Former congressman Tom Tancredo delivered the opening night speech at the inaugural Tea Party Convention, criticizing what he referred to as the “cult of multiculturalism.” Tancredo argued that President Obama was elected because “we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country.” In his remarks, he also blamed American voters for putting “a committed socialist ideologue in the White House.”
It’s hard to convince American voters that the Republican Party is not intolerant when so many members of the Republican family show themselves to be precisely that. If the young Tea Party movement is serious about gaining support and influence, having Tancredo deliver the opening speech at their convention was a first step in the wrong direction.
11 responses so far
1 msmilack // Feb 5, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Wow, that is one scary story. In some ways though, it is good that he is so open about his prejudices since other politicans, who view the world similarly, are able to get away with it by disguising it with pretty language.
So, I wonder: in his case, is his openness a sign of his lack of intelligence (to say nothing of political saavy) or a reflection of a deep belief that such views, and voicing such views, is perfectly acceptable because no members of his own party call him out on it?
I hope the tea party people start their own political party; let the fringe try to organize themselves and compete. I think it is a huge mistake of the GOP to keep trying to include them under their tent for fear of losing their votes. Tolerating such hate-speak makes the whole party appear riddled with cancer.
2 andydp // Feb 5, 2010 at 4:02 pm
While the Tea Party people have some goood points, they are constantly being outweighed by the actions and statements of their supporters.
Congressman Tancredo’s “literacy test” statement will make plenty of “points” with African Americans, hispanics and many LEGAL immigrants. In fact, my WW II US Vet, Italian Immigrant dad would have had a hard time meeting Mr Tancredo’s standards.
The various Tea Parties (Monty Pithon’s Life of Brian and the factions he meets come to mind) will wind up being disorganized and disjointed to the point where no one will meet their “standards”. At that point they will split off from the GOP and hand the Democrats more elections.
Eventually the infighting will lead to eating their young
3 Dodgeblogium » Palin the polisher? // Feb 5, 2010 at 4:14 pm
[...] Tom Tamcredo has started the event well, by making a total arse of himself. Considering this guy said we should bomb Mecca & Medina if we are attacked by [...]
4 kevin47 // Feb 5, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Yeah, I wouldn’t have picked Tancredo either. Why not Rand Paul?
5 msmilack // Feb 5, 2010 at 7:28 pm
who is in charge of those decisions?
6 rbottoms // Feb 5, 2010 at 8:44 pm
There’s your new slogan: “The GOP, not quite as intolerant as you might believe.”
7 Carney // Feb 5, 2010 at 9:20 pm
What in the world is wrong with what Tancredo said?
8 shecky // Feb 6, 2010 at 12:30 am
Carney,
If it must be spelled out, the idea of a literacy test to vote, in and of itself, is quite odious. I’ll leave you to divine the reasons why. Furthermore, given the history of the Literacy Test in the US, Tancredo has pretty much disposed of the dogwhistle and is flat out advocating something that most of the country rightly distanced itself from decades ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_test
9 anniemargret // Feb 6, 2010 at 11:34 am
shecky: Carney and others know exactly what this tea party stands for. Behind all their virulent anti-government rhetoric, lies a disturbing racism and bigotry. The tea party wants, after all, ‘their country back!’ What else can that mean but a return to 50s America where women were subservient to their husbands and minorities and gays were seen but not heard.
Oh, and Democrats? by golly, how dare this country vote for a half black liberal man from Chicago! He’s not the ‘real Americans’ that they are.
Yep…the rest of us all know exactly who and what these people are… As a 3rd generation Italian American I know how much my grandparents suffered under prejudice and how hard they worked to overcome it. I’m ashamed of Tancredo and that he shares my ethnic background . His commentary about Obama is shameful.
But then again, these tea partiers embrace shameful. They tolerate bigotry and racism and ethnic purity and then expect to be taken seriously in the year 2010. I’m just glad this next generation has the blinders off.
10 Carney // Feb 6, 2010 at 8:37 pm
So, shecky and anniemargaret, you are on record as supporting the idea that illiterates should be voting, that is, making major decisions about the future or our nation’s national security, economy, entitlements, social policy, and criminal justice? Illiterates should make major decisions about the future of your family?
11 jakester // Feb 9, 2010 at 3:18 am
A literacy test, a modern fair national version, may not be a bad idea. but it would cut down tons of voters on both ends, including the fools that spent their good money to hear the well paid elites of populism rant on.
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