Tea Party of Nevada: Real Third Party, or False Flag?
I've seen several articles today and have read some comments about the formation of the Tea Party of Nevada and their intention to run an unknown against struggling Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
As others have noted, there isn't a great deal of information online about the group or its principles... but there is enough to start wondering whether the group is remotely serious, or just a bunch of cutups. You need look not further than Barry Levinson to know that the group is a farce. Levinson, former attorney for John Wayne Bobbitt is the Secretary of the organization, and holds a seemingly bizarre pedigree for a Tea Party patriot. According to his own blog, Levinson is a disgruntled Obama supporter:He's also a Bush-hating conspiracy theorist:
America is falling apart and we are watching it crumble. Obama is just another politician and not the savor we all thought. His idea of CHANGE is a band aid. Maybe, Americans need to rethink the way our government is run.
Now, I'm certain that there are a representative sample of disgruntled Obama fans among tea party attendees and certain there are conspiracy theorists, but I've not heard of many that were pro-Obama tea party supporters spouting radical left wing "Bush lied, people died" conspiracies. There is also a Larry Lathum[sic?] listed in the filing. There is a Larry Latham in Las Vegas with a conspiratorial mindset to match Levinson's. Is he the At-Large Executive Committee member that runs this web site and rabid supporter of Zeitgeist: The Movie, a veritable cornucopia of conspiracy theories including 9/11 trutherism and allusions to a shadowy network of "international bankers" running the world? I'm not sure... but he fits the conspiratorial profile Levinson mirrors, so it seems possible, if not probable. Others listed among the officers are more difficult to pin down online, but I'm going with a preliminary conclusion that if this group isn't a false flag operation designed to split the opposition to Harry Reid and mock the tea party movement, then it is a sad, silly example of why third party runs are doomed to failure.
I was thinking that if Osama bin Laden was captured early on or killed early in 2002 then, Bush's policies would have come to a halt. Bush's administration lied to the public about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). How can we trust anything else they said? Maybe, the government is keeping his capture or death a secret? Why?, in order to further the patriot act; other agendas; spy on US citizens and to create a cloud of fear and distrust. Since, the bombing of Tora Bora, Osama bin Laden has not personally claimed any other acts of terror. Why?
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 03:26 PM
Comments
1
"...mock the tea party movement..."
You could have stopped right there.
I fully expect a lot of that mockery as we get closer to November...and even in '12.
You could have stopped right there.
I fully expect a lot of that mockery as we get closer to November...and even in '12.
Posted by: Dell at February 15, 2010 03:42 PM (eV8BP)
2
I'm very glad you are watching for such things. I think we'll see more of this in the future.
Posted by: rk at February 15, 2010 03:43 PM (vsIqH)
3
Thanks for doing this research. My first thought when I saw the original article was: Best news Harry Reid has had in months! Could only be good news for him if it were really true -- splitting opposition to his re-election. So -- a plausible motive for a false-flag op if there ever was one.
Posted by: Arthur at February 15, 2010 03:53 PM (fr+qV)
4
Thanks, I've been trying to track these guys down since seeing the post. No presence on TPN or TPP, high probability of false flag.
Posted by: motionview at February 15, 2010 04:03 PM (22FgP)
5
Are you saying that Obama IS the savor we have been waiting for?
Ah, whatever. This kind of opportunistic remora activity is just not, um, sustainable in the current media climate. Like with Barry's multiple and continuing contradictions, this kind of foolishness is designed for yester-year's conditions. The only important thing, and the Yank seems on top of this, is to prevent legacy/agenda media from blowing it up beyond its merits. And they don't have the power to do that any longer. So let David Shuster or whomever declare a new age in the movement. It won't last a week.
Ah, whatever. This kind of opportunistic remora activity is just not, um, sustainable in the current media climate. Like with Barry's multiple and continuing contradictions, this kind of foolishness is designed for yester-year's conditions. The only important thing, and the Yank seems on top of this, is to prevent legacy/agenda media from blowing it up beyond its merits. And they don't have the power to do that any longer. So let David Shuster or whomever declare a new age in the movement. It won't last a week.
Posted by: megapotamus at February 15, 2010 04:06 PM (x53hD)
6
Why is anyone even second-guessing the fact that Harry Reid is behind this? He can't get to 50 percent, no how, no way. So how's Harry to win? By lowering the threshold for victory to a number under 50 percent that is attainable. If this "Tea Party" gets 10 percent, then 45 percent (a much more do-able number for Harry) is a winning number. Five percent gets victory at 47.6 percent for Harry -- difficult but attainable.
