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{{Short description|American fiscally conservative political movement}}
{{About|the political movement|the protest events themselves|Tea Party protests|the U.S. Congressional caucus|Tea Party Caucus}}
{{About|the political movement|the protest events themselves|Tea Party protests|the U.S. Congressional caucus|Tea Party Caucus|other uses|Tea Party (disambiguation)}}
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] and the ] at the ] on September 12, 2009.]]
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{{Conservatism US}}
] and the ] at the ] on September 12, 2009]]
{{Libertarianism sidebar}}
{{conservatism US|history}}
{{Libertarianism US}}


The '''Tea Party movement''' was an American ] ] within the ] that began in 2007, catapulted into the mainstream by Senator Rand Paul’s Presidential campaign<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sanneh |first=Kelefa |date=2012-02-19 |title=Party Crasher |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/02/27/party-crasher |access-date=2024-12-28 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref>. The movement expanded in response to the policies of Democratic President ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-protesters-march-washington/story?id=8557120|title=Tea Party Protesters March on Washington|website=ABC News|date=September 12, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/gop-breaks-may-stem-from-party-resistance-to-all-things-obama|title=GOP breaks may stem from party resistance to all things Obama|date=March 5, 2016|website=PBS NewsHour}}</ref> and was a major factor in the ]<ref name="auto4">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/01/the-gops-tea-party-class-of-the-2010-is-heading-for-the-exits-fast/|title=The GOP's 'tea party' Class of 2010 is heading for the exits -- fast/|newspaper=Washington Post|last=Blake|first=Aaron |date=February 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://rollcall.com/2018/09/26/tea-party-pioneer-says-democrats-cant-match-that-wave/|title=Tea Party Pioneer Says Democrats Can't Match That Wave|last=Akin |first=Stephanie|date=September 26, 2018|website=Roll Call}}</ref> in which Republicans gained 63 House seats<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://rollcall.com/2010/12/08/final-house-race-decided-gop-net-gain-63-seats/|title=Final House Race Decided; GOP Net Gain: 63 Seats|last=Peoples |first=Steve |date=December 8, 2010|website=Roll Call}}</ref> and took control of the U.S. House of Representatives.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/03/us-midterm-election-results-tea-party|title=US midterm election results herald new political era as Republicans take House|first1=Paul|last1=Harris|first2=Ewen|last2=MacAskill|date=November 3, 2010|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>
The '''Tea Party movement''' is an ] political movement that advocates strict adherence to the ],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/weekinreview/14liptak.html |title=Tea-ing Up the Constitution |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 13, 2010 |last=Liptak |first=Mark |location=Washington, D.C. |accessdate=October 31, 2010 |quote=It is, of course, hard to say anything definitive about the Tea Party movement, a loose confederation of groups with no central leadership. But if there is a central theme to its understanding of the Constitution, it is that the nation’s founders knew what they were doing and that their work must be protected.}}</ref> reducing ] ] and ],<ref name="Gallup"> ''The Hill'', July 5, 2010</ref><ref name="thefiscaltimes.com">Somashekhar, Sandhya (September 12, 2010). . '']''. Retrieved November 5, 2011.</ref> and reduction of the ] and ].<ref name="Gallup" /> The movement has been called partly ],<ref>{{cite news|last=Arrillaga|first=Pauline|title=Tea Party 2012: A Look At The Conservative Movement's Last Three Years|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/14/tea-party-2012_n_1425957.html|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=04/14/12}}</ref><ref>See following for information on Tea Party Movement Conservatism:
* ''The Washington Post'', October 5, 2010
* Wallsten, Peter and Yadron, Danny. , ''The Wall Street Journal'', September 29, 2010.
</ref> partly ],<ref>{{cite news |title=Is Half the Tea Party Libertarian? |first=Emily |last=Ekins |url=http://reason.com/poll/2011/09/26/is-half-the-tea-part-libertart |newspaper=] |date=September 26, 2011 |accessdate=July 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/libertarian-roots-tea-party?utm_source=Cato+Institute+Emails&utm_campaign=6b9d637298-Research_and_Analysis&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=6b9d637298&mc_eid=a1708a475b|title=Libertarian Roots of the Tea Party|last=Kirby|first=David|last2=Ekins|first2=Emily McClintock|publisher=Cato|date=Aug 6, 2012}}</ref> and partly ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123137382 |first=Liz |last=Halloran |title=What's Behind The New Populism? |publisher=NPR |date=February 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/us/politics/16teaparty.html |title=Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right |work=New York Times |date=February 16, 2010 |first=David |last=Barstow}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/05/party-time.html |title=Party Time |work=Newsweek |date=April 6, 2010 |first=Howard |last=Fineman}}</ref> The movement has sponsored ] and supported political candidates since 2009.<ref name="deseret">{{Cite news |first=David |last=Servatius|url=http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705289328,00.html |title=Anti-tax-and-spend group throws "tea party" at Capitol |accessdate=June 16, 2009 |date=March 6, 2009 |work=]}}</ref><ref name="economist">{{Cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13235069 |title=Anger Management |date=March 5, 2009 |work=The Economist |accessdate=April 25, 2010}}</ref><ref name="sfexaminer">{{Cite news |url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/Tea-parties-are-flash-crowds-Obama-should-fear-41547632.html |title=Tea parties are flash crowds Obama should fear |date=March 19, 2009 |newspaper=] |first=Mark |last=Tapscott |accessdate=June 16, 2009}}{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref>


Participants in the movement called for lower ] and for a reduction of the ] and ] through decreased ].<ref name="Gallup"> ''The Hill'', July 5, 2010</ref><ref name="thefiscaltimes.com">Somashekhar, Sandhya (September 12, 2010). . '']''. Retrieved November 5, 2011.</ref> The movement supported ] principles<ref name="Good">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/10/on-social-issues-tea-partiers-are-not-libertarians/64169/|title=On Social Issues, Tea Partiers Are Not Libertarians|work=The Atlantic|last=Good|first=Chris|date=October 6, 2010|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Tea-Party-Tally/2010/1115/Tea-party-groups-push-GOP-to-quit-culture-wars-focus-on-deficit|title=Tea party groups push GOP to quit culture wars, focus on deficit|work=Christian Science Monitor|last=Jonsson|first=Patrik|date=November 15, 2010|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref> and opposed the ] (also known as Obamacare), President Obama's signature health care legislation.<ref name = tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/><ref>Roy, Avik. April 7, 2012. . ''Forbes''. Retrieved: March 6, 2015.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/politics/tea-party-greatest-hits/index.html|title=5 years later, here's how the tea party changed politics |last=Cohen|first=Tom|date=February 27, 2014|website=CNN}}</ref> The Tea Party movement has been described as both a ] movement<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Somin |first=Ilya |date=May 26, 2011 |title=The Tea Party Movement and Popular Constitutionalism |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1853645 |journal=] |language=en |location=Rochester, NY |ssrn=1853645}}</ref> and as an "]" purporting to be spontaneous and grassroots, but created by hidden elite interests.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Monbiot |first=George |date=2010-10-25 |title=The Tea Party movement: deluded and inspired by billionaires |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/oct/25/tea-party-koch-brothers |access-date= |work=] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Nesbit |first=Jeff |date=5 April 2016 |title=The Secret Origins of the Tea Party |url=https://time.com/secret-origins-of-the-tea-party/ |access-date= |magazine=]}}</ref> The movement was composed of a mixture of ],<ref name="libertarian" /> ],<ref name="populist" /> and ] activism.<ref name="Conservatism" /> It sponsored ] and supported ] since 2009.<ref name="deseret" /><ref name="economist" /><ref name="sfexaminer" /> According to the ], various polls in 2013 estimated that slightly over 10% of Americans identified as part of the movement.<ref name="realspin" /> The movement took its name from the December 1773 ], a watershed event in the ], with some movement adherents using Revolutionary era costumes.<ref name="UPI.com">
The name of the movement is derived from the ] of 1773, an iconic event in American history.<ref>http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300117059</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Raphael |first=Ray |url=http://www.historynet.com/debunking-boston-tea-party-myths.htm |title=Debunking Boston Tea Party Myths |publisher=Historynet.com |date= |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref><ref></ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.boston.com/2010-11-16/ae/29307327_1_tea-ships-iconic-event-tea-merchants |title=Retracing the history of the Boston Tea Party - The Boston Globe |publisher=Articles.boston.com |date=November 16, 2010 |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref> ] protesters in the United States have often referred to the original Boston Tea Party for inspiration.<ref name="daily news 1984">{{Cite news |title=Libertarians to plan tea party to protest tax |date=April 5, 1984 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=] |location=Bowling Green, Kentucky |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1991_796548/republicans-urge-tea-for-texas-legislators-seek-cu.html |title=Republicans urge tea for Texas/Legislators seek cuts before taxes |author=Michael Holmes |agency=Associated Press |date=July 12, 1991 |newspaper=] |accessdate=July 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AASB&p_theme=aasb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_hidethis=no&p_field_label-0=Author&p_field_label-1=title&p_bool_label-1=AND&p_text_label-1=Tea%20bag%20protesters%20would%20toss%20away%20state%27s%20future&s_dispstring=headline%28Tea%20bag%20protesters%20would%20toss%20away%20state%27s%20future%29%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no |title=Tea bag protesters would toss away state's future |publisher=Austin American-Statesman |date=July 24, 1991 |format=Fee required |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref> References to the Boston Tea Party were part of ] protests held throughout the 1990s and earlier.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Smith refuses to defend tax proposition |agency=Associated Press |date=July 14, 1983 |publisher=Boca Raton News |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=esYcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=51kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7010,4383884&hl=en |title=Demonstrators hurl tea bags in bid against raising taxes |date=July 23, 1991 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Victoria Advocate |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB344E5F94DCCDC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title= 'Tea Party' Protests Taxation, But Don't Expect A Revolution |format=Fee required |date=October 20, 1991 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/04/20/Boston-Tea-Party-is-protest-template/UPI-96411208726823/ |title=Boston Tea Party Is Protest Template |date=April 20, 2008 |agency=UPI |publisher=UPI.com}}</ref><!--reference which was incorrect, possibly orphaned? -'The Rachel Maddow Show' for Tuesday, April 14, year 2009 or 2010 was not specified--> By 2001, a custom had developed among some conservative activists of mailing ] to legislators and other officials as a symbolic act.<ref name="LATimes01">{{Citation | title = Talk Radio Thwarts Tennessee Income Tax | first1 = Jeffrey | last1 = Gettleman | authorlink1 = Jeffrey Gettleman | newspaper = ] | url = http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jul/23/news/mn-25661 | accessdate = June 1, 2012 | date = July 23, 2001}}</ref>
{{Cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/04/20/Boston-Tea-Party-is-protest-template/UPI-96411208726823/ |title=Boston Tea Party Is Protest Template|date=April 20, 2008|work=UPI}}</ref>


The Tea Party movement was popularly launched following a February 19, 2009, call by ] reporter ] on the floor of the ] for a "tea party".<ref>{{cite news|last=Etheridge|first=Eric|title=Rick Santelli: Tea Party Time|url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/rick-santelli-tea-party-time/|newspaper= New York Times: Opinionator|date= February 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pallasch|first=Abdon M.|title= 'Best 5 minutes of my life'; His '09 CNBC rant against mortgage bailouts for 'losers' ignited the Tea Party movement|newspaper= Chicago Sun-Times|date=September 19, 2010|page=A4}}</ref> On February 20, 2009, The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition also helped launch the Tea Party movement via a ] attended by around 50 conservative activists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usmoneytalk.com/finance/tea-party-palins-pet-or-is-there-more-to-it-underneath-910/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415112820/http://www.usmoneytalk.com/finance/tea-party-palins-pet-or-is-there-more-to-it-underneath-910/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 15, 2014|title=Tea Party: Palin's Pet, Or Is There More To It Underneath|date=April 15, 2014}}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123080243/http://www.michaelpatrickleahy.com/teapartyfounders.html |date=January 23, 2017 }}, retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Supporters of the movement subsequently had a major impact on the internal politics of the ]. While the Tea Party was not a political party in the strict sense, research published in 2016 suggests that members of the ] voted like a right-wing third party in Congress.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ragusa |first1=Jordan |last2=Gaspar |first2=Anthony |date=2016 |title=Where's the Tea Party? An Examination of the Tea Party's Voting Behavior in the House of Representatives |journal=Political Research Quarterly |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=361–372|doi=10.1177/1065912916640901 |s2cid=156591086 }}</ref> A major force behind the movement was ] (AFP), a conservative political ] founded by businessman and political activist ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Americans for Prosperity|publisher=FactCheck.org|date=June 16, 2014|url=http://www.factcheck.org/2014/02/americans-for-prosperity-3/|access-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>
==Agenda==
{{biased-section|Plagarism|reason=removed all comments by TPm members as to what ''they'' theink the agenda is, even if reported by third-party reliable sources.|date=March 2013}}
The Tea Party movement is not easily defined, primarily because it comprises hundreds of groups at the grassroots level, of varying size, influence and priorities. It is highly factionalized, with no clear leadership or centralized structure. This is highlighted by the fact that it is not uncommon for different groups affiliating themselves with the movement to adopt disparate stances with respect to a given issue. Nonetheless, the generally consistent recourse to the constitution across the movement with respect to various issues has helped facilitate scholarly examination of the movement.


