Media

‘We Let the Tea Party Steal Our Thunder’: Eliot Spitzer Can‘t Understand Why Liberalism Isn’t ‘Persuading the Public’

Current TV Host Eliot Spitzer Says Liberals Let the Tea Party Steal Their Thunder

Former disgraced governor of New York and “Viewpoint” host Eliot Spitzer wants to know why the Tea Party movement continues to pick up steam, while liberal ideology sputters — even though the latter is “absolutely bulletproof logically.”

While the answer may seem obvious enough to some, Spitzer explained his theory on his Current TV show Monday — and no, it’s not because the United States of America was founded on conservative principles or because extreme liberalism and progressivism turns everything it touches into rubble.

Spitzer says the Left has been unable to effectively communicate its message to voters.

“On health care, on markets, on regulating Wall Street — We have an argument that is absolutely bulletproof logically and yet we are not persuading the public. Why?,” Spitzer pondered.

While our readers probably have a myriad of answers for him, the show’s guest Thomas Frank, columnist for Harper’s Magazine and author of “Pity the Billionaire,” told Spitzer it’s because of people like Glenn Beck.

“This is the biggest problem facing liberalism in my view: I mean you’ve watched over the course of our lifetimes, watched this movement shrink and basically almost die because you go to a place like Wichita, Kansas, and our message isn’t there,” Frank explained.

What voices are there, according to Frank? “It’s Rush Limbaugh, it’s Glenn Beck, it’s the Tea Party movement.” While it’s hard to tell if his comments were more of a knock on the state of Kansas or Beck and Limbaugh, either way the argument seems nonsensical.

Current TV Host Eliot Spitzer Says Liberals Let the Tea Party Steal Their Thunder

“Can I tell you my theory?” Spitzer asked. “We let the Tea Party steal our thunder.”

“We let the Tea Party grab the anger, the animus and the venom when it should’ve been ours, and you know why?,” he asked. “We were chicken, we were afraid, we were lilly-livered, had no backbone, no spine, the Democratic party that was owned and bought by wall street.”

Then denying that the Tea Party movement was a grassroots effort, Frank argued that “these guys,” likely meaning the rich, created the movement to serve their own self-interests.

Some would argue that the American people’s resentment towards their federal government is not for sale. Resentment manifests itself when the people sense that their government is out of control and is no longer representing the people who elected its officials in the first place.

Watch Spitzer and his guest try to figure out why liberalism just isn’t sticking, courtesy of Current TV:

Comments (161)

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  • Mike N
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:11pm

    .
    The demise of Andrew Breitbart has strengthened the resolve of the public to look behind the curtain for themselves. No longer can the subversive liberal movement hide its maneuvers.

    The progressives will soon realize that they must quickly move out into the open, and that is when rioting will be incited by the Obama Machine, followed by a declaration of Marshall Law.

    My question is . . . Will the military will follow its Commander in Chief, or its Constitutional Conscience?
    .

    Report Post »  
  • Nickallsopp
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:06pm

    I‘ll tel you why liberalism isn’t sticking. It’s because common sense is the best defense to keep you from looking stupid, and common sense has completely escape the liberal way of thinking. You liberals want to change a country that doesn’t want to be changed. And it occurs to me that between the liberals and the GOP, I’ll follow the GOP because they like most men and women have a need to make SENSE! You liberals are fighting for what most Americans don’t want. And none of your arguments make sense. It’s all about what makes sense. And like i said before and like i always say “Common sense is the best defense to keep you from looking stupid.”

    Report Post » Nickallsopp  
    • encinom
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:19pm

      Nah, the Tea ****** Party is just a loud, group of stupid people wearing funny clothes and letting Fox News set their agenda. The Baggers, prove the danger of stupid people in large crowds.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:26pm

      @ENI

      You have been watching OWS .. your mistake

      Report Post »  
    • Brannigans Law
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:29pm

      Oh man, you’re on it today, Encinom! Hilarious use of the ad hominem fallacy. My sides hurt from laughing at you. Keep it coming.

