I went to a Tea Party today, right here in Reno, Nevada.  I’ve got pictures, I’ve got my eyewitness account of what happened, and I’ve got some opinions.

(Naturally.)

I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew what I didn’t want to find at the Tea Party: I didn’t want it to be pathetic, I didn’t want it to have low attendance, and I didn’t want to see a bunch of whackjob nutcases who deserve to be on Napolitano’s list of potential terrorists.

I didn’t find any of that, thank God.  What I found was a whole bunch of pissed-off Americans who love their country, hate what is being done to their country, and are desperate to do something about it.  In other words, a bunch of people just like me.

Politicians should take note: judging by the turnout and by the reaction of the passing cars on Virginia Avenue, there is a significant voting block, comprised of people who value their freedom, just waiting for the right politician to galvanize them and turn them into a force.

That politician wasn’t present today, in my opinion, but who knows?  Look what happened with Sarah Palin, the way she excited Americans.  I think Sarah or somebody like her can ride into the White House in an overwhelming stampede if they learn to harness the outrage gathering in Americans.  That’s why she scares the bejesus out of the lefties.

I’m not so sure that politician will come out of the Republican Party.  I kept looking at the Republican booth today and maybe I just kept looking at the wrong time but I never saw anybody at the Republican booth.

Let’s talk about attendance.  I approached the MC and other people, and nobody was officially taking a count, so I did my own count.  I spent a lot of time doing it.  It wasn’t easy because people were lined up along Virgina waving signs, people were standing and sitting in front of the stage listening to the speakers, people were browsing the booths, and people were generally milling around like people always do.  I did the best I could, counting up blobs of humanity and then counting equal-sized blobs of humanity.  I calculated 2,000 people were present at the high point and estimated by the turnover rate that at least 3,000 people attended the event at some point during the three hours.

I can’t wait to see what the mainstream media outlets report.

I kept asking people why they were there and kept getting the same answer: “Because I’m pissed off!”  That’s a good answer.  I like that answer.  Americans should be pissed off.  We’re being herded into a socialist corral, like sheep.  People who pretend to represent our interests are slowly but surely stripping us of our freedom.  People who are pissed off are the only hope, and I hope the people I met today stay pissed off and keep having Tea Parties and eventually find a way to do something about what’s happening.

I was left with two main impressions of the Reno Tea Party today.  Number one, I can’t get over how nice everybody was and how eager to talk.  Number two, I couldn’t get over the reaction from the passing cars.  For the whole three hours, passing cars honked frantically, waved hands and fists out their windows, and shouted encouragement and support.  Virginia is Reno’s main street so it’s a busy street.  It got pretty loud at times.

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not a scientific poll but, if Obama, Reid, and Pelosi could have seen the spontaneous reaction of those passing cars today, they wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.


From Reno, Nevada, USA



     


     


     


     


     



     



     



     

January 17, 2010 - Hi J.P., I can't take credit for this, having found it in the "Reader's Comments" posted on the boston.com website, but I certainly enjoyed it! Enjoy! (Sung to the tune of Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party")

MARTHA PARTY

I went to a Martha party, to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to try failed policies, of boozer Ted again
When I got to the Martha party, they were tryin' to lay the blame
The candidate was four points down, to uh, "what's his name?"

CHORUS

But it's Brown's show now, the filibuster's here
You see, ya couldn't fool anyone, so there's no coronation dear

Liberals came from miles around, everyone was there
Obama read a prompter, but no one even cared
'n over in the corner, much to my surprise
Mr. Bill... Clinton still, spouting whopper lies

CHORUS

But it's Brown's show now, the filibuster's here
You see, ya couldn't fool anyone, so there's no coronation dear

dah-n-dah-dah-dah...

J.P. replies: I think the establishment politicians in D.C. are underestimating the anger and resolve of the American people.  Whoever wins that Massachusetts senate election, the fact that a Republican could thrive in what is maybe the most Democrat state in the union—and for the Kennedy senate seat no less!—should give them a clue, don’t you think?