By 2016, '']'' wrote that the Tea Party movement had died; however, it also said that this was in part because some of its ideas had been absorbed by the mainstream Republican Party.<ref name=":1" /> ] reported in 2019 that the conservative wing of the Republican Party "has basically shed the tea party moniker".<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/15/ex-house-speaker-john-boehner-democrats-having-tea-party-moment.html|title='It's their turn' – former GOP House Speaker John Boehner says Democrats are having their own tea party-like moment|publisher=]|first=Matthew J.|last=Belvedere|date=March 15, 2019}}</ref>
<blockquote>The Tea Party contains a welter of oftentimes conflicting Agendas... Yet within this confusing constellation of ideas and viewpoints, there is a relatively stable ideological core to the Tea Party. This core is particularly evident when one focuses on the vision of the Constitution regularly professed by movement leaders, activists, and supporters.<ref> </ref></blockquote>


==Agenda==
While not uniformly so, the Tea Party movement tends to be anti-government, anti-spending, anti-Obama, anti-tax, nationalistic, in favor of strict ] legislation<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002529-503544/tea-party-supporters-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/</ref> and against compromise politics. Since the 2012 elections, many local Tea Party factions have shifted their focus to state nullification of the ], and protesting the United Nations ].<ref>; New York Times; December 25, 2012</ref><ref>; New York Times; December 26, 2012</ref><ref>; New York Times; February 15, 2010</ref><ref>; ] in the ''New York Times;'' September 26, 2010</ref><ref>; Encyclopædia Britannica; June 28, 2011</ref><ref>; '']''; January 22, 2010</ref>
{{See also|Politics of the United States}}


The Tea Party movement focuses on a significant reduction in the size and scope of the government.<ref name="Good"/> The movement advocates a national economy operating without government oversight.<ref>{{cite web | title = Economic Freedom | url = http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ourvision/economic-freedom/ | website = teapartypatriots.org | publisher = ] | date = June 6, 2014 }}</ref> Movement goals include limiting the size of the federal government, reducing government spending, lowering the national debt and opposing tax increases.<ref name="Foley1">{{Cite journal | last = Price Foley | first = Elizabeth | author-link = Elizabeth Price Foley | title = Sovereignty, Rebalanced: The Tea Party and Constitutional Amendments | journal = ] | volume = 78 | issue = 3 | pages = 751–64 | date =Spring 2011 | ssrn = 1904656 |url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/tenn78&div=27}}
===The Constitution===
:], law professor at ] College of Law, writing on the Tea Party's proclamations regarding the Constitution, observed: "Tea Party opposition to bailouts, stimulus packages and health-care reform is reflected in various proposals to amend the Constitution, including proposals to require a balanced budget, repeal the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments, and give states a veto power over federal laws (the so-called Repeal Amendment)."</ref> To this end, Tea Party groups have protested the ] (TARP), stimulus programs such as Barack Obama's ] (ARRA, commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act), ] environmental regulations, health care reform such as the ] (PPACA, also known simply as the Affordable Care Act or "]") and perceived attacks by the federal government on their 1st, 2nd, 4th and ] rights.<ref name="Zernike1">{{cite book | last = Zernike | first = Kate | title = Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America | pages = 65–66 | publisher = Macmillan Publishers | year = 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Emwp17M6vE8C| isbn = 9781429982726 }}
A number of legal scholars have published studies examining positions on the constitution advocated by various Tea Party leaders and affiliated groups.
:Kate Zernike, a national correspondent for ''],'' wrote: "It could be hard to define a Tea Party agenda; to some extent it depended on where you were. In the Northeast, groups mobilized against high taxes; in the Southwest, illegal immigration. Some Tea Partiers were clearer about what they didn't want than what they did. But the shared ideology—whether for young libertarians who came to the movement through Ron Paul or older 9/12ers who came to it through Glenn Beck—was the belief that a strict interpretation of the Constitution was the solution to government grown wild. By getting back to what the founders intended, they believed they could right what was wrong with the country. Where in the Constitution, they asked, does it say that the federal government was supposed to run banks? Or car companies? Where does it say that people have to purchase health insurance? Was it so much to ask that officials honor the document they swear an oath to uphold?"</ref> Tea Party groups have also voiced support for ] legislation as well as tighter border security, and opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants.<ref>{{cite news | last = Staff writer | title = Tea Party groups ramp up fight against immigration bill, as August recess looms | url = https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tea-party-groups-ramp-up-fight-against-immigration-bill-as-august-recess-looms/ | work = ] | date = July 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Woodruff | first = Betsy | title = Tea Party – vs – Immigration Reform | url = http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/351649/tea-party-vs-immigration-reform-betsy-woodruff | work = ] | date = June 20, 2013}}</ref> On the federal health care reform law, they began to work at the state level to nullify the law, after the ] lost seats in Congress and the Presidency in the ].<ref name="Fringe" /><ref name="Rauch2">{{cite news | last = Rauch | first = Jonathan | title = The Tea Party's Next Move | url = http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-tea-party-s-next-move-a-health-care-compact-20110210?mrefid=site_search&page=1 | work = ] | date = March 2, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130928090416/http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-tea-party-s-next-move-a-health-care-compact-20110210?mrefid=site_search&page=1 | archive-date = September 28, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> It has also mobilized locally against the ] ].<ref name="Fringe">{{cite news | last = Gabriel | first = Trip | title = Clout Diminished, Tea Party Turns to Narrower Issues | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/us/politics/tea-party-its-clout-diminished-turns-to-fringe-issues.html?pagewanted=all | work = ] | date = December 25, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Carey | first = Nick | title = Tea Party versus Agenda 21: Saving the U.S. or just irking it? | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-teaparty-agenda-idUSBRE89E04J20121015 | work = ] | date = October 15, 2012 | access-date = July 2, 2017 | archive-date = September 24, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924171319/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/15/us-usa-campaign-teaparty-agenda-idUSBRE89E04J20121015 | url-status = live }}</ref> They have protested the IRS for ] of groups with "tea party" in their names.<ref>{{cite news | last = Ballhaus | first = Rebecca | title = Tea Party Protesters Rally Against IRS, Government | url =https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/06/19/tea-party-protesters-rally-against-irs-government/ | work = ] | date = June 19, 2013}}</ref> They have formed ] to support candidates sympathetic to their goals and have opposed what they call the "Republican establishment" candidates.


The Tea Party does not have a single uniform agenda. The decentralized character of the Tea Party, with its lack of formal structure or hierarchy, allows each autonomous group to set its own priorities and goals. Goals may conflict, and priorities will often differ between groups. Many Tea Party organizers see this as a strength rather than a weakness, as decentralization has helped to immunize the Tea Party against co-opting by outside entities and corruption from within.<ref name="Rauch1">{{cite news | last = Rauch | first = Jonathan | title = Group Think: Inside the Tea Party's Collective Brain | url = http://www.jonathanrauch.com/jrauch_articles/2010/09/group-think-inside-the-tea-partys-collective-brain.html | work = ] | date = March 2, 2011}}</ref>
<blockquote>The central tenets of Tea Party constitutionalism can be distilled down to four basic assumptions. One, the solutions to the problems facing the United States today can be found in the words of the Constitution and the insights of its framers. Two, the meaning of the Constitution and the lessons of history are not obscure; in fact, they are readily accessible to American citizens who take the time to educate themselves. Three, all Americans, not just lawyers and judges, have a responsibility to understand the Constitution and to act faithfully toward it. And four, the overarching purpose of the Constitution is to ensure that the role of government, and particularly the federal government, is a limited one; only by following constitutionally defined constraints on government can individual liberties be preserved. <ref> </ref></blockquote>


Even though the groups participating in the movement have a wide range of different goals, the Tea Party places its view of the Constitution at the center of its reform agenda.<ref name="Foley1"/><ref name="Schmidt">{{Cite journal | last = Schmidt | first = Christopher W. | title = The Tea Party and the Constitution | journal = ] | volume = 39 | issue = 1 | pages = 193–252 | ssrn = 2218595 | date =Fall 2011 | url = http://www.hastingsconlawquarterly.org/archives/V39/I1/Schmidt.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150617143259/http://www.hastingsconlawquarterly.org/archives/V39/I1/Schmidt.pdf | archive-date = June 17, 2015 | df = mdy-all }} Also available via </ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Liptak | first = Adam | title = Tea-ing Up the Constitution | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/weekinreview/14liptak.html?_r=0 | work = ] | date = March 13, 2010 }}</ref> It urges the return of government as intended by some of the ]. It also seeks to teach its view of the Constitution and other founding documents.<ref name="Rauch1"/> Scholars have described its interpretation variously as ], popular,<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Somin | first = Ilya | title = The Tea Party Movement and Popular Constitutionalism | journal = ] | date = 2011 | url = http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/nulr_online/226/ }} </ref> or a unique combination of the two.<ref name="Schmidt" /><ref>{{Cite journal | last = Zietlow | first = Rebecca E. | title = Popular Originalism? The Tea Party Movement and Constitutional Theory | journal = ] | volume = 64 | issue = 2 | pages = 483–512 | date = April 2012 | url = http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/flr/vol64/iss2/5/ }}
Schmidt states that the movement's approach to the constitution embodies an effort to mobilize their tenets in "tangible political action".
:Rebecca E. Zietlow, law professor at the ] College of Law, characterizes the Tea Party's constitutional position as a combination of two schools of thought: "originalism" and "popular constitutionalism."
::"Tea Party activists have invoked the Constitution as the foundation of their conservative political philosophy. These activists are engaged in 'popular originalism,' using popular constitutionalism—constitutional interpretation outside of the courts—to invoke originalism as interpretive method."</ref> Reliance on the Constitution is selective and inconsistent. Adherents cite it, yet do so more as a cultural reference rather than out of commitment to the text, which they seek to alter.<ref name=SkocpolWilliamson>{{cite book | last1 = Skocpol | first1 = Theda | last2 = Williamson | first2 = Vanessa | title = The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism | url = https://archive.org/details/teapartyremaking0000skoc | url-access = registration | pages = | publisher = ] | year = 2012| isbn = 978-0-19-983263-7 }}</ref><ref name="Zernike2">{{cite book | last = Zernike | first = Kate | title = Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America | pages = 67–68 | publisher = Macmillan Publishers | year = 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Emwp17M6vE8C| isbn = 978-1429982726 }}</ref><ref>See also:
* {{Cite journal | last1 = Perrin | first1 = Andrew J. | last2 = Tepper | first2 = Stephen J. | last3 = Caren | first3 = Neal | last4 = Morris | first4 = Sally | title = Cultures of the Tea Party | journal = ] | volume = 10 | issue = 2 | pages = 74–75 | doi = 10.1177/1536504211408945 | date = May 2011 | doi-access = free }}
* {{cite journal | last = Ryan | first = James E. | title = Laying Claim to the Constitution: The Promise of New Textualism | journal = ] | volume = 97 | issue = 7 | pages = 1549–1550 | jstor = 41307888 | date = November 2011 | url = http://www.virginialawreview.org/volumes/content/laying-claim-constitution-promise-new-textualism }}
* {{cite book | last = Formisano | first = Ronald | title = The Tea Party: A Brief History | page = 52 | publisher = The ] | year = 2012 }}</ref> Two constitutional amendments have been targeted by some in the movement for full or partial repeal: the ] that allows an income tax, and ]. There has also been support for a proposed ], which would enable a two-thirds majority of the states to repeal federal laws, and a ], to limit deficit spending.<ref name="Foley1"/>


The Tea Party has sought to avoid placing emphasis on traditional conservative social issues. National Tea Party organizations, such as the ] and ], have expressed concern that engaging in social issues would be divisive.<ref name="Rauch1"/> Instead, they have sought to have activists focus their efforts away from social issues and focus on economic and limited government issues.<ref name="AssocPress">{{cite news |last=Associated Press |author-link=Associated Press |title=Tea Partiers shaking up races across country |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221223009/http://www.ktvb.com/news/politics/82725622.html | archive-date = February 21, 2014 |url=http://www.ktvb.com/news/politics/82725622.html |work=] |date=January 28, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news |last=Zernike |first=Kate |title=Tea Party Avoids Divisive Social Issues |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/us/politics/13tea.html |work=] |access-date=February 5, 2014 |date=March 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Tea-Party-Tally/2010/1115/Tea-party-groups-push-GOP-to-quit-culture-wars-focus-on-deficit|title=Tea party groups push GOP to quit culture wars, focus on deficit|journal=Christian Science Monitor|last=Jonsson|first=Patrik|date=November 15, 2010|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref> Still, many groups like ]'s 9/12 Tea Parties, TeaParty.org, the Iowa Tea Party and Delaware Patriot Organizations do act on social issues such as abortion, gun control, ], and illegal immigration.<ref name="AssocPress"/><ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Schumacher Cohen |first=Julie |title=The Role of Religion (or Not) in the Tea Party Movement: Current Debates & The Anti-Federalists |work=] (student magazine) |volume=35 |url=http://concept.journals.villanova.edu/article/view/784 |publisher=] | access-date = February 5, 2014 |date=April 19, 2012}}</ref>
<blockquote>There is, as observers and participants in the movement regularly note, something about Tea Party constitutionalism that is akin to a fundamentalist religious revivalism, with the text of the Constitution serving the role of scripture.<ref>Ibid., p. 198</ref></blockquote>


One attempt at forming a list of what Tea Partiers wanted Congress to do resulted in the '']''. It was a legislative agenda created by conservative activist Ryan Hecker with the assistance of ] of FreedomWorks. Armey had co-written with ] the previous ] released by the Republican Party during the 1994 midterm elections. One thousand agenda ideas that had been submitted were narrowed down to twenty-one non-social issues. Participants then voted in an online campaign in which they were asked to select their favorite policy planks. The results were released as a ten-point Tea Party platform.<ref name="Davis">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-activists-craft-contract-america/story?id=9740705|title=Tea Party Activists Craft 'Contract from America'|last=Davis|first=Teddy|date=February 9, 2010|work=]|publisher=American Broadcasting Company|access-date=September 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Davis2">{{cite news|last=Davis |first=Teddy |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-activists-unveil-contract-america/story?id=10376437&page=2 |title=Tea Party Activists Unveil 'Contract from America' |work=] |date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref> The Contract from America was met with some support within the Republican Party, but it was not broadly embraced by GOP leadership, which released its own ']'.<ref name="Davis2"/>
Referring to a study by Stanford Levinson called ''Constitutional Faith'', Schmidt calls attention to “a basic divide between 'protestant' and 'catholic' approaches to constitutional interpretation” with respect to which he examines the particularities of the movement, aiming to “offer some historical perspective on the movement”.