      Report Post » Brannigans Law  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:40pm

      Funny ENCIDIOT/MONICNE/SLEAZY HIPPO….but the tea parties affected the biggest win in the house for the GOP in 70 years and likely will have a similar effect on the elections this year.
      What’s OWS done for the democrats again? (sound of crickets chirping)……..

      Report Post »  
    • cosette
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 4:23pm

      @ Encinomoron… Reference “urban dictionary” to find the meaning of “tea ******”. If you are unaware of its’ meaning perhaps you will stop using it. Unless, as I suspect, you have no class as well as no sense.

      Report Post »  
  • Mutiny
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:02pm

    Great news, you may be a terrorist according to the DHS.

    http://www.prisonplanet.com/homeland-security-report-lists-liberty-lovers-as-terrorists.html

    Thank goodness people like Obama, Romney, McCain, Graham, West, and Rubio support the NDAA.

    Report Post » Mutiny  
  • Psychosis
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:02pm

    encinom and jzs hero

    and they are about as dumb as he is

    Report Post » Psychosis  
  • Banter
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:00pm

    Stay the course fellow patriots, we are kicking their a$$!

    Encinom, I have some tea for you when you are ready. I’ll even pay since I know that is anathama to you.

    Report Post » Banter  
  • rambosharley
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:59pm

    Hey Eliot, The PRODUCERS are sick and tired of the MOOCHERS electing LOOTERS to REDISTRIBUTE the TAXPAYERS(PRODUCERS) MONEY!

    Report Post »  
  • Brannigans Law
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:59pm

    Hahahahahahahaha! You slay me! I anxiously scroll through the comments just to find your posts so I can get a good laugh. It’s like knowing exactly when someone is going to trip over their own feet so you can be there and witness it. Keep your moronic, troll posts coming buddy!

    Report Post » Brannigans Law  
  • Brother Winston Smith
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:58pm

    MISUNDERSTANDING (or deception):
    “It’s Rush Limbaugh, it’s Glenn Beck, it’s the Tea Party movement.”
    TRUTH:
    Limbaugh and Beck are FAKE-conservative PROGRESSIVES who have NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING to do with the REAL Constitutional Libertarian Tea Party.

    Report Post » Brother Winston Smith  
    • v15
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:15pm

      Very uninspiring factually false statement you made there.

      Report Post » v15  
    • Brother Winston Smith
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 2:02pm

      Where, v15?

      FACT:
      The REAL Tea Party (simmering with the democrat/republican AMNESTY) boiled over with the democrat/republican TARP/Bailouts/Stimulus. It is FIERCELY local and NON-AFFILIATED with EITHER leftist monopolizing party. And, since the GOP’s CO-OPTING… has EVOLVED into Liberty Movements, State NULLIFICATION movements and the Ron Paul campaign.

      FACT:
      FAKE-TEA GOP is PURE ESTABLISHMENT republican. Their SOLE PURPOSE is PRESERVATION of the LEFTIST Establishment republican party. They can easily be spotted, once we UNDERSTAND their goal. A FAKE-TEA GOPer NEVER utters the words “third” or “party” or “nullification” or “Enumerated” or “Powers.” They will also POSE (same with Limbaugh and Beck) as being hopefully resigned to the “lesser evil” – which is the OPPOSITE of “tea” and EXACTLY LIKE “gop.”

      FACT:
      Rush Limbaugh is PURE ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICAN, who POSES as “conservative.“ His job is to TRICK PEOPLE into CONTINUED SUPPORT with ”lesser evil” SCAMS and RIDICULE of third parties. He ridiculed Ross Perot (WHO WAS SPOT ON ABOUT RUSH’S NAFTA) and he’s ridiculed CONSTITUTIONALIST REPUBLICAN Ron Paul… during his 2008 run and his 2012 run – because Ron Paul THREATENS THE ESTABLISHMENT.

