Three New Facts About the Tea Party

Three New Facts About the Tea Party

1. Tea Party activists are not Republicans.
2. Tea Party activists aren’t nearly as concerned about winning.
3. Attempts to bridge the gap between establishment Republicans and the Tea Party are doomed to fail.

Nothing terribly new to those of us who have followed the Tea Party since its inception. It shows that a few things are capable of happening as a result of this movement; the GOP will be pushed farther to the right and will lose significantly to the democrats or, the national debates will focus more and more on what the Tea Party wants as they propel themselves onto the national stage...with or without the elected offices.

reply to post by links234


So you posted a far-left opinion website for confirmation of what the tea-party is doing? Live in a bubble much? Here's a tip, look up your local tea-party and actually attend a meeting and talk to members yourself. I would be much more interested in that post than this one.

reply to post by Carreau


So are you saying that Tea Partiers, for the most part, are Republicans? That they're very concerned with winning elections? That they fully intend to merge with the GOP?

Again, this is based on a survey of 12,000 members of FreedomWorks...you know, the grassroots organization behind the Tea Party.

I suppose your post would be an ad bloginum. Attack the source article, not the study itself!

reply to post by links234


If you had actually read the study you linked instead of just the website's OPINION of the study you would've known that 70% of those polled are registered as Republicans.

Also that freedomworks are not the Tea Party, which is funny since you have "followed them since it's inception."

I was not just attacking the source but noting that you go to a website that is opposed to everything the Tea Party stands for to get information about them. That was my point.

There is nothing "NEW" and nothing "FACTUAL" about this which is my point. And in your paragraph you state that because of the Tea Party the Republicans will lose elections in the future. More facts? Do you have a crystal ball or a time machine?

Originally posted by Carreau
reply to post by links234

 

So you posted a far-left opinion website for confirmation of what the tea-party is doing? Live in a bubble much? Here's a tip, look up your local tea-party and actually attend a meeting and talk to members yourself. I would be much more interested in that post than this one.

100% agreed. This is similar and no better than the people who were trying to lecture me about what Occupy America was all about and who was in it ...WHILE I WAS IN IT. Yeah, they were experts with all the hard factual knowledge of a tabloid in the checkout line. Yet so certain of themselves, they'd literally try, and did, lecture someone who was actively involved.

I think anyone attacking a group that has such a diverse membership does need to attend a few meetings ...personally.. before suggesting they know anything about it. I was close in affiliation with Tea Party members and one group through family and later, a direct member of an Occupy camp and ardent supporter until some events happened where I just couldn't follow them anymore. NEITHER group was portrayed remotely close to accurate in the major media, let alone the side most opposed to them. Neither one. You're absolutely right on.

I was very supportive of the tea party at the beginning.

But Palin and the Tea Party Express ruined their credibility.
Tea Party now officially hijacked by the GOP

The Tea Party has just become another part of the problem.

Originally posted by Carreau
If you had actually read the study you linked instead of just the website's OPINION of the study you would've known that 70% of those polled are registered as Republicans.

So the majority of respondents were both Republicans and not Republicans?

You do understand how primaries work, right?

I'm glad you're so willing to discuss this topic and answer my questions directly.

reply to post by links234


Ummm, the Tea Party Conservatives have been winning elections, it's the moderate establishment GOP candidates that haven't been doing so good.

Originally posted by links234
Three New Facts About the Tea Party

1. Tea Party activists are not Republicans.
2. Tea Party activists aren’t nearly as concerned about winning.
3. Attempts to bridge the gap between establishment Republicans and the Tea Party are doomed to fail.

Sounds like three opinions. I know Republicans that are Tea Party members. Tea party members believe that the only way to change the present course is through winning elections. The third is absolute speculation. What is the left so afraid, a more conservative GOP?

Thanks for sharing this article. Before I read this article I can tell there is a widening divide between hardcore conservatives and tea party members compared to voters who would identify as republicans. I have read articles about same-sex marriage, homosexuality, etc. By conservative websites what report the republican party and their top donors want to become more supportive. However, their, or should I say former, voter base does not want any of this and is dividing how the party will win elections.

Originally posted by links234
Three New Facts About the Tea Party

1. Tea Party activists are not Republicans.
2. Tea Party activists aren’t nearly as concerned about winning.
3. Attempts to bridge the gap between establishment Republicans and the Tea Party are doomed to fail.

