about any events today you’ve been following. We’d like to see if anyone has an overall estimate of the number of events or total attendance today, as well as any particular stories that need to be told.

Please use this thread for discussion, and use the Tea Party Turnout Thread for actual hard numbers.  Even if you post the numbers here, also post them on the Tea Party Turnout Thread!

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  • azaeroprof

    Nice crowd on a cold evening, I’d say probably 2000+. Good speakers, especially Prof. Terry Lovell from Yavapai College. Some awesome signs and lots of great folks!

  • Jonah Shumate

    We are a small town in Arkansas, but we had right at 100 people who were passionate and mad as hell about what is going on.

    I have told some, who think all this was a sham, that today, Democracy was on display for the whole world to see, and all parties were out today, voicing concern for their country!

  • MG

    Estimated crowd of 4,000.

    www.desmoinesteaparty.com

  • red4ever

    Dudes, we scared the pants off them. I have seen supposed straight reporting call us “racists” “wingnut” “paid for by FoxNews [I wish]” etc. They will say anything to make today seem meaningless. Which means it wasn’t. If it had truly failed, they would have just ignored it.

    Wooooooooohooooooooo.

  • http://fairfaxgardener.blogspot.com ddstrain

    I saw more college-aged kids carrying signs and being active than I thought.

    I heard many people saying that this was the FIRST time they’ve participated in a political rally/protest.

    People brought their kids out and the theme throughout was “the future of my kid(s) in at stake”.

    Ron Paul types and GOP types got along just fine … hmmm … maybe someone should explore that further.

    No one I recognized as a Congresional leader was seen … anywhere.

    This was true grasroots, without imported or professional protesters. I’ve been in DC when the lefties riot against IMF or World Bank. Definitely different quality kind of people.

    • http://www.scottbomb.com scottbomb

      I, too, was surprised by the number of youths. When asked, “raise your hand if this is your first protest”, almost every hand in the crowd went up.

      The Dallas Morning News doesn’t have a number but says, “thousands”. See pics here:

      http://www.redstate.com/scottbomb/2009/04/16/dallas-tea-party-in-pictures/

  • Raven
    • Hooah_Mac

      Just giving you a hard time Raven.

    • MetaCosm

      Raven–

      Didn’t catch your post before we front-paged the open-thread, so I just added a link to your post to the main thread — please use it people. :)

      http://www.redstate.com/raven/2009/04/15/tax-day-tea-party-numbers/

  • Justin_Case

    The heart of Republican East TN had approximately 200 – 250 people at the downtown court house. Many horns sounded off from cars passing by. A very good crowd.

    The event was organized by a young woman who had previously not been involved in politics. She did a great job. Politicians at an event like this definitely prove to be a drag.

    When the second RINO stood up to speak, I had to leave.

  • NeoKong

    One or two more parties and they will board up their windows and call the National Guard.
    It’s hilarious and quite disturbing at the same time to watch how some of these t.v. pundits describe and sneer at the people who have gone to a tea party.What’s even more amazing is how some of the networks completely ignored it when in the past they breathlessly covered every pathetic little anti-war protest like it was some sort of political sea change.

    The media won’t lift a finger if it means it may help grass root conservatives by spreading their message like they are more than happy to do for Obama and his band of tax cheating thieves.
    You can feel the vitriol in their words and see it on their faces.
    Lefties despise Conservatives and people who reject them.
    Things were quite different however when it was they who were doing all the protesting and organizing.
    It kills them to see their own tactics used against them so successfully.

    Ha Ha!

    • Hooah_Mac

      They can’t call the National Guard…most of them are returning combat veterans the lefties need to be afraid of.

    • IJB

      …I expect them to change tactics accordingly.

      Expect stormy seas ahead.

  • bobojake

    darn good for Gregorie steal the election- Murray State

    • http://www.leadingstrategies.net Mike Friesen

      Attended the Olympia event and was impressed with the crowd. Very respectful, salt-of-the-Earth Americans. Except for a couple pro-tax, pro-O knuckleheads, we had a great time. The State Police estimated the crowd at over 5,000.

  • IJB
  • Michelle

    We had quite the turn-out! According to the state patrol via King 5 News in Seattle, there were 5000 people there. I’m no good at estimating crowds, but my rough estimate was a couple thousand. One other station, KIRO 7 I think, said one thousand, but that wasn’t based on what the state patrol said.
    A gentleman who works nearby said it was the largest rally he’s ever seen at the capitol! There were people looking out the windows from the capitol building. Everyone was very polite and enthusiastic. Great signs and we sang “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America” on a short march to the capitol steps. The state patrol and city police had nothing to do. We even offered them cookies as they walked past us.
    If we’re radicals, we are the most mild-mannered, peaceful radicals I’ve ever seen!

