Hundreds of conservatives from around the state have flocked to a Myrtle Beach resort for South Carolina’s first tea party convention. Despite the event being held in mid-January, the beautiful weather (not to mention rock-bottom hotel prices) truly make it “a great day for a tea party,” as Gov. Nikki Haley often repeated on the campaign trail.
In sharp contrast to the convention’s picturesque setting, however, the atmosphere inside the convention grew increasingly ugly over the weekend as speakers spouted inflammatory and racially-charged rhetoric which was eaten up by the tea partiers in attendance. While this would normally merit little attention given the tea party’s history of controversy, that much of the state’s congressional delegation and statewide elected officials are taking part in the convention is raising some eyebrows.
On Sunday, Palmetto Public Record told you about a speaker who accused the Democratic Party and its leaders of being racist, and encouraged the all-white crowd to “be intolerant” of people with different religious and political beliefs. The speech immediately followed an address by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, no stranger to the occasional controversial statement himself.
The rhetoric grew even more heated on Monday. Mere minutes after Gov. Haley addressed the convention, a speaker named Colin Heaton called illegal immigrants “terrorists” and recommended that the military employ drone strikes on U.S. and Mexican soil. Heaton also called for a border fence with land mines and tear gas, and said the military should “force these Mexicans” to build it:
From there, Heaton’s barely-cohesive speech pivoted to another tea party trope. “The only difference between Adolf Hitler and Barack Obama is that Obama isn’t as overtly ethically challenged,” commented Heaton, who failed to explain his outrageous comparison.
Heaton wasn’t the only tea partier making the Obama-Hitler accusation this weekend. In the media room on Sunday, a documentarian wearing a “don’t tread on me” T-shirt and his interview subject were overheard discussing “similarities” between the president and Hitler. The young interviewer went even further, telling the woman how “disgusted” he is “that fags are allowed to openly serve in the military.”
“No elected official or candidate should be at this event,” state Rep. Leon Stavrinakis said after learning of the event’s inflammatory rhetoric. But in addition to Wilson and Haley, other speakers at the tea party convention include Sen. Jim DeMint, U.S. Reps. Jeff Duncan, Mick Mulvaney and Tim Scott, state Treasurer Curtis Loftis and Attorney General Alan Wilson, as well as presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.
Gov. Nikki Haley addresses the tea party convention
Of course, it would be just as outrageous to suggest that everyone on that list shares the controversial views of many of the convention’s speakers and attendees. But by taking part in the event, South Carolina’s tea party officials give tacit endorsement to rhetoric which only serves to further divide Americans and cheapen the political process and ideals which the tea party claims to hold so dear.
Who ever wrote this article needs to get their facts straight. Cory you little whimp you were shut down by an older Grassroots activist is this why you print lies. Come on Cory you will never get to wear your big boy pants as long as the truth is so hard to write about. Psst Cory Curtis Loftis was not there neither was Governor Haley. And where in the world did you get the drone information from not from the Convention I was at. Besides you are no Will Folks maybe a wonna b. Practice makes perfect looks as if you need tons of it! By the way this is not the 2013 Convention.
Of course it’s not about the 2013 convention — this story was posted A YEAR AGO about the 2012 convention. Also, Corey Hutchins doesn’t write for Palmetto Public Record. You really need to work on your reading comprehension…
Satirist Mark Twain once quipped of reporters “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.” Clearly, this is the prime directive of the author.
Just a cursory perusal reveals numerous inconsistencies with the actual facts. First, this was the 2nd Annual SCTP Convention. Second, I listened to all of the speakers both days and never once heard any racially-charged rhetoric. In fact, the entirety of the convention is online; I challenge the author to find EVEN ONE instance of such a deplorable tirade.
Governor Nikki Haley didn’t speak at this convention. But, she did speak last year. Senator Jim DeMint did not attend. Representative Mick Mulvaney did not attend. In fact, many who the “reporter” claims to have attended and/or spoke were not there at all.
Where in the world did the “reporter” get his/her information? Clearly it was not obtained by having actually attended.
In short, we the people, have a dream and a hope … that one day reporters will share unbiased and truthful reporting of the facts.
Um, this is PPR’s story about LAST YEAR’S convention. It was posted on January 16, 2012, as you can see by the date below the article.
In short, we the people, have a dream and a hope… that one day people will be able to understand the simple date and time system the West uses.
Aaron … surely even you realize that 98% of all postings include the date at the top of the article in bold print … and not obscured in faint gray in the footer text. Nonetheless, the obscured faded out time stamp hidden in the footer does explain the apparent inconsistencies in the news report.
You didn’t list any “inconsistencies” other than your inability to read a date. Everything reported in this article really did happen — a year ago, when the article was posted.