Nothing terribly new to those of us who have followed the Tea Party since its inception. It shows that a few things are capable of happening as a result of this movement; the GOP will be pushed farther to the right and will lose significantly to the democrats or, the national debates will focus more and more on what the Tea Party wants as they propel themselves onto the national stage...with or without the elected offices.

I guess that you are correct.
1. The Tea Party is not designed just for Republicans. It is made up of both Dems and Reps.
2. The Tea party is not concerned with winning, at the behest of giving up what they stand for. To trade a principle for a win is not what the Tea Party is about.
3. If bridging the gap means again, selling out, then that is a correct statement.


I do love the socialist progressive spin on things. It is very very cute.

Tea Party supporters are Conservative, not Republican. These days there is a BIG difference between the two however that pretty much precludes Democrats since they are not conservative and would therefore not support either the Tea Party or the R.

Call it however you see it, but the facts are very clear. The GOP is at war with itself via the Tea Party. This inner war has done a great job of making this Congress inept an pointless to date. With the mid term elections looming, the GOP and the Tea Party might want to try to figure out how to work together before they become two minority parties in a Congress controlled completely by democrats.

I'm not saying that the democrats in Congress have been doing anything great, but if anything, they are united, as are their voters.

Originally posted by macman
I do love the socialist progressive spin on things. It is very very cute.

It's not really spin though, is it? If 12,000 members of the Tea Party, through FreedomWorks answer the questions honestly...there's nothing to spin.

I was hoping for a genuine discussion on the Tea Party rather than, "I don't care how you say I think, even if it's correct!" from some members here.

reply to post by usernameconspiracy

I'm not saying that the democrats in Congress have been doing anything great, but if anything, they are united, as are their voters.

I think the Tea Party voters are united as well…a picture is worth 1,000 words.



As far as the Tea Party not doing anything, I must point out that if not for the junior Tea Party Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, We’d be registering our guns today.

We need this internal struggle within the GOP. It's a fight for the future of the party. Out with the old blood and in with the new!!!

Originally posted by seabag




We need this internal struggle within the GOP. It's a fight for the future of the party. Out with the old blood and in with the new!!!

I totally agree that the GOP needs a more cohesive direction but becoming more conservative, anti minority and anti women will only result in the GOP becoming even more the minority party than they already are and the Ron Paul supporters are pissed at being marginalized and they are a force to be reckoned with.

Contrary to what we see on ATS; the national electorate is becoming more moderate. Voters however can be manipulated via the media and the GOP needs more than that blowhard Rush as their spokesperson and Fox is a joke to any thinking party member.

Even our local Tea Party is split in its platform with some members embracing the ultra conservative side and the libertarian side gaining strength.

Basically I see the Tea Party currently as just a minor league GOP support group going thru the same convulsions as the Republicans in general.

reply to post by olaru12

I totally agree that the GOP needs a more cohesive direction but becoming more conservative, anti minority and anti women will only result in the GOP becoming even more the minority party than they already are and the Ron Paul supporters are pissed at being marginalized and they are a force to be reckoned with.

That's complete rhetoric. The Tea Party, or Constitutional Conservatives are neither anti-minority or anti-women.

Originally posted by jjkenobi
Tea Party supporters are Conservative, not Republican. These days there is a BIG difference between the two however that pretty much precludes Democrats since they are not conservative and would therefore not support either the Tea Party or the R.

Actually 30% of the Tea Party are Democrats. They're the JFK Democrats, not the new influx of radical progressives.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
Actually 30% of the Tea Party are Democrats.

Where did you get that figure? If you don't mind my asking.

reply to post by olaru12

I totally agree that the GOP needs a more cohesive direction but becoming more conservative, anti minority and anti women will only result in the GOP becoming even more the minority party than they already are and the Ron Paul supporters are pissed at being marginalized and they are a force to be reckoned with.

My friend, you are starting with a false premise. You are parroting the democrat talking point that conservatives are anti-minority and anti-women, which is completely ridiculous and inaccurate. The Tea Party endorsed presidential candidates were HERMAN CAIN and Michelle Bachman!!!.

Ron Paul and his supporters were in fact marginalized because of this internal struggle within the GOP (that and the fact that Ron Paul is a Libertarian). The GOP doesn’t want conservatism or libertarianism. The GOP wants liberal leaning centrists like McCain, Boehner, Graham and Romney…hence the struggle.