Vegas Tea Party

Way back on Tax Day, I attended a Tea Party event at Sunset Park in Las Vegas. When I posted about it at the time, I included snapshots I took with my point-and-shoot digital camera.

I also had a film camera with me, and I’m now (gradually) developing my film, so it’s time for more Tea Party fun.

In what I assume was an attempt not to preach only to the choir, a number of teabaggers lined up at the side of the street to get the attention of passing motorists. Many of the signs were quite inexplicable, so a lot of motorists were probably left wondering what these people wanted.

It was clear being among the teabaggers that they aren’t a smart bunch, so their message was unlikely to be clear in any event.

These folks worship Ronald Reagan. They don’t know much about history, so they think Reagan was a shining example of everything they believe in, mostly simplistic assumptions based on sound bites like the famous “government is the problem” quote. The myth of Reagan is more attractive than the truth of Reagan.

It’s not clear which part of the “change” this woman would like to see changed back. Is it the lower taxes that suck? The stabilized economy? The largest infrastructure investment since the Interstate Highway Act? Winding down the war in Iraq? Having a black guy in the White House? She’s not very specific.

This guy felt that the best way to get the attention of motorists was to go out in the middle of Eastern Ave. If you’re familiar with Las Vegas, you know what kind of street this is: six lanes of 45mph traffic.

There were several “real” press photographers on site, all trying to get a shot of this guy; I was the first to realize that getting the shot meant going out into the middle of the road with him. The others followed my example, only they got paid to do it, so I guess they get the last laugh.

The punchline in this idiotic cartoon: “Anytime you see ‘bailout’ you should expect to get creamed.”

I guess it’s true—if by “creamed” you mean “paid back with interest.” Seriously, don’t these people even realize you need to change the talking points when they’re proven incorrect?

Here’s someone who apparently wants to abolish the presidency completely. Or, you know, something. I’m not sure they really know what they want.

I’ve saved my favorite pictures from this event for my next post, coming soon. Until then, watch out for teabaggers, they’re scary folks.