The First National Tea Party Convention will be hosted by The Tea Party Nation on February 4-6, 2010 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN.
Sarah Palin will be the special key note speaker of the event.
Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center—the largest non-gaming facility in the continental United States—is known for providing luxurious accommodations and first-class entertainment. Around every corner the Tea Party delegates will experience the energy of Music City, award-winning cuisine; all while taking in nine acres of lush indoor gardens, a winding river and sparkling waterfalls.
Not too shabby a place to sip a cup of tea. Looks like the grass-roots movement will be put in a shiny casing of a traditional party political convention.
The organizers are stating the following about where the participants will come from:
This event is planned for our tea party movement people to have the most representation from across the nation by design. We want local tea party groups to select their best to meet with their peers from across the nation. The local tea parties themselves know who will best represent them, bring the best ideas, and have the most desire to move this process of organizing to the next level. Though this event is geared toward representatives of tea party groups, anyone who supports the tea party movement is welcome to attend.
The tickets for the convention start from $349.
Tea party movement is evolving into a political force after the polling of a likely voters showed that the tax-revolting crowd gets bigger number of the electorate then Democrats and Republicans each. Looks like both grand parties will have to court the Tea Party supporters because many of them are independents from the purple states.
Prominent Republicans including Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn plan to speak at the convention. It will not be a breeze for the Republicans to get the Tea Party vote. They will have to work hard because the new political movement is angry with everything that smells like Washington, DC. And rightly so. And may be this is the reason why high profile incumbent politicians (mainly Democrats) will not run for re-election.
Creation of a third party is not going to be in the agenda of the Tea Party National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee according to the organizers, but you never know. So far the new force has been driven by spontaneity. It is possible the grass-roots delegates who were sent there by groups of friends dipping in their own pocket to collect dollar by dollar the fees to be represented on the Convention will take the movement in a surprising direction. The organizers will have to find the right tone to communicate will the passionate folks that a getting stronger by day rocking the political establishment.
Will the Tea Party Convention be about party, new party or no party? We can’t wait to see.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:15 am
What a RIP OFF. Spend Money to Hear POLITICIANS Speak. What are politicians doing speaking at a tea party? They ARE the problem.
Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR:
Omnibus Appropriations, Special Education, Global AIDS Initiative, Job Training, Unemployment Benefits, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, Agriculture Appropriations, U.S.-Singapore Trade, U.S.-Chile Trade, Supplemental Spending for Iraq & Afghanistan, Prescription Drug Benefit, Child Nutrition Programs, Surface Transportation, Job Training and Worker Services, Agriculture Appropriations, Foreign Aid, Vocational/Technical Training, Supplemental Appropriations, UN “Reforms.” Patriot Act Reauthorization, CAFTA, Katrina Hurricane-relief Appropriations, Head Start Funding, Line-item Rescission, Oman Trade Agreement, Military Tribunals, Electronic Surveillance, Head Start Funding, COPS Funding, Funding the REAL ID Act (National ID), Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, Thought Crimes “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, Peru Free Trade Agreement, Economic Stimulus, Farm Bill (Veto Override), Warrantless Searches, Employee Verification Program, Body Imaging Screening.
Marsha Blackburn Voted AGAINST:
Ban on UN Contributions, eliminate Millennium Challenge Account, WTO Withdrawal, UN Dues Decrease, Defunding the NAIS, Iran Military Operations defunding Iraq Troop Withdrawal, congress authorization of Iran Military Operations.
Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
See her unconstitutional votes at :
http://tinyurl.com/qhayna
Mickey
January 6th, 2010 at 11:56 am
How do we formally organize a “Tea Party” that we can register for and participate within?!?
January 6th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
To all.
Dont confuse me with whoever posted #1.
I might be wrong but I smell a rat who forgot to omit the “E” from my name.
Good question John.
