Crashing the Tea Party

[rug]

GIVEN how much sway the Tea Party has among Republicans in Congress and those seeking the Republican presidential nomination, one might think the Tea Party is redefining mainstream American politics.

But in fact the Tea Party is increasingly swimming against the tide of public opinion: among most Americans, even before the furor over the debt limit, its brand was becoming toxic. To embrace the Tea Party carries great political risk for Republicans, but perhaps not for the reason you might think.

Polls show that disapproval of the Tea Party is climbing. In April 2010, a New York Times/CBS News survey found that 18 percent of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of it, 21 percent had a favorable opinion and 46 percent had not heard enough. Now, 14 months later, Tea Party supporters have slipped to 20 percent, while their opponents have more than doubled, to 40 percent.

Of course, politicians of all stripes are not faring well among the public these days. But in data we have recently collected, the Tea Party ranks lower than any of the 23 other groups we asked about — lower than both Republicans and Democrats. It is even less popular than much maligned groups like “atheists” and “Muslims.” Interestingly, one group that approaches it in unpopularity is the Christian Right.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/opinion/crashing-the-tea-party.html?_r=1&ref=religionandbelief

[Adsos Letter]

1. A very good article. The theocratic, racist underpinnings

of the Tea Party movement need to be trumpeted loud and often. I know a few of them in a local group, and their leadership has a very conservative, dominionist christianity-oriented makeup.

It's good to see support for them dropping. :thumbsup:

[rug]

2. It seems ro be taking the religious right down with it.

[digonswine]

3. They have had way too much power for way too long-

please let them sink and fast.

[darkstar3]

4. The religious right has been declared dead more times than

Jesus, Lazarus, and Family Guy put together. Don't hold your breath.

[Adsos Letter]

5. Maybe people are starting to look a bit more closely at some of the goals

of some on the religious right. 40% disapproval is a good increase, but you would think it would be more in a nation which holds freedom of conscience as one of its founding principles.

Maybe, just maybe, people are finally paying attention.