To preface, let me first say, as I have often in this space, the tea party movement is a movement dominated by conservatives, and I as a result have had no real desire to join them and don't plan to do so. But when Obama & The Dems go around beating a constant drum of trying to characterize the tea partiers as a bunch ultra right-wing fringe loons, they run some very high political risks since many of the core tea party movement positions and principles are either shared by, or are not too far off from, those held by Independents as well as many non-liberal dems. So tread at your own risk, Obama & The Dems. Juan Williams, a generally reasonable-minded liberal democrat, said it best in his piece in today's Wall Street Journal (link to full article at the bottom):"Democrats cannot win elections without capturing the votes of independent-minded swing voters. And that is where writing off the tea party as a bunch of racist kooks becomes self-destructive. The tea party outrage over health-care reform, deficit spending and entitlements run amok is no fringe concern. And it is insulting to all voters to suggest that criticism of President Obama, even by people who want to throw him out of office, is motivated by racism...."
"Tea party activists are surprisingly mainstream when it comes to their grievances about politics. They fit right in with most American voters who tell pollsters the country has been headed in the wrong direction under both Presidents Bush and Obama. A Pew poll in early March found 71% of Americans 'dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today.' Republicans and Democrats in Congress have low ratings —23% and 31% approval respectively, according to Pew."
"A Fox poll in February found that 59% say they don't trust the federal government. A CNN poll the same month reported results that suggest 56% are well beyond mere mistrust: They agree that the federal government is 'so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.'"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052702304252704575155942054483252.html
Posts
