The Hobbits Win! Tea Partiers live in a Fantasy World.

[Feuer Frei!]

The Wall Street Journal editorial page has taken sides with the establishment and Maureen Dowd. The WSJ editors are calling the newly elected conservative members of the House Hobbits, the name for the diminutive human creatures from J.R. Tolkiens book The Lord of the Rings. This is not a term of endearment. What the WSJ editors mean is that Tea Partiers live in a fantasy world. This isnt much different from how the New York Timess Maureen Dowd describes Tea Partiers. Dowd has used alternative universe, eye of newt, witchcraft and, of course, Hobbit in relation to the Tea Party.


The WSJ editors say that these Hobbits will empower Nancy Pelosi. They deride the Tea Partiers for a pointless crusade of futile fiscal gestures. The WSJ makes fun of them because they had a fantasy plan to make Obama capitulate, adding that, This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine ODonnell into GOP Senate nominees. The editors want these conservatives focusing on budget reform (like getting rid of baseline budgeting), rather than a balanced-budget amendment.
All of this may seem like fun and games, but it really signals something more deeply interesting. It seems like our political process is trying to turn everyone into an establishment player. Even the WSJ editorial page, which was once a voice of true conservative change back in the 1980s and 1990s, has apparently slipped into this abyss.
After all, the founding fathers were Hobbits. They foresaw a new land, with new opportunity, free of the bondage of the past. Todays WSJ editors would probably tell them their crusade was pointless and would backfire. Their efforts would end up giving the king more power.


Why bring up Angle and ODonnell? Why not Dole and McCain, who were pounded in presidential elections? Does that not damage, and raise questions about, the Republican brand? Its hypocritical to argue one and not the other. And why didnt Republicans reform the budgeting process between 2003 and 2007, when they controlled the House, the Senate and the White House, instead of using their power to pass massive new spending plans like Medicare Part D? And, of course, the WSJ editorial page supported TARP and the first $180 billion stimulus bill back in 2008.
The newly elected conservatives did not vote for any of this. They say they were elected to clean it up. When called into Speaker Boehners office to get their arms twisted, they said, I didnt come here to be on a certain committee or get earmarks. You cant buy my vote; you can only earn it by doing the right thing. Whether you like their politics or not, you have to say, how refreshing! Moreover, they were rolled in the appropriations process shortly after they arrived on Capitol Hill. Boehner told them to trust him and then passed a smoke-and-mirrors budget. The conservatives said, This will not happen again.


And in the end, they won another impressive victory. The Reid-Boehner compromise bill has no tax hikes (a miracle), it trims spending growth over 10 years by about $2.5 trillion and it includes a promise of an up or down vote on a balanced-budget amendment.

MORE HERE

[Torplexed]

Ack! I wonder if Sauron is still hiring Orcs. I might sign up.

[Falkirion]

Wonder if they've ever heard the song "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

[Stealhead]

I have a very good friend that is massively into Glenn Beck which is odd to me because he is a smart and well educated person(my friend that is)

I actually read though one of Becks books(it was not the most recent one but I do not recall the title off hand) while at my friends house during a NFL season multiple game viewing session (I am quite the multitasker).I must admit after reading though this book I am quite unsure how a rational person can agree fully with much of what Beck has to say I don't really have much faith in any "major" American party to frankly honest.

I don't know what to say really I mean I believe in this country and the rights granted to all to express their political opinion I even served for 12 years in the USAF and I honestly would not have done that if I could not accept the fact that people are free to have any political view and possibly vote the person that they support into office.How could you possibly die in combat or on dangerous duty and not honestly?

That being said I still laugh my ass off at ideas that I think are wrong.

Glenn Beck looks very very convincing as a hobbit.

Why bring up Angle and ODonnell? Why not Dole and McCain, who were pounded in presidential elections?

