'Tea party' polls better than GOP

[kpete]

Source: Politico



Should the “Tea Party” movement organize itself to run congressional candidates across the country, it would poll better than the Republican Party, according to a new survey by Rasmussen Reports.

In the national telephone poll of 1,000 likely voters released Monday, 23 percent said they preferred to vote for a candidate from the yet unformed “Tea Party” for Congress in 2010. The Republican Party trailed the non-existent political organization by 5 percentage points, getting the support of 18 percent of respondents.

Democratic candidates were preferred of 36 percent.

Local tea party organizations have sprung up in states across the country, but there is little national – or even state-level – cohesion among them. Most states have several groups competing for support.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30298.html

[louis-t]

1. Just so long as they're weakening each other.

Put them in a field somewhere and let them hit each other over the heads with trash can lids.

[FSogol]

2. In their dreams. So the Tea-baggers get 20% and the regular RW idiots get 20%. Big whoop.

[AlphaCentauri]

3. Tea Party = GOP

Don't see no change at all only the re branding of an archaic ideology

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. I'll have to hand this to the GOP: They recognize the popular anger in the general public

and are doing something to channel it. The way they're channeling it is totally wrong-headed of course, but where are the Dems who could be doing the same thing?

I sense a LOT of popular anger out there, and if the Dems don't get their act together and DELIVER some of the change they were promising (and constructive change, not things that will irritate people), then they will find that many of the people who voted Obama in will punish them in 2010 by staying home, voting Republican out of spite, or voting third party.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

[rayofreason]

10. You are correct about the popular anger....

...but the GOP has not figured it out yet. Neither have the Dems. Both parties care more about power for the powerful than anything else. They are pretty tone deaf, if you ask me.

Bailouts while 401Ks turn into 200.5Ks, trillions dollar deficits as far as they eye can see, business as usual for the well connected, one set of rules for the elite and a very different set for the rest of us. No legislation of any kind without plenty of built-in opportunity for graft.

Oh yes, there is a tidal wave of sentiment out there and whoever can resonate with it and give it direction can make a clean sweep of DC. 2010 is going to be really interesting, and 2012 may be more Earth-shaking in a real way than that stupid movie can imagine!

[girl_interrupted]

13. Lydia Agree I am already seeing it happening

There is a lot of anger out there, people are having a really tough time making ends meet, the middle class is getting socked. They are angry that the banks get the breaks and they don't. I really feel for the elderly, they are on a fixed income, SS benefits not increased, Medicare payments increased, as well as the cost of living. A lot of younger people, housing costs up, student loans to pay, jobs just not there.

While the teabaggers complain about "taxes" the area I live in, is a donor state, I almost get the feeling they will be taxing us for the air we breathe next, between what we pay to the federal and state govt...there's not much left over. I wish some Democrat would tell these teabaggers that we are carrying them and if they want to be independent of government, they shouldn't take federal funds. Sure would save us a bundle! But I never hear a word from the Democrats about it. No one ever adresses it and there seems to be no relief. I think this is what happened in NJ governor race too, people were drowning in taxes.

I also saw the effect of too high taxes on Long Island, NY. Democrat Tom Suozzi just lost the County Executive seat, because voters felt he was not addressing the soaring property and school taxes. It's too bad, Tom was the 1st democrat to win that seat in over 30 years, and now has been replaced by a republican.

People will not keep voting party line if they feel you aren't helping them. Democrats would do well to heed your warning.

This is also going to be a firestorm:

Gay advocates see bloodbath for New York Dem 'no' voters

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/12/07/2009-12-07_activists_say_antisame_sex_marriage_senators_should_run_for_hills_not_reelection.html#ixzz0Z1d9ipLb

After spending more than $1 million to help the Democrats retake the chamber for the first time in decades, powerful gay activists and donors say they'll support challengers against anti-gay-marriage senators in 2010.

It's going to be a bloodbath," one gay operative predicted. "We're going to use every single weapon in our quiver to take these people out. We either need to replace them or scare the hell out of them so they do the right thing."

Gay activists are considered some of the most effective fund-raisers in state Democratic political circles.

"The community is apoplectic ... and the commitment to building the Democratic majority is over," the operative added. "We won't make the same mistake twice."

- Real Estate Board of New York President Steven Spinola is putting his enrollment where his mouth is. Sources confirm the trade association head ditched the Democratic Party and signed up with the state Independence Party.

[Chris Crew]

5. What is the difference?

Other than that the tea party people seem to be more likely to believe wild conspiracy like that Obama is Islamic, not a citizen, or that Health Care is really a plot to kill seniors.

Simply put, they seem like the more gullible wing of the Republican party.

[Yavin4]

18. Actually, There Are A Lot of Differences

Tea party advocates are far more anti-immigration, more anti-free trade, and probably less military interventionists than the GOP. This is the Republican crack-up that most political observers have been waiting for.

[caseymoz]

6. Since they're morons, we know they'll try to form their own party.

Just guaranteeing a big victory for Democrats.

[rayofreason]

7. That's because the GOP sucks. n/t

[Lautremont]

8. So would a dead cod. n/t

[Mr. Sparkle]

9. lol, thats a new low for the GOP, after their own rank and file turns against them. n/t

[totodeinhere]

11. I would love to see them divide their votes like that.

That would probably make the Dems so strong that they could run progressive candidates almost everywhere and win. We wouldn't need to depend on the Bluedogs anymore.

[ThomThom]

15. but the Bluedogs do exist and they are dividing the Dems

so now we have a toss-up again. Don't start partying yet.

[onehandle]

12. Fantastic. Go third party, RW Republicans.

Keep the GOP right where they are.

Out.

[Kablooie]

14. Barney Frank was right ...

THE G.O.P.

[yellowcanine]

16. I'll bet if they would use the moniker "Tea Baggers" they would poll even highter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi9hgqZr6fs

[Ter]

17. The really bad news is they are getting a combined 41% of the poll

While Democrats got 36%. Surprised it wasn't pointed out. :(

[Yavin4]

19. This Is The Republican Crack-up That Political Observers Have Been Looking For

The modern-day Republican party has been built on three political strategies:

(1) Nixon's Southern Strategy which corraled disaffected Southern Whites who were angered by the Democrat's embrace of Civil Rights legislation in the 60s.

(2) Reagan's appeal to nostalgic 1950s America which resonated primarily among White voters who mistakenly blamed the economic malaise of the 70s on social movements and government safety net programs which did help to strengthened the middle class. Reagan convinced them that union power, minorities, feminists, and government spending were the reasons why the economy was in decline.

(3) Bush II's open embrace of the religious right.


The problem with all of these strategies were that the actual policies that these presidents put into place did real damage to middle and working class Americans. Most of their policies benefitted the rich, the powerful, and the military industrial complex, and the ardent rank and file supporters of these strategies want their own political party. Hence, the Republican crack up.

[BennyD]

20. I give the Tea-Baggers credit for one thing: They have a head start on

us when it comes to the reformation of their party. We need to send the message loud and clear to those in our own party who are DINO's.