Apr. 14, 2010: A Tea Party rally on the Boston Common

>> TONIGHT ON GREATER BOSTON, THE MODERN DAY TEA PARTY DESCENDS

ON BOSTON COMMON.

WHO IS THEIR AUDIENCE?

PLUS SEIZED AT SEA AND

KIDNAPPED BY PIRATES.

CAPTAIN RICHARD PHILLIPS

DETAILS HIS CAPTURE AND

DRAMATIC RESCUE IN A NEW BOOK.

AND SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD, BIG

NEIGHBOR.

WHY SOME COLUMBIA POINT

RESIDENTS FEAR U. MASS BOSTON.

GOOD EVENING.

THE DOYLEYS AND WHITE GLOVES

WERE MISSING, BUT IT WAS A TEA

PARTY NONETHELESS.

SOME 3,000 TO 5,000 PEOPLE

GATHERED ON THE BOSTON COMMON

TODAY TO GET INSPIRATION AND

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM FORMER

VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

SARAH PALIN.

AND SHE DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

JARED BOWEN WAS THERE.

>> BARELY A YEAR INTO THE TEA

PARTY MOVEMENT, ITS ORGANIZERS

ARE EXCEEDINGLY CAPABLE OF

LURING AND GALVANIZING

THOUSANDS OF THE POLITICALLY

DISCONTENT.

>> YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT

PEOPLE ARE THINKING?

READ THE SIGNS, ABOUT TAXES,

GO GOVERNMENT, ABOUT

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.

>> SO TODAY THE SUPPORT OF THE

ANGRY AND THE CURIOUS, ALL

FLOCKED TO BOSTON COMMON FOR A

RALLY BY THE TEA PARTY

EXPRESS.

AND THEY WERE THERE TO SEE THE

WOMAN RADIO HOST MICHAEL

GRAHAM WAS THERE TO INTRODUCE.

FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR SARAH

PALIN WHO QUICKLY SCARED OFF

AGAINST THE OBAMA

ADMINISTRATION.

>> I WANT TO TELL THEM, NO,

WE'LL KEEP CLINGING TO OUR

CONSTITUTION AND OUR GUNS AND

RELIGION AND YOU CAN KEEP THE

CHANGE.

>> IMPLORING THE CROWD TO TAKE

GOVERNMENT BACK, PALIN SLIPPED

INTO THE POPULIST VOICE THAT'S

MADE HER A POLITICAL ROCK STAR

OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.

>> WE IMMEDIATE TO CUT TAXES

AND LET THE PRIVATE SECTOR

GROW AND THRIVE AND PROSPER.

>> GRAHAM SAYS HERS ARE

NOTIONS THAT LAND WITH PRO

FOUND RESONANCE IN THIS CROWD.

WHICH AT THE MOMENT IS LARGELY

STRADDLING FRACTURED

DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN

PARTIES.

>> SARAH PALIN BASICALLY IS A

STAND-IN FOR TYPICAL AMERICAN

WHO DIDN'T GO TO HARVARD, BUT

THEY HAVE BASIC COMMON SENSE

LIKE HEY, THIS TRILLION

DOLLARS YOU'RE BORROWING, WE

GOTTA PAY THAT BACK, RIGHT?

>> TIM CAHILL AND CHRISTY

MIHOS WERE BOTH HERE WORKING

THE CROWD TODAY.

CHARLIE BAKER WAS NOT, AND

NEITHER WAS SCOTT BROWN.

BUT THAT SEEMED TO MATTER

LITTLE.

>> YEAH, YEAH, LET'S DRILL

BABY DRILL, NOT STALL BABY

STALL.

YOU BET YOU.

>> TODAY'S RALLY WAS A MIX OF

PATRIOTIC FERVOR, MUSIC,

REMEMBRANCE FOR SLAIN

SOLDIERS, AND SPEECHES.

IT WAS A PRODUCTION AS

ECLECTIC AS ITS CROWD.

PEOPLE HERE FOR ANY NUMBER OF

REASONS, NOT THE LEAST OF

WHICH, A DISTRUST OF THE

MEDIA.