That should be obvious, the article is about the loony fringe and current events.
I suppose McCain could get a small sidenote over his "populist" loon of a running mate and Dole could get a vague reference mention about Pat B or the newt.

I have a very good friend that is massively into Glenn Beck which is odd to me because he is a smart and well educated person(my friend that is)

While not smart or well educated I am also massively into Glenn Beck, he is great. His script writers must be among the best comedians working in TV nowadays and the way her portrays an unhinged loon on a slide into complete mental breakdown is surely worth a golden globe for best actor in TV comedy show

[Growler]

Jesus. Tolkien's doing barrel rolls in his grave.

[AVGWarhawk]

While not smart or well educated I am also massively into Glenn Beck, he is great. His script writers must be among the best comedians working in TV nowadays and the way her portrays an unhinged loon on a slide into complete mental breakdown is surely worth a golden globe for best actor in TV comedy show

I have to agree. I can watch about 5 minutes of Beck then have to change the channel.

[August]

The left seems to be pretty good at childish name calling. Too bad they aren't as good at solving the countries problems. If they were perhaps the Tea Party would not exist.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by August

The left seems to be pretty good at childish name calling. Too bad they aren't as good at solving the countries problems. If they were perhaps the Tea Party would not exist.

In fairness, neither the Republicans, nor the so-called Tea Party seem to excel at problem solving either. However, I do agree about the name calling. Then again, at the same time, the right seems to like to throw names around too when it suits them.

[mookiemookie]

Brian S. Wesbury is the chief economist at First Trust Advisors, LP.

If my money was managed by First Trust Advisors, I would pull it ASAP. Politics and investing don't mix.

[Sea Demon]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

In fairness, neither the Republicans, nor the so-called Tea Party seem to excel at problem solving either. However, I do agree about the name calling. Then again, at the same time, the right seems to like to throw names around too when it suits them.

The big problems the tea party wants to address is government waste and government spending money they don't have. They want to end the irresponsible government largesse that is putting future generations at risk. There are reasonable ways to do this. But unfortunately, the "tax everyone but me" crowd...also known as the left refuse to address this and simply resorts to name calling thinking it has any effect.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Sea Demon

The big problems the tea party wants to address is government waste and government spending money they don't have. They want to end the irresponsible government largesse that is putting future generations at risk. There are reasonable ways to do this. But unfortunately, the "tax everyone but me" crowd...also known as the left refuse to address this and simply resorts to name calling thinking it has any effect.

And if these Republicans had any semblance of a track record promoting repsonsible government, I would give them credit. Unfortunately, Republican performance has been indistinguishable from Democratic performance. Everything else is semantics.

[Sea Demon]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

And if these Republicans had any semblance of a track record promoting repsonsible government, I would give them credit. Unfortunately, Republican performance has been indistinguishable from Democratic performance. Anything else is semantics.

You're right. That's why the tea party exists. That's the point. The tea party is there trying to pull the Republican Party back to their roots of limited government, low taxes, and less burdening regulation. Name calling people who believe in these principles is simply a worthless and ineffective "tactic".

The Democrats at this point are simply a lost cause in total. They're trying to turn America into something it can never be if it remains to be a free nation.

The left seems to be pretty good at childish name calling.

...also known as the left refuse to address this and simply resorts to name calling

Isn't it funny that people are complaining about this mysterious "the left" calling the tea partiers names when the piece is from a company that couldn't be closer to corporate America and is run by people who back the republican party and have been instumental in promoting the tea party itself.
It really demonstrates the level of muddled thinking in political supporters.....for some people it is always "them" even when the piece in question is undeniably "us".

[August]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

In fairness, neither the Republicans, nor the so-called Tea Party seem to excel at problem solving either. However, I do agree about the name calling. Then again, at the same time, the right seems to like to throw names around too when it suits them.

I would agree in general but also in fairness the Tea Party hasn't been in existence long enough to solve the nations problems, and it doesn't have the majorities to pass any solutions they did come up with.