Media reports about the racist undertones, the white elderly demographics, and the general anger of the Tea Party were ably rebutted last night on The Daily Show. John O’Hara, author of the book “A New American Tea Party,” pushed back against Stewart’s accusation that the term “Obamacare” was as derogatory as “tea bagger”:
Stewart: “Isn’t ‘Obamacare,’ by nature of you using the phrase, derogatory? Instead of saying ‘Let’s just talk about the new health care reform.'”
O’Hara: “I don’t think that’s a slam. That’s a moniker that it’s been given because it’s his…”
Stewart: “John, Jooohn, Johhhhn? Why don’t I call it the tea bagging book? I don’t think that’s a slam. Let’s not call it a slam. It’s just something I said.”[audience applause]
O’Hara: “One is an obscure sexual fetish, the other is a guy’s name.”
Watch O’Hara rebut other claims, particularly about the myth of Tea Parties as an anti-government movement, in the clips below.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| John O’Hara Pt. 1 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| John O’Hara Pt. 2 | ||||
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