I guess it was just a matter of time until someone came up with the answer to the so-called Tea Party: The Coffee Party. Conceived by Anabel Park and birthed on Facebook, this new political movement is building up a full head of steam. What do they stand for? Civility, inclusiveness and a desire to see government fulfill promises made during the presidential campaign. Okay, I can get behind that. I do think, though, that "Coffee Klatch" sounds better.
Of course, those same concerns are part and parcel of the Tea Party shtick, in as far as its members also feel government is deaf to ordinary people's needs and is spiraling out of control. They also want lower taxes and "smaller" government (whatever that means). The Coffee Party, besides forming as a knee-jerk reaction to the Tea Party, has a charge that is a little more fluid. According to a new member interviewed by Dan Zak of the Washington Post, this movement is "very grass-roots, there's no official organization and individuals can participate as individuals without having to see eye to eye on everything". Well, that will surely get things done!
To be fair, the Tea Party was unclear about its goals at first, too (actually, they still are). These two groups may have more in common than they think: Both express disgust for a federal government that is ineffective and out of touch with voters. Coffee people used the same methods to organize as did the Tea Party, namely social websites. This is something that the Democrats should take note of, and use to their own advantage. Why did it take 8 years of Republican rule for people to get fed up, versus one year of a Democratic government? The GOP has the marketing down, and the Dems would do well to copy their tactics.
Where will all this lead? Well, change would be nice, finally, but don't count on it. It seems that politics always trump good intentions, so expect to see infighting in both these "parties" fairly soon. Is there no hope? The best thing these two groups could do is find common ground and unite. The corporate/government model is big enough to crush disorganized, warring factions, but might have to take notice of a nationwide voter rebellion. "Hot Cocoa", anyone?
Of course, those same concerns are part and parcel of the Tea Party shtick, in as far as its members also feel government is deaf to ordinary people's needs and is spiraling out of control. They also want lower taxes and "smaller" government (whatever that means). The Coffee Party, besides forming as a knee-jerk reaction to the Tea Party, has a charge that is a little more fluid. According to a new member interviewed by Dan Zak of the Washington Post, this movement is "very grass-roots, there's no official organization and individuals can participate as individuals without having to see eye to eye on everything". Well, that will surely get things done!
To be fair, the Tea Party was unclear about its goals at first, too (actually, they still are). These two groups may have more in common than they think: Both express disgust for a federal government that is ineffective and out of touch with voters. Coffee people used the same methods to organize as did the Tea Party, namely social websites. This is something that the Democrats should take note of, and use to their own advantage. Why did it take 8 years of Republican rule for people to get fed up, versus one year of a Democratic government? The GOP has the marketing down, and the Dems would do well to copy their tactics.
Where will all this lead? Well, change would be nice, finally, but don't count on it. It seems that politics always trump good intentions, so expect to see infighting in both these "parties" fairly soon. Is there no hope? The best thing these two groups could do is find common ground and unite. The corporate/government model is big enough to crush disorganized, warring factions, but might have to take notice of a nationwide voter rebellion. "Hot Cocoa", anyone?
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