Tom Tancredo: Obama Elected Because 'We Do Not Have A Civics, Literacy Test' To Vote

Former Congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo told an audience on Thursday at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville that "people who could not even spell the word 'vote', or say it in English, put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House."

"His name," Tancredo said, "is Barack Hussein Obama."

Tancredo delivered the opening keynote speech at the convention where several hundred Tea Party conservatives have gathered.

"So the race for America is on right now. The president and his left-wing allies in Congress are going to look at every opportunity to destroy the Constitution before we have a chance to save it," Tancredo told the delegates. "So put your running shoes on. Because I'll tell you, I've heard we need a revolution. My friends, we already had it. We lost. I mean, what happened to us in that last election was a revolution."

Watch video of Tancredo's speech:

Comments

[exaltedroots]

09:27 PM on 02/09/2010

Yes Tom Tancredo called for Literacy Test to be reinstated. Yes he said that the people who voted for Obama were illegals that cannot read. But he is not a racist because "we can't see what is in his heart".

[leajazz]

01:15 PM on 02/09/2010

Candidates running for public office should be required to pass a civics, literacy test.

[Write4U]

09:31 PM on 02/08/2010

It is revealing of Tancredo's own educational growth and representation of his constituency. Instead of advocating for better education for all, he seeks to exclude those who were unfortunate enough not to have had the "privilege" of an education. Yes, let us go back to the educational system practised before civil rights. Tancredo, you are a racist!

[EvieEve]

07:03 PM on 02/08/2010

This may not be a bad idea. He believes that by imposing such a test it would keep illiterate blacks from voting, but let's face it, most illiterate blacks don't vote anyway. What it will do is keep the is a large chuck of the Republican base from voting, particularly the Tea Party set.

[AZBoomer]

05:31 PM on 02/08/2010

All of you who think the tea partiers couldn't pass a civics test keep on thinking that way and you will lose in November. They have a clear understanding of our Constitution, something the current administration does not. I'm just saying....

[TIdowu06]

09:11 PM on 02/08/2010

The fact that you would say that proves that you know nothing about the actual questions that were a part of the literacy tests of the past

[TRUTH2POW3R]

09:41 PM on 02/08/2010

"I'm just saying" that you have no idea what you're just saying. "Civics" tests and "Literacy" tests were used in the Jim Crow south to systematically take away the black vote. Read between the lines, please.

[Stephen Leverett]

12:40 PM on 02/08/2010

So called 'leaders' of teaparty movement have their own opinion's(many I do not agree or understand). Tea Party is about focusing the federal government on the items the constitution detailed. Defense of Nation, settle interstate issues, etc. All of the rest is a drain on our lives(social programs).
The Tea Party movement is working to ensure those rights are returned to citizens.

Elitists (Obama likely played more golf than any other president in one year) will never, ever, ever be able to conceptualize the tea party concept. Tea Party's care about individual freedom and recognize that less government power the better. Those who crave power cannot conceptualize this paradigm. It is completely foreign and incomprehensible, even more so than quantum physics to fashion designer and fashion design to a physics professor.
They cannot understand so they discredit, fully assured they will marginalize. Our nation attaches the greatest accolades to those who fight for the downtrodden. Robin Hood and Zoro are two names which may or may not be mythical represent defenders of personal choice and opportunity. Those who assess taxes for anything but basic needs (Social programs and golf are not included) will become the villian.

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible. - Stuart Chase

[ellawensmom]

03:59 PM on 02/08/2010

I usually try not to be a grammar nazi, but your post is written like you used a thesaurus to appear intellectual and well-read. "Conceptualize a concept"...Seriously?

We're not elitists. We read, and we think, and we don't appreciate people who don't bring their best game. You will have to get up earlier in the morning, my friend.

Also, Robin Hood robbed from the rich to give to the poor, so I doubt he'd really be joining you in your fight to end social programs. Your Tea Party would make him the villain. Zorro? Also for the people. Next you will be bringing Jesus up as an example of someone who hated poor and dependent people. GO READ A BOOK!

[AwakenYoshikawa]

06:38 PM on 02/08/2010

Well, I wonder where Zoro and Robin Hood were hiding during the last 8 years when we went from a surplus in this country to a deficit? Where were the screamers in tea bag hats where we marched into a second war without finishing the first based on mis and manipulated information?

