Is the Tea Party Simply a Division of the Religious Right?

[hyphenate]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Is-the-Tea-Party-Simply-a-Division-of-the-Religious-Right-5294

Is the Tea Party Simply a Division of the Religious Right?
By Erik Hayden | October 06, 2010 10:42am

Giving the most comprehensive picture of the Tea Party yet, the Public Religion Research Institute has published new findings dissecting the faith identity of the grassroots movement that re-popularized the phrase "Don't Tread on Me." The survey notes that 47 percent of Tea Partiers consider themselves to be part of a "religious right or conservative Christian movement," 46 percent attend religious services once a week (10 percent higher than the general population), and nearly half of the movement believe the Bible is the literal word of God. While it's not surprising that many evangelical Christians joined up with the Tea Party movement, the survey appears to give quantitative weight to the notion that the Tea Party shouldn't be considered an entirely new and independent conservative entity.


•There are Four Myths About the Tea Party that need to be dispelled, contend Robert P. Jones and Daniel Cox, the CEO and director of the research institute behind the poll. Here are the "four facts" they come up with after parsing the numbers: 1) The Tea Party movement shouldn't be considered a distinct entity from previous conservative movements. 2) "Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement make up just 11 percent of the adult population - half the size of the current conservative Christian movement (22 percent)." 3) Those "who identify with the Tea Party movement are mostly social conservatives, not libertarians on social issues." 4) Tea Partiers are not an independent political force: they are largely comprised of "Republican partisans."

•The 'Most Detailed' Information About the Movement Yet The Washington Post's Michelle Boorstein outlines previously polls about the faith identity of the movement: "A Quinnipiac University poll last month asked basic demographic information, revealing that 20 percent of white evangelicals consider themselves part of the tea party movement. A Washington Post poll published Tuesday found more than half of all white evangelicals 'support or lean toward supporting the tea party.'" Experts are in disagreement as to what the Public Research Institute survey actually entails for the GOP: "With some saying it reveals serious fissures between social and fiscal conservatives and others saying the two movements can find common ground on subjects such as limiting public funding for abortion."

•Tea Party Has Been 'Broadening' to Address Religious Concerns Andy Sullivan at Reuters quotes religious right expert Michael Lindsay, who explains: "The focus of the movement has changed to one that is much more in line with the full spectrum of conservative political issues," including addressing religious concerns which could "help unify Republicans before the Nov. 2 congressional elections."


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[opihimoimoi]

1. The Baggers insist on displaying ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE...BIG TIME

[Swamp Rat]

2. ... maybe, or an updated version of the KKK with religion sprinkled on top.

:)

[Rex]

3. NRA + KKK = Tea Baggery?

I see you have Rush's Greatest Hits album on CD, but did you know it comes in liquid form now as well?

[Swamp Rat]

4. Oh yes, of course, in a jaundice pureé, for example:

Or in the form of caustic, green bile:



:D

[Democat]

5. "not libertarians on social issues"

So they don't want less government after all?

[TexasObserver]

6. They're KKKers with a make-over so they don't look obvious.

They're the same right wing lunatic fringe they've been for decades. They're the unreconstructed fans of the Confederacy who seethingly think and say the N word. They're the Aryan National nuts. They're the real core of the Republican party since the 1964 Civil Rights Act.