Election Day 2010 is here. It’s been an election run-up unlike any other for me. Ever since my involvement in Tea Party rallies in 2009, I have taken a greater interest in the political process, especially on the local level. The last two years have been a bit unexpected… at least politically.
As I settled into my seat for another Monday night grad-school class, a couple classmates engaged me in conversation about the election. Was I excited at the prospect of political change? Would I be following the election closely after Tuesday night’s class? What races would be most interesting?
It got me thinking. (Dang, I was hoping to avoid that today.)
Why have Tea Party folks gotten involved in the political process? Why do they attend the rallies? They’re questions that I’ve been asked frequently.
Just happens that I asked a similar question at last April’s Tea Party rally in Albany. It was nice to attend a rally and just chat with other attendees. So I took my good ol’ digital camera (nothing fancy) and took video of folks’ answers to my question. I asked, “What brought you here today?”
As part of a class project this past summer, I edited their answers into the video posted below. Previously, I’d debated whether or not to share it. Frankly, the video/sound quality were less than desirable. But I think it provides insight into why Tea Partiers have gotten involved in the political process. You might even recognize a few of them. I call a number of them Extraordinary Citizens.
Will their involvement have an impact? To a large extent, I believe the answer is already a “yes.”
I encourage Ordinary Citizens to get involved in the political process, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.
History of the 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party – Part IV
Two days prior to the rally, and we were not sure how to answer that question. Outside of Al Roney’s talk radio show, we had seen nearly zero media coverage. It was the case despite distribution of well-written press releases and surging numbers of attendees on our Facebook page. We were worried.
Looking back, we should have recognized that it was normal. We were nobodies on the local media stage. Who had ever heard of the “Albany Tea Party?” As a group made up of relative amateurs, we had little experience interacting with the media. We did not entirely realize that the media is focused on the present, not so much on the future. Simply put, we were not newsworthy… yet!
All of that changed on April 14, 2009. It was then that we started to field calls from local papers. It was also the day where we received our first television coverage. That coverage resulted from what I call, “The Lucky Pitch.” Two days before the rally, I found myself frustrated with the lack of media coverage. Late that night, I sent an e-mail to Brian Taffe, then the host of “Capital Tonight” on Capital News 9, (now YNN). In that e-mail, I noted that they were missing out on a big story. I mentioned that a number of cities across New York State would have tea parties on April 15th. I emphasized that we expected a crowd of a thousand or more in Albany. Early the next morning, (April 14th), I received two phone calls. The first from Brian Taffe, asking me to appear on “Capital Tonight” that evening. The second from Kaitlyn Ross asking me to join her for a live morning broadcast at 7:00 AM from the Corning Preserve on April 15th.
Start up the butterflies. Gulp. Evening rolled in, and I found myself at Capital News 9‘s building, wearing a suit & tie, and sitting uncomfortably in front of a remotely operated camera and monitor. My first TV interview was live, and because it included a remote feed with the Syracuse Tea Party organizer, I was not in studio with Brian Taffe. Instead, I found myself facing off with a robotic camera that seemed to pan and zoom of its own accord. To be fair, Brian Taffe greeted me ahead of time and provided suggestions and instructions. But then he, (and seemingly everybody else), disappeared. At least, that was how it felt. I was more nervous during the interview than I was addressing a crowd of thousands the very next day. Every muscle in my body was tense, the volume of the speaker in my ear was much too loud, but the interview went well. Phew.
After an intensely late night of last-minute preparations, I found myself at the Corning Preserve. After only a couple hours of sleep, I met Kaitlyn Ross for my second TV interview. Fortunately, I found it much easier to talk to a person instead of a camera. The interview went well. Sigh of relief. TV interviews aren’t so bad after all.
Upon completion of the interview, the local media floodgates opened. My cellphone rang almost immediately. TV stations wanted to know where to go, where they could park, and if I could give a statement. Once Capital News 9 picked up on the story, the remainder of the local media followed suit.
How best to describe the coverage? My answer: relatively fair. TV coverage was fairly positive. Print coverage was more negatively biased, but not overly so. And radio… well, WGY carried a live feed of the event. We were very pleased. It was good to see all the PR work, especially by volunteer PR Coordinator Audrey Pietrucha, come to fruition. A little luck didn’t hurt either.
I found a montage of some of the TV coverage that has been posted, (not by me), on YouTube:
So, that’s the media coverage. MUCH better than expected. But what really happened on April 15, 2009? Find out in Part V.
History of the 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party – Part III
…many people can’t be bothered with them. Not me. I love the details. One of the upsides (downsides?) of being a perfectionist, I suppose. Not that I’m perfect. Not even close! In my opinion, though, management of the details is one of those things that separate “great” from “good.”
As we discovered, planning a rally meant handling a myriad of issues. It also meant doing so with extremely limited resources: no money, little time, no existing organization. The one thing we had was a group of passionate volunteers. Despite accusations to the contrary we did not have any backing by existing political organizations. It’s cliche, but it was truly grassroots. Of our volunteers, only a couple had ever participated in or helped plan previous rallies. Still, a group of energetic volunteers stepping up to handle the details was the biggest reason for the success of April 15, 2009′s Albany Tax Day Tea Party.
Here’s a partial list of those details:
Selection of location, time, and date: Corning Preserve; 11 AM – 2 PM; April 15, 2009.
Selection of theme “Rally for the Ordinary Citizen”: a result of intense online discussions.
Creation of web site, e-mail accounts, and Facebook page.