>> YOU GUYS GOT TO REALIZE

THIS FOX NEWS RATINGS ARE

INCREASING AND YOURS ARE

TANKING, THAT YOU GOTTA START

REPORTING WITH THE THINGS THAT

PEOPLE CARE ABOUT.

>> IT GOOD TO BE AROUND PEOPLE

WHO ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR

COUNTRY AND ARE WILLING TO

STAND UP FOR IT.

>> BOTH PARTIES FORGOT THAT WE

ELECTED THEM AND THEY WORK FOR

US.

>> AND WITH VOICES LIKE THIS

IN FRONT OF CROWDS LIKE THESE,

THEY'LL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO

REMEMBER.

>> WITH ME NOW IS JARED BOWEN,

AND REPUBLICAN ANALYST HOLLY

ROBICHAUD, AND GARRETT QUINN,

A BLOGGER WITH BOSTON.COM.

WELCOME.

THERE'S A LITTLE MEDIA BASHING

GOING ON THERE TODAY.

A COUPLE TIMES SARAH PALIN

TOOK A WHACK AT WHAT SHE

CALLED THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA,

WHICH I FOUND KIND OF IRONIC,

BECAUSE SHE IS PART OF THAT

NOW.

FOX NEWS IS PRETTY MAYBE

STREAM.

>> PRIOR TO SARAH PALIN TAKING

THE STAGE, THEY HAD THANKED

THE MEDIA, AND I THINK THEY

WERE DOING A LITTLE CALMING OF

THE SEAS THERE TO SAY DON'T BE

ANGRY AT THIS MEDIA, TREAT

THEM KINDLY, BECAUSE THEY ARE

THE ONES SPREADING THIS

MESSAGE.

BUT WHEN I WAS TRYING TO

INTERVIEW PEOPLE, A LOT OF

PEOPLE ASKED ME BEFORE I COULD

EVEN START MY FIRST QUESTION,

WHO YOU YOU WITH, AND WHEN I

TOLD THEM WGBH THEY ASSUMED I

WAS WITH THE MEDIA AND DIDN'T

WANT TO TALK TO ME.

>> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S

STRUCK ME AS I'VE GOTTEN MORE

INTO THIS LISTENING GAME WHERE

THE TEA PARTY.

THEY'RE SENDING OUT KIND OF A

SEPARATIST MOVEMENT HERE TOO,

WHICH IS WE AND THEM AS IF

ONLY THEY ARE THE PATRIOTS,

ONLY THEY HAVE TAX PROBLEMS,

ONLY OBAMA, ONLY THE OBAMA

ADMINISTRATION HAS REPRESENTED

BIG GOVERNMENT.

I MEAN, IT'S ALL OF THE PAST

AND POSSIBLY THE FUTURE, AND I

THINK THAT'S A CONFUSING

MESSAGE.

>> I THINK THEIR MESSAGE IS I

SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION.

AND THAT WHAT THEY WANT IS

THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO

EVERYBODY.

IT'S NOT, YOU CAN'T --

>> IT'S I BLAME GAME GOING ON

THERE.

>> THEY'RE FRUSTRATED WITH

GOVERNMENT, WHETHER IT'S AT

THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL

LEVEL.

THEY'RE FRUSTRATED AND THAT'S

WHAT THESE {RAL}IES ARE ABOUT

IS SAYING PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD

ENOUGH.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT WE GET THE

SALES TAX HERE LOCALLY OR

WHAT'S GONE AT THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT, THAT ONE MAN THAT

I SPOKE TO TODAY WAS THERE

BECAUSE WITH THE ONE STROKE OF

THE PEN HE LOST HIS JOB

BECAUSE THEY TOOK OVER SCHOOL

LOANS, HE'S OUT OF A JOB.

AND THAT'S WHY HE'S THERE,

BECAUSE HE'S FRUSTRATED AS TO

WHAT HAPPENED.

>> MY GUESS IS THOUGH, THAT

HALF THAT CROWD IF NOT THREE

QUARTERS PROBABLY VOTED FOR

BARACK OBAMA.