In the aftermath of the ], some Tea Party activists have taken up more traditionally populist ideological viewpoints on issues that are distinct from general conservative views. Examples are various Tea Party demonstrators sometimes coming out in favor of ] as well as for raising the ].<ref name=star/> {{dead link|date=July 2021}}
<blockquote>The “protestant”constitutionalist believes that the written text of the Constitution is the exclusive basis of interpretation and that individual or community readings of the Constitution are legitimate acts of constitutional interpretation.12 A “catholic” approach basically reverses each of these elements. It places unwritten traditions alongside the written text as legitimate sources for constitutional interpretation, while limiting ultimate authority to interpret the Constitution to a single official institution, the Supreme Court.<ref>Ibid., p. 199</ref></blockquote>

Schmidt notes that the Tea Party movement is "proudly and thoroughly protestant in its posture toward the Constitution", and also describes passages from a recent book that supports the Tea Party <ref>Boston University Today, 12-1-2010</ref> by academic Angelo Codevilla, in which Codevilla criticizes governmental authority and the Supreme Court.<ref>America's Ruling Class: how political elites hijacked America: by Angelo Codevilla, An American Spectator Book, 2010</ref> Schmidt describes the movements efforts to motivate individual activists to evaluate the constitution for themselves and revive its timeless teachings from a state of decline.
<blockquote>Tea Party literature portrays those who created the nation as having special insight into the nature of government and the necessity for vigilance on the protection of individual liberty... They left for posterity the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, works of genius, perhaps even divine inspiration, that have allowed subsequent generations of Americans to take their own measure, to see how well they have protected the essentials of the founding covenant.<ref>Ibid., p. 201-2</ref></blockquote>

Rebecca E. Zietlow characterizes the overall orientation as a combination of two schools of thought on interpreting the constitution: “originalism”, and “popular constitutionalism”.
<blockquote>Tea Party activists have invoked the Constitution as the foundation of their conservative political philosophy. These activists are engaged in “popular originalism,” using popular constitutionalism—constitutional interpretation outside of the courts—to invoke originalism as interpretive method. <ref> </ref></blockquote>

Zietlow goes on to discuss the relationship between “originalism” and “popular constitutionalism” in an effort to explore whether the combination of the two as “popular originalism” is feasible. The question arises due in part to the fact that:
<blockquote>…originalism is resistant to change in constitutional meaning, scholars who advocate originalism tend to be politically conservative or libertarian. On the other end of the spectrum are scholars who advocate popular constitutionalism. Perhaps because many of the successful political movements that have engaged in popular constitutionalism have been progressive, scholars who study popular constitutionalism tend to be liberal or progressive. <ref> Ibid., p. 485-6 </ref></blockquote>

Another legal scholar, Elizabeth Price, has written on the Tea Party’s proclamations regarding amending the constitution or abolishing existing constitutional amendments.
<blockquote>Tea Party opposition to bailouts, stimulus packages and health-care reform is reflected in various proposals to amend the Constitution, including proposals to require a balanced budget, repeal the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments, and give states a veto power over federal laws (the so-called Repeal Amendment). <ref> </ref></blockquote>

===Contract from America===
{{Main|Contract from America}}
The Contract from America was the idea of Houston-based lawyer Ryan Hecker. He stated that he developed the concept of creating a ] call for reform prior to the April 15, 2009, Tax Day Tea Party rallies. To promote his idea, he launched a website, ContractFromAmerica.com, which encouraged people to offer possible ] for the contract. The top ten planks were decided by online voting at Hecker's website (approval rates shown in parentheses below):

# '''Identify constitutionality of every new law''': Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does (82.03%).
# '''Reject emissions trading''': Stop the ] administrative approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. (72.20%).
# '''Demand a balanced federal budget''': Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax modification. (69.69%)
# '''Simplify the tax system''': Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words&nbsp;– the length of the original Constitution. (64.9%).
# '''Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality''': Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities. (63.37%).
# '''Limit annual growth in federal spending''': Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57%).
# '''Repeal the health care legislation passed on March 23, 2010''': De-fund, repeal, and replace the ]. (56.39%).
# '''Pass an "all-of-the-above" energy policy''': Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation. (55.5%).
# '''Reduce earmarks''': Place a moratorium on all ] until the budget is balanced, and then require a two-thirds majority to pass any earmark. (55.47%).
# '''Reduce taxes''': Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend permanently the George W. Bush temporary reductions in ], ], and ], currently scheduled to end in 2011. (53.38%).

Though the ] asked both Democrats and Republicans to sign on to the Contract, no Democrats signed, and the contract met resistance from a number Republicans, who subsequently created the ]. Brendan Buck, a spokesman for that agenda explained that the Contract was too narrow in focus, and not exactly what the Republican party would include in its own top-10 list of priorities.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/why_republicans_arent_signing.html |work=The Washington Post |title=Why Republicans aren't signing the Contract From America}}</ref> Candidates in the 2010 elections who signed the Contract from America included Utah's ], Nevada's ], Sen. ] (R-OK), and Sen. ] (R-SC).<ref name="supporters">{{cite web|title=Complete List of Signatories Running for U.S. Congress or Governor|url=http://www.thecontractfromamerica.org/repreport.aspx|accessdate=September 18, 2010|publisher=Contract from America}}</ref>


===Foreign policy=== ===Foreign policy===
{{see also|Foreign policy of the United States}}
]
Historian and writer ] analyzes the foreign policy views of the Tea Party movement in a 2011 essay published in '']''. Mead says that ] populists, such as the Tea Party, combine a belief in ] and its role in the world with skepticism of American's "ability to create a liberal world order". When necessary, they favor "]" and unconditional surrender over "limited wars for limited goals". Mead identifies two main trends, one personified by former Texas Congressman ] and the other by former Governor of Alaska ]. "Paulites" have a ] approach that seeks, if possible, to avoid foreign military involvement. "Palinites", while seeking to avoid being drawn into unnecessary conflicts, favor a more aggressive response to maintaining America's primacy in international relations. Mead says that both groups share a distaste for "liberal internationalism".<ref>{{cite news |title=The Tea Party and American Foreign Policy: What Populism Means for Globalism |first =Walter Russell |last=Mead |author-link=Walter Russell Mead |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67455/walter-russell-mead/the-tea-party-and-american-foreign-policy |work=] |date=March–April 2011 |pages=28–44}}</ref>


Some Tea Party-affiliated Republicans, such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], voted for ] Congressman ]'s resolution to withdraw U.S. military personnel from ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2011/h412 |title=H.Con.Res. 51: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War ... (On the Resolution) |publisher=GovTrack.us |access-date=November 8, 2012}}</ref> In the Senate, three Tea Party backed Republicans, ], ] and ], voted to limit foreign aid to Libya, Pakistan and Egypt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2012/s196 |title=S. 3576: A bill to provide limitations on United States assistance, and ... (On Passage of the Bill) |publisher=GovTrack.us |access-date=November 8, 2012}}</ref> Tea Partiers in both houses of Congress have shown willingness to cut foreign aid. Most leading figures within the Tea Party both within and outside Congress opposed military intervention in Syria.<ref>{{cite news|last=McLaughlin|first=Seth|title=Tea party-linked lawmakers shun strike on Syria|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/10/tea-party-linked-lawmakers-shun-strike-on-syria/|work=]|date=September 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last = Pecquet | first = Julian | url = https://thehill.com/policy/international/160560-tea-party-takes-lead-on-syria/ |title=Tea Party takes lead on Syria |work=]| date = August 31, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2014}}</ref>
] stated during a June, 2010 interview with ] that focused on foreign policy, "I see the United States as being a force for good in the world. And as ] used to talk about, America being the beacon of light and hope for those who are seeking democratic values and tolerance and freedom." When asked why she supported additional U.S. troops for Afghanistan, Palin replied, "Because we can't afford to lose in Afghanistan, as we cannot afford to lose in Iraq, either, these central fronts on the war on terror. ... Specifically, we will make every effort possible to help spread democracy for those who desire freedom, independence, tolerance, respect for equality. That is the whole goal here in fighting terrorism also. It's not just to keep the people safe, but to be able to usher in democratic values and ideals around this, around the world."<ref>"Exclusive: Palin On Foreign Policy," , June 2, 2010.</ref>

In an August 2010 article for '']'' magazine, ] outlined foreign policy views the Tea Party movement should emphasize: "e cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world&nbsp;... I see tremendous opportunities for movements like the Tea Party to prosper by capitalizing on the Democrats' broken promises to overturn the George W. Bush administration's civil liberties abuses and end the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A return to the traditional U.S. foreign policy of active private engagement but government noninterventionism is the only alternative that can restore our moral and fiscal health."<ref>{{Cite journal |title=A Tea Party Foreign Policy |url=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/08/27/a_tea_party_foreign_policy |date=August 27, 2010 |first=Ron |last=Paul |authorlink=Ron Paul |work=] |separator=, |accessdate=March 25, 2013}}</ref>

] analyzes the foreign policy views of the Tea Party movement in a 2011 essay published in '']''. Mead says that ] populists, such as the Tea Party, combine a belief in '']'' and its role in the world with skepticism of American's "ability to create a liberal world order". When necessary, they favor total war and unconditional surrender over "limited wars for limited goals". Mead identifies two main trends, one somewhat personified by Ron Paul and the other by Sarah Palin. "Paulites" have a ], "neo-isolationist" approach that seeks to avoid foreign military involvement. "Palinites", while seeking to avoid being drawn into unnecessary conflicts, favor a more aggressive response to maintaining America's primacy in international relations. Mead says that both groups share a distaste for "liberal internationalism".<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Tea Party and American Foreign Policy: What Populism Means for Globalism |first =Walter Russell |last=Mead |authorlink=Walter Russell Mead |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67455/walter-russell-mead/the-tea-party-and-american-foreign-policy |journal=] |date=March/April 2011 |pages=28–44}}</ref>

Some Tea Party affiliated Republicans, such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] voted for progressive ]'s resolution to withdraw from Libya.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2011/h412 |title=H.Con.Res. 51: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War ... (On the Resolution) |publisher=GovTrack.us |date= |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref> In the Senate, three Tea Party backed Republicans, ], ] and ], voted to limit foreign aid to Libya, Pakistan and Egypt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2012/s196 |title=S. 3576: A bill to provide limitations on United States assistance, and ... (On Passage of the Bill) |publisher=GovTrack.us |date= |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref> Tea Partiers in both houses of Congress have shown willingness to cut foreign aid.


==Organization== ==Organization==
The Tea Party movement is composed of a loose affiliation of national and local groups that determine their own platforms and agendas without central leadership. The Tea Party movement has been cited as an example of ] political activity, although it has also been described as an example of '']''.<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Rasmussen | first1 = Scott W. | last2 = Schoen | first2 = Doug | title = Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System | publisher=Harper | isbn = 978-0-06-199523-1 | pages = 132–136 }}</ref> The Tea Party movement is composed of a loose affiliation of national and local groups that determine their own platforms and agendas without central leadership. The Tea Party movement has both been cited as an example of ] political activity and has also been described as an example of corporate-funded activity made to appear as spontaneous community action, a practice known as "]".<ref>Formisano 2012, p. 8</ref><ref name="Krugman nyt">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13krugman.html | work=The New York Times | title=Tea Parties Forever | first=Paul | last=Krugman | date=April 12, 2009 | access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Pelosi 2010-03-02">{{cite news|title=Pelosi Backpedals on Tea Partiers |date=March 2, 2010 |first=Sean |last=Hannity |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/pelosi-backpedals-on-tea-partiers |publisher=FOX News Network |work=Hannity's America}}</ref><ref name="Pelosi 2009-04-15"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515041834/http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/15/pelosi-astroturf |date=May 15, 2011 }} ThinkProgress, April 15, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Rasmussen | first1 = Scott W. | last2 = Schoen | first2 = Doug | title = Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System | publisher = Harper | isbn = 978-0061995231 | pages = | date = September 14, 2010 | url = https://archive.org/details/madashellhowteap0000rasm_k0l8/page/132 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0261-3077| last = Monbiot| first = George| title = The Tea Party movement: deluded and inspired by billionaires| work = The Guardian| access-date = July 15, 2014| date = October 25, 2010| url = https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/oct/25/tea-party-koch-brothers}}</ref> Other observers see the organization as having its grassroots element "amplified by the right-wing media", supported by elite funding.<ref name=SkocpolWilliamson/><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cjr.org/review/the_tea_party_paradox.php?page=all |last=Ventura |first=Elbert |date=January 11, 2012 |title=The Tea Party Paradox: A democratic movement that is anti-democratic at heart |journal=Columbia Journalism Review}}</ref>

The Tea Party movement is not a national political party; polls show that most Tea Partiers consider themselves to be Republicans<ref name="Gallup Poll">{{Cite news|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/141098/Tea-Party-Supporters-Overlap-Republican-Base.aspx?version=print |title=Tea Party Supporters Overlap Republican Base |date=July 2, 2010 |publisher=Gallup Poll |accessdate=November 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/republican-party/tea-party-as-the-republican-pa.html |title=The Fix – Tea Party = Republican party? |agency=The Washington Post |date=July 6, 2010 |work=Washington Post |accessdate=November 24, 2010}}</ref> and the movement's supporters have tended to endorse Republican candidates.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Scott |last1=Rasmussen |first2=Doug |last2=Schoen |title=Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System |year=2010 |page=12 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-199523-1}}</ref> Commentators, including Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport, have suggested that the movement is not a new political group but simply a re-branding of traditional Republican candidates and policies.<ref name="Gallup Poll"/><ref>; ''Los Angeles Times''; July 25, 2010</ref><ref> Slate; August 9, 2010</ref> An October 2010 ''Washington Post'' canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 87% saying "dissatisfaction with mainstream Republican Party leaders" was "an important factor in the support the group has received so far".<ref name="agwpostface"/>


The Tea Party movement is not a national political party; polls show that most Tea Partiers consider themselves to be Republicans<ref name="Gallup Poll">{{Cite news|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/141098/Tea-Party-Supporters-Overlap-Republican-Base.aspx?version=print |title=Tea Party Supporters Overlap Republican Base |date=July 2, 2010 |publisher=Gallup Poll |access-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/republican-party/tea-party-as-the-republican-pa.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811010309/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/republican-party/tea-party-as-the-republican-pa.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |title=The Fix – Tea Party = Republican party? |agency=The Washington Post |date=July 6, 2010 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref> and the movement's supporters have tended to endorse Republican candidates.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Scott |last1=Rasmussen |first2=Doug |last2=Schoen |title=Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System |year=2010 |page= |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0061995231 |url=https://archive.org/details/madashellhowteap0000rasm_k0l8/page/12 }}</ref> Commentators, including Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport, have suggested that the movement is not a new political group but simply a re-branding of traditional Republican candidates and policies.<ref name="Gallup Poll"/><ref>; ''Los Angeles Times''; July 25, 2010</ref><ref name=myths> Slate; August 9, 2010</ref> An October 2010 '']'' canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 87% saying "dissatisfaction with mainstream Republican Party leaders" was "an important factor in the support the group has received so far".<ref name="agwpostface"/>
The Tea Party movement's membership includes notable ] politicians ], ], ], ], and ]. In July 2010, Bachmann formed the ] ],<ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Jake|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39848.html|title=Bachmann forms Tea Party Caucus|publisher='']''|date=July 16, 2010|accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref>; however, the caucus has been defunct since July 2012.<ref name="house1">{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20111005085817/http://bachmann.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=226594|title=Members of the Tea Party Caucus |publisher=Bachmann.house.gov |date= |accessdate=August 4, 2011}}</ref> An article in '']'' reported that many Tea Party activists were skeptical of the caucus, seeing it as an effort by the ] to hijack the movement. Utah congressman ] refused to join the caucus, saying<blockquote>"Structure and formality are the exact opposite of what the Tea Party is, and if there is an attempt to put structure and formality around it, or to co-opt it by Washington, D.C., it’s going to take away from the free-flowing nature of the true tea party movement."<ref>{{cite news|last=Vogel|first=Kenneth P.|title=Tea party vs. Tea Party Caucus|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40528.html|accessdate=September 13, 2010|newspaper=Politico|date=August 2, 2010}}</ref></blockquote>


