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>>It is one's protected right to be disrespectful to any individual, especially those chosen to represent us. Elected leaders are not to be treated as if placed on a pedestal, not in the USA. The citizenry is not required to humble themselves before an elected elite simply because they have been chosen to work for their electors. Elected leaders must be held to a higher standard due to the power we entrust with them.
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>Never said politicians should be placed on a pedestal. You're distorting my words as though I was against free speech. That couldn't be further from the truth. I will defend anyones right to free speech until the end. Free Speech, however, doesn't justify the disrespectful, immature, name-calling, middle finger waving behavior. This disgusting, disrespectful behavior only alienates people who might otherwise endorse the movement.

There are always going to be gutter snipes. Think of a road where 80% of us travel through our political life. We tend to one side, every once in a while we veer to the other but for the most part we travel between the lines. On either side of the road are the gutters where the far left 10% and far right 10% reside. They never move from their position and only serve to lash out or snipe at the rest of us travelling the road. They've always existed and always will. If we hold them up as the example of believers in any cause then we would never back any cause.

>>Please define "stalled".
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>I've first hand watched the sign holders go from 60 to 15. They're so lazy now, I kid you not, they hold their signs while sitting in lawn chairs.

Not surprising given the timing. The next election isn't for 18 months. Frankly I'm surprised there's still 15. Come October next year, they'll be back and likely in bigger numbers than before.

>> A mere 6 months ago an election provided the greatest Congressional gain by a single party in 62 years. It was the biggest loss by a sitting President's party since 1938. The next election is 18 months away.
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>You're confusing causation and correlation. To say the Tea Party is responsible is no more accurate than the claim that Xenu is responsible.

The tea parties played a significant role in the amount of seat changes. Obama would've lost seats, as most sitting Presidents do during midterms, but without the organizations galvanizing the electorate, the history making shift would not have occurred. I'm not confused, the Tea Parties were not the only factor but they were significant and will be again next year.

>Jake, thanks for an intelligent thought-out response. We would have a good chat over a beer or two. If you choose to respond, I'll let you have the last word. I bid adieu.

Cheers!