I am so glad this internet thing works and your article really helped me. Might take you up on that home advice you!

I am so glad this internet thing works and your article really helped me. Might take you up on that home advice you!

I am so glad this internet thing works and your article really helped me. Might take you up on that home advice you!

I am so glad this internet thing works and your article really helped me. Might take you up on that home advice you!

A Christmas greeting and good wishes to you who is thought about all the year through. Have a beautiful Christmas and a happy New Year.

I was once in the mailroom of a major union and watched how they took a nice original and copied it so that the end result was more faded and off-center so it would look more "home made." Unions don't do this so much any more. Their signs and materials tend to be very slick.

Good point, Michael, why would the producer leave that in? I'm not naive. This could have been put together by a true professional who left that in only to make it look more amateurish and thus grass roots. Or it actually could be an amateurish mistake and is truly grass roots.

Without getting too political, it is clear that the vast majority of the people at those tea party people were not formally incentivized to be the there the way unions or certain activist organizations do with their own members (the use of buses, peer pressur,pay, etc. to draw numbers). The primary motive for most of these people was their anger over the way things are going in Washington.

Larry,

I was waiting for someone to offer this argument: That I shouldn't poke fun of this protestor; that we all make spelling errors or typos; that his spelling error doesn't take away the fact that he's right.

I have no problem with the protestor; he has every right to carry a sign touting his views. And, yes, we all make mistakes.

Here's the thing: Why would the video producer put that in? If there protests are so popular, aren't there more pictures of protest signs that don't have glaring typos. The only thing this communicates is a lack of detail on the part of the video producer.

But still, the video did its job--misspelling or not.

You know, I assumed the hoopla you were making of this - that the videographers made the spelling error. That would be embarrassing. A protester's sign? Thats' the error? Actually, it makes the video's case - this is not fake outrage. And the one poster is correct - we've all done it. If it were not for spellcheck in this, I'd have two already. It is dopey, but doesn't take away from the fact the person was right!

Whoever funded this kept key points in mind. (1) the video is short and concise (2) it states its premise right away and does not divert from it, and (3) it ends with a call for action (invitation to attend next event)

You are right, Todd. Olbermann is lying.

@Todd -- Hilarious! Thanks for sharing that video. Although, to be fair, who hasn't committed the public/pubic typo?

@Anonymous (8:11) -- I would LOVE to see more videos with misspellings like this--union, tea party, anarchists, The Price is Right, whatever.

You think that typo's bad, check out the ones starting at about 1:50 here:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-february-8-2010/amerigasm

"What Olbermann doesn't realize is that he simply cannot shape reality by creating misperceptions from his soap box."

Seriously, Anonymous? Regardless of your political leanings, this is simply wrong. Creating misperceptions from a soapbox is exactly what propagandists on the left and right have effectively done for centuries. Tell the Big Lie, and keep telling it.

It would be refreshing if when questions over activist funding and deep pockets focused on George Soros once in a while, or if sign typos are the issue, you'd show one from union rally. I've seen much more destruction of the English language at union events than I have at Tea Party events, and I've been to both.

That said, this is an effective video, low budget or not, and these people do represent some of the hundreds of thousands of Tea Party members who attended rallies over the past year. Olbermann wouldn't know this if he only watched his network, CNN or read the New York Times. They had to work very hard to downplay the size and scope of the outrage in flyover country as evidenced by the rallies, the town meetings where incumbents were knocked on their heels, and in the few major local elections that turned over key positions in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts to Republicans. What Olbermann doesn't realize is that he simply cannot shape reality by creating misperceptions from his soap box.