Coffee Party Convention: Group Plans Response To Tea Party In Louisville

The Coffee Party, a progressive response to the conservative Tea Party movement, is in the midst of wrapping up the early registration phase for its upcoming National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

The event, scheduled to take place on September 24 through the 26 at the Galt House Conference Center in Louisville, is billed as a chance "to reset the national dialogue so that we can address the challenges that we face as fellow Americans instead of partisans in a spectator sport."

According to the schedule, the convention will focus on a variety of workshops revolving around a few different themes, such as Coffee Party "strategy," "Candid Talk about Issues," "Voter Participation," and "Good Government."

Speakers include openly-gay discharged army veteran Lt. Dan Choi, author Frances Moore Lappé and Republican strategist Mark McKinnon, among others.

Coffee Party founder Annabel Park gave her take on the current political landscape to Louisville's WHAS11 in August, and explained why she thought her movement was necessary.

"Democracy should feel like a collaboration, not a football game with two teams," Park told WHAS. "So, it's important that we can leave our ideology at the door and really dig into the problems and problem solve and work together."

According to a Facebook post Monday, early registration for the convention ends Tuesday, August 31 at 9pm EST.

Watch the Coffee Party Convention video invitation:

Comments

[Philosopher-king]

07:46 PM on 10/02/2010

The don't want to counter the tea party, that is the thing.

[jasperblue]

12:26 AM on 09/11/2010

I don't know 'bout you guys, but Coffee makes me act like a crazed Tea Partier... and tea calms me down like a Coffee Partier.

[Mark Dixon]

08:55 PM on 09/08/2010

I like the idea of bringing together left and right wingers to find common ground (hah!) and move forward with real plans that help all human beans. (hah!) Seriously, though, this sounds like a great idea. Looking forward to Coffee Party events in Pittsburgh.

[awake108]

11:38 PM on 09/01/2010

The Tea party is about civility and solving our nations many problems with fact based dialogue. I like their format and honesty,yet they are open to all sides and ideas.

[E-Nation]

05:54 AM on 09/02/2010

I'll give you the benefit of that. But the coffee party then would be more like the Tea Party on steroids. Given that the Coffee party formed as a result of pretty big discrepancies with TP, even giving you the benefit of credibility on the TP would still not be enough to hamper how much better CP is..

[Whoozthaboss]

11:19 PM on 09/01/2010

I'll be performing @ this convention. I'm all for it.

[Jen1025]

11:18 PM on 09/01/2010

In history we'll look back and not think these names are weird; like The Bull-Moose Party. That wasn't weird, right?
Also, as a tea lover I'm sad that my favorite beverage is associated with politics at all much less the far right; when it is much better simply enjoyed.

Can I start the Gin & Tonic party? We support alcohol sales on Sundays! (State law) And we add some spice to coffee and tea!

[rgilley]

10:27 PM on 09/01/2010

It's about time someone started a party to counter these right wing Republican teabaggers.
I will be very interested to find out what this coffee party is about.

[rougebaisers]

09:46 PM on 09/01/2010

Coffee party. Now you're talking.

[lipps]

08:53 PM on 09/01/2010

First problem I see is their logo... We are NOT a Democracy we are a Representative Republic..

[General Public]

11:33 PM on 09/01/2010

Yeah! Who wants to live in a democracy anyway? Sooooo much better to have representatives who claim to represent you but actually just represent wealthy special interests. People in republics such as the People's Republic of China have sooooo much more freedom than people living in democracies.

[jasperblue]

11:48 PM on 09/01/2010

Yeah I totally agree... eff the minorities.

[oscarkim]

11:39 PM on 09/01/2010

sorry lipps - we are actually a Representative Democracy...apples-oranges thing.

[TheBlondeRaven]

08:44 PM on 09/01/2010

I like this. Coffee has always been more effective than tea.

[compajuan049]

08:10 PM on 09/01/2010

Ooh boy! Cool!! Where do I sign up? About time we had an answer to the teafoil hats!

[wedapeepo]

07:40 PM on 09/01/2010

I'm starting my own tea party and calling it "The After Party". AFTER dems win in Nov 2010, 2012, and fix the economic disaster teapublicans created, we PARTY!!!

[OGMoney]

10:45 PM on 09/01/2010

how can i register? where can i donate to have a bigger party?

[AsISaid]

07:00 PM on 09/01/2010

Without real political clout, it has the potential of being nothing but a discussion group. We've got plenty of those.

What progressives need is a REAL, down to earth, politically effective organization that can affect the outcome of elections and policy.

The Tea Party is a bunch of kooks roped together by manipulative handlers from the right wing. They have no concept as to how they will be asked to be used in the future. That is their failure.

They can't even support conservatives in the Republican Party - yet. But that will come, because the political force MUST land somewhere and their chose candidates from within the Tea Party won't cut it.

The Coffee Party needs a manifesto and a purpose well beyond panel discussions. We know what the issues are. Preaching to the choir won't get anyone elected.

[General Public]

11:36 PM on 09/01/2010

Hmm... I thought of an organization we could use, and it already exists. It's called the Democratic Party, and already has more members than any other political party, plus it is the current ruling party. Now that is "a REAL, down to earth, politically effective organization that can affect the outcome of elections and policy."

[jasperblue]

12:28 AM on 09/11/2010

No party is the "Ruling" party. Wrong country brah.

[E-Nation]

05:57 AM on 09/02/2010

Following the norm will make them nothing more but new members of the same evil that caused their foundation in the first place. That would be the end result of gaining "political clout". We need to remove that clout, by changing the landscape, not trying to be a better member of the club.

[Melissa]

05:28 PM on 09/01/2010

How original.

[Daphydd]

06:09 PM on 09/01/2010

Well, you're not against grassroots politicking on the left are you?

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

06:17 PM on 09/01/2010

Liberals were in the streets years ago. They fought for the right issues. They started from the ground up unlike the tea party who started from the top to bottom and they don't even know what they want. Example they say we are socialists yet they collect and use things everyday that are socialist. Tea partiers say don't touch my social security or my medicare. Yet these are socialist programs. Who fought for these programs. Not the republicans, or tea party that is for sure. Liberals always want to lift all boats. The republicans not so much.

[Roguewolf]

05:15 PM on 09/01/2010

Are they renting an auditorium for 5?

[danusgram]

08:10 PM on 09/01/2010

wrong event that was Palins you know the one they had to move to a smaller venue in Florida