AND I JUST FELT LIKE THERE WAS

KIND OF THE MESSAGE IS THAT

IT'S PART OF THE MESSAGE IS

THAT IT'S THIS

ADMINISTRATION'S FAULT.

>> I DEFINITELY DO FIND IT

INTERESTING THAT THIS MOVEMENT

JUST REALLY TOOK OFF AFTER

BARACK OBAMA TOOK, BECAME

PRESIDENT.

BECAUSE LET'S REMEMBER, THE

REPUBLICANS WERE IN OFFICE FOR

EIGHT YEARS, HAD POWER FOR

EIGHT YEARS.

AND THEY DOUBLED THE NATIONAL

DEBT.

AND THERE WAS NO, YOU HAD A

FEW, YOU HAD PAUL RYAN, RON

PAUL, JEFF LAKE, IN THE

CONGRESS.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE

REPUBLICAN AND CONSERVATIVE

MEDIA SORT OF WENT ALONG WITH

IT.

THERE WERE SOME EXCEPTIONS.

SITE IS INTERESTING TO SEE

THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND

THAT THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

AND TEA PARTY MOVEMENT ARE ALL

SORT OF STARTING TO ATTEMPT TO

COME BACK TO THEIR SORT OF

GOLDWATER ROOTS.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE

WHAT HAPPENS.

>> THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF

CHARGES RECENTLY THAT THE

GROUP IS HOMOPHOBEIC, RACIST

AND ALL THAT.

MARK WILLIAMS, WHO IS SELF

ANOINTED, I BELIEVE, CHAIRMAN

OF THIS PARTY, SPOKE TODAY AND

HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT THE

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS MOVEMENT

WAS THE CAUSE FOR 9/11 AND

CAUSE FOR THIS AND THAT, AND

BASICALLY LIKENING BARACK

OBAMA TO A TERRORIST.

YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT THIS

ADMINISTRATION HAS, IS

POLITICALLY CORRECT AND

THEREFORE ANOTHER 9/11 COULD

HAPPEN OR THEY'RE CAUSING IT.

I MEAN, DO PEOPLE, I'LL ASK

YOU, JARED, WAS THERE ANY

RESPONSE TO MARK AT ALL?

>> NO, IT REALLY INTERESTING,

BECAUSE I LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE,

WE'VE BEEN READING ABOUT THIS

MOVEMENT AND WANTED TO KNOW

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE, AND BY

AND LARGE I THINK THEY'RE JUST

CURIOUS.

AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T ALIGN

THEMSELVES WITH THE PARTY OR

THE MOVEMENT.

WHEN I ASK THEM, THEY SAID NO

I'M REALLY HERE FOR A LOT OF

THE REASONS YOU WERE JUST

TALKING ABOUT, THAT THEY FEEL

THEY'RE DISENFRANCHISED, THAT

THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT

LISTENING, THAT THEY HAVE NO

VOICE IN HEALTH CARE AND OTHER

ISSUES, AND THEY JUST WRAP TO

BE WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO

ARE LIKE MINDED AND SOMEWHERE

THEY CAN HAVE A VOICE.

IT MAY NOT BE STRAIGHT DOWN

THE LINE WITH WILLIAMS OR

SARAH PALIN, BUT THEY'RE WITH

A COMMUNITY THEY FEEL

COMFORTABLE WITH.

>> SPEAK TO THAT, BECAUSE I

FIND THAT INTERESTING.

MY GUESS IS A LOT OF THEM WERE

NOT REPUBLICANS.

>> NO, IN FACT WHEN THEY ASKED

ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY CHEERED

ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,

COLLAPSE WERE THERE, OKAY

STRONG, BUT WHEN THEY SAID

THAT THERE WERE INDEPENDENTS

THERE, THE COLLAPSE WERE EVEN

STRONGER.

AND, SO THERE'S A FRUSTRATION

THERE AND IT'S THE MIDDLE OF

THE VOTING POPULATION, THAT IS

FRUSTRATED THAT PEOPLE AREN'T

HEARING THEM.