Tea Party activists have expressed support for ] politicians ], ], ], ], and ].{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} In July 2010, Bachmann formed the ] ];<ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Jake|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39848.html|title=Bachmann forms Tea Party Caucus|publisher=]|date=July 16, 2010|access-date=August 4, 2010}}</ref> however, since July 16, 2012, the caucus has been defunct.<ref name="house1">{{cite web|url=http://bachmann.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=226594|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005085817/http://bachmann.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=226594|archive-date=October 5, 2011|title=Members of the Tea Party Caucus |publisher=Bachmann.house.gov |access-date=August 4, 2011}}</ref> An article in '']'' reported that many Tea Party activists were skeptical of the caucus, seeing it as an effort by the ] to hijack the movement. Utah congressman ] refused to join the caucus, saying<blockquote>Structure and formality are the exact opposite of what the Tea Party is, and if there is an attempt to put structure and formality around it, or to co-opt it by Washington, D.C., it's going to take away from the free-flowing nature of the true Tea Party movement.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vogel|first=Kenneth P.|title=Tea party vs. Tea Party Caucus|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40528.html|access-date=September 13, 2010|newspaper=Politico|date=August 2, 2010}}</ref></blockquote>
Journalist ] has said ] is not the Tea Party's founder, or its culturally resonant figure, but has become the "intellectual godfather" of the movement as many now agree with his long-held beliefs.<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/the-tea-party-8217-s-brain/8280/a |title=The Tea Party’s Brain – Magazine |publisher=The Atlantic |date=October 5, 2010 |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref>


==Etymology== ==Etymology==
The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the ], a protest by colonists who objected to a British tax on tea in 1773 and demonstrated by dumping British tea taken from docked ships into the harbor.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jill |last=Lepore |title=The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History |year=2010 |pages=77–79 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-15027-7}}</ref> Some commentators have referred to the ''Tea'' in "Tea Party" as the ] "Taxed Enough Already".<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder |first=Anne |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0409/TEA__Taxed_Enough_Already.html |title= T.E.A. = Taxed Enough Already |publisher=Politico.com |date=April 8, 2009 |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref> The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the ], a protest in 1773 by colonists who objected to British taxation without representation, and demonstrated by dumping British tea taken from docked ships into the harbor. The event was one of the first in a series that led to the ] and the ] that gave birth to American independence.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jill |last=Lepore |title=The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History |year=2010 |pages= |publisher=] |isbn=978-0691150277 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780691150277/page/77 }}</ref> Some commentators have referred to the ''Tea'' in "Tea Party" as the ] "Taxed Enough Already", though this did not appear until months after the first nationwide protests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schroeder |first=Anne |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0409/TEA__Taxed_Enough_Already.html |title= T.E.A. = Taxed Enough Already |publisher=Politico.com |date=April 8, 2009 |access-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
{{See also|Tax revolt|List of Tea Party protests, 2009|List of Tea Party protests, 2010}} {{See also|Tax revolt}}
===Commentaries on origin===


===Background===
] commentator ] argues that the Tea Party movement emerged from the "ashes" of ]'s 2008 presidential primary campaign.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/05/10/juan-williams-surprising-rise-rep-ron-paul/ |publisher=Fox News | title=Juan Williams: The Surprising Rise of Rep. Ron Paul|first=Juan|last=Williams| date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> Others have argued that the ] were essential in fostering the movement.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/13/tea-party-americans-for-prosperity|title=Americans For Prosperity sponsors Tea Party workshop|date=October 13, 2010|work=The Guardian|first=Ed|last=Pilkington|location=London|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer|title=Covert Operations|date=August 30, 2010|first=Jane|last=Mayer|work=The New Yorker|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref> In 2013, a study published in the journal ''Tobacco Control'' concluded that organizations within the movement were connected with non-profit organizations that the tobacco industry and other corporate interests worked with and provided funding for,<ref>, Amanda Fallin, Rachel Grana, Stanton A Glantz; Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, San Francisco, California, USA; ''Tobacco Control'', published Feb 8, 2013; viewed Feb 14, 2013, updated to free version March 5, 2013</ref><ref>; UCSF; February 8, 2013</ref> including groups ] (founded by the Koch brothers).<ref>; The Raw Story, February 11, 2013</ref><ref>, Brendan DeMelle, ], posted Feb 11, 2013, viewed Feb 14, 2012</ref> ] cited the study and said that the connections between "market fundamentalists", the tobacco industry and the Tea Party could be traced to a 1971 memo from tobacco lawyer ] who advocated more political power for corporations. Gore said that the Tea Party is an extension of this political strategy "to promote corporate profit at the expense of the public good."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-gore/tea-party-koch-brothers-big-tobacco_b_2689380.html |title=False Spontaneity of the Tea Party |last=Gore |first=Al |authorlink=Al Gore |date=February 13, 2013 |newspaper=Huffington Post |accessdate=February 15, 2013}}</ref>
], ''The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor''; the phrase ] had not yet become standard and, contrary to Currier's depiction, few of the men dumping the tea were actually disguised as Native Americans.<ref>Young, ''Shoemaker'', pp. 183–185.</ref>]]
References to the Boston Tea Party were part of ] protests held in the 1990s and before.<ref name="UPI.com"/><ref name="Boca Raton News">{{cite news |title=Smith refuses to defend tax proposition |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19830714&id=OBNUAAAAIBAJ&pg=5905,3315449|agency=Associated Press |date=July 14, 1983 |newspaper=Boca Raton News |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Victoria Advocate">{{cite news|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=esYcAAAAIBAJ&pg=7010,4383884&hl=en |title= Demonstrators hurl tea bags in bid against raising taxes |date= July 23, 1991 |agency= Associated Press |newspaper= Victoria Advocate |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nl.newsbank.com">{{Cite news |url= http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB344E5F94DCCDC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title= 'Tea Party' Protests Taxation, But Don't Expect A Revolution |format= Fee required |date=October 20, 1991 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><!--reference which was incorrect, possibly orphaned? -'The Rachel Maddow Show' for Tuesday, April 14, year 2009 or 2010 was not specified--> In 1984, ] and ] of ] founded ] (CSE), a conservative political group whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." Congressman ] was appointed as the first chairman of the organization. The CSE lobbied for policies favorable to corporations, particularly tobacco companies.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/30/covert-operations|title=The Koch Brothers' Covert Ops|date=August 23, 2010|magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref>


In 2002, a Tea Party website was designed and published by the CSE at web address ''www.usteaparty.com'', and stated "our US Tea Party is a national event, hosted continuously online and open to all Americans who feel our taxes are too high and the tax code is too complicated."<ref name=qb/><ref>{{cite news |magazine=] |title=Big Tobacco's Tea Party Ties Exposed |first=Brooke |last=Jarvis |date=February 13, 2013 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/big-tobaccos-tea-party-ties-exposed-20130213 |access-date=May 30, 2015}}</ref> The site did not take off at the time.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/armey-in-exile/|last=Mullins|first=Luke|title=Armey in Exile|magazine=Washingtonian|access-date=June 26, 2013}}</ref> In 2003, ] became the chairman of CSE after retiring from Congress.<ref name="armey">{{cite web | url = http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/dick-armey-to-lead-citizens-for-a-sound-economy | title = Dick Armey to lead Citizens for a Sound Economy | date = January 8, 2003 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090308214530/http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/dick-armey-to-lead-citizens-for-a-sound-economy | archive-date = March 8, 2009 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into ], for 501c4 advocacy activity, and the ] Foundation. Dick Armey stayed as chairman of FreedomWorks, while David Koch stayed as Chairman of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. The two organizations would become key players in the Tea Party movement from 2009 onward.<ref name="Pilkington">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/oct/13/tea-party-americans-for-prosperity|title=Americans For Prosperity sponsors Tea Party workshop|date=October 13, 2010|work=The Guardian|first=Ed|last=Pilkington|location=London|access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Mayer">{{cite news|url=https://newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer|title=Covert Operations|date=August 30, 2010|first=Jane|last=Mayer|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks were "probably the leading partners" in the September 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington, also known as the "9/12 Tea Party", according to ''The Guardian''.<ref name="guardian20090918">{{cite news |first=Ed |last=Pilkington |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/18/republicans-internet-barack-obama |title=Republicans steal Barack Obama's internet campaigning tricks |newspaper=] |date=September 18, 2009 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |location=London}}</ref>
===Early local protest events===
On January 24, 2009, Trevor Leach, chairman of the ] in New York State organized a "Tea Party" to protest ] proposed by New York Governor ] and call for fiscal responsibility on the part of the government. Several of the protesters wore Native American headdresses similar to the band of 18th century colonists who dumped tea in Boston Harbor to express outrage about British taxes.<ref>St. Clair, Neil (January 24, 2009). . ]. Retrieved September 7, 2011</ref>


====Commentaries on origin====
Some of the protests were partially in response to several Federal laws: the ],<ref name="post gazette ">{{Cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09067/954066-454.stm |title=Harrisburg Tea Party protests ongoing bailout |last=Barnes |first=Tom |date=March 8, 2009 |work=Local/State |publisher=Post-Gazette.com |accessdate=April 9, 2010}}</ref> the ],<ref name=peter>{{Cite news |title=The Tea Party Revolution |url=http://spectator.org/archives/2009/04/15/the-tea-party-revolution |accessdate=June 18, 2009 |publisher=] |first= Peter |last=Ferrara |date=April 15, 2009}}</ref><ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |first=Jeff |last=Seleny |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/politics/13protestweb.html |title=Thousands Rally in Capital to Protest Big Government |accessdate=September 28, 2009 |date=September 12, 2009 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> and ].<ref name="tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com">Evan McMorris-Santoro,, ''], DC'', April 5, 2010.</ref>
] commentator ] has said that the Tea Party movement emerged from the "ashes" of ]'s 2008 presidential primary campaign.<ref name="auto">{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/05/10/juan-williams-surprising-rise-rep-ron-paul/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513070145/http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/05/10/juan-williams-surprising-rise-rep-ron-paul/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 13, 2011 |work=] | title= The Surprising Rise of Rep. Ron Paul|first=Juan|last=Williams| date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> Indeed, Ron Paul has stated that its origin was on December 16, 2007, when supporters held a 24-hour record breaking, "]" fundraising event on the ]'s 234th anniversary,<ref>{{cite news | last = Vogel | first = Kenneth P. | author-link = Kenneth P. Vogel | title = Money bomb': Ron Paul raises $6 million in 24-hour period | url = http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-12-17-ronpaul-fundraising_N.htm | work = ] | date = December 17, 2007 }}</ref> but that others, including Republicans, took over and changed some of the movement's core beliefs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Questions Ron Paul Answered During an Online Q&A|url=http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/08/no_author/more-than-10000-asked-ron-paul-anything/|website=]|date=August 24, 2013|access-date=June 12, 2014|quote=The Tea Party was actually started during the Ron Paul presidential campaign in 2007 when there was a spontaneous moneybomb that was done on the anniversary of the original tea party.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Levenson|first=Michael |title=Ron Paul raises millions in today's Boston Tea Party event |url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/16/ron_paul_raises_millions_in_todays_boston_tea_party_event/ |date=December 16, 2007 |access-date=June 12, 2014 |newspaper=]}}</ref> Writing for ], ] has argued in concurrence that, in his view, the "first modern Tea Party events occurred in December 2007, long before ] took office, and they were organized by supporters of Rep. Ron Paul," with the movement expanding and gaining prominence in 2009.<ref name=myths/><!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> (] took office in January 2009.) Journalist ] has stated in '']'' that while Ron Paul is not the Tea Party's founder, or its culturally resonant figure, he has become the "intellectual godfather" of the movement since many now agree with his long-held beliefs.<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite news | last = Green | first = Joshua|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/the-tea-party-8217-s-brain/8280/a |title=The Tea Party's Brain | work = ] |date=October 5, 2010|access-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref>


Journalist ] has said that the ] were essential in funding and strengthening the movement, through groups such as ].<ref name="Mayer"/> In 2013, a study published in the journal ''Tobacco Control'' concluded that organizations within the movement were connected with non-profit organizations that the tobacco industry and other corporate interests worked with and provided funding for,<ref name=qb>{{cite journal |title='To quarterback behind the scenes, third-party efforts': the tobacco industry and the Tea Party |first1=Amanda |last1=Fallin |first2=Rachel |last2=Grana |first3=Stanton A. |last3=Glantz |journal=] |date=February 8, 2013 |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=322–331 |doi=10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050815 |pmid=23396417 |pmc=3740007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Fernandez | first = Elizabeth | title = Study: Tea Party Organizations Have Ties To Tobacco Industry Dating Back To 1980s | url = http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/02/13507/study-tea-party-organizations-have-ties-tobacco-industry-dating-back-1980s | publisher = ] | date = February 8, 2013}}</ref> including the group ].<ref name="Brendan DeMelle 2013">{{cite news |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/brendan-demelle/study-confirms-tea-party-_b_2663125.html |title=Study Confirms Tea Party Was Created by Big Tobacco and Billionaire Koch Brothers |first=Brendan |last=DeMelle |work=] |date=February 11, 2013 |access-date=March 25, 2015}}</ref> ] cited the study and said that the connections between "market fundamentalists", the tobacco industry and the Tea Party could be traced to a 1971 memo from tobacco lawyer ] who advocated more political power for corporations. Gore said that the Tea Party is an extension of this political strategy "to promote corporate profit at the expense of the public good."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/al-gore/tea-party-koch-brothers-big-tobacco_b_2689380.html |title=False Spontaneity of the Tea Party |last=Gore |first=Al |author-link=Al Gore |date=February 13, 2013 |work=] |access-date=February 15, 2013}}</ref>
'']'' journalist ] reported that leaders within the Tea Party credit ] blogger and conservative activist ] with organizing the first Tea Party in February 2009, although the term "Tea Party" was not used.<ref name="Zernike">{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/us/politics/28keli.html|title=Unlikely Activist Who Got to the Tea Party Early |first=Kate|last=Zernike|date=February 27, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=September 7, 2011|quote=But leaders of the Tea Party movement credit her with being the first}}</ref> Other articles, written by Chris Good of '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/02/is-palins-tea-party-speech-a-mistake-tea-partiers-have-mixed-opinions/35360/|title=Is Palin's Tea Party Speech A Mistake? Tea Partiers Have Mixed Opinions|first=Chris|last=Good|date=February 4, 2010|work=The Atlantic|accessdate=April 25, 2010|quote=Keli Carender, 30, of Seattle, who is credited with hosting one of the first ever Tea Party protests in February 2009, before the movement really got started.}}</ref> and ]'s Martin Kaste,<ref name="Kaste">{{cite web |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123229743 |title=Tea Party Star Leads Movement On Her Own Terms |first=Martin |last=Kaste |date=February 2, 2010 |publisher=National Public Radio |accessdate=April 25, 2010 |quote=Keli Carender&nbsp;... organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests—before they were even called Tea Party protests}}</ref> credit Carender as "one of the first" Tea Party organizers and state that she "organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests".


