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A year ago, the Obama supporters were the passionate ones. Now the tea party brigades have all the intensity.
The tea party movement is a large, fractious confederation of Americans who are defined by what they are against. They are against the concentrated power of the educated class. They believe big government, big business, big media and the affluent professionals are merging to form self-serving oligarchy with bloated government, unsustainable deficits, high taxes and intrusive regulation.
The tea party movement is mostly famous for its flamboyant fringe. But it is now more popular than either major party. According to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 41 percent of Americans have a positive view of the tea party movement. Only 35 percent of Americans have a positive view of the Democrats and only 28 percent have a positive view of the Republican Party.
The movement is especially popular among independents. The Rasmussen organization asked independent voters whom they would support in a generic election between a Democrat, a Republican and a tea party candidate. The tea party candidate won, with 33 percent of independents. Undecided came in second with 30 percent. The Democrats came in third with 25 percent and the Republicans fourth with 12 percent.
Over the course of this year, the tea party movement will probably be transformed. Right now, it is an amateurish movement with mediocre leadership. But several bright and polished politicians, like Marco Rubio of Florida and Gary Johnson of New Mexico, are unofficially competing to become its de facto leader. If they succeed, their movement is likely to outgrow its crude beginnings and become a major force in American politics. After all, it represents arguments that are deeply rooted in American history.
The Obama administration is premised on the conviction that pragmatic federal leaders with professional expertise should have the power to implement programs to solve the countrys problems. Many Americans do not have faith in that sort of centralized expertise or in the political class generally.
Moreover, the tea party movement has passion. Think back on the recent decades of American history the way the hippies defined the 1960s; the feminists, the 1970s; the Christian conservatives, the 1980s. American history is often driven by passionate outsiders who force themselves into the center of American life.
In the near term, the tea party tendency will dominate the Republican Party. It could be the ruin of the party, pulling it in an angry direction that suburban voters will not tolerate. But dont underestimate the deep reservoirs of public disgust. If there is a double-dip recession, a long period of stagnation, a fiscal crisis, a terrorist attack or some other major scandal or event, the country could demand total change, creating a vacuum that only the tea party movement and its inheritors would be in a position to fill.
Personally, Im not a fan of this movement. But I can certainly see its potential to shape the coming decade.
]
The teabaggers will steal voters from the GOP if they run as a third party thus ensuring Democrat super majorities in the House and senate
The teabaggers will steal voters from the GOP if they run as a third party thus ensuring Democrat super majorities in the House and senate
Independents that elected Obama make up a large percentage of the Teabaggers.
It is not impossible that they will throw out GOPs and DEMs and make the congress less able to legislate effectively...so much for the change they wanted.
The line between bravery and stupidity shows itself soon enough.
), he's a kid. Don't be too brutal... just a little slap would be fine.The OP is an interesting point although I do not believe it will ever become a third party. Instead, I see it as becoming the defining force within the Republican Party. Hopefully it will bring the republicans head out of their ass and bring it back to the ideals that SHOULD be the center of the party; small, effective government that is fiscally responsible and remove many of the current ideology that has defined the party like abortion and gay marriage. The current ideology does not need to disappear; it simply does not need to be the defining characteristics of the party.
The OP is an interesting point although I do not believe it will ever become a third party. Instead, I see it as becoming the defining force within the Republican Party. Hopefully it will bring the republicans head out of their ass and bring it back to the ideals that SHOULD be the center of the party; small, effective government that is fiscally responsible and remove many of the current ideology that has defined the party like abortion and gay marriage. The current ideology does not need to disappear; it simply does not need to be the defining characteristics of the party.
The teabaggers will steal voters from the GOP if they run as a third party thus ensuring Democrat super majorities in the House and senate
Independents that elected Obama make up a large percentage of the Teabaggers.
It is not impossible that they will throw out GOPs and DEMs and make the congress less able to legislate effectively...so much for the change they wanted.
The teabaggers will steal voters from the GOP if they run as a third party thus ensuring Democrat super majorities in the House and senate
Independents that elected Obama make up a large percentage of the Teabaggers.
It is not impossible that they will throw out GOPs and DEMs and make the congress less able to legislate effectively...so much for the change they wanted.
Scary thoughts expressed by David Brooks, but I agree with the conclusion of his op-ed:
"Personally, Im not a fan of this movement. But I can certainly see its potential to shape the coming decade."
link to article...
A year ago, the Obama supporters were the passionate ones. Now the tea party brigades have all the intensity.
The tea party movement is a large, fractious confederation of Americans who are defined by what they are against. They are against the concentrated power of the educated class. They believe big government, big business, big media and the affluent professionals are merging to form self-serving oligarchy with bloated government, unsustainable deficits, high taxes and intrusive regulation.
The tea party movement is mostly famous for its flamboyant fringe. But it is now more popular than either major party. According to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 41 percent of Americans have a positive view of the tea party movement. Only 35 percent of Americans have a positive view of the Democrats and only 28 percent have a positive view of the Republican Party.
The movement is especially popular among independents. The Rasmussen organization asked independent voters whom they would support in a generic election between a Democrat, a Republican and a tea party candidate. The tea party candidate won, with 33 percent of independents. Undecided came in second with 30 percent. The Democrats came in third with 25 percent and the Republicans fourth with 12 percent.
Over the course of this year, the tea party movement will probably be transformed. Right now, it is an amateurish movement with mediocre leadership. But several bright and polished politicians, like Marco Rubio of Florida and Gary Johnson of New Mexico, are unofficially competing to become its de facto leader. If they succeed, their movement is likely to outgrow its crude beginnings and become a major force in American politics. After all, it represents arguments that are deeply rooted in American history.
The Obama administration is premised on the conviction that pragmatic federal leaders with professional expertise should have the power to implement programs to solve the countrys problems. Many Americans do not have faith in that sort of centralized expertise or in the political class generally.
Moreover, the tea party movement has passion. Think back on the recent decades of American history the way the hippies defined the 1960s; the feminists, the 1970s; the Christian conservatives, the 1980s. American history is often driven by passionate outsiders who force themselves into the center of American life.
In the near term, the tea party tendency will dominate the Republican Party. It could be the ruin of the party, pulling it in an angry direction that suburban voters will not tolerate. But dont underestimate the deep reservoirs of public disgust. If there is a double-dip recession, a long period of stagnation, a fiscal crisis, a terrorist attack or some other major scandal or event, the country could demand total change, creating a vacuum that only the tea party movement and its inheritors would be in a position to fill.
Personally, Im not a fan of this movement. But I can certainly see its potential to shape the coming decade.
]
Constituents to Dems: no to ObamaCare!!!!
Dems to Constituents: here, have some Obama mojo.
Constituents to Dems: no thanks, adios!