      FACT:
      Glenn Beck is a FAKE-conservative/libertarian. His tactics and target demos are different from Rush’s, BUT HIS OBJECTIVE IS IDENTICAL.

      Report Post » Brother Winston Smith  
    • Sheridan2012
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 7:45pm

      I didn’t need to read very many of your posts to realize what you are. A typical Ron Paul disciple. Of course your far more committed to your socalled truth than your dear leader but that is besides the point. You and those like you are one of the reasons that conservatives struggle more than we should to gain traction. You are so out of touch with reality, so obsessed with your ideology that you alienate 95% of the rest of Americans. You can say thats because they are stupid or lying or whatever makes you feel less alone. But you are alone. Alone in your own delusional world where everything you believe is automatically the truth.
      Well I hate to break it to you but you are always going to be a fringe lunatic and a joke unless you actually start trying to bring people together. You think calling people “leftists” and “fakes” for disagreeing with you is convinces anyone that you are right? Well I will let you in on something the rest of us already know. It doesn’t. It makes you look like a lunatic. There are a lot of people who don’t believe what you do. And not all of them are wrong. There are plenty of people out there that know a hell of a lot more about the world than you that are a lot more gracious and a lot less arrogant. Only an ignorant and arrogant person would claim to always know the truth. You could use a big dose of humility and knowledge. But you will never get the knowledge without the humility.

      Report Post »  
  • Lord_Frostwind
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:57pm

    They have nearly three to four times as many of each of those things on the Liberal side! Not to mention nearly every actor and screenwriter in Hollywood loving every Liberal idea that was ever conceived. If our ideas were so bad, people wouldn’t be following them, contrast to what Spitzer is whining about why nobody is buying the Liberal mantras anymore.

    For the record, that guy dying in the streets, while you were waiting for the government, those Tea Party members got him some food and clothing then donated their own time and money to take care of him instead of waiting for the Fairy God President. And if you want to talk millionaires and billionaires getting an unfair deal because of the people in government, I submit the Union bosses, green energy companies, and specifically General Electric as my rebuttal.

    Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
  • kmiller1970
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:56pm

    What an enormously ignorant a**h**e

    Report Post »  
  • HorseCrazy
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:54pm

    must be that ****** syphilis thats gone untreated maybe that is the reason for the rise of liberalism in this country. I am sticking with that theory

    Report Post »  
  • BehindTheMouth
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:54pm

    Well the liberals have NBC,ABC,CBS,CNN,MSNBC and every local media outlet on their side

    Report Post » BehindTheMouth  
  • KeystoneState
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:53pm

    Encinom breaks out from cage again! Lol!

    Report Post » KeystoneState  
  • Liberty2011
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:53pm

    “What voices are there, according to Frank? “It’s Rush Limbaugh, it’s Glenn Beck, it’s the Tea Party movement.”
    ….you bet your sweet a$$ it is… and watch out because we are not stopping!…and if Spitzer wants the liberal message out, he should really take it somewhere other then Current TV….just sayin.

    Report Post » Liberty2011  
  • Lord_Frostwind
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:51pm

    Really? “Liberals don’t communicate their message.” Really?

    You mean with near total control of the major news networks, lock stop allegiance with Hollywood, control of the schools from elementary to college, and heaven only knows how many bloggers, and you are failing to communicate your message.

    Here’s a bit of analysis, first possibility, your media mouthpieces are so laughably incompetent at doing their job that people have stopped believing anything they have to say. Second possibility, YOUR MESSAGE SUCKS! I’m inclined to believe both, but much more the latter than the former.

    Any form of competition against these fools is almost a guaranteed recipe for success, and they don’t like it. It is not enough to have the most voices for their message, their voice must be The Only Voice, and The Only Message. Even then, I think most people would realize how full of crap they are.

    Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
    • rambosharley
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:06pm

      They have the education system K-12 and higher education, they’re completely entrenched in local, state and federal government. You’re right, we don’t like it because it threatens our freedom and it just plain SUCKS!

