Coffee Party USA explained

Coffee Party USA
Region Served:United States
Founder:Annabel Park
Dissolved:2021

The Coffee Party USA was an American political movement that was formed in January 2010 in reaction to the conservative Tea Party movement.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Co-founder Annabel Park said that the group initially had significant appeal among those opposed to the Tea Party.[6] [7] [8]

The Coffee Party USA as a formal organization closed in 2021 and assigned assets to Bridge Alliance Education Fund, continuing their social media activity.

The organization's first National Coffee Party Day was held on March 13, 2010.[9] [10] [11]

History

Origins and development

The Coffee Party USA was established on January 26, 2010, on the social networking site Facebook. It was founded by documentary filmmakers and political activists Annabel Park and Eric Byler.[12] [13] After becoming increasingly frustrated with the incivility and obstructionism in political discourse, and the media narrative that the Tea Party represented America, Park posted a rant on her Facebook page. Numerous positive responses from friends prompted her to start a "Join the Coffee Party Movement" fan page.[14] [15]

The group rapidly grew to over 155,000 Facebook fans in size from word of mouth and social networking in under six weeks. Newsweek noted the Facebook membership had surpassed 200,000 by April 2010, and every status update was receiving about a million views.[16] [17] [18]

After collecting input from the first round of national gatherings, the Coffee Party outlined three initial steps to promote participatory democracy. "The first step is creating a public space for open and civil dialogue. The second step is collective deliberation, considering facts and values to arrive at a decision. The third step is working toward implementing the decision."[19] [20] [21] Local Coffee Party groups are not yet legally affiliated or authorized to raise funds under the Coffee Party USA name.[22]

In March 2011, the organization announced the dissolution of its interim board, and the establishment of a larger Transition Team charged with creating an organizational infrastructure and a permanent Board."[23]

Reception

The Coffee Party has been referred to by some in the media as "more academic and centrist than some of its members had hoped for but nevertheless, it is a timely and welcome development of a more intellectual form of political activism";[24] "a latte-sipping, liberal reaction to the populist conservative Tea Party movement";[25] "left-leaning";[26] a group that "welcomes everyone and embraces diversity -- ethnic, geographical and even political diversity";[27] and "a liberal-esque and pro-Obama answer to the conservative tea party movement" with meetings that are "visibly more diverse than the average tea party gathering."[28]

Political positions

After holding a National Coffee Summit and several votes and polls utilizing internet technology, the Coffee Party determined that the overwhelming concern of its members was money in politics, with "95 percent of members voting for a specific course of action, based on support for the Fair Elections Now Act, the DISCLOSE Act, the Shareholder Protection Act and a constitutional amendment to reverse corporate personhood." As of July 2011, the Coffee Party's stated advocacy goals included "reinstituting campaign finance laws, reforming the tax code and restoring Wall St. oversight."[29]

Additional areas of concern involved issues of environment, clean energy and immigration reform.[30]

Events

National Coffee House day 2010

The Coffee Party held its initial National Coffee House day event on March 13, 2010. Some 370 events took place across the US and the world, including Tokyo and Jakarta, with the intent to "encourage our existing and soon-to-form chapters to facilitate informative and civil dialogue about issues that affect all of us, collectively. We will ask them to report back to us on what consensus they reach, and take action from there."[2] [12]

National Coffee Summit 2010

On March 27, 2010, approximately 500 Coffee Party meetings took place across the United States. Coffee Party co-founder Annabel Park participated in one of the meetings, which was covered by C-SPAN and was crowded, and she observed that not all of the participants were behaving in a civil manner. Newsweek reported, "They were angry. They hated the Tea Party, and the Republican Party. They wanted to get even. One audience member said America was under the thumb of oligarchs and denounced 'moneyed interests.' A few people hissed when Sarah Palin's name was mentioned. Also on hand were the usual suspects drawn to the C-Span bat signal." Some in the crowd even decided they wanted a new leader for the movement, "not someone that says we can all work together." Park said later, "If they want to fire me, this may not be the group for them. We don't want conflict and confrontation."[31]

Coffee Party Convention 2010

The First Annual Coffee Party Convention was held at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, from September 24 to 26, 2010. Some 350 chapter leaders and organizers met to hone their message before heading across the country in an effort to get people involved in what it considered a responsible way.[14] [32] [33] [34] [35]

Featured events included a "Mock Constitutional Convention" co-chaired by Republican communication strategist for Bush and McCain, Mark McKinnon, and Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig; Across the Political Divide: A Transpartisan Dialogue with Joseph McCormick and a roundtable with journalist Linda Killian of U.S. News & World Report on the question, "What Can We Do for Our Country?" There were also scheduled workshops and panel discussions including members of both major political parties, chairwoman Amy Kremer of the Tea Party Express and co-founder Annabel Park of the Coffee Party.[34] [36] [37] [38]

