Is the Tea Party a political party?

Is the Tea Party a political party? I hear it said more and more that it isn't. If that is the case, then are they just Republicans? And if they aren't just Republicans (-in-hiding), then where was this political force before 2009?

Based on Karl Rove's response,it would seem like this is THE party of the People for a change. (Not the hopey-feely kind of change!)

Rove came across as an effete sore loser instead of the supposedly brilliant and grounded GOP strategist that he’s supposed to be. Expect more Washington Republicans to start sounding like Tea Party-bashing libs as their entrenched incumbent friends go down.

michellemalkin.com...

The tea party party is right of the GOP. They are the fringe thinking people so off the charts its unbelievable.

incidently, the tea party party is not the Ron Paul movement which was labelled a tea party...the thing you are seeing on the tele is a abomination that hijacked that movement and is pretty much a home to any and all nut in the party.

I am already loving the daily show.

Now, merely bashing the so-called "Tea Party" might be fun, but I'm curious what makes them a "Party" or not.

And in addition, I would be very interested in seeing evidence that ANY significant amount of Tea Party candidates currently running for office AREN'T Republicans. And not just RECENTLY abandoned the party, but evidence that they weren't Republicans for the past decade, and that their policies differ EXTENSIVELY from the GOP.

reply to post by justadood


They certainly seem to receive there funding from the same conservative corporate sources both the republicans and democrats do, so yeah id pretty much say there a political party, your usual, greedy for corporate money handouts and willing to sell there souls to corporations at your exspense for a quick buck type of political party.

I would really like for them to be an independant sort of party,after all,we are always complaining about Republicans and Democrats being two sides of the same coin.

I'm not too impressed with politicians of any kind,but it is interesting to watch. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now,since seeing so many ordinary people are jumping on this bandwagon and realizing that what we've had isn't working.

Probably have to wait and see.

Originally posted by On the Edge
I would really like for them to be an independant sort of party,after all,we are always complaining about Republicans and Democrats being two sides of the same coin.

I'm not too impressed with politicians of any kind,but it is interesting to watch. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now,since seeing so many ordinary people are jumping on this bandwagon and realizing that what we've had isn't working.

Probably have to wait and see.

Well, base don their politics, I see little differentiation between them and the Republican party. Same talk 'small government' with the same Big Corporate values. More social conservatism. Just saying you arent a Republican doesnt make you an alternative.

The Tea Party are far right conservatives. That's why Rand Paul doesn't want to be identified as a Tea Party, because he's not a far right republican.

Dense Americans just think Tea Party = rebellion = anti-tax hey lets vote for that person they're a tea party member! without even thinking about the issues.

Just saying you arent a Republican doesnt make you an alternative.

True,and politicians who claimed to be Republicans acted way more like Liberal Democrats.

What's in a name?

We'll have to watch what they do,or if they even get the chance to do anything at all?

I'm not holding my breath!

Look its all pretty simple

Political parties, democrat, republican whoever the # ok are all competing against each other for one thing and one thing alone CORPORATE MONEY. Being that the case, they use YOU the people to harvest support in a tit for tat competition against one other, they dont give a # about you, they dont give a # who you are or what you essentialy do in life YOU are an after thought to them, a means to an end. All they want is to get into power so they can reap the biggest corporate rewards.

Now the only reason this insane two party system even really exists, is not because of any particular difference in ideology, what is considerd "the left" now has become so far removed from that into the right, there is no such thing as a left anymore as corporations are generaly very conservative. The only difference is, if one party says one thing, the other party says the complete #ing opposite, thats it, nothing too it, thats all they do, they know its 50/50 your either going to go one way or the other, they really dont give a # at the end of the day. ALL THEY WANT IS THE MONEY FROM CORPORATIONS.

Um... To you all who posted so far: Wrong, wrong, wrong and more wrong. I have been moderately involved in the Tea Party since it's inception and marched in one of the first rallies in '09. I have also been to Tea Party meetings. Here's the TRUTH, plain and simple! But first, I'll divulge my background so you all have an accurate picture of this source of information. I was raised in a very left-of-center family. My parents were as liberal as it gets, and atheists to boot. I loved them dearly, and they were kind, compassionate people but many of their arguments didn't make sense to me even when I was as young as 11 or 12. However, I continued to vote mostly democrat right up until about 2006.

