Did the Tea Party Movement start when Sarah Palin posted a facebook message that Obamacare has Death Panels?

[Willamette]

I remember when she posted that message, there were those intense protests at town halls with conservatives protesting that Government's going to be in control of their health like when they'll die. So I'm curious, do you think the "Tea Party" movement started when Sarah Palin posted that facebook message?

And what does this mean about the role of facebook / social media. And why Sarah Palin had such an influence?

[Cob Bollum]

I give Glen Beck most of the credit for the Tea baggers that voted for W over 8 years, Ron Paul for the more Libertarian types.

[Toughvegetable450]

No it started with Ron Paul in 2007

[hafinjun]

So what, death panels don't go by the name, she just called it like it is. She has pull because people are tired of the lying liberals and most are pro-American. Just what the libs hate. That is exactly why they continue to rag on her, they hate everything she stands for.

[Just Sayin]

No, the Tea Party started when the Koch Brothers started writing checks and Fox News turned itself into a 24 hour a day Tea Party infomercial.

People believed the death panel bs because unfortunately about 30-40% of Americans are very unintelligent people who I wouldn't trust to make a ham sandwich properly. I think social media is important but most Tea Partiers are in their late 60's to early 70's and have never used Twitter before in their lives. They found out about it because Fox News covered her drivel as if it had a degree of merit. Tea Partiers get their information through traditional media so I dont think the fact that Palin Tweeted it as opposed to going on Fox and saying it made any difference

[Ricardo]

No, it started when Rush Limbaugh said he wanted Obama to fail.

[Danny]

Was there a Tea Party (sorry, "tea party") before a black man was elected President?

[Noah H]

The 'Tea Party' is a wholly owned construct of several trans national corporations that want a world with no restrictions on their power, influence or their ability to own everything in the world worth owning. To do that they have to drive a stake in the heart of representative government. Once you 'own' a government everything you do or fail to do becomes legal. Given that Palin, like George Bush before her is a willing stooge for these weasels she's a useful tool to advances their cause. Oddly these corporate godfathers aren't the least bit interested in 'capitalism'....they're way beyond that quaint concept of many suppliers all in competition. The last thing they want is competition. China Inc. has absorbed almost all of foreign corporations into one giant organization of the like minded. To do business in China requires that the Chinese government must own a controlling interest...either by owing the stock or simply by 'requiring' a major seat at the corporate table. Given that China has over a billion consumers and India almost as many most 'American' corporations have already signed away their corporate souls in the interest of profits at any cost, not to mention signing away the livelihoods of millions of Americans. Currently these same corporate entities who with their massive amounts of cash money financed the elections of teabag candidates are now reaping their reward as state after state sets about busting the last unions in America...leaving the 95% of us who work for wages totally defenseless against exploitation. Sarah is just the latest face....there is a small cabal of faceless people behind her that want and expect to control your economic freedom....according to them resistance is futile...you will be absorbed!