Harry's a craft bugger.
Harry's a craft bugger.
Posted by: Rhodium Heart at February 15, 2010 04:12 PM (zYqP2)
7
Why is anyone even second-guessing the fact that Harry Reid is behind this? He can't get to 50 percent, no how, no way. So how's Harry to win? By lowering the threshold for victory to a number under 50 percent that is attainable. If this "Tea Party" gets 10 percent, then 45 percent (a much more do-able number for Harry) is a winning number. Five percent gets victory at 47.6 percent for Harry -- difficult but attainable.
Harry's a crafty bugger.
Harry's a crafty bugger.
Posted by: Rhodium Heart at February 15, 2010 04:13 PM (zYqP2)
8
Sounds like Reid's plant to save his hide.
Posted by: ic at February 15, 2010 04:13 PM (PAqtC)
9
It's always interesting when these groups, right or left, tiptoe right up to anti-Semitism and then settle for describing that group as a cabal of "international bankers."
Posted by: Pat Patterson at February 15, 2010 04:17 PM (FHAOW)
10
Sounds like we've got a possible Paul-bot on our hands. Haven't heard many of them supporting Zero, but there's got to be one in every crowd.
As much as I would like to see Harry's greasy fingerprints on this thing, I just don't think he's got enough intellect to even conceive of a false-flag operation, much less pull it off.
As much as I would like to see Harry's greasy fingerprints on this thing, I just don't think he's got enough intellect to even conceive of a false-flag operation, much less pull it off.
Posted by: Fresh Air at February 15, 2010 04:26 PM (pxNOm)
11
It's Nevada. Vegas, Area 51, Howard Hughes, Elvis, Mustang Ranch. How can you tell what's authentic and what's not?
Posted by: zhombre at February 15, 2010 04:35 PM (FBJBT)
12
This brings up something others have been concerned about - democrat operatives creating and/or running as tea-party candidates in order to dilute and split the contest on the right and win elections for democrats a la Ross Perot. This is something the left will try to do sooner than later.
Posted by: JDW at February 15, 2010 04:47 PM (uw+0A)
13
This is why the most effective strategy for unseating as many lefties as possible in the fall is for tea partiers to fight it out in the Republican primaries rather than go the third party route. Their objective should be to drive the Republican party as far to the right as it can and then back the winner of the primary, even if he is less than 100% desirable. Going third party can be held in reserve for the hard cases, such as a Dede Scozzafava. Unattainable conservative purity is the enemy of the good-enough 90% solution.
Posted by: wpw at February 15, 2010 05:04 PM (gB+AI)
14
I doubt it's a false flag group, at least not for Harry Reid. I'm thinking it's just a bunch of rejects that other third party types in Nevada refuse to listen to that think they can gain a bit of legitimacy if they claim to be the "Tea Party". Personally, I can live with that - it just means that those that are serious about creating a viable third party in Nevada don't have to worry quite as much about the kooks showing up and disrupting their meetings.
Posted by: Oatworm at February 15, 2010 05:26 PM (83z8d)
15
Anyone want to bet that the MSM treats these folks as legitimate? Any chance that a suit can be brought over trademark?
Posted by: Kevin Murphy at February 15, 2010 05:35 PM (PsxOb)
16
This is a faux tea party. The left now recognizes the election armegeddon they face in November and are trying to undermine the tea party movement by putting up fake ones that are purposefully incompetent, to confuse the general populace and they hope undermine the whole movement.
Posted by: Duke at February 15, 2010 06:47 PM (1eqlM)
17
I have the misfortune of knowing Levinson, Mr. One brick short of a full load, who's rice is not fully cooked, who's porch light is on but nobody's home, who's one french fry short of a happy meal. His latest marketing triumph, a 20' plastic banner on metal fence posts in front of his office advertising "Mortgage Modification $999.00."
Easily the worst lawyer you've ever sat next to at a Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Tea Party should run from this guy . . . fast.
Easily the worst lawyer you've ever sat next to at a Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Tea Party should run from this guy . . . fast.
Posted by: boondox at February 15, 2010 06:49 PM (xD0iE)
18
I recently moved from Las Vegas after being there for four years. My guess is it's not "false flag" in the sense that maybe you mean, but rather is an invention of the kookier fringe of the Ron Paul crowd I became familiar with in Las Vegas.