      Report Post »  
  • HKS
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:50pm

    And just don’t you forget it.

    Report Post » HKS  
  • markggg
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:49pm

    Liberalism has destroyed ever Country that has tried it. Ours will fair no better. Liberalism must be destroyed, like a rabid animal must be put down before it spreads its infection.

    Report Post » markggg  
  • GoodStuff
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:47pm

    –“We were chicken, we were afraid, we were lilly-livered,”–

    Never trust a man who uses the term “lilly-livered”.

    Report Post »  
    • RLTW
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:28pm

      I think we can conclude he’s a nervous Nelly.

      Report Post »  
  • The_Jerk
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:46pm

    Eliot Spitzer, yet one more Jewish (1.7% of population) liberal. How many examples does one need?

    Report Post »  
    • Lord_Frostwind
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:00pm

      “Incompetence and Stupidity knows no race, creed, or color. It’s a universal condition.”

      Though I have always been curious why so many people of the Jewish faith are so strongly Liberal. From what I‘ve studied those two belief systems shouldn’t mesh well.

      Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
    • The_Jerk
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:11pm

      Lord_Frostwind, actually they do mesh well. Jewish culture gives us the kibbutz. The kibbutz is communal living. Communal living is communism. It’s no result of chance that Moses Hess and Karl Marx were both Jews. This is also why you have always found large numbers of Jews out front in the fight for communism, now called international socialism. It’s their culture.

      Report Post »  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 2:13pm

      Jerk, God said: I will bless those who bless you (speaking to the father of the Jews),and whoever curses you I will curse. He is not afraid to rebuke the Jews, leave it up to Him…for your own good.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • eaglesview
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:45pm

    Hey Elliot,
    Buckle your chinstrap Lefty.
    You think 2010 was a shellacking ?.
    You and your ilk are not welcome, have a pathetic, big brother message, and you can’t have any more of my money chief !.
    TEA 2012 !.

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:05pm

      LOL .. they still don’t get it .. yes we will school them once again .. NOVEMBER 6th .. LIBERTY!

      OMG 2012!

      Report Post »  
    • cykonas
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 6:13pm

      Unfortunately Governor Romney will not put us back on the path to freedom. The best we can hope for with his election is a slow down in our path to Serfdom, and I’m not convinced that even that will come to pass. I’m almost ready to say that I will vote for him, but I’m not happy about it. He’s nearly as Progressive as President Obama.

      We need to cultivate new leadership for our Republic and neither of the two establishment parties have a solution to this quagmire. I pray that God raises a true leader for us.

      Report Post » cykonas  
  • randy
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:43pm

    Spitzer says the Left has been unable to effectively communicate their message to voters.

    OH YES YOU HAVE!
    We’re just not buying it! What a Moroon!

    Report Post » randy  
    • CatB
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:06pm

      That’s the problem .. we get it LOUD AND CLEAR and REJECT SAME!

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 1:22pm

      Spitzer demonstrates the truth of the leftists and progressives: clueless, arrogant and utterly out of touch with the greater majority of Americas people who reject marxist progressive policies outright.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • HKS
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:43pm

    Cause it’s prettier.

    Report Post » HKS  
    • BehindTheMouth
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:55pm

      That’s true, the right wingers have better looking women then the lefties.

      Report Post » BehindTheMouth  
  • deltaecho
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:43pm

    Number 9.

    Report Post »  
  • paperpushermj
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:41pm

    It’s the message: Liberalism says “don’t worry we will take care of you”

    Report Post » paperpushermj  
  • cookcountypatriot
    Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:39pm

    man what an idiot…….and he wonders why

    Report Post » cookcountypatriot  
    • Welcome Black Carter
      Posted on July 3, 2012 at 6:08pm

      In the end, good will prevail over evil. Liberalism is a parasite. It fails where ever it runs unchecked. The answer is so obvious, that is why you will never hear an intelligent liberal (oxymoron, I know) bring it out in the open for discussion.

      Report Post » Welcome Black Carter  
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