I believe protests and rallies are important to the political process in our country. The freedom to assemble, to collectively voice our concerns about governmental policy, to provide a visual of a gathering storm that can't be ignored -- all this is essential for maintaining a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. This is what Tea Party rallies are all about. They are one-day affairs, and the intent is shine a spotlight on their issues and concerns; namely, a desire for the federal government to rein in spending, employ conservative fiscal policies, and reduce its size and scope, returning power back to the individual states as the Founding Fathers intended.
Most Tea Party activists recognize that they aren't going to effect any real change by camping out on the National Mall for days on end, holding up placards and shouting epithets at government employees trying to go to work. (Besides which, most Tea Party members have a job, a family, and a real life to get back to.) More importantly, however, they realize that such a strategy may garner lots of attention, but it doesn't tend to garner a lot of sympathy. Real change can only happen in the voting booth.
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