If only Republicans would drop the desire to control people with their Christian social agenda that only the far right wants and get back to a party about small, responsible government, they might not be in the decline. Fat chance of that, though.

For a movement that’s helped to reshape the Republican Party—and by extension, reshape American politics—we know shockingly little about the people who make up the Tea Party. While some in the GOP once hoped to co-opt the movement, it’s increasingly unclear which group—the Tea Party or establishment Republicans—is running the show. Politicians have largely relied on conjecture and assumption to determine the positions and priorities of Tea Party activists.

Until now. The results of the first political science survey of Tea Party activists show that the constituency isn’t going away any time soon—and Republicans hoping the activists will begin to moderate their stances should prepare for disappointment.



  1. deowll says:

    It took you until now to figure this out?

    • TAX the ASSES! (After all, they keep VOTING for it!) says:

      Consider the SOURCE! (Look where you’re reading this.)

  2. bobbo, the Jr cross cultural interloper and political activistlevel with new technology says:

    Since when have the “establishment Republicans” been for small, responsible government?

    THAT has never been demonstrated as all the historical spending/deficit charts show. REALITY, not BS Koolaid the type of which do-ill consumes with every meal, snack, and alfresco, informs us the Republicans want a larger government than the Dumbos. They just want it to more disproportionately benefit the CRIMINAL RICH (not to be too redundant) and have been corrupted waaaaaaaay before the TEAPubs that bankrupting society in the process will somehow benefit that class. Its like they don’t understand direct consequences.

    Looking at do-ill and his swill, I can see that bubble forming quite solidly.

    Silly Hoomans. VOTE YOUR OWN SELF INTEREST—not the excuse.

    • oldone says:

      Silly Hoomans indeed. By the way, do you work at Quarks bar?

      • bobbo, the Jr cross cultural interloper and political activistlevel with new technology says:

        Third from the Left.

        All libations….. accepted.

        • oldone says:

          Assuming one has time between oo-mox!

        • Mr Diesel says:

          Oh yeah Bobbo, I put the test results a couple of threads back.

          • bobbo, the Jr cross cultural interloper and political activist says:

            Mr D–I can make no sense of that at all.

            What tests? …….hmmm…..couple threads back I asked if you had taken the political aptitude test?

            but that issue is not raised by this thread.

            So==were you more Conservative, or more Libertarian? And what does that have to do at all with the instant issue: how one deals either with Reality or with Talking Points which in this instance are the OPPOSITE of reality?????

            Silly test results posting eschewing Hoomans.

          • Mr Diesel says:

            I knew you were reading this one and yes, three different political tests.

            It seems like I’m a little bit Libertarian.

          • bobbo, the Jr cross cultural interloper and political activist says:

            Yep—its obvious. If you were all Conservative without any Lib==you wouldn’t respond to me at all.

            Ha, ha. Stoopid Bobbo!

  3. spsffan says:

    Uh, when, exactly, was the Republican Party seeking to enforce a Christian (make that devout Protestant) social agenda? Heck, they passed the Volstead Act over Woodrow Wilson’s veto!

    • Uncle Dave says:

      For the last 20 or so years.

    • bobbo, the Jr cross cultural interloper and political activist says:

      Gee Whiz sp–don’t you real even just this forum with any retention at all?

      Seems within the week some Republican Booster slobbering the same sentiment you just did, wanted the GOP to take credit for being Pro-Black: “The Party that Fought Slavery.”

      Its bumper sticker/labelling mentality and not revisiting an idea/position once it is initially formed isn’t it.

      Do you have any other explanation for how you can be so out of touch???? Its not even debatable.

      Silly Hoomans.

      • spsffan says:

        And, while I’m at it, since you mention the 1860s, I have issues with the Republican’s waging war on folks that just wanted to be left alone.

        Yes, the (later) use of the war to abolish slavery mostly made up for it.

        If I’d had my way, the north would have seceded from a union with slaveholders. But, it was a different time.

      • TAX the ASSES! (After all, they keep VOTING for it!) says:

        What have you been smoking?!

        What party do you think ABRAHAM LINCOLN was part of? Maybe you forgot that Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. And Sure! Signing that historical piece of legislation may have even been an empty gesture at the time — if you were part of the CONFEDERACY!

        And you say Republican’s fought against slavery? TRY AGAIN MORON!!!

        It’s because of the DEMOCRATS and their stupid ass shit that the REPUBLICAN’S ever even came into EXISTENCE! You might even say the Republican’s were motivated by their “horrible” Christian values to split off like that too. In fact, the REPUBLICAN’S formed their party in 1854 partly in response to the Kansas Nebraska act which was supported mostly by DEMOCRATS! That act threatened to EXTEND SLAVERY into those territories (now states).

