Seems that, unlike what especially many on the right like to say, which is that the Tea Party consists of many Independents and Democrats, that it is in fact, a spin-off of disgruntled Republicans. Which many, espeically on the Left have been saying for the last 3 years.
In fact, Tea Party supporters were for the most part activist Republicans well before both the financial crisis and before Obama’s election. Campbell and Putnam found that Republican affiliation was actually the single strongest predictor of Tea Party support, and that Tea Party supporters were more likely than other people to have lobbied their public officials before.
Today’s Tea Party supporters are disproportionately white social conservatives, who, Campbell and Putnam say, “had a low regard for immigrants and blacks long before Barack Obama was president, and still do.” And while Tea Party leaders say their main concern is limiting the size of government, Campbell and Putnam found that the cause that really unites rank-and-file Tea Partiers is a desire for more religion in government. Campbell and Putnam argue that their public devotion—not their ideas about taxes—explains the appeal of figures like Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Texas governor Rick Perry to the Tea Party.
Read it and weep: Where Does the Tea Party Come From? | Politeia | Big Think
You're incorrect--the Tea Party movement was spurred on by sky-rocketing Federal Government spending--and the knowledge of what the Federal Government was spending money on.
You can see today--that the new freshman tea party members holds the Republican members feet to the fire along with democrats. The outrage over all the bail-outs and Obamacare was the catapult for the growth in the tea party movement in this country. The tea party movement in this country is disliked by many Rino republicans and Democrats.
Today--tea party membership includes ALL races--and 40% of this group consists of Independents and Democrats. In fact, the tea party is the ONLY bi-partisan group in this country today.
Survey: Four in 10 Tea Party members are Democrats or independents - The Hill's Ballot Box
And here is the color within the tea party.
Response to Olbermann: "People of color" at Tea Parties - YouTube
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