CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Americans for Prosperity (AFP) pulled out all the stops at a Tea Party rally held in the outskirts of Charlotte on Monday night ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
In addition to a dinner comprised of savory pulled pork, BBQ chicken, baked beans, lemonade and tea, the venue boasted a putt-putt golf course, a bouncy house, a face-painting clown and “Party Pets.” Kids rode around on a child-sized turtle, played with snakes and lizards and came face to face with a chinchilla.
Party Pets owner and local Tea Partier Gregory Paules says he was not asked to bring his zoo animals to the rally, but that he usually brings them to Tea Party events to entertain the kids.
“The kids have been loving it!” Paules said.
Paules, who has owned his business for 25 years, said he is one of the original Tea Party members and attended one of the first national Tea Party event in downtown Charlotte in 2009.
“I DID build this!” he said of his business, playing off the oft-mocked and poorly worded “You didn’t build that” accusation President Barack Obama leveled at small business owners at a campaign event.
The “you didn’t build that” remark, which has become a rallying cry for Republicans and conservatives, was a theme of evening, though event headliner Michelle Malkin predominately tackled the false claims of racism thrown at the Tea Party by liberals. The event, held the day before the start of the Democratic National Convention, which is also being held in Charlotte, is part of AFP’s “Obama’s Failing Agenda” bus tour. Charlotte is one of 15 cities the bus is visiting in North Carolina. According to a press release, three buses will visit 380 cities in 25 states, including Florida, Wisconsin and Colorado, for the tour as part of what AFP says is its largest bus tour to date.
Malkin began her portion of the program by joking that she was excited to part of “this angry mob” and pulling up an empty chair and imitating Clint Eastwood’s now legendary performance from the Republican National Convention last Thursday evening as part of what she called “Empty Chair” day.
“This is another moment in which limited government, constitutional bound conservative activists have seized the narrative. And we are crushing the information monopoly. This is a triumph and it is such a joyous moment,” she said of the stir Eastwood’s performance has caused, particularly among Hollywood elite.
“They hate to hear about patriotism,” she said.
Speaking about the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, Malkin denounced liberals who attempt to paint everything the Tea Party does as “racist.”
“The convoluted rational that some of these white-washed lap dogs come up with to turn everything that comes out of our mouths as racism has really reached an absurd level,” she said.
“ACHEW!” she said, fake sneezing.
“RACIST!” she shouted, making fun of members of the Left.
Malkin pointed out later in the speech that “it wasn’t Barack Obama who built the American Dream,” it was patriotic Americans.
“That was us. It was me and you. And ultimately it was those ‘raaaaacist’ Founding Fathers’ that we have to pay tribute to,” she said, adding that we need to restore the Constitution.
Malkin is speaking on the bus tour through the end of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. She is joined by popular radio host Tony Katz of the Tony Katz Show on All Patriots Media.