        But I bet you didn’t even know that since all the history you ever repeat seems to come from television or movies. You don’t even realize that it’s HOLLYWOOD’S STANDARD to always be brainwashing -er- “reminding” people how bad the Republicans were/are and how they’re all a bunch of money grubbing evil capitalists. And it’s not like people such as Dick Nixon exactly help here either. But then it’s not like Woodrow Wilson ever got the political black eye he still deserves!

        Maybe you forgot that it was Wilson – A DEMOCRAT – who passed into law our ILLEGAL “National Bank” better known as the Federal Reserve and started the American Gestapo better known as the IRS!

        Maybe you forgot about Bill Clinton getting impeached over a trivial lie regarding having sex! Maybe you forgot about Hillary Clinton’s role in Whitewater – TOO!!! I won’t even go into the Obama birther arguments. But now that it’s out, try refuting the FACT that Obama was given FOREIGN AID scholarships! In your shit for brains mind-washed skull, I’m sure you will always blame those horrible Republicans for somehow allowing it or something.

        Now, I’m NOT saying Republican’s are totally blameless. Admittedly, Republican’s have also done some terrible/stupid things TOO! But when I see what the DEMOCRATS have done and continue to try and do, about the only political clout left would be to stand with the Republican’s against EVEN BIGGER CORRUPTION/PERVERSION/OPPRESSION.

        And really! Is it all that horrible that the majority of Republican’s may have their heads up their asses as far as a religion goes? A religion that tries to promote love, understanding, and TOLERANCE?!

        As you might guess, I’m NOT part of that ignorant religious sub culture (OBVIOUSLY). But I do not hate them because of their convictions – only their ACTIONS! And I do rail against their stupidity when I see it too. So I guess, that makes me more of a TEA party member. Not that being “TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY” has anything to do with it.

        So you keep telling yourself those lib-tard party LIES! Watch as your hero’s Obama, Biden, Pelosi and Reid BANKRUPT this country and “give” us more government that no one wants! Watch as YOUR RIGHTS (and mine) erode into NOTHING where we all become chattel of the State. I bet once it happens (assuming those horrible right-wing-nut’s, Tea baggers and other groups just lay down and give up) that you will still be blaming the WRONG PARTY! That’s because YOU ARE either part of the very corrupt fools you accuse others of being part of or you’re simply STUPID!

        • bobbo, a keen observer of labels and legs says:

          No silverware for YOU!

          Ha. ha. If I call a frog an octopus, how many legs does it have?

        • So What? says:

          Alfie did you change your name again?

        • Captain Obvious says:

          Lincoln was a Whig until 1854. They merged into Republican party in opposition to the Democrats. They Whigs and Republicans of that time favoured modernisation of the economy through government funded infrastructure, economic protectionism, and high tariffs.

          Lincoln himself was a moderate even by today’s standards. Think Bill Clinton with even more political savvy and you’re getting the idea. You might hate lyin’ Billy but he’s been outfoxing the Republicans for over 20 years.

          Take a look at the electoral college map from 1860 and compare it to the electoral college map from 2012.

        • spsffan says:

          Please resubmit, typed without punctuation, single spaced, on both sides of the page.

          That kind of rant always is.

          For extra credit, please scribble some illegible balderdash in the margins.

    • spsffan says:

      Oops!

      That should be “seeking NOT to enforce a Christian..”

      Sorry to ruffle any feathers, but it doesn’t make any sense without the NOT.

  4. Trex says:

    Free Advice: When you invite crazy people to dinner, you should use plastic cutlery.

    • TAX the ASSES! (After all, they keep VOTING for it!) says:

      How about NOT INVITING THEM?!

  5. Mextli says:

    Start off with an unsupported statement (Republicans desire to control people with Christian social agenda) and build sand castles from there. SOS

    Fortunately the far left does not have a social agenda as anyone that has attended a university knows. With them it’s all brotherly love, unicorns, and rainbows.

    • TAX the ASSES! (After all, they keep VOTING for it!) says:

      Your utter (and somewhat justified) hatred of RELIGION has you blinded to the REAL FACTS!

      The far left DOES have an agenda. And if you weren’t so close to it (or so prone to the brainwashing) you might even see it.

      The liberal leftist agenda has NOTHING to do with brotherly love, unicorns, rainbows or any of that other kume-bah-ya crap. That’s only what some of them want you to think (probably because they’re still stuck in the 60’s or trying to simply give you a mental rub down). This leftist agenda – LIKE ANY POLITICAL AGENDA – has everything to do with POWER!

  6. Supreme Ultrahuman (I see the comment system is still designed for retards.) says:

    Wanna fix the country? Only non-virgins who drive a 4×4, eat meat and drink alcohol are allowed to vote.