I THINK THAT THE EVENTUALLY

THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE

REPUBLICAN BECAUSE REPUBLICANS

ARE COMING BACK TO THEIR ROOTS

OF BEING CONSERVATIVE AND

BEING A LOT MORE OF A FISCAL

WATCH DOG AND NOT COUNTING

THEIR PENNIES WHEN THEY SPEND

THESE DAYS.

>> I NOTED THAT WHEN SHE WENT

UP, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING

ABOUT THAT, WHEN THEY LISTED

THE PARTY, YOU HAD A

SMATTERING OF COLLAPSE FOR THE

REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHICH SHE --

WHEN SHE MENTIONED

INDEPENDENTS YOU GOT A MUCH

LOUDER RESPONSE.

THAT WAS REALLY TELLING,

BECAUSE THERE IS SORT OF THIS

BEGINNING OF A CO-OPTION OF

THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT BY THE

MAINSTREAM REPUBLICAN

ESTABLISHMENT.

>> THEY'VE TRIED TO CO-OPT IT.

>> THE PEA PARTY EXPRESS WAS

START BID REPUBLICAN

CONSULTANT, THIS ENTITY WAS

STARTED IN CALIFORNIA BY I

BELIEVE SAL RUSSO FOR THE SOLE

INTENTION OF RAISING MONEY AND

EXPANDING HIS ABILITY TO WORK

IN THE ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER.

BUT THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS

TO THE PEA PARTY --

THE TEA PARTY.

IT THIS AMOEBA-LIKEN IT THE.

>> GENUINELY A MOVEMENT AND

NOT A PARTY.

WHAT ABOUT THE PROTESTERS,

THERE WAS ONE SIGN I SAW THAT

SAID DUMP PALIN INTO THE

OCEAN.

BUT THAT GUY WAS REMOVED.

DID YOU SEE ANY OF THAT KIND

OF STUFF?

>> THERE WERE A COUPLE WAY

BACK FAR AWAY AT THE END.

NOTHING THAT REALLY CAUGHT

YOUR ATTENTION.

WHAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY

INTERESTING THAT IT WAS

AVERAGE PEOPLE WITH THEIR LAWN

CHAIRS WATCHING THIS, YOU

KNOW, THE GUY THAT WAS OUT OF

WORK, JUST AVERAGE PEOPLE THAT

WERE THERE.

THEY WEREN'T LOOKING FOR A

FIGHT.

SOME OF THE PROTESTERS THAT

WERE THERE SEEMED TO BE ANGRY,

BUT PEOPLE WERE JUST KIND OF

MOVING ON BEYOND THEM.

>> THERE WERE, WHEN I, I SPEND

MOST MY TIME MOVING AROUND

THROUGH THE CROWD AND ONE

THING I DID CAPTURE ON FILM,

IT'S UPLOADED ON YOUTUBE RIGHT

NOW, BUT I ACTUALLY CAME

ACROSS, THERE WERE --

>> COULD YOU HAVE BROUGHT IT

OVER HERE.

>> IT A BIG FILE.

THERE WERE PROBABLY 15 TO 20

PEOPLE WHO STARTED MARCHING

DIRECTLY THROUGH THE TEA PARTY

MOVEMENT WITH SIGNS AND THEY

WERE A MIXTURE OF ANTI-WAR

SIGNS, THINGS LIKE THAT,

SCREAMING AND YELLING, VARIOUS

CHANTS.

THEY HAD TIES WITH A GROUP OF

BAILOUT FOR PEOPLE OR

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I WENT UP AND INTERVIEWED

THEIR LEADER WHO SAID THIS IS

A KNEE OH FASCIST MOVEMENT,

AND --

A NEO-FASCIST MOVEMENT.

BUT THERE APPEAR TO BE TWO

DISRUPTING GROUPS, ONE A GROUP

CALLED THE REAL BOSTON TEA

PARTY AND THEY HAD DRESSED UP

IN VICTORIAN OUTFITS WITH

BI-FOCALS AND TOP HATS. AND --

>> IT'S A GOOD THING FOR

BOSTON.

GARRETT QUINN, HOLLY

ROBICHAUD, JARED BOWEN,

THANKS.

WHEN WE CONTINUE, FENDING OFF

SOMALI PIRATES.