Thoughts on the Tea Party

I suppose it's already been said somewhere several times before, but I think the Tea Party movement will fail, due to:

1)The unwillingness of its members to become a national movement (or anything bigger than a community, maybe a district-wide movement), which destroys any real chance of creating a viable, well-funded, system/paradigm-altering third party.
2)The willingness of its members to tolerate (either actively or passively) the interview-happy nutjobs who mug for the camera during or after a media event – this might just be an unwillingness to silence the loud minority in the midst of a murmuring minority.
3)The blindness of its members to the repercussions of their beliefs and, more importantly, the actions they push for. It's like watching teenagers smoke.
4)The hypocrisy of older members, who, in order to join this movement, would have had to either support past political trends (through fervor, ignorance, or apathy) or simply allow them to happen through inaction. (I find it ironic that it took the grassroots nature of the 2010 presidential campaign for the current Tea Party to find its balls and method.)
5)The ignorance of younger members (and quite a few older ones) to the actual workings of government.
6)Its overemphasis on the “size” (meaning “scope”?) of government, the admittedly occasional assumption that numbers alone are important (the US government presides approx. 308 million people in 2010, while employing less than 2.7 million federal employees according to the census – claims of elitism would be more appropriate for a ratio like this), and the belief that it is too intrusive. The Chinese government is “too intrusive”, and to them WE look “too intrusive”.
7)Its inherent selfishness – or to put it another way, its locally-centered theory of government – which explains the first point. American society has grown more insular after the '90s, and this point might just be an evolution of that.
8)The belief that the current government has strayed too far away from the original intent of the Founding Fathers. I agree, actually, but the Founding Fathers were more concerned with trying to keep the new country above water – bad as things are, that's not the case now.
9)The belief that the financial side of the government could be run better, while admirable and accurate, would require an expansion of the section of government (the GAO, I believe) that covers it, which is inconsistent with the “smaller gov” goal.
10)The willingness to dehumanize the opposition (considering a machine consisting of 2.7 million federal employees only as the single machine of government, decrying the liberal bias inherent in media, “Liberals”, etc.) - but this is a self-absorbed problem endemic in modern society, rather than just the Tea Party movement or any one political/social faction.

Their heart's in the right place, but their actions are at odds with reality.
And, because I have some time, some suggestions:

A) Conservatism in American Politics is basically dead – you don't elect Conservatives to office anymore, you elect Republicans. Stop pretending it isn't and work with the system you have.
Aa) Same goes for Liberalism.
B) Your heart's definitely in the right place, but you're not watching oncoming traffic and the future. Start.
C) If the government really is that intrusive, change it rather than reduce it. The only things that grow better when no one's looking are wilderness and cancer – which makes a better Free Market?
D) Doesn't matter if the media has a liberal bias – telling someone they're a jerk or a genius typically won't change the fact that they're a jerk or a genius. Stop wishing for better coverage and make it yourselves – are you or aren't you civilized adults?
E) In the last 15 years or so, the nature of American media and society have interacted together to poison the political system. Educate yourselves – turn off your damn TVs, read the damn laws, and have civilized conversations with people you don't agree with.
F) Electing 15 dyed-in-the-wool Tea Party-friendly members of Congress will only stop all progression/regression and force constant stonewalling, if not encourage even more compromising of values than there already is. You will accomplish little without going national.
G) Regarding E) – C-SPAN is your friend, and so is C-SPAN2. Try to understand what you're reading or talking about.
H) Emotional reactions to problems make them worse. How often do you see relationships fixed by an angry couple yelling at each other? Or societal problems fixed by a twenty-something's blog?
Ha) And how many couples like to be characterized as always fighting? If you don't want to be characterized by the one really loud, really drunk guy, what should you do? Let him be loud and drunk when the media needs an interview?
I) Seriously. Calling everyone that doesn't agree with you a Liberal doesn't make you look smarter or right (see (Aa)). Instead, go classic! Start calling them racists, homophobes/homosexuals, communists, nazis, commu-nazis, commu-spam-nazis, commu-spam-spam-nazis, spam-commu-spam-spam-nazi-spams, conservatives, feminists (no, better not – that would make you look chauvinistic or hypocritical depending on your gender), pinheads, sheep, sheeple, Protestants, Satanists, Un-American, or even the dreaded “Whig”. Be sure to laugh at them when they look at you like you're crazy.
Ia) Speaking of which, what's this “Democrat Party” I keep hearing about? Is there a “Republic Party”?
J) NO ONE WANTS HIGH TAXES. Stop acting like this is an unrevealed truth the faceless politicians ignore. (Also, taxes are the fee you pay to call yourself a law-abiding American.)
K) There's a worldwide recession going on, deficits are going to be a given, and just because you have a job doesn't mean everyone does. No one you support will be able to fix the Budget in the short-term (without bankrupting us further on down the line), and things are never so bad that the current deficits are insurmountable – or is 2 years all it takes to stop believing in the American Spirit?
L) For the last time, he's American, and you should be ashamed if you automatically know who I'm talking about.
M) How'd YOU like to be stopped on the street and asked for your citizenship papers? (Although, if you “lose” them or “forget them at home”, try Rick's Cafe Americain.)
N) There's a saying – if everyone tells you you're drunk, you should sit. Just because you think you're right doesn't mean you are.

Yeah (sunglasses). My stomach's been acting up, so I had to take yesterday off work. Also, Rachel's cat died, and she needed a shoulder. Still need to call my grandparents. Should do that now.