Former governor of ] and vice presidential candidate ], keynoting a Tea Party Tax Day protest at the state capital in ] on April 15, 2011, reflected on the origins of the Tea Party movement and credited President Barack Obama, saying "And speaking of President Obama, I think we ought to pay tribute to him today at this Tax Day Tea Party because really he's the inspiration for why we're here today. That's right. The Tea Party Movement wouldn't exist without Barack Obama."<ref>{{cite AV media |title=] |people=Lessin, Tia and Deal, Carl |date=2013 |medium=Motion picture}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Staff writer |publisher=] |url=http://nation.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/16/palin-gop-fight-girl |title=Palin to GOP: 'Fight Like a Girl' |access-date=April 17, 2015 |date=April 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417204149/http://nation.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/16/palin-gop-fight-girl |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Carender first organized what she called a "Porkulus Protest" in ] on ], February 16, the day before President ] signed the ] into law.<ref name="Seattleprotest_KIROtv">{{cite news|publisher=]|location=Seattle|url=http://www.kirotv.com/video/18727718/index.html |title=Video: Dozens Gather At 'Porkulus' Protest |date=February 16, 2009 |format=Video |accessdate=March 29, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=November 2011}}</ref> Carender said she did it without support from outside groups or city officials. "I just got fed up and planned it." Carender said 120 people participated. "Which is amazing for the ] of blue cities I live in, and on only four days notice! This was due to me spending the entire four days calling and emailing every person, think tank, policy center, university professors (that were sympathetic), etc. in town, and not stopping until the day came."<ref name="Zernike" /><ref name="meet keli carender">{{cite web|url=http://taxdayteaparty.com/2009/03/meet-keli-carender-tea-party-organizer-in-seattle-washington/|title=Meet Keli Carender, Tea Party organizer in Seattle, Washington|date=March 15, 2009|publisher=TaxDayTeaParty.com|accessdate=September 7, 2011|archivedate=April 30, 2009|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090430202009/http://taxdayteaparty.com/2009/03/meet-keli-carender-tea-party-organizer-in-seattle-washington/}}</ref>

Charles Homans of '']'' said that the Tea Party arose in response to the "unpopularity of the George W. Bush administration", which caused "a moment of crisis for the Republican Party."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Homans |first1=Charles |last2=Peterson |first2=Mark |date=2022-07-19 |title=How 'Stop the Steal' Captured the American Right |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/magazine/stop-the-steal.html |access-date=2022-07-19 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Early local protest events===
On January 24, 2009, Trevor Leach, chairman of the ] in New York State, organized the ] Tea Party, to protest ] proposed by New York Governor ] and call for fiscal responsibility on the part of the government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moyet |first1=William |title=Tax critics speak out at 'Binghamton Tea Party' |url=https://pressconnects.newspapers.com/image/259342381/ |access-date=August 17, 2018 |work=] |date=January 25, 2009}}</ref> The protestors emptied bottles of soda into the ], and several of them wore Native American headdresses, similar to the band of 18th century colonists who dumped tea in Boston Harbor to express outrage about British taxes.<ref>St. Clair, Neil (January 24, 2009). . ]. Retrieved December 14, 2015 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017090146/http://centralny.ynn.com/content/132356/a--tea-party--to-protest-paterson-s-taxes/ |date=October 17, 2013 }}</ref>


Some of the protests were partially in response to several federal laws: the Bush administration's ],<ref name="post gazette">{{Cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09067/954066-454.stm |title=Harrisburg Tea Party protests ongoing bailout |last=Barnes |first=Tom |date=March 8, 2009 |work=Local/State |publisher=Post-Gazette.com |access-date=April 9, 2010}}</ref> and the Obama administration's economic stimulus package the ]<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |first=Jeff |last=Seleny |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/politics/13protestweb.html |title=Thousands Rally in Capital to Protest Big Government |access-date=September 28, 2009 |date=September 12, 2009 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> and ].<ref name="tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com">{{cite web |first=Evan |last=McMorris-Santoro |url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/the-town-hall-dog-that-didnt-bite.php |title=The Town Hall Dog That Didn't Bite |work=] |date=April 5, 2010 |access-date=April 19, 2015}}</ref>
Contacted by Carender, ] promoted the event on his blog four days before the protest<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcunation.com/profiles/blogs/mon-216-seattle-protest|work=TCUnation.com|first=Steve|last=Beren|date=February 12, 2009|title=Mon 2/16 – Seattle protest against Obama stimulus plan!|accessdate=September 10, 2011}}</ref> and agreed to be a speaker at the rally.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carender|first=Keri|url=http://redistributingknowledge.blogspot.com/2009/02/protest-update.html|title=Protest Update – New!|work=Redistributing Knowledge|date=February 12, 2009|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Carender also contacted ] author and ] contributor ], and asked her to publicize the rally on her blog, which Malkin did the day before the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/15/taxpayer-revolt-porkulus-protest-in-seattle/|title=Taxpayer revolt: Porkulus protest in Seattle, Obama to sign theft act in Denver|date=February 15, 2009|first=Michelle|last=Malkin|authorlink=Michelle Malkin|publisher=MichelleMalkin.com|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref> The following day, the Colorado branch of ] held a protest at the ] Capitol, also promoted by Malkin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/16/from-the-boston-tea-party-to-your-neighborhood-pork-protest/|title=From the Boston Tea Party to your neighborhood pork protest|date=February 16, 2009|first=Michelle|last=Malkin|authorlink=Michelle Malkin|publisher=MichelleMalkin.com|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Carender held a second protest on February 27, 2009, reporting "We more than doubled our attendance at this one."<ref name="Zernike" />


''New York Times'' journalist ] reported that leaders within the Tea Party credit ] blogger and conservative activist ] with organizing the first Tea Party in February 2009, although the term "Tea Party" was not used.<ref name="Zernike">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/us/politics/28keli.html|title=Unlikely Activist Who Got to the Tea Party Early |first=Kate|last=Zernike|date=February 27, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=September 7, 2011|quote=But leaders of the Tea Party movement credit her with being the first}}</ref> Other articles, written by Chris Good of '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/02/is-palins-tea-party-speech-a-mistake-tea-partiers-have-mixed-opinions/35360/|title=Is Palin's Tea Party Speech A Mistake? Tea Partiers Have Mixed Opinions|first=Chris|last=Good|date=February 4, 2010|work=The Atlantic|access-date=April 25, 2010|quote=Keli Carender, 30, of Seattle, who is credited with hosting one of the first ever Tea Party protests in February 2009, before the movement really got started.}}</ref> and ]'s Martin Kaste,<ref name="Kaste">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123229743 |title=Tea Party Star Leads Movement On Her Own Terms |first=Martin |last=Kaste |date=February 2, 2010 |publisher=National Public Radio |access-date=April 25, 2010 |quote=Keli Carender&nbsp;... organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests—before they were even called Tea Party protests}}</ref> credit Carender as "one of the first" Tea Party organizers and state that she "organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests".
According to pollster ], the bailouts of banks by the ] and ] administrations triggered the Tea Party's rise. The interviewer{{clarify|date=September 2011}} added that the movement's anger centers on two issues, quoting Rasmussen as saying, "They think federal spending, deficits and taxes are too high, and they think no one in Washington is listening to them, and that latter point is really, really important."<ref>Dan Weil, , Newsmax.com, September 18, 2010</ref>


Carender first organized what she called a "Porkulus Protest" in ] on ], February 16, the day before President ] signed the ] into law.<ref name="Seattleprotest_KIROtv">{{cite news|publisher=] |location=Seattle |url=http://www.kirotv.com/video/18727718/index.html |title=Video: Dozens Gather At 'Porkulus' Protest |date=February 16, 2009 |format=Video |access-date=March 29, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425205726/http://www.kirotv.com/video/18727718/index.html |archive-date=April 25, 2009 }}</ref> Carender said she did it without support from outside groups or city officials. "I just got fed up and planned it." Carender said 120 people participated. "Which is amazing for the ] of blue cities I live in, and on only four days notice! This was due to me spending the entire four days calling and emailing every person, think tank, policy center, university professors (that were sympathetic), etc. in town, and not stopping until the day came."<ref name="Zernike" /><ref name="meet keli carender">{{cite web|url=http://taxdayteaparty.com/2009/03/meet-keli-carender-tea-party-organizer-in-seattle-washington/|title=Meet Keli Carender, Tea Party organizer in Seattle, Washington|date=March 15, 2009|publisher=TaxDayTeaParty.com|access-date=September 7, 2011|archive-date=April 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430202009/http://taxdayteaparty.com/2009/03/meet-keli-carender-tea-party-organizer-in-seattle-washington/}}</ref>
===First national protests===
]
On February 19, 2009,<ref name = McGrath>{{cite news |title=The Movement: The Rise of Tea Party Activism |first=Ben |last= McGrath |magazine=The New Yorker |date=February 1, 2010 |accessdate=March 30, 2010 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/02/01/100201fa_fact_mcgrath?currentPage=all}}</ref> in a broadcast from the floor of the ], ] Business News editor ] criticized the ], which had just been announced the day before. He said that those plans were "promoting bad behavior"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/15/politics/main4946264.shtml|title=Tax Day Brings Out "Tea Party" Protesters Protests Planned Across Country Against Government Taxation And Spending As Some Question Whether Movement Has Been Co-Opted |first=Brian |last=Montopoli |publisher=CBS News |date=April 15, 2009 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref> by "subsidizing losers' mortgages". He suggested holding a tea party for traders to gather and dump the derivatives in the ] on July 1.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283701/Rick_Santelli_s_Shout_Heard_Round_the_World |title=Rick Santelli's Shout Heard Round the World |date=February 22, 2009 |publisher=CNBC.com |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="cnbc">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnbc.com/id/29471026 |title=Rick Santelli: I Want to Set the Record Straight |first=Rick |last=Santelli |date=March 2, 2009 |publisher=CNBC.com |accessdate=April 23, 2009}}</ref><ref name="chicagotribune2">{{cite news |date=February 23, 2009 |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-02-23/news/0902220319_1_rant-mr-santelli-jim-cramer |title=Rant raises profile of CNBC on-air personality Rick Santelli |first=Phil |last=Rosenthal |work=Chicago Tribune |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref> A number of the floor traders around him cheered on his proposal, to the amusement of the hosts in the studio. Santelli's "rant" became a ] after being featured on the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Rant by CNBC's Rick Santelli puts pundit at odds with Obama administration |first=Phil |last=Rosenthal |work=Chicago Tribune |date=February 22, 2009 |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-tea-party-ads-20100919,0,5669482.story}}</ref>


Contacted by Carender, ] promoted the event on his blog four days before the protest<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcunation.com/profiles/blogs/mon-216-seattle-protest|work=TCUnation.com|first=Steve|last=Beren|date=February 12, 2009|title=Seattle protest against Obama stimulus plan!|access-date=September 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322120312/http://www.tcunation.com/profiles/blogs/mon-216-seattle-protest|archive-date=March 22, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and agreed to be a speaker at the rally.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carender|first=Keri|url=http://redistributingknowledge.blogspot.com/2009/02/protest-update.html|title=Protest Update |work=Redistributing Knowledge|date=February 12, 2009|access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Carender also contacted ] author and ] contributor ], and asked her to publicize the rally on her blog, which Malkin did the day before the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/15/taxpayer-revolt-porkulus-protest-in-seattle/|title=Taxpayer revolt: Porkulus protest in Seattle, Obama to sign theft act in Denver|date=February 15, 2009|first=Michelle|last=Malkin|author-link=Michelle Malkin|publisher=MichelleMalkin.com|access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> The following day, the Colorado branch of ] held a protest at the ] Capitol, also promoted by Malkin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/16/from-the-boston-tea-party-to-your-neighborhood-pork-protest/|title=From the Boston Tea Party to your neighborhood pork protest|date=February 16, 2009|first=Michelle|last=Malkin|author-link=Michelle Malkin|publisher=MichelleMalkin.com|access-date=September 11, 2011}}</ref> Carender held a second protest on February 27, 2009, reporting "We more than doubled our attendance at this one."<ref name="Zernike" />
Overnight, websites such as ChicagoTeaParty.com (registered in August 2008 by Chicagoan Zack Christenson, radio producer for conservative talk show host ],) were live within 12 hours.<ref name="cbs">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/04/opinion/main4843055.shtml |title=Opposition To The Foreclosure Bailout Rises |first= Jonathan V. |last=Last |publisher=] (reprinted by CBS News.com) |date=March 4, 2009 |accessdate=April 25, 2010}}</ref> About 10 hours after Santelli's remarks, reTeaParty.com was bought to coordinate Tea Parties scheduled for ] and, as of March 4, was reported to be receiving 11,000 visitors a day.<ref name="cbs"/>