9-11 Trutherism, Alex Jones conspiracies, and most importantly hatred of the mainstream Nevada GOP and national GOP were big themes in that group during the 2008 primary season when they were the most active, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them hijacking the more mainstream Tea Party sentiment for their own kooky quest against the lizard-people.
Hopefully most will see them for the nutbags that they are.
9-11 Trutherism, Alex Jones conspiracies, and most importantly hatred of the mainstream Nevada GOP and national GOP were big themes in that group during the 2008 primary season when they were the most active, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them hijacking the more mainstream Tea Party sentiment for their own kooky quest against the lizard-people.
Hopefully most will see them for the nutbags that they are.
Posted by: radiant8 at February 15, 2010 07:26 PM (ng/Dw)
19
In the current political environment in America, if you're not paranoid, you're simply not paying attention.
That requires no theory of any type or kind.
Google: "The Plain Truth: Beyond Conspiracy: Police State America." and read all of the references in the 'bibliography.'
Plus, see: "News Kontent: A reader's resources on systemic collapse." Read all of the references and resources there.
What we wish to believe, what our ideology and belief systems requires us to believe, what the MSM and talking heads of all political stripes in America try to convince us to believe ...is unsupported by the facts.
That requires no theory of any type or kind.
Google: "The Plain Truth: Beyond Conspiracy: Police State America." and read all of the references in the 'bibliography.'
Plus, see: "News Kontent: A reader's resources on systemic collapse." Read all of the references and resources there.
What we wish to believe, what our ideology and belief systems requires us to believe, what the MSM and talking heads of all political stripes in America try to convince us to believe ...is unsupported by the facts.
Posted by: Warren Bonesteel at February 15, 2010 07:53 PM (oeESr)
20
I am from New Jersey, but this information does not seem legitimate and me be totally bogus. These people are NOT legitimate Tea Party Members. This looks like a HOAX.
Posted by: jgreene at February 15, 2010 09:21 PM (qm1vA)
21
This is totally messed up. I live in Las Vegas and I am an active member of the Tea Party and I have never even heard of this guy. We have not "elected" anyone to be the President of the organization much less a Secretary of the organization. Sharon Angle won the straw poll at the CCRP *Clark County Republican Party* meeting last month *which by the way, someone is blocking so it won't be released publicly* If you want to report on something, report on how the GOP is rallying against the Tea Party and doing everything they can to make us go away! We are not only fighting Dingy Harry and his ilk, we are fighting the GOP! Thankfully we have taken over the CCRP with Tea Party members but the "old guard" isn't happy about it. The CCRP membership has more than tripled since the tea party became active here. So, I call BS on this story 
Posted by: Lasvegaslady at February 15, 2010 09:57 PM (AKDvd)
22
I guess after the Baltimore Trilogy it was all downhill for Barry Levinson. :-)
Posted by: northern Nevadan at February 15, 2010 11:45 PM (8kQ8M)
23
Just found this.....Tea Party Imposters?
http://www.nevadanewsbureau.com/2010/02/15/tea-party-imposters/
http://www.nevadanewsbureau.com/2010/02/15/tea-party-imposters/
Posted by: Lasvegaslady at February 16, 2010 01:20 AM (AKDvd)
24
"it is a sad, silly example of why third party runs are doomed to failure."
One of the primary reasons why so many third party runs are doomed to failure is because so many are Americans are so disgusted by the Democratic-Republican two-party state that they choose not to vote rather than vote Democrat or Republican. On the other hand, those who do vote are so deluded by the ideology of the Democratic-Republican two-party state that they literally cannot imagine a politics that is not bound by the insipid dynamics of the ruling political establishment.
One of the primary reasons why so many third party runs are doomed to failure is because so many are Americans are so disgusted by the Democratic-Republican two-party state that they choose not to vote rather than vote Democrat or Republican. On the other hand, those who do vote are so deluded by the ideology of the Democratic-Republican two-party state that they literally cannot imagine a politics that is not bound by the insipid dynamics of the ruling political establishment.
Posted by: d.eris at February 16, 2010 02:02 AM (NtUNb)
25
The tea party movement is a protest rather than a political party. You know what comes after the tea party. It ain't no joke. Dead effin serious.
Reforms now. Constitutional Convention ASAP. The alternative shall bebloody. America has grown some stones again and we ain't playin no more. Get serious or get out of the way.
Reforms now. Constitutional Convention ASAP. The alternative shall bebloody. America has grown some stones again and we ain't playin no more. Get serious or get out of the way.
Posted by: Odins Acolyte at February 16, 2010 12:26 PM (brIiu)
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