The TEA PARTY is NOT a political party in the official sense. It is a linked group of activists who are sick and tired of BOTH Republicrats and Democons who sold out the American people decades ago to the status quo politics as usual in Washington of the lobbying for money game, favors to friends and cash for kickbacks. This resulted in corporations having an easy way paved for them courtesy of our gov't to export expensive US jobs to 3rd world ghettos for labor that's pennies on the dollar. With the advent of social networking online, a collective awakening occurred and a bunch of us unemployed (or about to join the ranks of) began talking about how the colonialists burned and sunk the tea coming into port because the British kept tacking on exhorbatent tax rates on it to fund their endless overseas wars (sound familiar?)

According to the official doctrine of the Tea Party:

"We do not endorse candidates - we only stick to the ISSUES and PRINCIPALS.

"We do not raise money for specific candidates as a group. Individual members may do that privately and without affiliation with the Tea Party. We may organize rallies or events where some political candidates may be guest speakers, along with other news or entertainment personalities.

The doctrine of what the Tea Party wants is pretty simple: Follow the constitution!!! All of it, as written, not bits and peices of it. Practice a sound financial system based on real money, not a strictly FIAT currency as we have now. (nothing backed in gold). We are at great risk because of the massive debt about to crush the bond market.

We are sick and tired of a dictatorial centrist government chipping away at our personal liberties and freedoms on a daily basis now all in the name of "security". We thought Bush was Bad? Obama is quickly gaining on him. We are severely concerned about Washington's out of control spending, pork projects, misspent priorities, etc.

Last but not least, I atteded a rally with thousands of people. I saw some afro-Amercians there. I saw absolutely NO racist poeple or signs there. in fact, most of them were hanging out with the white friends! At the meetings I also did not see any racial problems and have heard NOT ONE racial comment spoken AT ALL. So I have no Idea who's making up all this racist crap. All I know is that the Tea Party I went to was peaceful, fun and a sense of comraderie amongst thousands of strangers I'd never felt before. I'm actually a registered libertarian now, and I suppose you could call me a "right wing whacko" or "conservative bimbo" but I don't think that my LIBERAL/Democrat dear friend who marched by my side at the Tea Party would like that very much. She's not a racist either, and yet, we both agree on why we joined the Tea Party...
Because the status quo is SO corrupt, we need lesser known candidates, 3rd party people and independents to run the criminals out of town. We both love our country and want so try and do SOMETHING to save it!

From the research I have done today the tea party is not a political party. And the tea party movement that started a while back is now dead. The tea party as we see on TV and in the news is just far right winged people who extremist in office no matter how unqualified stuff. It is a pawn for Fox news to get more righties in office. The tea party of the past is dead.

I do a fair amount of reading about political and current affairs and I am not sure exactly who or what the tea party really is. The tea party is basically like aliens -- it is whatever you want it to be in your mind. Some are dead certain that this alien tea party is evil and must be avoided whereas others think it is something that we need to become connected with. The tea party seems to arouse the same kinds of feelings in people that the bogey-man does in children. It is just as real and scary as you want to make it in your mind.

In my mind, the tea party is a loose assembly of people who started associating in reaction to the Stimulus and Health Care measures in the federal government. They didn't like it and wanted their government to stop. I don't think it is a political party. However, it was definitely a political force. There was and is an opportunity for people to make money and gain power from it. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen then. The talking heads and message boards fired up, people started arguing about it, and once again people engrafted their preexisting political beliefs upon it regardless of what it actually is. Such is the American political system. It was too much of a political force. Some will try to harness it, some will try to demonize it, some will try to join it and prop it up. The rest of us will just watch.

just until Republicans take back the POTUS and/or congress/senate

then the tea part will all but wither away and we'll once again be told why it's our duty as Americans to pay higher taxes and send our men & women off to die for oil.

Originally posted by Rockerchic4God


The TEA PARTY is NOT a political party in the official sense...

According to the official doctrine of the Tea Party:

"We do not endorse candidates - we only stick to the ISSUES and PRINCIPALS.



"We do not raise money for specific candidates as a group. Individual members may do that privately and without affiliation with the Tea Party. We may organize rallies or events where some political candidates may be guest speakers, along with other news or entertainment personalities.

The doctrine of what the Tea Party wants is pretty simple: Follow the constitution!!! All of it, as written, not bits and peices of it. Practice a sound financial system based on real money, not a strictly FIAT currency as we have now. (nothing backed in gold). We are at great risk because of the massive debt about to crush the bond market.