===First national protests and birth of national movement===
According to '']'' writer Ben McGrath<ref name = McGrath/> and ''New York Times'' reporter Kate Zernike,<ref name="Zernike"/> this is where the movement was first inspired to coalesce under the collective banner of "Tea Party". By the next day, guests on Fox News had already begun to mention this new "Tea Party".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/21911279/worst-case-scenario-no-3.htm |title=Worst Case Scenario No. 3 |date=February 20, 2009 |publisher=Fox News |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
] in April 2009]]
On February 18, 2009, the one-month old Obama administration announced the ], an economic recovery plan to help home owners avoid foreclosure by refinancing mortgages in the wake of the ]. The next day, ] business news editor ] criticized the Plan in a live broadcast from the floor of the ]. He said that those plans were "promoting bad behavior" by "subsidizing losers' mortgages". He suggested holding a tea party for traders to gather and dump the derivatives in the ] on July 1. "President Obama, are you listening?" he asked.<ref name = McGrath>{{cite news |title=The Movement: The Rise of Tea Party Activism |first=Ben |last= McGrath |magazine=The New Yorker |date=February 1, 2010 |access-date=March 30, 2010 |url=https://newyorker.com/reporting/2010/02/01/100201fa_fact_mcgrath?currentPage=all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/15/politics/main4946264.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418151802/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/15/politics/main4946264.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2009|title=Tax Day Brings Out "Tea Party" Protesters Protests Planned Across Country Against Government Taxation And Spending As Some Question Whether Movement Has Been Co-Opted |first=Brian |last=Montopoli |publisher=CBS News |date=April 15, 2009 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2009/02/22/rick-santellis-shout-heard-round-the-world.html |title=Rick Santelli's Shout Heard Round the World |date=February 22, 2009 |publisher=] |access-date=April 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610220925/http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283701/Rick_Santelli_s_Shout_Heard_Round_the_World |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cnbc">{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2009/03/02/rick-santelli-i-want-to-set-the-record-straight.html |title=Rick Santelli: I Want to Set the Record Straight |first=Rick |last=Santelli |date=March 2, 2009 |publisher=] |access-date=April 23, 2009}}</ref><ref name="chicagotribune2">{{cite news |date=February 23, 2009 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2009/02/23/rant-goes-viral-raising-profile-of-cnbcs-rick-santelli/ |title=Rant raises profile of CNBC on-air personality Rick Santelli |first=Phil |last=Rosenthal |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref> A number of the floor traders around him cheered on his proposal, to the amusement of the hosts in the studio. Santelli's "rant" became a ] after being featured on the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Rant by CNBC's Rick Santelli puts pundit at odds with Obama administration |first=Phil |last=Rosenthal |work=Chicago Tribune |date=February 22, 2009 |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-tea-party-ads-20100919,0,5669482.story |access-date=October 23, 2010 |archive-date=October 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022003311/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-tea-party-ads-20100919,0,5669482.story |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Beth McGrath of '']'' and Kate Zernike of '']'' report that this where the Tea Party movement was first inspired to coalesce under the collective banner of "Tea Party".<ref name="Zernike"/><ref name = McGrath/> Santelli's remarks "set the fuse to the modern anti-Obama Tea Party movement," according to journalist ].<ref name="themachine">{{Cite book |title=The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right |last=Fang |first=Lee |page= |date=2013 |isbn=978-1595586391 |publisher=] |url=https://archive.org/details/machinefieldguid0000fang/page/27 }}</ref> About 10 hours after Santelli's remarks, reTeaParty.com was bought to coordinate Tea Parties scheduled for ] and, as of March 4, was reported to be receiving 11,000 visitors a day.<ref name="cbs"/> Within hours, the conservative ] ] registered the ] "TaxDayTeaParty.com", and launched a website calling for protests against Obama.<ref name="themachine"/> Overnight, websites such as "ChicagoTeaParty.com" (registered in August 2008 by Chicagoan Zack Christenson, radio producer for conservative talk show host ]) were live within 12 hours.<ref name="cbs">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/04/opinion/main4843055.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305145012/http://www.cbsnews.com//stories//2009//03//04//opinion//main4843055.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 5, 2009 |title=Opposition To The Foreclosure Bailout Rises |first= Jonathan V. |last=Last |publisher=] (reprinted by CBS News.com) |date=March 4, 2009 |access-date=April 25, 2010}}</ref> By the next day, guests on Fox News had already begun to mention this new "Tea Party".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/21911279/worst-case-scenario-no-3.htm |title=Worst Case Scenario No. 3 |date=February 20, 2009 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref> As reported by '']'', a ] page was developed on February 20 calling for Tea Party protests across the country.<ref name="huffingtonpost.com">{{cite news |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/a-teabagger-timeline-koch_b_187312.html |title=A Teabagger Timeline: Koch, Coors, Newt, Dick Armey There From The Start |last=Hamsher |first=Jane |work=Huffington Post |date=April 15, 2009 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
As reported by '']'', a Facebook page was developed on February 20 calling for Tea Party protests across the country.<ref name="huffingtonpost.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/a-teabagger-timeline-koch_b_187312.html |title=A Teabagger Timeline: Koch, Coors, Newt, Dick Armey There From The Start |last=Hamsher |first=Jane |work=Huffington Post |date=April 15, 2009 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref> Soon, the "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" protest was coordinated across over 40 different cities for February 27, 2009, thus establishing the first national modern Tea Party protest.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/09/modern-day-tea-parties-taxpayers-chance-scream-better-representation/|title=Modern-Day Tea Parties Give Taxpayers Chance to Scream for Better Representation |last=Berger |first=Judson |date=April 9, 2009 |publisher=Fox News |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Roesgen |first=Andy |url=http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/TeaParty |title=Protestors Gather for Self-Styled Tea Party |publisher=myFoxChicago.com |date=February 27, 2009 |accessdate=February 27, 2009}}{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref> The movement has been supported nationally by at least 12 prominent individuals and their associated organizations.<ref name=leaderstowatch>, ''National Journal'', February 4, 2010</ref>


Fox News called many of the protests in 2009 "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties" which it promoted on air and sent speakers to.<ref> hosted on ]</ref><ref>, ]</ref> This was to include then-host Glenn Beck, though Fox came to discourage him from attending later events.<ref>] By ], </ref> A "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" protest was coordinated across more than 40 different cities for February 27, 2009, establishing the first national modern Tea Party protest.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/modern-day-tea-parties-give-taxpayers-chance-to-scream-for-better-representation/|title=Modern-Day Tea Parties Give Taxpayers Chance to Scream for Better Representation |last=Berger |first=Judson |date=April 9, 2009 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Roesgen |first=Andy |url=http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/TeaParty |title=Protestors Gather for Self-Styled Tea Party |publisher=myFoxChicago.com |date=February 27, 2009 |access-date=February 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302043443/http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/TeaParty |archive-date=March 2, 2009 }}</ref> The movement has been supported nationally by at least 12 prominent individuals and their associated organizations.<ref name=leaderstowatch> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521014750/http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20100204_7827.php |date=May 21, 2013 }}, ''National Journal'', February 4, 2010</ref> Fox News called many of the protests in 2009 "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties" which it promoted on air and sent speakers to.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200904060023|title=Beck says you can "celebrate with Fox News" at any of four "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties"|work=Media Matters for America|access-date=September 9, 2011|archive-date=August 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817171559/http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200904060023|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/16/online-efforts-boost-tax-day-tea-parties/?page=2|title=Online efforts boost Tax Day 'tea parties' |work=The Washington Times}}</ref> This was to include then-host Glenn Beck, though Fox came to discourage him from attending later events.<ref>] By ], </ref>


===Health care bill=== ===Health care bill===
{{see also|Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act}}
{{expand section|date=August 2012}}
Opposition to the ] has been consistent within the Tea Party movement.<ref name = tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/><ref>{{cite web|last=Davis |first=Teddy |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-activists-unveil-contract-america/story?id=10376437&page=2 |title=Tea Party Activists Unveil 'Contract from America' |publisher=ABC News |date=April 15, 2010 |accessdate=September 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>.</ref> Opposition to the ] (PPACA) has been consistent within the Tea Party movement.<ref name = tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/> The scheme has often been referred to as 'Obamacare' by critics, but was soon adopted as well by many of its advocates, including President Obama. This has been an aspect of an overall ] message throughout Tea Party ] that includes opposition to ] measures and to federal spending increases.<ref name=star/>


Activism by Tea Party people against the major health-care reform law from 2009 to 2014 has, according to the '']'', focused on pushing for Congressional victories so that a repeal measure would pass both houses and that President Obama's ] could be overridden. Some conservative public officials and commentators such as columnist ] have criticized these views as completely unrealistic with the chances of overriding a ] being slim, with Ponnuru stating that "If you have in 2017 a Republican government... and it doesn't get rid of Obamacare, then I think that is a huge political disaster".<ref name=star>{{cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/2014/05/17/5030315/tea-party-is-losing-battles-but.html|newspaper=]|access-date=May 18, 2014|title=Tea party says it is winning the message war despite losing election battles|first=Dave|last=Helling|date=May 17, 2014|archive-date=May 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521002802/http://www.kansascity.com/2014/05/17/5030315/tea-party-is-losing-battles-but.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===2010 election===
]
{{main|List of Tea Party politicians}}
In 2010, Tea Party-endorsed candidates upset established Republicans in several primaries, such as Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Nevada, New York, South Carolina, and Utah, giving a new momentum to the conservative cause in the 2010 elections. In the 2010 midterm elections, ''The New York Times'' identified 138 candidates for Congress with significant Tea Party support, and reported that all of them were running as Republicans—of whom 129 were running for the ] and 9 for the ].<ref>Kate Zernike, ''The New York Times'', October 14, 2010</ref> The ''Wall Street Journal''–NBC News poll in mid October showed 35% of likely voters were Tea-party supporters, and they favored the Republicans by 84% to 10%.<ref>Jonathan Weisman, ''Wall Street Journal, October 20, 2010</ref>


===U.S. elections===
However, some question the effectiveness of the Tea Party to endorse candidates; according to Alexandra Moe, only 32% of the candidates that were backed by the Tea Party, or were on a ballot line with a "Tea Party" name, won the election. Especially the Tea-party backed Senate Republican nominees for: ], ] and ], who had all defeated "establishment" Republicans that were expected to win the Senate races. The three Senate nominees were seen by many in America and the media as either amateurs or too far-out there to be electable as their positions on certain aspects were viewed as extreme.<ref>{{cite web|author=E. Thomas McClanahan |url=http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/09/01/4208642/commentary-todd-akin-answered.html |title=Commentary: Todd Akin answered Claire McCakill's prayers &#124; Guest columns &#124; Fort Worth, Arling |publisher=Star-telegram.com |date=September 1, 2012 |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>"", MSNBC.</ref>
{{main|Tea Party in U.S. elections}}
{{see also|Mama grizzly}}
], Republican in Congress from Minnesota, 2007 to 2015]]
], Republican U.S. senator from South Carolina since 2013]]
Aside from rallies, some groups affiliated with the Tea Party movement began to focus on getting out the vote and ground game efforts on behalf of candidates supportive of their agenda starting in the 2010 elections.


