TEA PARTY TO AMERICA: NOW WHAT?!

The Tea Party's Four Major Themes

The Tea Party has four major characteristics, two of which were central to its inception, and two others which emerged as the primaries became "open season" against the government and the Tea Party attracted people who had other agendas.

1 Fiscal Responsibility: The Tea Party was born out of concerns about Federal spending, the national debt, deficit reduction, taxes, and capital infusions for banks and automobile manufacturers.... Fiscal responsibility remains a major theme - both for the Tea Party and the country as a whole - as the US will continue to face deficit, debt, spending, and tax policy choices during and beyond the current recession. These issues were the policy cornerstone of the movement, and are legitimate topics for a national debate on the priorities of government.

2. The Role of Government: Dovetailing with fiscal issues, the ideological cornerstone of the Tea Party is its belief that the scope of the Federal government should be severely reduced...The Tea Party objects to two of the government's fundamental social responsibility roles that have increased since the 1930s: providing a social safety-net, and regulating industries which have national impacts on health, safety, the environment, consumer protection, fairness, and the economy. This philosophy is also reflected in the Republicans' recently released "Pledge to America" document.

3. Anger: Anger: Many Tea Party votes were cast to protest the status quo, rejecting Republican office-holders who were not stridently opposed to TARP (even though it was crafted by a Republican president), the economic stimulus, and health care and financial industry reforms. The common denominator among Tea Party candidates who rode anger to victory was that they did not hold offices which would have saddled them to the ugly economy of the past three years, even if that resulted in nominees who are inexperienced, have shortcomings that usually inhibit electability, or hold views that are far outside of the mainstream....Tea Party candidates have grasped for positions to differentiate themselves from the mainstream, despite consequences that even they would probably abhor if their proposals were to be enacted.

4.Demonization: As the Tea Party gained traction, it became an outlet for resentments and malevolence that scorn 2010 America. The movement was hijacked by those emboldened to use it to spread anti-immigrant, racist, anti-gay, and anti-Islamic sentiments and policies. The demonization of demographic groups was certainly outside of the original scope of the Tea Party, and yet, its electoral value insulated it from rebuke by usually responsible leaders.

I only have a minute before I run out the door, but the original concept of the tea party movement was that it was "party-less". Meaning it took its name from the Boston tea party, not from a political party.

I seriously doubt that the Tea Party was ever grass roots.

I seriously doubt that the Tea Party was ever grass roots.

Proving once again that you are an idiot.

Typical fistrider response.

Are you a 'pro-deather'?

chickenhead with another fistrider response.

Its interesting that, with the installation of the several
new Teabagger congressmen that the GOP is eating its own paws.

The recent votes show that teabaggers are more inetersted
in fighting with the GOP than make thwir points.