We are sick and tired of a dictatorial centrist government chipping away at our personal liberties and freedoms on a daily basis now all in the name of "security". We thought Bush was Bad? Obama is quickly gaining on him. We are severely concerned about Washington's out of control spending, pork projects, misspent priorities, etc.

Last but not least, I atteded a rally with thousands of people. I saw some afro-Amercians there. I saw absolutely NO racist poeple or signs there. in fact, most of them were hanging out with the white friends! At the meetings I also did not see any racial problems and have heard NOT ONE racial comment spoken AT ALL. So I have no Idea who's making up all this racist crap. All I know is that the Tea Party I went to was peaceful, fun and a sense of comraderie amongst thousands of strangers I'd never felt before. I'm actually a registered libertarian now, and I suppose you could call me a "right wing whacko" or "conservative bimbo" but I don't think that my LIBERAL/Democrat dear friend who marched by my side at the Tea Party would like that very much. She's not a racist either, and yet, we both agree on why we joined the Tea Party...
Because the status quo is SO corrupt, we need lesser known candidates, 3rd party people and independents to run the criminals out of town. We both love our country and want so try and do SOMETHING to save it!

Doesn't "Official Doctrine" make it a Political Party?

From teh wiki: "A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to attain and maintain political power within government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions. Parties often espouse an expressed ideology or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals, forming a coalition among disparate interests."

You seem to contradict yourself with your own definitions. You say the Tea Party isn't an official party, and then you describe point by point every aspect of it being a party.

In addition, your comments about it not being 'racist' seems a bit pre-scripted, since no one has said anything along those lines thus far.

Originally posted by Sibilance
I do a fair amount of reading about political and current affairs and I am not sure exactly who or what the tea party really is. The tea party is basically like aliens -- it is whatever you want it to be in your mind. Some are dead certain that this alien tea party is evil and must be avoided whereas others think it is something that we need to become connected with. The tea party seems to arouse the same kinds of feelings in people that the bogey-man does in children. It is just as real and scary as you want to make it in your mind.

In my mind, the tea party is a loose assembly of people who started associating in reaction to the Stimulus and Health Care measures in the federal government. They didn't like it and wanted their government to stop. I don't think it is a political party. However, it was definitely a political force. There was and is an opportunity for people to make money and gain power from it. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen then. The talking heads and message boards fired up, people started arguing about it, and once again people engrafted their preexisting political beliefs upon it regardless of what it actually is. Such is the American political system. It was too much of a political force. Some will try to harness it, some will try to demonize it, some will try to join it and prop it up. The rest of us will just watch.

Quoted because it's worth re-reading.

Agreed. There is no "Tea Party". It's essentially a conglomeration of social conservatives and ill-informed libertarian types who seem to be reacting to complex issues like the bailouts and the economy with very simple-minded slogans and 'solutions' that seem to be along the lines of something as wholly impossible as 'starting all over'.

I maintain that most who are running with the "Tea Party" endorsement at the moment are basically former Republicans, and that those voting for them are, for the most part, the Republican's base. The REALITY of the situation is, once these social conservative, former Republicans do get elected (IF they get elected) they will obviously continue to act exactly like the Republicans they have always supported, and only EVER-so-recently turned their back on. So to pretend they are truly 'Independent' seems naive, to say it lightly.

There is indeed a glimmer of hope for a truly independent party to emerge in American politics, but much of this talk of distrust of "Big Government" is really nothing more than the Corporate Agenda unfolding, wherein the public loses every last semblance of democratic control of their lives to a Corporate Utopia of total ownership of everything, from water and food to land and even clean air. A truly independent party would, IMO, need to recognize the existing power structure in Washington, and know that any power vacuum would only benefit the Corporate Empire of Wal Mart/Haliburton/Sodexo etc

Remember pre-9-11 when the anti-Globalization movement actually had a modicum of traction, and there was a demand by a growing number of citizens of the First world to actually USE these democratic powers to LIMIT corporate control? Remember when THAT was the true face of a MOVEMENT that had real grassroots connection, and a tangible platform?

To see this loose conglomeration of Fox News Reality Shows magnified, re-packaged and sold back as "News" and calling it a 'movement' elicits either nasuea or laughter, depending on my mood and level of caffeination.