Obtaining a permit and insurance waiver from the City of Albany: kudos to the City Clerk’s office and the Albany Police Department. They made it a painless process. This process was handled in less than three weeks and started over the phone/via e-mail while I was on vacation in Wisconsin.
Electrical and sound system planning and setup: coordinated by Jay Kline. (Another person I hope to introduce in a future blog post.)
Security for the event: again thank you to the APD and to volunteers who kept an eye on things.
Online petition.
Planning and coordinating the setup and cleanup of the event: managed ably by Tom Chandler. (You’ll learn more about Tom in a future blog post.)
Implementation, coordination and adjustment of the event schedule: including actions of the MC (Al Roney), speakers, and musicians during the event.
In the end, we spent only a few hundred bucks, most of that the cost for the permit. The funding: donations and t-shirt sales. The sound system, podium, tables & chairs: all borrowed. The speakers: all ordinary citizens, in keeping with the theme. No politicians were allowed to speak from the podium.
In the end, the event ran smoothly. Having a detailed plan meant it was easy to make adjustments and make them look seamless. Admittedly, the rally did run a little too long, and we learned some valuable lessons. Yet, while it was not perfect, it was a rousing success. It came directly from the efforts of volunteers as they attended to each detail with pride and passion. Evidence of this: when the rally ended, Tom Chandler and his crew had us packed up and cleaned up in mere minutes. The park looked better afterwards than it did before.
Certainly the details were handled well, but did the event garner any media attention? Find out in Part IV.
History of the 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party – Part II
Even before April 15, 2009 I occasionally joked with my wife about the upcoming rally. I said, “I can see it now, when the history books are written…” I paused dramatically, staring far away as if peering into the future, and said, ” …we will read that the revolution started at the 76 Diner. It was there that the patriots first met.” Of course, my wife rolled her eyes and did her job: she reminded me of the importance of humility and told me to check my ego at the door. Yet, there is a nugget of truth in my statement.
Our first volunteers meeting indeed took place at the 76 Diner. While we had been communicating online, it was the first opportunity to gauge each other face-to-face. With the smell of coffee and pancakes wafting through the air, a couple dozen ordinary citizens smiled and spoke with each other. There were mothers, fathers, and children. Homemakers, engineers, motorcyclists, retirees, and state workers. There was even a talk radio host in attendance. The passion for the rally was palpable. It was then I knew that we had the potential for a huge success. I was amazed at the group surrounding me as we dined over breakfast on March 14, 2009 in Latham, NY.
In the month that followed, new volunteers joined the group, ordinary citizens all. We met on the weekends at the rally location in Albany. People volunteered their time, their passion, and even some money… all in the name of selflessly providing other citizens with an opportunity to vent their frustrations. Time was short, but this group of intrepid volunteers showed their greatness as they planned, promoted and carried out a Tea Party.
Success comes from the details. Read more about that in Part III.
History of the 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party – Part I
The 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party deserves to have its history documented. This blog attempts to do just that. I encourage you to add your comments, especially if you were involved in the 2009 Albany Tax Day Tea Party as a volunteer or attendee.
The idea for a rally existed well in advance of the popularization of the modern tea party. For New York’s Capital District, it was Al Roney’s talk radio show that provided the inspiration. (By the way… stay tuned for a future blog post focused strictly on Al Roney.) Interestingly, a rally was not an idea pushed by Al, at least not initially. During the last half of 2008 many of Al’s listeners, including myself, increasingly called for one.
The cries for protest came not from folks that typically engage in such action. Most of them had never attended a political rally. But they had reached their limit. They were upset with taxes and fees constantly on the rise. They were sick of politicians of both parties looking first to themselves rather than to their constituents. They wanted to stand up to corrupt career politicians. They desired an end to the intrusive nanny state. They wanted Constitutional government. So they asked Al Roney for help, both on the air and via the newly created “Al Roney Listeners” Facebook page. Al came through for his listeners. (By the way, I would link to Al’s listeners page, but it no longer exists. See my previous post for more information.)
In late February 2009 Al suggested a rally for April 1st. April Fools Day. However, upon investigation of the tasks necessary to create a rally, we realized that it would take more than a month to put one together. So, what better day than April 1st to protest the fools in DC and Albany? It turns out, that better day was April 15th.
Tax Day. And Tea Parties. In early March 2009 Al and his listeners discussed the arrival of a loose network of tea parties being planned in cities across the country. Albany joined the mix, and this is where I began my involvement in earnest.
More to come in Part II with the beginnings of the revolution…
The Albany Tax Day Tea Party came to fruition on April 15, 2009. I had the honor of leading a fantastic group of volunteers in putting it together. On April 14th, we were expecting around 1,000 people to show up. Estimates ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 attendees on April 15th. Many of us thought it would be a one-time event, an opportunity to vent. It became a movement. It was a success, and it changed my life.
In a year where I lost my job, a year where my family struggled financially, the Albany Tax Day Tea Party became a bright spot. As corny as it sounds, it is one of the high points in my life. To be fair, it cannot come close to my wedding day or the birth of my kids. But it’s a day that ranks in my top five.
I plan to provide a detailed history of the event in later posts.
This year there is another Albany Tea Party scheduled. It will not be on April 15th. Many people are heading to Washington DC instead, so this year’s event is on Saturday, April 17th. It is called America Rising – Albany Tea Party 2010. While I am not leading the event planning this year, I am one of many volunteers. I will be attending, and I hope you can, too.
To all of you Patriots who participated in planning last year’s Tea Party and/or this year’s, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Posted by Wade Abbott 
