A CNN survey of followers of the Tea Party movement makes it very clear that their ascendancy would be a much greater threat to the Republican party than the Democratic party.
The poll demonstrates that the average Tea Party supporter is white, male, conservative, rural, more educated and higher income.
About a third of the people in the poll are attracted to the Tea Party movement, but most would support a Republican if there was no Tea Party candidate. This means, however, that if there were a Tea Party candidate competing with the Republicans and Democrats, the odds are that the Democratic nominee would benefit, as there would be a clear cut split that would cause the deterioration of the Republican nominee’s chances of success.
The Tea Party membership is not representative of America; rather it is evidence of the anger and hysteria appearing among those who used to be the dominant class in America, and don’t appreciate the fact of the changing demographics of America in relation to age, ethnicity, and race, as well as the growing role of women.
The Tea Party members wish for a return to the past, when their class controlled and benefited from an unequal society, and they have trouble handling the reality that America is changing.
The Tea Party people want a smaller federal government and less government intervention, as the opposite of what they want threatens their status. They are promoters only of what is good for themselves, not what is good for the future of America.
If the Republican party allows themselves to become the captives of the Tea Party crowd, they will regret it. The GOP, instead, needs to return to the moderate centrist values that made them a party that relates to the FUTURE of America, rather than the PAST and the elite classes that have no concern about those less fortunate!
The Tea Party movement is a problem, but realistically it has no chance to bring about fundamental change. If that were, somehow, to happen, it would be a backwards step for the nation!
Nostalgia for the past is not a winning combination, as we are now a nation of over 300 million people, and must live in the 21st century reality, not the 18th century state of thought!
You couldn’t have said it any better. I agree the Tea Party movement is a group of angry, white, ultra conservative individuals that hate to see an end to what they would call, “the good old days”. Do you think that if that if Timothy Mcveigh was alive and could align himself to a political movement, the Tea Party movement would be his ideal choice? Also, it would be interesting to see how many members of the Tea Party movement have connections or sympathy to the White Supremacist Movement.
Actually, Jonathan, I agree that if Timothy McVeigh was alive, he might very well have joined the Tea Party movement. As Keith Olbermann said on his show, there is a real lack of minorities, particularly African Americans, in the Tea Party Movement, and look how they make horrible caricatures of our President!
Very interesting incite about the Tea Party. I do agree, that if in 2012, there is a Tea Party Candidate, he or she will be detrimental to the Republican party candidate. I also feel you have articulated quite clearly that this emerging party is predicated on reaction to loss of status!
Conservative news organizations,on occasion,have brought up that Democrats are hypocritical to lament the protests of the Right Wing during a Democratic administration. The reason that has been cited is that there were often protests from the Left Wing during the eight years of the Bush Administration. I do not feel the two can be equated. Many of the protests during the Bush Administration were against war and torture. The recent protests that have been arising from Tea Party members are against the aforementioned loss of status of a perceived “All-American” identity, the possibility of paying higher taxes and the “S” word, socialism.
I think it is fair to say that protests that stand against war and torture are very different and much more necessary than the Tea Party’s gripes. The former concerns human life and ethical obligations to other people and nations, while the latter comes off as loud whining and narrowmindedness.