The 'tea party' movement (as it stands now) is nothing more than people who got upset because obama was elected. The frustration over that led to the whole tax day protesting thing (when taxes hadn't been raised). It gained momentum when the people at Fox saw that they could capitalize on it.

People, like sarah palin and glen beck, tend to feed into the whole tea party thing (while getting some pretty generous checks for showing up and speaking).

The movement- as it is now- will never make it to the national level. Sure it can upset some local state elections, but these days, which member of congress is really liked all that much to begin with? The tea party has to move past the all white, racist, hyperbole of palin moniker they have right now.

I've just read up on how Pailn's involved with the Tea Party.  Seems like she got paid to give a speech at some sort of Tea Party national convention that was organized by some other group.

It seems there are competing groups amidst the Tea Partiers.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/02/is-palins-tea-party-speech-a-mistake-tea-partiers-have-mixed-opinions/35360/

And it seems other Tea Partiers aren't a fan of her involvement.

Hrm, I'm not a Palin fan.  =/

Also:

Jack Murtha's longtime aide defeated a Tea Partyish Republican in the special election in PA-12. This is the only district in the country that went for Kerry and McCain, and the prototype of where the GOP needs to win in November.

And the runner-up in the Kentucky Dem primary actually garnered more votes than the winner, Paul. So much for the the enthusiasm gap.

I'm starting to think those predictions of a massive Republican landslide were badly mistaken. This is going to be a normal midterm election, nothing more.

Yeah, that was the Republicans plan of attack.  They created something called "The Tea Party Express" to try and take over the different local tea party movements.  It doesn't appear to be that successful though outside of giving the Tea Party people more attention.

The whole calling the Tea-Party racist thing is one of the things really making sure they are going to stick around.

There really isn't anything to substantiate them being racist.

In fact... people who have brought racist signs were largely found out to be from websites telling people to go and make them look racist.

That line of attack is really backfiring because most people see through it.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/politics/racial-slur-by-tea-party-leader-hits-home-647303.html

http://www.mediaite.com/online/tea-party-leader-that-claimed-no-slurs-now-famous-for-n-word-sign/

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/tea_party_gov_candidates_racist_sexually_graphic_e.php

Remember, theser are the LEADERS of the tea party. But remember, some random guy on a video game website says the racists signs are fake. Right...what bullshit.

1) You probably should re-read that article... you know... where he gets condemned and distanced.

2) I notice how they don't actually go to him on comment about said sign.  What's to say it wasn't photoshopped?  Why didn't anyone, you know... ask him about that.

Also...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35901.html

Sites like this are out there.

3)  You've never actually fowarded emails you found just strange?  I haven't because I don't like chain emails... but i've been fowarded a lot of random weird stuff about Obama and other people... by people who VOTED for Obama just because they found it so off the wall.

Also, you know... you can go a dime of dozen with these for any political party.

For example quotes like....

"You cannot go to a 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian Accent."

or

"Mahatma Gandhi "ran a gas station down in Saint Louis."

Which come from our Vice President and Secretary of State respectivly.  I guess the Democrats are all racists!  It takes a lot more then a few people being cherry picked to call a movement racist.  Unless you want to label every movement that has ever existed racist.  Let alone something like the Tea-party which is a giant decentralized movement without one voice.

Most of the extreme stuff does appear to be exageratted... on purpose by people trying to discredit it... the rest, it's silly to cause a movement racist by it, unless your willing to call the democrats racists too.

Nevermind these people are being cracked down on as well. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33621.html

Of course... stuff like that maintains... because of stuff like this.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents identify with the Tea Party, compared to 26% who oppose it, and 38% who are neutral.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/90613-poll-28-of-americans-support-tea-party

They seem to be capturing the middle.

In several other respects, however -- their age, educational background, employment status, and race -- Tea Partiers are quite representative of the public at large.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/Tea-Partiers-Fairly-Mainstream-Demographics.aspx

Less black supporters, but just as many non-whites in other demographics... which isn't surprising considering they are middle-right.

Note... 6% of Tea Party supporters are black.

1% of Republicans are black.

http://dnc.kgnu.org/2008/08/04/commentary-declining-republican-demographics/

That is the issue... the Tea-Party reaches minorities and reaches out to them better the the Republicans.

Hahaha

The tea party has an inflated sense of self worth. They may claim that they represent the silent majority, or some such nonsense, but they don't.



http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/14/us/politics/20100414-tea-party-poll-graphic.html?ref=politics

And this is a fairly good article looking at what really motivates the tea party.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/06/my-country-tis-of-me/8088