In the 2010 midterm elections, ''The New York Times'' identified 138 candidates for Congress with significant Tea Party support, and reported that all of them were running as Republicans—of whom 129 were running for the ] and 9 for the ].<ref>{{cite news | last = Zernike | first = Kate | title = Tea Party Set to Win Enough Races for Wide Influence | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/us/politics/15teaparty.html?_r=1&hp | work = ] | date = October 14, 2010 }}</ref> A poll by '']'' and ] in mid October showed 35% of likely voters were Tea-party supporters, and they favored the Republicans by 84% to 10%.<ref>{{cite news | last = Weisman | first = Jonathan | title = GOP in Lead in Final Lap | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303550904575562493014465942 | work = ] | date = October 20, 2010 }}</ref> The first Tea Party affiliated candidate to be elected into office is believed to be Dean Murray, a ] businessman, who won a special election for a New York State Assembly seat in February 2010.<ref name=Murray>{{Cite news | last = Andrew | first = Malcolm |title =Dean Murray, first elected Tea Party activist, joins N.Y. Legislature Monday |work=] |date =February 18, 2010 |url =http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/02/tea-party.html |access-date =July 11, 2010 }}</ref>
* On January 19, 2010, Republican ] was elected as the U.S. senator from ] in the special election held after ]'s death. The election was notable in that Massachusetts is normally a solidly pro-Democratic state. Brown received Tea Party support.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0119/Scott-Brown-the-tea-party-s-first-electoral-victory |publisher=CSMonitor.com |title=Scott Brown: the tea party's first electoral victory |first=Scott S. |last= Powell |date=January 19, 2010 |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref>
* Dean Murray, a ] businessman, won a special election for a New York State Assembly seat. He is believed to be the first Tea Party activist to be elected into office.<ref>{{Cite news |last =Malcolm |first =Andrew |title =Dean Murray, first elected Tea Party activist, joins N.Y. Legislature Monday |work=Los Angeles Times |date =February 18, 2010 |url =http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/02/tea-party.html |accessdate =July 11, 2010 }}</ref>
* In ] attorney ] defeated establishment Republican U.S. Senator ] (R-]) in the GOP senate primary on May 8, 2010. Lee's win is seen as a victory for the Tea Party Movement, whose supporters were against Bennett's return.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/us/politics/09utah.html?scp=2&sq=Bob%20Bennett&st=cse | work=The New York Times | title=Utah Delegates Oust Three-Term G.O.P. Senator From Race | first=Kirk | last=Johnson | date=May 8, 2010 | accessdate=May 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>Burr, Thomas (May 11, 2010). . ''The Salt Lake Tribune''. Retrieved September 7, 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/08/sen-bennett-faces-conservative-test-utah/ |title=Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett Ousted in Re-Election Bid |publisher=Fox News |date=April 7, 2010 |accessdate=July 27, 2010}}</ref>
* ], who gave a speech at the first tea party event held in December 2007 and who subsequently endorsed by other Tea Party groups, won the ] GOP Senate primary in ]. Paul, the son of Republican Congressman ] of Texas, comfortably beat Republican establishment favorite ] with 60% of the vote, and subsequently won in the November general election.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/03/us-midterm-election-results-tea-party | location=London | work=The Guardian | first1=Paul | last1=Harris | first2=Ewen | last2=MacAskill | title=US midterm election results herald new political era as Republicans take House | date=November 3, 2010}}</ref> He was quoted saying, "The Tea Party Movement is about saving our country from a mountain of debt."<ref>{{cite web |author=Kylibertynow's Blog says: |url=http://www.zimvi.com/?p=4489 |title=Super Tuesday Results: Tea Party's Rand Paul (The son of Ron Paul) wins Republican primary in Kentucky while Senator Specter Loses against Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania |publisher=Zimvi.com |date=May 19, 2010 |accessdate=July 27, 2010}}</ref>
* In the ] first Congressional District GOP Primary, Tea Party favorite ], defeated two establishment Republicans with long family histories in Republican politics: Paul Thurmond, son of the former South Carolina ] ].<ref>Radnofsky, Louise , '']'', June 9, 2010.</ref> and Carroll Campbell, son of former South Carolina Governor ] Scott has spent one term in the South Carolina House, where the businessman became the first African American GOP representative in more than 100 years.<ref> ABC News, June 8, 2010</ref><ref>Weigel, David , '']'', June 9, 2010.</ref><ref> ''The New York Times'', June 25, 2010</ref><ref> The Root, June 22, 2010</ref><ref> ''The Daily Caller'', July 27, 2010</ref>
* ], a 38-year-old ] state representative, beat out three prominent Republican rivals in the ] primary race for governor, capturing 49% of the vote. She defeated the second-place finisher, U.S. Representative ], in a ] on June 22.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/us/politics/10haley.html | work=The New York Times | title=S.C. Candidate Challenges Status Quo | first=Robbie | last=Brown | date=June 9, 2010}}</ref><ref> MSNBC, June 23, 2010</ref>
* In California, ], who had Tea Party backing, lost the GOP senate primary to ], who had backing from Sarah Palin.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/09/2010-06-09_sarah_palins_helps_haley_and_fiorina_score_big_in_primaries_.html#ixzz0qOhKeBLH |title=GOP primaries: Sarah Palin helps South Carolina's Nikki Haley and Calif.'s Carly Fiorina win big |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=June 9, 2010 |accessdate=July 27, 2010 | first=Joe | last=Tacopino}}</ref> But she lost on November 2, 2010, to Boxer.<ref>{{cite news |author=McKinley, Jesse |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/us/politics/03calif.html |title=In California, Boxer Wins Senate Race, and Brown Is Leading for Governor |date=November 3, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=November 3, 2010}}</ref>
* In ], ] won the U.S. Senate Republican primary race, defeating the GOP favorite, ], the one-time front runner.<ref>. Fox News; June 9, 2010.</ref> Angle was defeated by ] ] ].<ref name="news.yahoo.com">{{cite web|last=Rose |first=Rachel |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101103/el_yblog_upshot/tea-party-offers-gop-a-mixed-bag |title=Tea Party offers GOP a mixed bag |publisher=News.yahoo.com |date=November 3, 2010 |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref>
* In ], attorney ] defeated current U.S. Senator ], in the GOP primary race on August 24, 2010. Murkowski had been appointed to the seat by her father, Alaska Governor ], who had held the Senate seat for 30 years prior to becoming governor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://politics.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/09/08/tea-party-movement-buoyed-by-joe-millers-win-in-alaska.html |title=Tea Party Movement Buoyed by Joe Miller's Win in Alaska|work=US News and World Report |date=September 8, 2010 |accessdate=September 9, 2010}}</ref> Murkowski remained in the election as a write-in candidate, eventually beating Miller in the general election.<ref>{{cite news |last = Brusk |first = Steve |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/27/alaska.senate.race/index.html?iref=storysearch |title=Miller won't contest Murkowski certification; pursues federal suit |publisher=CNN |date = December 27, 2010}}</ref>
* In ], Tea Party-backed candidate ] defeated veteran Representative ] in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.<ref>Karen Tumulty. ''The Washington Post''; September 16, 2010</ref><ref>. '']''; April 15, 2010.</ref> Her victory was a surprising upset and was seen as a sign of Tea Party movement strength, even though Castle was the Republican expected to easily win the seat, whilst O'Donnell was not.<ref name="upsets castle">{{cite news | last = Cameron | first = Carl | url = http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/14/hours-polls-close-gloves-come-delaware/ | title = Tea Party-Backed O'Donnell Upsets Castle in Delaware GOP Race | publisher=Fox News | date = September 15, 2010| accessdate =September 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Chase2010-09-15">{{Cite news | url = http://www.timesonline.com/bct_news/news_details/article/1521/2010/september/12/odonnell-earns-degree-21-years-later-1.html | title = O'Donnell in spotlight after Del. primary victory | last = Chase | first = Randall | date = September 15, 2010 | agency=Associated Press | publisher=The Beaver County Times | accessdate =September 18, 2010 | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5splk5nT1 | archivedate =September 18, 2010 }}</ref> O'Donnell lost the election.<ref name="news.yahoo.com"/>
* In New York, Tea Party-backed candidate ] defeated former Representative ] in the Republican primary for governor;<ref>. '']'' (New York). September 20, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.</ref><ref>, '']'', September 12, 2010</ref> in the November election he was defeated by Democrat candidate ].
* In Florida, tea party favorite ] defeated Independent and sitting governor ] for the U.S. Senate seat.<ref name="MarcoRubio"> ''The Washington Post'', November 4, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011.</ref>
* In ], tea party favorite ] won the GOP Senate primary, defeating Republican establishment candidate ], which caused controversy especially over Buck's stance on abortion.<ref name=BuckNorton> '']'', August 11, 2010</ref><ref> Politics Daily, August 10, 2010</ref> In the November general election, Buck was defeated by Senator Michael Bennet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=10582 |title=Bennet beats Buck. Narrow U.S. Senate race comes down to just around 15,000 votes |publisher=Thedenverdailynews.com |date=November 4, 2010 |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref>


According to statistics on an NBC blog, overall, 32% of the candidates that were backed by the Tea Party or identified themselves as Tea Party participants won election in 2010. Tea Party supported candidates won 5 of 10 Senate races (50%) contested, and 40 of 130 House races (31%) contested.<ref>{{cite news | last = Moe | first = Alexandra |title=Just 32% of Tea Party candidates win |url= http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2010/11/03/5403120-just-32-of-tea-party-candidates-win |work = ] (first read) |date=November 3, 2010 |access-date=April 29, 2013}}</ref> In the primaries for ], ] and ] the Tea-party backed Senate Republican nominees defeated "establishment" Republicans that had been expected to win their respective Senate races, but went on to lose in the general election to their Democratic opponents.<ref>{{cite book | last = Jacobson | first = Gary C. | title = Barack Obama, the Tea Party, and the 2010 Midterm Elections | url = https://ay12-14.moodle.wisc.edu/prod/pluginfile.php/252087/mod_resource/content/1/Jacobson%202010%20Midterms.pdf | publisher = University of California | location = San Diego | page = 3 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The movement played a major role in the ]<ref name="auto4"/><ref name="auto3"/> in which Republicans gained 63 House seats<ref name="auto5"/> and took control of the U.S. House of Representatives.<ref name="auto2"/>
Allegations of Democratic candidates planting "fake" Tea Party candidates have surfaced in Florida,<ref name="florida-democratic-front">{{Cite news |first=Muriel |last=Kane |url=http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/06/republicans-claim-florida-tea-party-democratic-front |title=Republicans claim 'Florida Tea Party' is a Democratic front |accessdate=October 11, 2010 |date=June 8, 2010 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref name="Tea-Party-Fakers">{{Cite news |first=Evan |last=McMorris-Santoro |url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/tea-party-fakers-dems-blamed-for-coopting-tea-party-label.php |title=Tea Party Fakers? Dems Blamed For Co-Opting 'Tea Party' Label To Split Conservative Vote |accessdate=October 11, 2010 |date=September 27, 2010 |publisher=]}}</ref> ],<ref name="Tea-Party-Fakers" /><ref name="michigan-democratic-link">{{Cite news |first=Leonard |last=Fleming |url=http://detnews.com/article/20100902/POLITICS02/9020422/Tea-Party-candidates-deny-Democratic-link |title=Tea Party Candidates deny Democratic link |accessdate=October 11, 2010 |date=September 2, 2010 |publisher=]}}</ref> ],<ref name="Tea-Party-Fakers" /><ref name="New-Jersey-democratic-plant">{{cite news |first=Geoff |last=Mulvihill |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101008/ap_on_el_ho/us_plant_candidate |title=Dems Planted NJ Tea-Party House Candidate|accessdate=October 11, 2010 |date=October 8, 2010 |agency=Associated Press}}{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref> and ].<ref name="Tea-Party-Fakers" /><ref name="pennsylvania-democratic-Jim-Schneller">{{Cite news |first=Joelle |last=Farrell |url=http://articles.philly.com/2010-08-05/news/24973290_1_signatures-campaign-worker-campaign-manager |title=Pennsylvania tea-party activists, GOP, and Democrats distance themselves from Jim Schneller |accessdate=October 11, 2010 |date=August 5, 2010 |newspaper=]}}</ref>


The Tea Party is generally associated with the ].<ref>{{cite news | last = Newport | first = Frank | title = Tea Party Supporters Overlap Republican Base| url = http://www.gallup.com/poll/141098/tea-party-supporters-overlap-republican-base.aspx | work = ] | date = July 2, 2010 | access-date = June 6, 2014 }}</ref> Most politicians with the "Tea Party brand" have run as Republicans. In recent elections in the 2010s, Republican primaries have been the site of competitions between the more conservative, Tea Party wing of the party and the more moderate, establishment wing of the party. The Tea Party has incorporated various conservative internal factions of the Republican Party to become a major force within the party.<ref>{{cite web | last = Abramowitz | first =Alan I. | author-link = Alan Abramowitz | title = The Republican establishment versus The Tea Party | url = http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/not-their-cup-of-tea-the-republican-establishment-versus-the-tea-party | publisher = ] | date = November 14, 2013 | access-date = June 6, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Tam Cho | first1 = Wendy K. | last2 = Gimpel | first2 = James G. | last3 = Shaw | first3 = Daron R. | title = The Tea Party Movement and the geography of collective action | journal = ] | volume = 7 | issue = 2 | pages = 105–133 | doi = 10.1561/100.00011051 | date = April 2012 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.471.251 }}</ref>
===2012 election===
]
]
{{main|List of Tea Party politicians}}
* In February 2011, the Tea Party Patriots organized and hosted the American Policy Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. The 1,600 attendees were polled regarding their preference for a 2012 presidential candidate. ], the first of the 2012 candidates to form a presidential exploratory committee, won the poll with 22%. Runners up were Tim Pawlenty (16%), Ron Paul (15%) and Sarah Palin (10%). Ron Paul won the Summit's online poll.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Herman Cain wins Tea Party presidential live straw poll at Phoenix summit |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/27/herman-cain-wins-tea-party-presidential-live-straw-poll-at-phoenix-summit/ |date=February 27, 2011 |first=Shannon |last=Travis |work=political ticker&nbsp;... |publisher=CNN |separator=, |accessdate=March 15, 2011}}</ref>


Tea Party candidates were less successful in the 2012 election, winning four of 16 Senate races contested, and losing approximately 20% of the seats in the House that had been gained in 2010. Tea Party Caucus founder Michele Bachmann was re-elected to the House by a narrow margin.<ref>See:
* In September 2011, CNN and Tea Party Express co-hosted a Republican primary debate among presidential candidates which featured questions from various Tea Party groups.<ref>{{cite news|title=Republicans jab at Perry during 'tea party' debate; The front-runner comes under fire in the most contentious GOP forum to date|last=West|first=Paul|work=Los Angeles Times|date=Sep 13, 2011|page=1|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gop-debate-20110913,0,6420298.story}}</ref>
* {{cite news | last = Gray | first = Ian |url= https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/tea-party-election-results_n_2084506.html |title=Tea Party Election Results: Conservative Movement Of 2010 Takes Pounding In 2012 |work= ] |date= November 7, 2012 |access-date=April 29, 2013}}
* {{cite news | last = Hartfield | first = Elizabeth |url= https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/tea-party-candidates-losing-steam-in-2012/ |title=Tea Party Candidates Losing Steam in 2012 |publisher= ABC |work=] |date=June 27, 2012 |access-date=April 29, 2013}}
* {{cite news | last = Dwoskin | first = Elizabeth |url= http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-07/has-the-tea-party-lost-its-mojo |title=Has the Tea Party Lost Its Mojo? |work= ] |date= November 7, 2012 |access-date=April 29, 2013}}
* {{cite news |url= http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/30/1174753/-What-Happened-to-The-Tea-Party-in-the-2012-Election | title= What Happened to The Tea Party in the 2012 Election? |last=Dbug |work= ] |date= December 29, 2012 |access-date= June 1, 2013}}</ref>


A May 2014 '']'' article remarked about the Tea Party movement post-2012, "Tea party candidates are often inexperienced and sometimes underfunded. More traditional Republicans—hungry for a win—are emphasizing electability over philosophy, particularly after high-profile losses in 2012. Some in the GOP have made that strategy explicit."<ref name=star/>
* In March 2012, Incumbent Rep. ] was defeated in the primary for ] by tea-party backed ], an Iraq Veteran and podiatrist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/House/2012/Primary/OH |title=2012 Election Results Map by State - Live Voting Updates |publisher=Politico.Com |date= |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref> Wenstrup went on to win the general election. <ref>Pittman, David. . MedPage Today. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.</ref>


In June 2014, Tea Party favorite ] unseated the sitting GOP ] ]. Brat had previously been known as an ] and a professor at ], running a grassroots conservative campaign that espoused greater fiscal restraint and his ]-based viewpoints.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/who-david-brat-look-economics-professor-who-toppled-eric-cantor-1598240|title=Who Is David Brat? A Look At The Economics Professor Who Toppled Eric Cantor|date=June 11, 2014|access-date=June 25, 2014|work=]|first=Thomas|last=Barrabi}}</ref> Brat has since won the seat by a comfortable margin until losing his reelection in 2018.
* Also in March 2012, tea-party backed Incumbent Rep. ] was defeated in the primary election for the new ] by first-term incumbent and former tea-party favourite Rep. ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=734301 |title=IL - District 16 - R Primary Race - Mar 20, 2012 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref>


In November 2014, ] became the first African-American member of the U.S. Senate from the South since the ], winning the ] seat formerly held by ] in a ].<ref name="SC elects">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/02/AR2010110207838.html|title=SC elects black GOP congressman; 1st since 2003|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 2, 2010|agency=The Associated Press|access-date=July 29, 2011}}</ref>
* In April 2012, Sen. ], seeking renomination, received less than 60% of the vote of the Utah state Republican convention, forcing a primary election.<ref>Johnson, Kirk. . ''The New York Times''. April 21, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.</ref> Hatch easily defeated the Tea Party candidate ] <ref> USA Today. June 27, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.</ref>