    Enact that and we’ll all be better off.

  7. Hmeyers says:

    We have a country where the elites are insulated and ineffectual (mostly liberals) and where the far right is easily tricked by buzzwords.

    And some of the people in the media are convinced they are intelligent thinkers because their social circle is homogenous.

    Throw in career politicians in both party that aren’t interesting in solving problems, just doing lipservice at best — or at worst proposing really terrible ideas.

    Gridlock is the best hope for the nation.

  8. Captain Obvious says:

    Reagan Republicanism is dead. Reagan was a winner and could speak to the vast majority of Americans. That’s why he got things done. You might not like what he did, but he did do things. Post-Reagan the Republicans became arrogant and careless. The big tent that Reagan created has become a house divided.

    It doesn’t mean they are dead. They are pretty much assured of permanent majority in Congress due to successful gerrymandering of congressional districts by various states. That’s just basic math and stats.

    They’ve given up on ever winning the Presidency and are giving up the Senate year by year. This is mainly due to the reactionary Tea Party. Most Tea Partiers would be happily start the Civil War again if they were given the chance.

    Their only saving grace is the Democrats couldn’t find their own assholes if their life depended on it.

  9. MikeN says:

    The Tea Party is the one supporting small, responsible government. The article is built on liberal assumptions that Eric Cantor and the Republican Establishment is right, and the Tea Party is the one that needs to moderate.

  10. MikeN says:

    Eric Cantor and John Boehner push deficits of over a trillion dollars, and I suppose the Tea Party Congressmen should just vote yes?

  11. Dallas says:

    The GOP has seems to attract parasites. It has two of them now – he Christian Taliban and now the TeaBaggers.

    The only explanation is that the GOP is diseased and therefore should be burned.

    • MikeN says:

      Don’t fret. President Obama is creating a ‘permission structure’ so that Republicans in Congress can do what’s good for the country.

  12. The Monster's Lawyer says:

    “Republicans not happy…” ?? Let me call CNN!

  13. msbpodcast says:

    The repubes scrape the bottom of the barrel for votes and the basement dwellers down there suddenly decide to spontaneously assemble into a party/life form, they have nothing to blame but themselves.

    The only alternative is to kill their own congress critters and scentnators, (maybe with their own guns,) and start fresh, (or the electorate will!) That will never happen because someone would have to admit that errors were made.

    The only thing sorrier than the dumb-o-craps is the repubes.

  14. MikeN says:

    The Republican Party has 278 of 535 seats in Congress and a near record level of control of state legislatures and governors. This is not a decline.

    • Captain Obvious says:

      Watch Texas flip in the next two elections. You’re going to see the Dems go after the States. It’s their key to winning Congress.

      • MikeN says:

        It’s also the key to eliminating the little job growth that there has been.

        • Captain Obvious says:

          That’s actually pretty funny. Republicans favouring job growth. That’s really, really funny.

          The Democrats are completely inept. The Republicans are all for social engineering. Have fun picking.

          • MikeN says:

            YOu don’t think there’s been job growth in Texas? It’s the liberal states that are even blocking the easy things like oil and gas development. Texas goes a step further and goes for less regulation all around.

        • MikeN says:

          I’ll grant you, you’ll get more job growth under Democrats. With Obamacare the incentive for employers is to cut hours and give workers 29 hours instead of 40. So you’ll have lots of part-time jobs.

  15. MikeN says:

    No worries. After the Republicans blocked the gun control vote, they will surely be thrown out of Congress.

  16. MikeN says:

    “And they said: ‘Why did you do this? As a result of what you did, when I go home, my constituents are yelling at me that I’ve got to stand on principle.’

  17. Mr Ed says:

    The tea party proves you can’t cure “crazy”.
    Although I suspect a lot of the craziness has its roots in selfishness.

  18. Glenn E. says:

    I believe you got the purpose of the Tea Party all wrong. They were invented to divide the “conservative” vote, so Obama would win a second term. Because secretly, the GOP didn’t want to be responsible for cleaning up the economic mess, they created before 2008. Which lead to the bank failures, and bail outs. So of which Bush was in charge of, don’t forget. It wasn’t an all Obama show.

    The Tea Party basically did for the GOP in the 2012 election. What the Green Party did for the Democrats, in the 2004 election. It divided up the so-called “liberal” vote. So Bush would win a 2nd term. The two parties already know who they want to win, and when. They just have to resort to this trick, to make the votes come out right. They can’t doctor all of the polls’ machines. Nor rely strictly on the news media to sway the voters.

    In the end, I serious doubt it makes any real difference which party gets their choice of candidate into high office. Not when most (if not all) of the Cabinet officials are insiders, of whatever their suppose to be regulating or overseeing.


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