If anything, the Tea Party is a test run for a future faux-populist movement when they steal an upcoming major election a-la 2004, defying every exit poll as well as a fabulous disinfo campaign to ensure that the national debate doesn't go getting all informed and reasonable and productive.

The "Tea Party" which used to be the "Radical Right" has now become the "New Republican Party." The moderate republicans made a conscious choice to embrace the Tea Party movement and now they are in over their heads. I think that one of the news pundits recently said that, "when you choose to ride a tiger, you're going wherever the tiger takes you."

The Tea Party will tell you that they are not the republican party and that they are made up of people from every political persuasion, from republican to democrat and everything in between. If that were true, why have I not seen a Tea Party democrat show up in any of the primaries? That's because there are none!

Welcome to the "New Republican Party."

I would say that at this time frame, the Tea party is not a political party per say as of yet. The movement is growing and gaining more and more support from both the Republicans and the Democrats. Both of them are starting to recognize that this movement, these people could, if they are not careful, actually become a political force and threat to their power base and establishment. Right now it is the Republicans that are courting the Tea Party and in order to keep that support the Republicans are going to have to work hard and ensure that the canidates are actually toeing the line along with actually listening to what the Tea party movement is saying.
Politics is a fickle item and the voters can and will turn on a canidate if they are not satisfied with what they are seeing. If the republicans, with the backing of the Tea party movement actually do pull off a take over of the congress, making the rest of Obama's time in office to be a lame duck session, you can bet that the Democrats are either going to try to get their own movement going, or will try to gain the support of the Tea party movement.
Now if in 2 years the Tea Party movement gets more of the canidates, that they support into office, then I would say it stops being a movement and then becomes a political party and a political force that both the Republicans and the Democrats will have to worry about. As the tea party movement is showing, it is no longer how much money a canidate has to spend, but how well they can actually represent their voters.

Originally posted by sdcigarpig
I would say that at this time frame, the Tea party is not a political party per say as of yet. The movement is growing and gaining more and more support from both the Republicans and the Democrats.

Really? By the Democrats?

Examples?

Both of them are starting to recognize that this movement, these people could, if they are not careful, actually become a political force and threat to their power base and establishment. Right now it is the Republicans that are courting the Tea Party and in order to keep that support the Republicans are going to have to work hard and ensure that the canidates are actually toeing the line along with actually listening to what the Tea party movement is saying.

And what, specifically are they saying? And how, specifically, is it different the the standard GOP Platform for the past 20 + years?

Politics is a fickle item and the voters can and will turn on a canidate if they are not satisfied with what they are seeing. If the republicans, with the backing of the Tea party movement actually do pull off a take over of the congress, making the rest of Obama's time in office to be a lame duck session, you can bet that the Democrats are either going to try to get their own movement going, or will try to gain the support of the Tea party movement.

So, you are suggesting that the Republicans can pull a take over of Congress with the 'backing' of the Tea Party? That sure sounds like a political party to me.

Also, why would the Democrats need to heed the Tea Party? The 'Tea Party' seems to be disaffected Conservatives, for the most part. If anything, they need to heed their base, the ones who elected their President with a very impressive turnout.

Now if in 2 years the Tea Party movement gets more of the canidates, that they support into office, then I would say it stops being a movement and then becomes a political party and a political force that both the Republicans and the Democrats will have to worry about.

I'm not sure how you can keep referring to it as a 'movement', with specific platform ideas, and not think its a 'party'.

You seem confused by the term 'Party". A political "Party" is an organized group with a platform. Whether they have political power is irrelevant. The Greens are a 'party'. They have relatively no power. The Libertarians are a Party. They have relatively little power.

As the tea party movement is showing, it is no longer how much money a canidate has to spend, but how well they can actually represent their voters.

How are they showing that? Last I checked, most Tea Party candidates seem supportive of the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited corporate financial influence in elections. That's hardly a refutation of big business as usual.

Face it, the "Tea Party" is nothing but former disgruntled Republicans, who are leaving the party name by droves, but not abandoning any of the empty slogans and contradictory ideas of 'little government'.

In all of the defenses of the Tea Party in this thread, i have yet to see ONE example of a specific Tea Party candidate who has a platform that is ANY different than the Republicans they are running against.

Being AGAINST is easy. These people have no idea what they are actually FOR beyond empty slogans.

Also, not to be too petty, but the word is 'candidate".

For anyone still following this thread, check out the Daily Bell website. They have a really interesting article that touches on many of the points raised here.
www.thedailybell.com...