The tea party to me sounds like a repackaged republican party. Same principles, less government except for the buildup of the military in the name of national security, the elimination of social programs that end up costing society more in the end when they are eliminated, individual freedom, meaning freedom for me, but I get to make laws about what a women should do with her body and who can marry how.

Many of the people crying out about high taxes don't even have a job. That's why they can stand around and protest all day. If you working how can you be traveling around the country protesting.

Why not be honest, you know why you hate Obama. Not because he plays golf, which many do, not because he's been to school and has an education, that's a good thing. You know why you hate Obama ~wink~, you betcha!!!

[Bonwell Parker]

12:21 PM on 02/08/2010

I don't see why conservatives believe that a literacy test would come out in their favor, let alone a civics test. The average Mexican grade school student knows more about American civics than a single person in that room.

[right Alice]

09:47 AM on 02/08/2010

These guys, with their powder-key incitement of hate, racism and revolution,
always remind me of the Orcs from Lord of the Rings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlUgs1o2gcE

The key word is 'evolution' not revolution.
Please evolve.

[SoAppropos]

09:34 AM on 02/08/2010

What a joke! The Tea Partiers ought to be renamed to the "The Crackpots" because clearly, that is exactly who they are. I like this guy. I hope that he and Sarah Palin just keep on keepin' on, spewing forth their idiocy. All it does is discredit them.

[guilatty]

08:49 AM on 02/08/2010

What do you call several hundred teabaggers in a convention hall? The media call it a "movement", I call it an irrelevancy. With plenty of seating.

It is really past time to start ignoring this small, small minority. Just because they have the ability to manipulate the media doesn't mean they are important. My local movie theatre pulled in more patrons this past Saturday night. For some reason the story wasn't all over the news.

And with their keynote speaker, another irrelevancy, unable to draw any crowd I think we can start moving on. SP and the Teabaggers are a fad. No serious person would put her or them in charge of anything.

[Justdontgetit]

11:03 AM on 02/08/2010

I call it a scam.

They paid how much again to be able to attend and "elitist" conference that not every "six-pack" Joe could attend.

Tancredo, Palin and their ilk are sick puppies.

[hooktender]

08:39 AM on 02/08/2010

Tancredo is right again, a brilliant read of the situation.

[1Troubles]

08:54 AM on 02/08/2010

if we had a civics exam in order to vote the teapartyers favorite person wouldn't pass

[JusticiaParaTodos]

09:45 AM on 02/08/2010

Tancredo right again? Both you and Tancredo are classic example of why Reagan and Bush , Jr. got into the White House!

While making racist, derogatory remarks is easy, thinking is much more difficulty for bigoted morons such as yourself!

In San Antonio Tea Baggers attempted to hold a convention this past weekend and it ended in total chaos as the true nature of these neanderthals surfaced. Allegations of misuse of organization money, profiteering, all came out as the rednecks could not agree on who is the most ignorant of all! It's a shame that most of these people can't figure out that it is the corporate eleite that is the true enemy, not the people of color, workers, immigrants, etc. ! But again that requires thinking and most of these people are NOT capable of such!

[Statler N Waldorf]

08:07 AM on 02/08/2010

Well, they're not being subtle about their racism anymore. Looks like they've eeven de3cided to stop using code and just go for blatant ignorance.

[K J Illy]

06:59 AM on 02/08/2010

Yawwwn..... Klan, Teabaggers, GOP,Fox News, all the same why is everyone shocked that these groups dislike people who are not lilly whte ?

[212RLamas]

06:02 AM on 02/08/2010

i guess the same thing could be said about those who voted for bush twice!!! i'm not even sure bush himself could pass a civics or literacy test...

[Pharaoh617]

05:31 AM on 02/08/2010

LMAO protect the constitution LMAO. This coming from a guy that was never willing to put his life on the line for his country in the first place to protect the constitution. Republican I swear give me the creeps . If Obama wasn't so busy listening to I€€iots like Rhame . Republicans wouldn't even matters at all. Not only would we have won the race up here . We would of probably won more senate seats in 2010 , but Obama in what ever delusional world he's living in believes that republicans are going to work with him.