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As the first National Tea Party Convention fired up in Nashville, Tennessee over the weekend, I mused to a few friends that the “revolution will be televised.” I was curious as to what would be the prevailing theme coming out of this first convention.  It seemed I got my answer within the first few hours.   Not only was this being “televised,” but it was choking itself on all of the cable wires.  Tom Tancredo set the tone and tenor for the entire weekend, by saying that Barack Obama was only elected president because “we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country”.

“Literacy Tests,” were used during segregation by Southern states to prevent Blacks from voting.  Prior to 1965, southern states maintained an elaborate system to deny Blacks, and other non-whites,their ability to vote.  As explained by The Veteran’s Civil Rights Movement:

In the South, this process was often called the “literacy test.” In fact, it was much more than a simple test, it was an entire complex system devoted to denying African-Americans (and in some regions, Latinos) the right to vote.The registration procedures, and the Registrars who enforced them, were just one part of this interlocking system of racial discrimination and oppression. The various state, county, and local police forces — all white of course — routinely intimidated and harassed Blacks who tried to register. They arrested would-be voters on false charges and beat others for imagined transgressions; and often this kind of retribution was directed not only at the man or woman who dared try to register, but against their family members as well, even the children.

The intent of Tancredo’s words were evident.  It was scurrilous and stupefying.  If you were some of the morons in the room actually applauding his words, on some level of basic human consciousness, you had to realize the shame and indignity it engendered.  My family lived through these debasing tests.  Trying to rile up a crowd by inferring the usage of such a thing is beyond the pail.

By now though, it should come as no surprise that Tancredo stirs the pot of bigotry.  His track record is littered with odious, divisive speech.  Why would the Tea Party movement lend credence to the arguments of their critics– who say they’re nothing but fringe extremists and borderline bigots– by inviting Tancredo?  In one fell swoop, he diluted its message of populist angst over government control– by injecting racial animus.

But maybe that was the purpose.  The organizer of the event, Judson Phillips, managed to put together an event that was covered by mainstream media outlets.  Perhaps his intent was to use Tom Tancredo as bait, knowing the firebrand former congressman would lure the ravenous media outlets into jumping the hook.  It seemed to work all too well, says Glenn Reynolds, a blogger who covered the event:

I think the media convinced the media to cover this by playing up the early stories,

If I wanted to give Judson Phillips more credit than he deserves, I’d claim he was actually a genius who manipulated the media into giving this more coverage. I mean, this was the front-page, headline story in the Knoxville paper yesterday!

Well played Mr. Phillips.  And by reeling in Sarah Palin, the conservative big fish of the moment (at the low cost of $100,000), he assured his convention would be in the spotlight.  Her speech and follow-up Q&A were covered by major cable news outlets (although that may not have been such a good thing ).

So for now, the spotlight shines on the Tea party.  Will the illumination bring out more rats?  Will the activists even care?  We’ll see.

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