I have a feeling that to establish a formal legit tea party would be too inconvenient for the status quo. To have votes being sent in 3 major directions may prove to be disaterous until the party can shore up a larger supporting. Such a system could set the dems up to take more than 33% if the other two garner any less but still if both cons and tea partiers together bring in more than 50%.
January 6th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
[...] to court the tea party supporters because many of them are independents from the purple states,” writes Ellie Velinska at [...]
January 6th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
mickeywhite.blogspot.com I got an “E”
January 6th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Most people who argue politics get angry because they really do not have a handle on their subject, though a strong feeling. It is easier to gain confidence than you think. Just look at the roots to understand the whole tree. Answers or, better, questions, flow easily when the roots are clear. There are only two sides to a political argument. One side says community interests are more important than are individual interests, and the reverse is the other side, as cited on claysamerica.com. Look at this site and take the ten simple steps to have a clear and confidant vision from which all issues are easily grasped and discussed. Claysamerica.com
January 7th, 2010 at 3:50 am
[...] the tea party supporters because many of them are independents from the purple states,” writes Ellie Velinska at [...]
January 7th, 2010 at 3:57 am
[...] to court the tea party supporters because many of them are independents from the purple states,” writes Ellie Velinskaat [...]
January 7th, 2010 at 9:31 am
When I first heard of this I wanted to go and was thinking about attending, but after uncovering this I am very saddened. $100k payout for one speech…please. Is this where the Tea Party movement is heading? Money has a tendency to corrupt, and this is largely where our leaders are today. I have no issue with the money people make. This is my issue; it is money, power and special interests that have corrupted our government. The Tea Party was a force to fight against this, for true reform. That money should be used carefully for the principles the movement stands for, not paying huge sums to politicians. I would hope politicians attached to this movement would be gracious enough to take a lesser payment to come and represent this movement inspired by the common people of this nation. The same people who will be scraping dollars and using vacation days to attend. This really bothers me! I do not want the political machine casting their rising stars and literally buying off the people’s movement, making it something it was never intended to be. I keep thinking back to the simplicity of the Boston Tea Party…courageous, simple, common people taking a stand for their liberty. This day and age everything has to have pomp and circumstance, big dazzle, big names and big money…hollywood celebrity…sadly where our culture largely resides. This not why I attended every single tea party with my family that I could. GOP you just don’t get it!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 10:56 am
[...] to court the tea party supporters because many of them are independents from the purple states,” writes Ellie Velinska at [...]
January 7th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Julia, I agree with you! This convention in such a luxury setting looks weird. Tea party folks like to gather on the free public square or for a tea at the porch. This convention setting reminds of traditional Washington politics and it is possible the grass-roots may revolt and distance themselves from this circus. Or they may embrace the new shiny image – I don’t know – we will see.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:17 am
Agreed. With Nashville full of homeless living in Tent Cities..i think we can use our money for something a little more benificial. Grass Roots and 349 bucks for a speech don’t really go together. Do it for free …maybe by the Parthenon.
January 8th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Exactly, Lolly. $349 for attending the speech plus 250 to attend the banquet. Makes me through up. Politicians know only one way to behave – luxury hotels, cocktails etc – so not tea party.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Alls good Mickey wtih an “E”
You just happen to sound a lot like someone I know that plays these games.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
I feel a sense of outrage at being asked to pay over $300 to attend a meeting of those who oppose such money gathering.
I know many who want to attend, but who cannot afford the price of entry. That isn’t the Tea Party movement to which I wish to belong. This should be FREE or very, very inexpensive so that more can attend.
Move it out of Opryland. Move it to an outdoor location and let us brave the weather to attend. Those who wish to have our support should seek our endorsement AT THEIR COST, not ours.
I would encourage others NOT to attend this meeting. My wife and I have decided we will not attend.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I understand, Dr. Williams. The whole setting reminds me about the Establishment Parties, not about the Tea Party Movement. The focus is shifting to the Party – not to the TEA (Taxed Enough Already).
January 12th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Governor Palin will not be accepting any speaking fees for this event.