Poll: 'Tea Party' Beats Republican Party In Popularity Contest

[jefferson_dem]

Poll: 'Tea Party' Beats Republican Party In Popularity Contest
Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2009, 9:11AM

A new Rasmussen poll suggests that the Tea Party movement is far and away more popular than the Republican Party it seeks to influence -- so much so that if it were a full-fledged political party, it would overtake the GOP on the generic Congressional ballot.

The question was phrased as follows: "Okay, suppose the Tea Party Movement organized itself as a political party. When thinking about the next election for Congress, would you vote for the Republican candidate from your district, the Democratic candidate from your district, or the Tea Party candidate from your district?"

The results: Democratic 36%, Tea Party 23%, Republican 18%.

The pollster's analysis makes clear that for multiple reasons an actual political party would be unlikely to stay viable -- but the potential exists for the Tea Party crowd to gain traction within the existing institutions, such as taking over the GOP. "In practical terms, it is unlikely that a true third-party option would perform as well as the polling data indicates," the analysis says. "The rules of the election process -- written by Republicans and Democrats -- provide substantial advantages for the two established major parties. The more conventional route in the United States is for a potential third-party force to overtake one of the existing parties."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/poll-tea-party-outpolls-republicans-on-generic-ballot.php

[Tripper11]

1. This is beyond frightening...

Seriously....assbakwards as they can be and they manage to take it even further. :scared::scared:

edited: typo

[Lasher]

2. Doesn't scare me, I think it's great!

It's clear to see that extremists are splitting the GOP. The NY-23 result is a sign of things to come.

:thumbsup:

[derby378]

3. It's only scary if the Tea Party folks win

If they keep splitting the right-wingers, however, Democrats might be in better shape than we thought come November 2010.

[emulatorloo]

15. If dems sit at home in 2010 on their fat lazy asses while the teabaggers turn out in droves

then we could have a problem.

[derby378]

17. That's why I'm doing my part...

I'm a precinct chair, so I'm trying to keep my neighborhood Democrats energized.

[emulatorloo]

19. I will call and knock doors for sure n/t

[RepublicanElephant]

26. bingo! all this silly talk of progessives leaving the dem party comes at the worst possible time.

the wingnuts are practically handing 2010 to us.

all we have to do is show-up and vote DEMOCRATIC.

with so many more dems in congress, we won't have to bend-over and compromise to pass legislation.

[niceypoo]

8. This is awesome news

Tea party = loonie bin

[Jackpine Radical]

10. The only problem is that they could win.

Jesus, the Republicans actually nominated Sarah Palin last time. They kept Bush in power for 2 terms. You think the corporate media couldn't shove a bunch of teabaggers down our throats if they decided to? You think they can't turn any decent Democrat into an object of derision like they did with Gore and Kerry--and Dukakis?

Permit me to point out that the total of Baggers and Puggers is greater than the total of Democrats.

[dgibby]

16. The puggers will march in lockstep with the baggers.

Looks like the "Family" may win after all.

[niceypoo]

29. No, they will never win

With an angry mob of openly racist conspiracy theorists

[Jester Messiah]

13. Well... idiots will seek compatible representation...

but it's just scary how big the numbers are. There is a political movement of idiocy and it's gathering steam. Talk about your know-nothing parties...

[Jackpine Radical]

24. That's a truly frightening idea. And always remember…

Half the people out there are below average.

[Odin2005]

4. HAHAHAHA!!!

:rofl:

[saltpoint]

5. It's difficult to even name a handful of "mainstream" Republicans. I don't

even know what that means these days.

In times past Republicans were in the minority but they behaved like human beings. Some of them were smart, decent, and public-minded, too. John Chafee. Chuck Percy. Lowell Weicker. A few more.

These days they are either soulless droids like Mitch McConnell or subversive jerks like Mike Pence.

When Republicans aren't soulless or subversive enough for the fringe haters, the haters gravitate toward people even more soulless and subversive.

The Teabagger Party rises from the ashes of a toxic blaze.

[loyalkydem]

6. I am

more hopeful that they will split the party and give us more progressive democratic candiates.

[rurallib]

7. I would prefer a ball-licking party over a party of tight-assed old white guys

if I were asked.
something tells me this response will get deleted.

[BeyondGeography]

9. Ross Perot revisited

Their problem, not ours.

[Stables2010]

11. teabaggers and rethugs combined beat out the dems...

even though Rasmussen polls are crap

[Fly by night]

12. Oh please, oh please, oh pull-eeze!! Let it be so.

[joshcryer]

27. My exact thoughts. LAWL. Would be epic!

[emulatorloo]

14. It is RASMUSSEN, so read it with a big grain of salt. But still, very very interesting

n/t

[reggie the dog]

18. so democrats are behind 36 to 41???

that is horrible...

[Jester Messiah]

20. Have you been paying attention to this place?

I'm surprised the numbers aren't worse. Our side is all gloom, doom, & drama, while the pubbies and teabaggers are all fired up to retake "their" country. So yeah, nice that they're having a civil war on their side, but not so nice that we're having one on ours.

Could be that we'll wake up one day with four parties. And really, would that be so bad?

[Writer]

21. This is party ID...

the tea party folks have pulled in many independents and former Republicans. Democrats still dominate party ID in this scenario.

[reggie the dog]

23. I hope you are correct

[Arkana]

22. Hear that, GOP?

Those slow, sad tones are a funeral dirge.

[uponit7771]

25. WOW!!! WTF !! This is important....

[Hekate]

28. The GOP brought this on themselves & I hope it's as disastrous for them as it looks...

Third parties don't do well in this country, for many reasons, so what this does is fracture the Repub Party even more. Fine. They need a couple of decades in the political wilderness.

My only concern is the way in which the Repubs, by nurturing these nutballs, have contributed to the fracturing of this country. They declared "culture war" and we have come to an awful lot of grief as a nation because of that. If the RW continues on this path it will contribute to violence coming from their numbers that will be disastrous for the rest of us.

Hekate

[LynnTheDem]

30. That is such GREAT news!

Ya know the republicans are shitting themselves seriously now, lol!

The Toilet Paper Minority aren't going to win shit; but they sure are destroying the republican party.

Gotta love that!

[Ter]

31. What's the difference?

Is the Tea Party more open to Ron Paul/Bob Barr ideas like civil liberties and against the un-Patriot Act?