Tea Party, where will it go?

[DGuller]

I'm bored, so I thought I'd start this very general topic.  What do people here think about Tea Party, and its ultimate fate?  I'm seeing four possibilities:

1)  They fizzle out without a lasting impact, as they were just a vehicle for people to express their mass hysteria over Democrats being back in power.
2)  They will not fizzle out, but will forever remain on the fringes, and given lip service by Republicans as needed.
3)  They force the Republicans to morph into the Tea Party by adopting Tea Party ideals (for real, not just in words).
4)  They completely replace the Republicans, like Republicans replaced the Whigs.

So far I think it's 1), but it's possible that I will change my mind later.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't even know where it is right now or what its members want.

[DGuller]

That's actually a good point, they seem to be all over the place and often contradictory.  Let's assume fiscal austerity, limited government (for real), and anti-corporatism is what their main ideals are.

[Neil]

Probably 2.  These guys are the Republican version of MoveOn.

[Razgovory]

I don't think anyone knows what they want.  I doubt even they know exactly what they want.  The rally cry of "Lets take our country back!" is particularly confusing  Back from who?  Who took it?  When did that happen?

Anyway, I imagine they be around until the next one of them blows up a building or something then they'll quite down again for another 10 years.  We've seen this song and dance before.  This is just the manifestation of the Reform party and the patriot movement in the 1990's.

[Darth Wagtaros]

It is just there.  They don't really do much except have rallies and back a poltiican they mistakenly think is a reformer here and there.  As a movement it seems to be just an outlet for frustration.

[grumbler]

I cannot imagine them coalescing into an actual coherent group, as their "members" seem all over the place, and most are already Republicans. I see some Republican politicians continuing to pay lip service to the "Tea Parties" until the November elections, and see the question "What did the tax protesters call themselves after the big government bailouts at the start of the Obama Administration?" being a moderate-point trivia question in five years. 

[Razgovory]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/04/19/lavandera.militia.misunderstood.cnn?hpt=C2

"We're not extremists, yeah we're camouflaged up and holding guns running through the woods "


Is it safe to use a handgun as hammer?

[jimmy olsen]

We've seen this song and dance before.  This is just the manifestation of the Reform party and the patriot movement in the 1990's.

I disagree, the Reform Party could have actually won the election if Perot hadn't flaked out and dropped out of the race. I see no possibility of that happening with the Tea Party.

[starbright]

I bet they wil fizzle out.

It seems like they are only hurting themselves. A third party on the right will only help the democrats.

[Jaron]

Ask Caliga and his Princesca. They are the voice of the silent majority and transforming the American political establishment from coast to coast.

[Caliga]

  I'm not a supporter of the Tea Party movement, Jaron.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I'm not a supporter of the Tea Party movement, Jaron.

You are if the missus says you are. We've all seen the Facebook updates. 

[Caliga]

uh... no.  We argue about this shit all the time.   In fact I've strongly advised her to stop posting political shit on FB, but she won't listen.

[Jaron]

Soon Caliga will be hosting Tea Party rallies on his front lawn.