The fortunes of the Tea Party have declined considerably since their founding a couple of years ago. Majorities of Americans view them unfavorably and they have caused some notable electoral losses where otherwise a conservative Republican was expected to win.
A new survey by Pew Research reveals an even more troubling future if you’re an aspiring Republican. The survey indicates that most Republicans want to see their Party change. As a group there is some ambiguity about the direction of the change with some wanting to shift further right, and others wanting to become more moderate. However, when looking at the Tea Party, the favored direction is crystal clear. They want Republicans to be more conservative and less willing to compromise with Democratic colleagues.
In addition to the starkly partisan bent of the Tea Party, the survey also shows that they regard themselves as more likely to vote, particularly in primaries. That’s incredibly good news for Tea Partiers – and Democrats. For example, polls show Sarah Palin as the favorite for the Republican nomination for the senate in Alaska. However, the same poll shows her getting crushed by Democratic incumbent, Mark Begich.
On almost every issue – immigration, abortion, marriage equality, guns – the Tea Party is decidedly more right-wing. They advocate the most conservative policies across the board, and are the least accommodating to negotiations with Democrats. The problem this presents to the GOP is that their current batch of representatives have actual records that contain evidence of legislative bargaining. That is anathema to the Teabaggers. Consequently, they are more likely to back opponents in Republican primaries to oust the offending members.
Stalwart conservatives like Lamar Alexander and Mitch McConnell are already drawing primary challengers. Tea Partiers are blasting them as liberals who are in league with President Obama’s mission to destroy America. It takes a pretty hefty serving of delusion to accuse McConnell, who declared that his highest priority was to make Obama a one-term president, of being a progressive partner to the President.
Should the extremist faction of the party prevail, they will create opportunities for Democrats to swoop in and grab a seat they would not have otherwise had a chance to win. Just ask Senators Claire McCaskill and Joe Donnelly, or even Harry Reid. And the Republicans in congress are already setting the stage for defeat. They have the lowest favorable ratings in history, and they are responding to that by threatening to shut the government down, wasting time with meaningless votes, and performing in ridiculous pseudo-scandal hearings.
The most obvious differentiating characteristics of the Tea Party is that they are older, whiter, more devoutly Christian, and more likely to be men. That puts them at odds with the general population. Therefore, while they may enjoy some primary victories, the general elections will be more problematic. They are out of sync with the electorate both demographically and ideologically.
Last year Democrats defied the odds and toughed out some unexpected wins. In a year that many predicted would be bloody for them, Democrats gained seats in both the House and the Senate, and of course, Obama won reelection. Some of the credit for that goes to Tea Party Republicans who simply had no chance of carrying their races. And now they seem hell-bent on repeating that performance. Democrats should be prepared to send thank you notes to the GOP in November of 2014 if this trend keeps up.
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What is puzzling to me about the TPers is that they seem to be totally oblivious to the fact that they are out of step with the majority of us. It doesn’t make sense to send politicians to Congress who don’t want to compromise on anything when the nation is the result of compromises on slavery, representation, state v. federal power, etc. All I have to say about these TPers is that they seem to be lacking in knowledge about their own country’s history and government, and it’s sad because they have no earthly idea that their way is not the American way of doing anything.
They also seem to think, that the rest of us are with them and that they are what the coutry wants. Sooo out of touch its amazing !!
The tea party is the worst thing to happen to republicans since GW Bush and Cheney and good for democrats. When conservatives or right-wingers ask me why I support Obama I tell them it is because I am a moderate republican, just like Obama is. It blows their minds but there is much truth to that statement and it is supported by the record.
This article really hits home in one area – it reminds me of what I think is the “biggest” victory for progressivism, which of course makes changes pushed by Tea Party types so much harder and clearly an uphill battle. That victory is the creation of such dependency on the federal government for the well being of the average person that they now fear it being scaled back. That really makes actual conservative restraint on government near impossible. Well done – if destroying the ability for people to help themselves was your goal, you did a great job.
I’m not sure what you are referring to. SS and Medicare are not welfare programs, and welfare is not nearly as generous as it was in the 1980s, unless you count corporate welfare. Your thinking strikes me more as a way to rationalize economic benefits flowing mainly to the already wealthy. Does it not concern you that we are subsidizing a whole class of trust-fund brats who never have to work a day in their lives because they can live off the parent’s money? People who are entitled and produce nothing of value are not only found in the lower classes. Reality TV shows are packed to the gills with boring, self-absorbed parasites who do nothing all day.
You do know what dependency means – right? It means an individual relies on someone else for survival and they NEED it. It also means slavery to that which they depend. Has someone ever expressed concern to you about something being taken away and they are actually scared of it being taken away? A person close to me actually expressed concern once that they felt the “Republicans” were going to take her checks away – that was pathetic. That is dependency and it’s shameful.
You didn’t say where these “checks” are coming from. If it’s SS yes I would say she has every right to be concerned and that there is nothing “pathetic” about it. And have enough adult self-awareness to know that everyone in human society is dependent on someone or something, even you. Things cannot and never will be as neat and tidy as you would appear to want.
It is a bit tough for people to help themselves when they don’t have health insurance, and worry all the time about looming huge bills if they or their children get sick. Since the republicans seem to think its a great idea to have millions of people without access to health care, I don’t think they are too concerned with helping the less fortunate in any way. Decent people used to be embarrassed to trumpet hateful, racist ignorant beliefs that they might have, evidently that is no longer the case, and Fox Pseudo News Network provides a perfect forum!
Typical commie response – no one could possibly be able to support themselves unless the government helps them by handout – If I thought like you, I would be embarrassed to utter it to anyone. Turn the individual loose and let the 300+ million of them make their choices freely and I’m sure we would have less dependency and more self supporting families.
“Commie”? Oh, boy.
There are people working multiple part-time jobs because they can’t get ONE full-time job with decent pay and benefits. They are making choices, and the choices they make are constrained by marital status, ages of dependents, education, availability of jobs in the area, reliability/availability of transportation, whether or not they have adequate skills, and many other conditions.
Well-paid, experienced, people have been fired so that their bosses can hire entry-level, lower-paid employees. The quarterlies look good when you ditch the $60K folks for the $25K crowd. Then these experienced people can’t get new jobs — at any payrate — in their fields because of employers who prefer ‘younger (whatever).’ Should they be lucky enough to get a job even remotely connected to the field they have worked and trained in, it’s probably a glorified temp position. Too many have simply ended up slinging hash to pay the bills.
Only a fortunate few have the combination of business acumen and skill to start their own businesses, and not all of those succeed.
So, go ahead and tell me how people are going to make their choices in a world where employers are cutting wages and hours left and right while giving themselves obscene pay raises. How they’ll do that when working three part-time minimum-wage jobs just to pay their bills.
Oh, I forgot to add, get rid of this monetary system that benefits the rich and government only and we’ll have a chance.
Oh and how is that going to happen when idiots like yourself support the party that is only for wars and rich people and corporations??
“More devoutly right-wing Christianist,” please. I’m a devout Christian, and also a devout anarchist.