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We have a little right-wing rag in North Idaho called The Capitalist Papers. I always get one when I'm getting ready to use the restroom; not only is it screamingly funny, it's printed on soft comfortable paper. In this week's issue you find fun little ideas like "America's corporations must be encouraged to bring back to America the nearly $1 trillion in profits they have earned overseas by allowing them to bring it home tax-free to invest in our own economy." Which of course will mean even MORE jobs will leave the country, because if you had a choice of paying 35 percent on a dollar of profit an American factory earns or 0 percent on a dollar of profit a Chinese factory earns, who in fuck would want to keep his American factories open?
But back to the front page, and the article of interest: on Election Day 2010, Dick Armey's FreedomWorks--the organization that created the Tea Party--took a survey of 1190 voters to include 306 self-identifying teabaggers. One of the things they asked was "if you had to choose, which of the following do you believe is most in line with your views?" These are the results they got:
Tea Party: 22 percent of the total 62 percent of teabaggers
Republican Party: 25 percent of the total 28 percent of teabaggers
Democratic Party: 36 percent of the total 6 percent of teabaggers
None of the above: 17 percent of the total 3 percent of teabaggers
The poll I would really like to see: "We asked 1000 registered Republicans who voted in the 2010 election, 333 of whom were self-identified tea party activists, the following question: When you went to the polls in November, did you vote as you did:
a. Because you wanted to reduce the size and scope of government, or because you think America needs more jobs? b. Because you wanted to end illegal immigration, or because you think America needs more jobs? c. Because you wanted to repeal the president's healthcare plan which members of your party popularly call "Obamacare," or because you think America needs more jobs? d. Because the socialistic Democratic party needs to be stopped before they turn America into Europe, or because you yourself need a job?
I have the sneaking suspicion "jobs" would trump all the teabag bullshit.
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