    • DerKrieger

      The contrast between a Lefty protest consisting of freakishly dressed, angry malcontents wailing and gnashing their teeth and a Conservative protest. Of course it’s us the DHS wants to keep their eyes on.

  • Jonah Shumate

    What, or can it be posted or linked to, the people at NBC say? I was “partying” earlier today and must have missed it…

  • cindermutha

    I’m not sure how many were there in Orlando, but I’m guessing at around 3000. It seemed like it was less than the March one, which was 6000, but there was definitely more signage and everyone was far louder. There were Ron Paul supporters, who behaved for the most part. There were two Ronulans freaking out about the contrails. It was entertaining.

    I have pics at my diary.

    • cwilson
  • cwilson

    Local paper reporting 400-500. I blogged it here.

  • Brad Smith
  • 1stRichard

    Excellent for this area! 1k to 2k? Too hard to count around the block

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_8.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_7.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_6.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_5.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_4.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_3.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_2.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_1.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_7.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_6.html

    http://photos.masslive.com/photogallery/2009/04/spldtea_8.html

    A personal Thank You all for attending this Tea Party in Springfield mass and special thanks for all that attended Tea Parties across this nation, that we have spoken loud and clear, from coast to coast, it is WE the PEOPLE and mot we the government!

    Now can I please stop making signs and making calls for a moment, I am exhausted. For the MSM, bias, I accept your invitation to have a tea party at your house. Now who should it be first?

  • 6eorge Jetson
  • bs

    posted on:

    Hot Air
    Gateway Pundit
    Stix Blog

    Will post more as I find ‘em.

    • http://briansimpson.wordpress.com Brian Simpson
      • bs

        The commenters did a nice job of ripping the guy, though.

    • http://briansimpson.wordpress.com Brian Simpson
      • http://briansimpson.wordpress.com Brian Simpson

        A photo set on Flikr from Jim at 24thstate.com

        • http://briansimpson.wordpress.com Brian Simpson

          He got a picture of this on the way out after stopping by to say hi.

          • bs
          • TNJim
          • TNJim

            but it is a great sign. Sums it up perfectly.

  • Dan McLaughlin

    Yet somehow, less newsworthy than one Iraqi with a shoe.

    • Jim

      …that we all start throwing our shoes at politicians?

      :)

    • Hooah_Mac

      All the local lefty newspapers in MN covered it on their websites, all the TV stations covered it, and nearly all the coverage was relatively fair (although most mentioned the astroturf charge).

      There is only so much spin you can do…if 500,000 people or more around the country protested in the middle of a work day, that is news that is hard to hide.

      The 24 hour news people can dismiss it, but at their peril when people read it in their local newspaper or see it on tv.

      • bs

        is the generic AP story about the tea parties. NOTHING about a 10,000 person rally that took place in the middle of downtown St. Louis.

        Of course the STL Post-Dispatch makes the NYT look like a publication of the Republican party.

        • DONTREADONME

          across the country were out for the tea party protests on the AP radio on American Right on XM.

        • DONTREADONME
        • bs

          They just published a story to the P-D web site, here

          Not bad coverage, actually.

          • http://briansimpson.wordpress.com Brian Simpson

            They actually recognized that the tea parties started pre-Santelli. I’m…shocked.

    • OccamsRazor

      :|

  • spaceman_spiff

    In Phoenix, AZ, we had a group of 5000 to 6000 Patriots show up at the State Capitol. A great turnout and for the most part peaceful.

    There was one glitch, for me anyway. I was relived of my weapon with no reason given. The Department of Public Safety, the Highway Patrol in most states, confiscated my firearm even though I wasn’t involved in any altercation or posed any threat. I don’t think they where sure themselves why they took it explaining that they didn’t know what the rules where in this case.

    The handgun was returned after the Tea Party.

    The State of Arizona allows open carry of a firearm in public places.

    Confiscated!
    http://www.stopproposition202.com/teaparty/Firearm_taken.JPG

    Another Patriot open carry..
    http://www.stopproposition202.com/teaparty/Patriot_open_carry.jpg

  • tcgeol

    There were two in town at the same time (unintentionally), so the numbers were split up. The Brazos County Republicans hosted the one I attended. Attendance was probably around 500 during the time I was there.

    It wasn’t a fiery, emotional crowd, but it was still a great time.

  • CheshireCat

    Over 5,000 plus standing room only. This was a great moment. So many like minded people standing up for the principles of the Constitution. Young and old alike. God Bless America!