The Tea Party - how frightening is this movement?

[rocketpig]

badgenome said:

theprof00 said:

badgenome said:

Yeah, that's not an uncommon sentiment. It's amusing how, when the Tea Party says that sort of thing, it's a civil war in the Republican party (!) or a Stalinist purge (!!!). When it occurs in the Democratic party, it's just the raucous but healthy nature of the Big Tent.

I don't think that's the sentiment anywhere. If you really believe there is no major split in the Republican party, you are not being honest with yourself. Blue Dogs are few and far between. Republican party is looking at aggression from the tea party, independant party, ultra conservatives (sarah palin), and line conservatives, not even taking the booming religious right. Things are not looking good for the republican party.

Democrats have the blue dogs, and ...what? Crazy athiests? 

If you really believe that's not a common sentiment on the left wing of the Democratic party, you are not being honest with yourself.

There is a huge amount of overlap among the "groups" you named to the point that, with the exception of the religious right, you're just talking about the same people and calling them different things. To the extent that there is a war in the Republican party, it's the result of a leadership vaccum and the fact that conservatives are fed up with the GOP establishment who have been no more fiscally responsible than Democrats. The first problem should be solved once nominate a presidential candidate (if he's not an unelectable sack), and the second will be solved once the Karl Roves of the world realize they're not in the driver's seat anymore and can't win shit without those groups.

Really, the Democratic party is at least as fraught with internal contradictions as the Republican party. Probably much moreso.

Part of the Dem's problem over the past 30 years is that they've NEVER formed a solid line of attack that appeased their different groups (largely because some of their ideas would ensure an election loss in their district), whereas the Republicans have been better at toeing the company line.

It was no surprise to see Dems jump ship on the healthcare bill, especially in its preliminary incarnations. The public support wasn't there and pushing it through would have ensured a GOP landslide in 2010.

Personally, I appreciate a group of free-thinking individuals like the various Democrat groups, even if I don't agree with a lot of their policy.