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009013742/http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2010/sep/25/grab-a-coffee-mug-this-is-no-tea-party-convention-ar-28511/ Grab a Coffee Mug, This is no Tea Party
  2. News: 'Coffee party' movement: Not far from the 'tea party' message? . . 2010-03-13 . 2010-11-02.
  3. News: Tacopino. Joe. The Coffee Party kicks off movement to take on the Tea Party . . 2010-03-13 . 2010-11-02 . New York.
  4. News: Coffee vs. Tea: A political movement is brewing . . 2010-03-13 . 2010-11-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121006193430/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-13/politics/coffee.party_1_tea-party-health-care-political-process?_s=PM:POLITICS . 2012-10-06 . dead .
  5. News: Condon . Stephanie . Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing? . CBS News . 2010-03-12 . 2010-11-02.
  6. http://www.kentucky.com/2010/08/15/1393049/tom-eblen-coffee-party-prepares.html Tom Eblen: Coffee Party prepares for national convention in Louisville
  7. News: Pilkington . Ed . 2010-03-02 . Coffee Party wakes up US radicals . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-07-07 . 0261-3077.
  8. Web site: Why I started Coffee Party USA - CNN.com . 2023-07-11 . www.cnn.com . en.
  9. Web site: Saturday, March 13th is National Coffee Party Day . Coffee Party USA . 2010-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100305081444/http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6500/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?distributed_event_KEY=117 . 2010-03-05 . dead .
  10. Web site: 13 March 2010 . Coffee Party Founder Wants Common Grounds . . 10 July 2023.
  11. Web site: Coffee vs. Tea: A political movement is brewing - CNN.com . 2023-09-25 . www.cnn.com . en.
  12. News: Coffee Party movement: Alternative to tea. The Washington Post. February 26, 2010. Annabel. Park. April 30, 2010.
  13. http://www.9500liberty.com/filmmakers.html 9500 Liberty
  14. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100923/NEWS0106/309230066/1008/NEWS01/Coffee+Party++a+Tea+Party+alternative++to+meet+in+Louisville Coffee Party: a Tea Party Alternative to Meet in Louisville
  15. News: Coffee Party activists say their civic brew's a tastier choice than Tea Party's. The Washington Post. February 25, 2010. Dan. Zak. April 30, 2010.
  16. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/13/coffee.party/index.html Coffee vs Tea: A political movement is brewing
  17. http://www.newsweek.com/id/236856 The Coffee Party Heats Up
  18. http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/04/tea-party-coffee-party Tea Party, Meet Coffee Party
  19. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/02/26/DI2010022602928.html Coffee Party movement: Alternative to Tea
  20. http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/12/coffee.party.people/index.html Meet the people who are percolating in the Coffee Party
  21. http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/18/park.coffee.party/ Why I Started Coffee Party USA
  22. http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/donate Donations
  23. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0311/The_Coffee_Party_and_its_discontents.html The Coffee Party and its discontents
  24. http://www.denverpost.com/guestcommentary/ci_15623710 The Coffee Party's first six months
  25. News: US midterms: Coffee Party emerges to take on the Tea Party . https://web.archive.org/web/20101029151304/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/us-politics/8088024/US-midterms-Coffee-Party-emerges-to-take-on-the-Tea-Party.html . dead . October 29, 2010 . London . The Daily Telegraph . Alex . Spillius . October 26, 2010.
  26. http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/sanity-rally-fans-want-701586.html ‘Sanity' rally fans want to show other side of America
  27. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000354-503544.html Is the "Coffee Party" the Next Big Thing?
  28. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0313/Coffee-party-movement-Not-far-from-the-tea-party-message Coffee Party Movement Not Far from the Tea Party Message
  29. http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/ Coffee Party | Wake Up and Stand Up
  30. http://www.denverpost.com/opinionheadlines/ci_15623710 The Coffee Party's First Six Months
  31. http://www.newsweek.com/id/236856 The Coffee Party Heats Up
  32. Web site: Coffee Party Convention in Louisville, KY in September! . coffeepartyusa.com . 2010-11-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044429/http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-convention-louisville-ky-september . 2016-03-04 . dead .
  33. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/24/1841050/grab-a-coffee-mug-this-is-no-tea.html Grab a Coffee Mug, This is no Tea Party
  34. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100925/NEWS01/309250121/1008/Coffee+party+urges+voters+to+get+involved+at+Louisville+convention Coffee party urges voters to get involved at Louisville convention
  35. Coffee Party USA. Convention Builds Relationships, Momentum for Coffee Party September 28, 2010.
  36. http://staugustine.com/living/community/2010-09-29/local-delegate-attends-coffee-party-event Local Delegate Attends Coffee Party Event
  37. http://www.wfpl.org/2010/09/22/first-ever-coffee-party-convention-is-in-louisville-this-weekend/ First Ever Coffee Party Convention is in Louisville
  38. http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/content/coffee-party-convention-be-streamed-live-starting-fri-sept-24 Coffee Party Convention to be Streamed Live