I went to the Orlando Tea Party yesterday. Some five to six thousand people showed up for the event. We got there around noon, and by then the amphitheater was full, so we got seats outside the bowl. We couldn't really hear the speakers, so I don't know the specific message at this rally, but I've been following the events on Instapundit and other blogs, so I don't think they said anything with which I disagree.

One of my friends made t-shirts for the event. (I left my camera at home, so I'll have to post some pictures later). He brought a bunch extra and sold all of them within an hour.

Most people at the tea party seemed to be in good spirits. Everyone was smiling and talking to each other. It really felt more like a day at the park than a political protest. Signs and t-shirts not withstanding. Nobody was ugly or calling for a revolt. And that makes me wonder whether or not these tea parties are having any affect. The government does not listen to conservatives. Liberalism is the sanctioned view from the universities and other experts. Congress could probably ignore us without suffering much. Though I rather expect them to give us minor sops to appease us while furthering the socialization of America.

On the other hand, many thousands of people have turned out for these tea parties across the country. How far can we be pushed, I wonder? Nobody likes what the federal government is doing, but few people seem outright angry about it. Most people seem to hope that we can vote out the liberals in the next election and vote in some actual conservatives who will follow the Constitution. And as long as people believe that, no revolution will happen. But I expect that a bunch of Republicans will be voted in the next election, and they will socialize America slower. But I don't think they will reverse what we are going through now.

Which would put the current government in a precarious situation. What happens when other people recognize this? What happens if people realize that the game is rigged so that the liberals always win? That liberal policy always harms civilization and increases chaos? I don't even want to think about what would happen if conservatives realized that their government was their active enemy. But liberalism/progressivism leads to a collapsed third world country.

And so liberals hope conservatives don't know how high the stakes are. And conservatives hope that liberals will change their policy, but if they don't, we can vote them out. And unless there is a flash point, there things will stay.