March 13th Coffee Party Fail!

Yesterday was supposed to be the big break-out day for the "coffee party" movement. Recall Annabel Park, the sleazy Obamabot who launched this nouveau initiative to mimic the success of the conservative tea parties. Well, so far we've got reports of at most dozens of people who've made it out to "coffee party" rallies around the nation.

A turnout of about 30 people is trumpeted as a huge success in Richmond, Virginia: "Richmond Coffee Party Kickoff a Success!":

Okay, they do look like nice people, and here's the resolution:

Participants in the meeting signed a civility pledge and read the preamble to the U.S . Constitution together, before breaking up into discussion groups to discuss ways of moving forward.

The Coffee Party is planning additional events in the near future and is looking to expand its message of civil discourse and progress towards real solutions.

Still, with all due respect, this is just pathetic. I've been organizing for almost a year with folks in the tea parties. Our movement is a response to creeping tyranny and the destruction of individualism. And what's been the response on the left? To shut down the tea parties as "racist", "fascist," and "terrorist." You can't call for civility when the response to spontaneous protest in authoritarianism.

Indeed, listen to the call for "civility" among the "coffee partiers" in West Palm Beach, at "'Coffee party' debuts in West Palm Beach as 'anti-tea party'" (via Memeorandum):

"We have to stop the mantra of no taxes, no taxes, no taxes," said Marcia Halpern of Palm Beach Gardens.

A few of the issues could have come straight from a tea party gathering, including criticism of the media and calls for term limits and for publicizing congressional earmarks.

Papison and several others said they hope to foster civil political debate.

But Art Brownstein of West Palm Beach, who described himself as a lifelong Democrat and a Vietnam vet, said civility has its limits.

"Sometimes it bothers me when the word 'civility' comes up," said Brownstein, who said people on "the other side....are not civil to us."

Brownstein, who is white, said "white southerners in this country are going nuts" because of the popularity of black figures like President Obama and Oprah Winfrey. He said he raised the issue because "you have to know who your enemy is."

Alana Milich, a high school teacher from Boynton Beach, agreed with Brownstein.

"The foundation of all of this is racism," said Milich, who is white.

Mary Castronuovo of Palm Beach Gardens said she doesn't want the coffee party to be defined by its criticism of the tea party.

"I would be discouraged if this group became just a counter to the tea party," she said. "We can't make them the enemy."

Sorry, Mary Castronuovo, it's too late. The "coffee parties" are explicitly anti-tea party, or they wouldn't have adopted an alternative beverage for their identity. The fact is, leftists have lost the momentum from campaign 2008. That was an absolute phenomenon of popular participation and rejection of Republican Party rule. But the shoe's on the other foot now. The tide has turned dramatically away for the Obama administration and its statist agenda. There's not going to be much more for the coffee partiers to do but attack conservatives as "raaacist" It's all Democrats have had so far, and we'll see a lot more of that going forward. These folks are desperate.

More from Michael Barone, "The Coffee Party Miniphenomenon."

And Gateway Pundit, "BIG FAIL. St. Louis Libs Hold Coffee Party – 30 People Show Up;" Lonely Conservative, "The Coffee Party Should Be Called the ‘Obama Kool Aid Party’"; Ruby Slippers, "Coffee Party is a Wild Success"; and SWAC Girl, "Liberal 'Coffee Parties' Fall Short."

Plus, at Instapundit and Memeorandum.