What was the best thing about the Twin City Tea Party meeting Monday night?

Answer:  The Border Wings & Margaritas!  Close 2nd: Being in the company of Roxanne.  Last: Sitting beside DaTechGuy.

That last was a joke.

To be as blunt as possible.  Any blog post I write about it would do far less damage to the conservative movement in central Massachusetts than  Kenneth Mandile, the organizer and speaker from the Worcester Tea Party did for the Twin City Tea Party movement in North Central Massachusetts and its members in attendance.

He made such a ridiculous statement, “Sarah Palin is not the Tea Party” that prompted me to get up and walk out!

This same individual when opening his speech earlier in the night told the Twin City Tea Party members to “avoid social issues…and focus on fiscal responsibility”  This same leader who later stated that the same members attend a ‘activist training course’ in Danvers, Massachusetts so that they can learn how to protest from such ‘grassroots organizations’  like Americans For Prosperity, Sam Adams Alliance, and American Liberty Alliance.

When a member asked why they would need to have ‘activist training’, he avoided the question.  She asked again.  I prompted raised my hand and stated ‘I watch a lot on MSNBC.  I have heard these organization names before.  Don’t you believe that the reason why grassroots organizations are being called ‘astroturf’ by the left is because you promote ‘activist training’  by these specific corporations?

He defended his opinion, by avoiding my question and claiming that since they don’t support republican candidates (even though my question was about corporations) that the training is warranted.

There were plenty of good questions asked.  Some local candidates spoke and took questions.  Most made the jabs at the current administration in Washington & Massachusetts about health care, spending, etc.  I, of course, asked questions such as who were the state Governors over that same period of time for the study and they answered Weld (R), Romney (R), & Swift (R), Patrick (D).  I then asked under which Governor is credited with the current Massachusetts Health Care System and the audience answered Romney as the speaker answered Romney as well.

Prior to the Mr Mandile, the meeting was spot on.  I was enjoying myself.  I agreed with some points, disagreed with most, I stayed open-minded and wanted to hear the other side I can form my own opinions.

Be sure to check Datechguy’s page, http://datechguy.wordpress.com/,  for his impression of the meeting and that of Roxanne as well. I’m sure it’s linked.

Oh , and as I always say, form your own opinions.  Here’s the website for Kenneth Mandile’s Worcester Tea Party http://www.worcesterteaparty.com/.  There’s a tax day event in Worcester on April 15th you can check out if that’s your cup of tea.  I just can’t understand how a group can be motivated by such a monotone, unenthusiastic, extremely boring public speaker who rambles on and on.  We even clapped when he finished talking so that he could take the hint and get off the stage.  He didn’t get the hint and assumed we wanted more.  UGH.

Oh also, if you speak in such a boring monotone voice DON’T quote Teddy Roosevelt from your BlackBerry!

If he we’re the head football /basketball coach giving the pregame speech to motivate his adult players to win the big game against a team of children, I would bet all my $$ on the children!

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Tags: Border Wings, datechguy, massachusetts, roxanne, Sarah Palin, Twin City Tea Party, Worcester Tea Party