Well let's see them then. From a credible source please. I don't think numbers that somebody else just made up out of thin air will probably be very convincing.
I can assure you that there is NO alliance between the Tea Party movement and the GOP, however. Yes, there are Republicans, some with much name recognition, who appear at Tea Party events. Also Libertarians and Democrats and Independents and some who don't identify themselves with any ideological group. Just from local news interviews and those in our local group that I visited with, there were a minority of those who identified themselves as Republican at our local events.
Would the Republican Party be more likely than liberal Democrats to be identified with the Tea Parties? Sure. The GOP has long included in their platforms many or most of the concepts supported by the Tea Partiers. Unfortunately, for some time the GOP has not governed as they campaigned. They were almost as bad as the Democrats in that regard.
But hey. That's why we have Tea Parties unaffiliated with either. Some here will never understand that, and some are so threatened by the idea of free people governing themselves and who value personal integrity, responsibility, and accountablility that they will continue to try to trash the Tea Parties.
Fortunately I think those who trash the Tea Parties are a continuously shrinking minority. As the Obama administration continues on his reckless and ultra liberal course, those Tea Partiers are looking smarter and smarter to more and more people.
