A perfect analysis. Ernie's metaphor of the suitcase is apt. We supply the handle, they grab it and run. It's OK, though, there are at least three things the Tea Party, even and especially co-opted as it is, is doing for us:

1. Conditioning the public to think outside the two-party system. Even if the third option is a false one at present, we will be using this conditioning against the establishment later in this process.

2. Acting as a gateway for us. Once a person begins to vehemently "question the official dialog", even under the guidance of sell-outs, the general approach tends to be an irreversible process. In short it, to some small degree at least, opens up the rabbit hole for further exploration. Seen AJ's stats lately? (Wow) He will vacuum up droves of them [like a bennies-crazed rhino in a clover patch], and he is in turn a super-gateway for deeper, perhaps less alarmist and more scrupulously documented, information sources.

3. The Beck T-Party will erode votes almost entirely from the Republican voter base. Combined with the growing apathy and even anti-incumbent sentiment of the Dem base, this is good, good, good. It means that true independents have a much better fighting chance than they would have, and that a minority government is a real possibility. In this case, HELLO GRIDLOCK. Which is win for us too, a big win, as it further paralyzes the tail of the dinosaur while it sends the body deeper into the throes of it's death.

Esteemed Die Daily, "perfect" is not normally a word we associate with Oyate, however, I will forgive this unorthodoxy.

I don't see any of your points (and no offense, heard them before from you optimists) as impossible. It's just the flip side of the coin: one side will land face up, the other face down.

Historically, it's looking like "they" got us got us going exactly where they want us. 

I am inclined to more optimism with reference to AJ (no, I have no idea what his numbers are like these days but I'm curious) for the reasons you mentioned and I share your hope that analytical minds will first be stretched and then snap back into something like a coherent shape.

Until then I'm gonna remain an extremist. We function to anchor our ethics, force centrists to take positions and maintain a state of purity I suppose we'll never get to off paper.

(sung to the tune of Glory Glory Halelujah)

Go away because we said so

smack you with the MSM bro

we get to say who's in and in light of your mortal sin

go away, go away go away!

(chorus)

We are the neo-Teo baggers

hoodlums, hacks and knuckle draggers

gonna go complainy then we'll suck the tits off Cheney

up with us and down with them!

Several phrases regarding Oyate that will stain any political career. Never put the words "oyate" together with perfection, sober, cogent, lucid, daffodil, reliable or responsible. 

Actually for any aspirant to any office, it's best you not be seen or photographed with me. With the help of the courageous Seepy (the unbidden anti-Robin to my anti-Batman), Oyate has become truly radioactive.

See the genius of Seepy isn't, as Enrie said, that any sniper could come and imitate Oyate and totally get away with it because nobody would no the difference, no. The truth is more like Seepy read my out-stretched hand and took it. And proceeded to imitate Oyate and get away with it NOT ONLY WITH MY TACIT APPROVAL BUT WITH MY ACTIVE COACHING. AND YOU ALL SAW IT.

And if you want to know who's side I'm on with regard to Seepy or any other author here, I'm on the side of LITERATURE BABIES. I'm on the side of telling stories and I hope they somehow imply truth or arrive at it. And while I have light-hearted joy when I write, I know this is no playground. This is where the big dogs run. FP seldom has trolls because we're not only open to everything, we're freaking MURDEROUS in print.

And to tell the truth, this is about the last place anybody will publish old Oyate with his ramblings and introductions of unpleasant thoughts into his own family and tribe and movement.

Oyate is trying to somehow maneuver himself to being a paid contrarian for the movement. He is staying up at nights trying to think of a way to make money telling his own people shit they don't wanna hear. Oyate knows better than the people making money telling people what they wanna hear, Oyate knows better than they do. But only a single troll, Seepy, ever listens to everything Oyate says.

Oh in the interests of disclosure: Seepy is a "provisional member of Tribe Oyate".

It's kind of like other provisional memberships with their "probationary period" but in this case, it's Seepy putting the tribe on probation to see if it's good enough for him.

So while Seepy has the authority as a "pledge" and carries certain protections of the tribe (providing he doesn't fuck up even more than he has or usually does), he does not get to represent us yet in truth. Although we expect him to try to. Night and day. We know who he is. Kinda. Pretty much. He has several literary styles and screen names to match. He set up a honey-pot just for me, the email address "notOyate@yahoo.com", the kid knew just what kinda bait I'd got for. We chat. I don't wanna diviulge anything but at times, this kid can WRITE. Like when I engage him, occasionally, and he's SO FREAKING EVASIVE, but occasionally he produces pen like FROM THE GODS. And BTW, he can variously spell, use punctuation and sentance structure. When you trick him into talking.

Why do I make such a defense? Smart investment policy. Look. Catherine Bliesh, Gary Franchi, both my proteges. Numerous others. Know how many other people get to take credit for that? Well if Seepy works out good, I got a 100% stake in that. Nobody but NOBODY gets to say they were on board with Seepy before me, I got the document trail to prove it.

Hey, I MADE THIS KID. I MADE HIM WHAT HE IS (AT SOME POINT GONNA BE) TODAY.

Really it's part of my retirement stragegy. I wanna be the old drunk at the bar that "knew them in the day" and get free drinks. That in a nutshell is Oyate's whole life strategy at this point. If you guys don't get famous, I'm totally screwed.

It's interesting to note a parallel that happened several years ago with the "Southern Baptist Convention".  It was SUPPOSED to be a distributed movement of diverse beliefs & respecting differences within the Baptist Church.  And then suddenly, certain groups began to get "kicked out"!  There were a number of theological reasons given, but the issue that was NEVER actually addressed is "WHO DECIDED THAT THEY HAD ANY AUTHORITY TO DO ANY KICKING"?  So, this trick within the Tea-Party is NOT a new trick without historical precident.   The BIGGER QUESTION that looms is how to effectively deal with it & maintain the original group charter/s while doing so.

Oyate, deep apologies for the insinuation that you are anything less than deeply disturbed...sometimes I forget myself. I hope this hasn't damaged our relationship. Kindly remind me ahead of time, if you are ever about to open fire, to stand directly in front of you so as I don't get shot up. It sounds like you got quite the bromance on with CP...um, congratulations, I think. Encourage him to share that writing ability with the rest of us. He is the quaintly feathered canary in the coal mine, and you are his enormous hairy Tatanka. I love him dearly too, lol.