Allahpundit of HotAir has posted two videos that - completely unwittingly - show just how futile, stupid, and pernicious the tea parties are: link. Both of them feature CNN reporter Susan Roesgen; watch the second first which features her puffball coverage of far-lefties holding a friendly, running protest near Obama's house in Chicago.

The first video on the Hot Air page was shot after a live report by Roesgen (the live report is linked and described here). It features a confrontation between the reporter and an unnamed small businesswoman where the latter takes the reporter to task for the biased coverage she just offered live over CNN. She gets angry and complains that her money and that of her heirs is being taken by the feds and given to the federal reserve and she has no control over what happens to it. Roesgen points out that she has political representation; the businesswoman complains about Congress not doing their job and so on.

So, what did the businesswoman do about it? She attended a useless street protest with a bunch of loons waving loopy signs; the CNN reporter used one of those loopy signs to smear their "movement" live on CNN. The businesswoman's confrontation is internet-only and might get a couple hundred thousand views if they're lucky. All of that was foreseeable. Those pushing the protests had no plan to deal with media bias, and because of that all they can do now is whine.

And, nothing about the protest will have any impact because politicians have no real need to pay any attention to those protesting: they don't have the numbers and they have absolutely no clue about how to undercut the MSM and about how to make politicians do what they want. Those promoting the tea parties have amply demonstrated that they have no clue about how to develop plans that work and that take contingencies into account. But, it goes deeper than that: they have no interest in raising the level of debate in the U.S. Their idea of debate is a food fight on cable TV or a pitchfork-wielding mob.

Certainly, some people are making out in all this; the tea parties are great for website operators, lounge singers, nearly-failed internet TV channels, shadowy front groups, and t-shirt vendors. But, they aren't good at all for those like the businesswoman who are angry. They're going to remain angry even as all they do has little or no impact.

See the question authority page for an alternative plan that would be both intelligent and highly effective. And, write those pushing the tea parties and suggest that they promote something that would have an impact rather than getting people angry and then offering them worthless solutions.