In the 2014 elections in ], the Tea Party made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected into office, including ] as ]<ref name="Holdssway">{{cite news | last=Fernandez | first=Manny | title=Lieutenant Governor Loses Texas Runoff as Tea Party Holds Sway | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/us/politics/tea-party-favorite-beats-lieutenant-governor-in-texas.html | date=May 27, 2014 | newspaper=The New York Times | access-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Koppel | first = Nathan | title = Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Moves Quickly to Advance Conservative Agenda | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-moves-quickly-to-advance-conservative-agenda-1421883867 | work = ] | date = January 21, 2015 | access-date = April 2, 2015 }}</ref> and ] as ],<ref name="Holdssway"/><ref name="Grissom">{{cite news | last = Grissom | first = Brandi | title = Tea Party Conservatives Win Top GOP Runoff Contests | url = http://www.texastribune.org/2014/05/28/tea-party-conservatives-win-top-gop-runoff-contest/ | work = ] | date = May 28, 2014 | access-date = April 2, 2015 }}</ref> in addition to numerous other candidates.<ref name="Grissom"/>
* In May 2012, tea party favorite ] defeated long-serving Sen. ] in the Indiana Senate GOP primary with a 20% margin of victory.<ref>Kane, Paul. . ''Washington Post''. May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.</ref> After making controversial comments about rape, Mourdock lost to Democratic challenger Rep. ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Fikac |first=Peggy |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/indiana-election-results-2012-pence-wins-race-for-governor-donnelly-beats-mourdock-in-senate-race-romney-wins-hoosier-state/2012/11/07/0a430bda-23a2-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_story.html|title=Indiana Election Results 2012: Donnelly beats Mourdock in Senate race; Pence wins governors race|publisher=Washington Post |date=November 7, 2012 |accessdate=November 7, 2012}}</ref>


In the ], ], a Tea Party favorite who challenged ] in the Republican primary in the ],<ref>{{cite news|last=Trinko|first=Katrina|title=Kentucky's Ted Cruz?|url=http://nationalreview.com/article/354652/kentuckys-ted-cruz-katrina-trinko|access-date=November 5, 2015|newspaper=National Review|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> won with over 52% of the vote, despite fears that he was too extreme for the state.<ref name="Sweat">{{cite news |last=Stolberg |first=Sheryl Gay |title=G.O.P. Eyes Kentucky Governorship, but Candidate Is Making the Party Sweat |date=October 30, 2015 |work=] | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/us/politics/gop-eyes-kentucky-governorship-but-candidate-is-making-the-party-sweat.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Sheryl Gay |last=Stolberg |title=Kentucky's Next Governor, Matt Bevin, Rode In on Outsider Status |date=November 4, 2015 |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/us/kentuckys-next-governormatt-bevin-rode-in-on-outsider-status.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Sheryl Gay |last1=Stolberg |first2=Alan |last2=Blinder |title=Matt Bevin, Republican, Wins Governor's Race in Kentucky |date=November 3, 2015 |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/04/us/republican-wins-governors-race-in-kentucky.html}}</ref> Bevin is the second Republican in 44 years to be ].<ref name="Sweat"/>
* With an endorsement from Sarah Palin and the help of the Tea Party, Nebraska's ] pulled off an upset victory in the 2012 Republican primary for the Senate.<ref>Investors. . ''Investors.com''. May 16, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.</ref> Her Republican opponents, Attorney General Jon Bruning, and state Treasurer Don Stenberg, each spent well in excess of $1 million, where as Fischer spent $100,000, augmented by twice that much in SuperPAC spending from Chicago Cubs part-owner Joe Ricketts. Fischer then defeated Democratic challenger former Sen. Bob Kerrey in a landslide in the November election. <ref>KerneyHub.com . KerneyHub.com. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.</ref>


===IRS controversy===
* Tea party candidate for Senate ] got enough of the primary vote in Texas to force a run-off vote against establishment GOP candidate ] in May 2012.<ref>Hartman, Rachel Rose. . Yahoo! News. May 29, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2012.</ref> Cruz defeated Dewhurst in the runoff election with a 14% margin of victory.<ref>. RealClearPolitics. August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.</ref> Cruz defeated Democratic challenger Paul Sadler, 57 percent to 41 percent. <ref>. CBS News. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.</ref>
{{main|2013 IRS controversy|Linchpins of Liberty v. United States}}
], facing allegations of targeting Tea Party organizations in the ], testifies before the ] in March 2014.]]
In May 2013, the ] and '']'' reported that the ] (IRS) flagged Tea Party groups and other conservative groups for review of their applications for tax-exempt status during the 2012 election. This led to both political and public condemnation of the agency, and triggered multiple investigations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Altman |first=Alex |url=https://swampland.time.com/2013/05/14/the-real-irs-scandal/ |title=The Real IRS Scandal |magazine=] |date=May 14, 2013 |access-date=May 14, 2013}}</ref>


Some groups were asked for donor lists, which is usually a violation of IRS policy. Groups were also asked for details about family members and about their postings on social networking sites. ], head of the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups, apologized on behalf of the IRS and stated, "That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate."<ref name="IRS" /><ref name="NYTIRS" /> Testifying before Congress in March 2012, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman denied that the groups were being targeted based on their political views.<ref name="IRS">Ohlemacher, Stephen. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607181759/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/irs-apologizes-targeting-conservative-groups |date=June 7, 2013 }} ], May 10, 2013.</ref><ref name="NYTIRS" />
* The "grass-roots activists who identify to a large extent with the leaderless tea party movement" played a part in ]'s election to Governor of Wisconsin in 2010 as well as his recall election victory in 2012.<ref> The Christian Science Monitor. June 6, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.</ref><ref>Reuters Wire Report. Reuters. June 6, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.</ref> A FOX News exit poll showed Tea Party support was a key part of Walker's win in 2012, just as it was in 2010.<ref> Fox NATION. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.</ref>


Senator ] of Utah, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, rejected the apology as insufficient, demanding "ironclad guarantees from the I.R.S. that it will adopt significant protocols to ensure this kind of harassment of groups that have a constitutional right to express their own views never happens again."<ref name="NYTIRS">Weisman, Jonathan. ''],'' May 10, 2013.</ref>
* In Atlanta, the Tea Party partnered with the ] and the ] to defeat the $7.2 billion dollar Transportation Investment Act in June 2012.<ref name="csmonitor.com"> The Christian Science Monitor. August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.</ref> The act had the support of both Democratic and Republican "establishment" politicians. The act was supported with $8 million used to sell the project to the public, while the Tea Party had only $15,000.00 to oppose it. With concerns that much of the act would do little to improve Atlanta's transportation problems, it was defeated with a 63% "no" vote.


The resulting Senate subcommittee report ultimately found there had been "no bias", though Republican committeemembers filed a dissenting report.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Korte|first1=Gregory|title=Senate Subcommittee: No political bias in IRS targeting|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/09/05/senate-subcommittee-report-on-irs-tea-party-targeting/15130715/|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=April 5, 2015|date=September 5, 2014}}</ref> According to the ], 18% of the conservative groups that had Tea Party or other related terms in their names flagged for extra scrutiny by the IRS had no evidence of political activity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Keith |first1=Tamara |title=4 Facts You Might Not Have Known About the IRS Scandal |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/06/20/193868881/4-Facts-You-Might-Not-Have-Known-About-The-IRS-Scandal |publisher=] |access-date=April 5, 2015 |date=June 20, 2013}}</ref> ], writing in the '']'', stated that evidence put forth in the House report indicated the IRS had been struggling to apply complicated new rules to nonprofits that may have been involved in political activity, and had also flagged liberal-sounding groups.<ref name=Hiltzik>{{cite news |last1=Hiltzik |first1=Michael |author-link=Michael Hiltzik |title=Issa's big dud: No White House connection to IRS 'scandal' |url=https://latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-issas-big-dud-20141224-column.html |newspaper=] |access-date=April 3, 2015 |date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> Of all the groups flagged, the only one to lose tax exempt status was a group that trains Democratic women to run for office.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bykowicz|first1=Julie|last2=Salant|first2=Jonathan D.|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-05-15/irs-sent-same-letter-to-democrats-that-fed-tea-party-row|title=IRS Sent Same Letter to Democrats That Fed Tea Party Row|publisher=]|date=May 14, 2013|access-date=May 30, 2015}}</ref>
* In Pennsylvania, Tea Party activists and ] pushed for a law that would allow businesses to provide student tuition grants for school-choice in return for tax credits. The law was signed by Gov. ] on June 30.<ref name="msnbc.msn.com"> NBC News. August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.</ref>


After a two-year investigation, the Justice Department announced in October 2015 that "We found no evidence that any IRS official acted based on political, discriminatory, corrupt, or other inappropriate motives that would support a criminal prosecution."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Perez|first1=Evan|title=DOJ Closes IRS investigation with no charges|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/23/politics/lois-lerner-no-charges-doj-tea-party/index.html|website=CNN|access-date=October 24, 2015}}</ref>
* In Missouri, tea party supporter ] won a three-way contest to become the GOP nominee to challenge incumbent Senator ] in the fall.<ref>. ]. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.</ref> One of Akin's main rivals was another tea party candidate, ], whose backers included the ] and ].<ref> ABC News. August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.</ref> Akin caused controversy with his ]. Akin subsequently lost the election to McCaskill. <ref>. Kansas City Star. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.</ref>


On October 25, 2017, the ] settled with a Consent Order for the case '']''; the IRS consented to express "its sincere apology" for singling out the plaintiff for aggressive scrutiny, stating, "The IRS admits that its treatment of Plaintiffs during the tax-exempt determinations process, including screening their applications based on their names or policy positions, subjecting those applications to heightened scrutiny and inordinate delays, and demanding of some Plaintiffs' information that TIGTA determined was unnecessary to the agency's determination of their tax-exempt status, was wrong. For such treatment, the IRS expresses its sincere apology." That same month, the ]'s inspector general reported that the I.R.S. had also targeted liberal groups, flagging organization names with terms that included "Progressive" and "Occupy".<ref>; Emile Cochrane; ]; October 26, 2017</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/10/27/560308997/irs-apologizes-for-aggressive-scrutiny-of-conservative-groups|title=IRS Apologizes For Aggressive Scrutiny Of Conservative Groups|first=Peter|last=Overby|date=October 27, 2017|website=NPR}}</ref>
* In August, presumed Republican presidential nominee ] selected Rep. ] of Wisconsin as his vice-presidential running mate.<ref> The Washington Post. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref> The move was praised by the ],<ref> CNN. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref> the ],<ref> The Tea Party Patriots. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref> ],<ref>. Fox News. August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref> as well as many other Tea Party groups.<ref> Newsmax. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref><ref> Save Jersey. August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref><ref> Tea Party WDC. August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.</ref> Romney lost the general election to ] by 3.85% (approximately five million votes) in an electoral college landslide.<ref>{{cite web|title=OFFICIAL 2012 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS General Election Date: 11/06/2012|url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/2012presgeresults.pdf|publisher=Federal Election Commission|accessdate=February 5, 2013|page=3|date=17|month=January|year=2013}}</ref><ref> ''The New York Times''. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.</ref>


===Role in the 2016 presidential election===
* In Wisconsin, establishment Republican and former governor ] won that state's GOP Senate primary, defeating ] and former U.S. Rep. ], in August. Hovde, who finished second, had the backing of ]. Neumann, who finished third, had the backing of the ], the ], and Sen. ]<ref> ABC OTUS News. August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012</ref> Thompson was defeated by Democrat ] in the general election.
] speaking at an event hosted by the Iowa Republican Party in October 2015]]
{{See also|2016 United States presidential election}}
The presidential candidate ] praised the Tea Party movement throughout his 2016 campaign.<ref name="auto1">, retrieved December 1, 2016.</ref> In August 2015, he told a Tea Party gathering in ] that "The tea party people are incredible people. These are people who work hard and love the country and they get beat up all the time by the media."<ref name="auto1"/> In a January 2016 ] poll at the beginning of the ], Trump led all Republican candidates modestly among self-identified Tea Party voters with 37 percent supporting Trump and 34 percent supporting ].<ref>, retrieved December 1, 2016.</ref>


Several commentators, including ],<ref>{{cite magazine | last1=Chait | first1=Jonathan | title=Donald Trump Hasn't Killed the Tea Party. He Is the Tea Party | url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/05/donald-trump-is-the-tea-party.html | date=May 19, 2016 | magazine=] | access-date=December 7, 2016}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web | last1=Martin | first1=Jenny Beth | title=How the Tea Party Helped Trump Win the Election | url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/how-the-tea-party-helped-trump-win-the-election/ | date=November 12, 2016 | publisher=] | access-date=December 7, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Alive&Well">{{cite web | last1=Martin | first1=Jenny Beth | title=The Tea Party Movement Is Alive and Well – And We Saw Trump Coming | url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/the-tea-party-movement-is-alive-and-well-and-we-saw-trump-coming-214469 | date=November 19, 2016 | publisher=] | access-date=December 7, 2016}}</ref> and ], argued that the Tea Party played a key role in the election of ] as the Republican Party presidential nominee, and eventually as U.S. president, and that Trump's election was even the culmination of the Tea Party and anti-establishment dissatisfaction associated with it. Martin stated after the election that "with the victory of Donald Trump, the values and principles that gave rise to the tea party movement in 2009 are finally gaining the top seat of power in the White House."<ref name="Alive&Well"/>
* In Florida, former veterinarian and Tea Party supporter ] defeated 12-term GOP Rep. ] in the GOP primary in August<ref> The Miami Herald. August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012</ref> Yoho easily defeated Democrat J.R. Gaillot, 64.8 percent to 32.4 percent in the general election. <ref> Sunshine State News. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012</ref>


On the other hand, other commentators, including Paul H. Jossey,<ref name="Jossey">Paul H. Jossey, , ''Politico Magazine'' (August 14, 2016).</ref> a conservative campaign finance attorney, and ] of the conservative '']'',<ref name="Geraghty">], , ''National Review'' (January 19, 2016).</ref> believed that the Tea Party to be dead or in decline. Jossey, for example, argued that the Tea Party "began as an organic, policy-driven grass-roots movement" but was ultimately "drained of its vitality and resources by national ]s that dunned the movement's true believers endlessly for money to support its candidates and causes."<ref name="Jossey"/>
* Also in Florida, Tea Party favorite ] lost to Democratic challenger ]. After demanding a recount,<ref> ''Chicago Tribune''. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012</ref> West finally conceded the election to Murphy on November 20, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Allen West concedes to Patrick Murphy|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84068.html|publisher=Politico|date=November 20, 2012 |accessdate=November 20, 2012}}</ref>


===Decline===
* In Illinois, Tea Party Representative ] lost to Democrat Lt. Colonel ], a 20-year veteran of the military who earned a Purple Heart, an Air Medal and an Army Commendation Medal after losing both of her legs in 2004, when her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/rep-joe-walsh-gets-the-boot/2012/11/07/5ed482b0-2860-11e2-b4e0-346287b7e56c_blog.html Rep. Joe Walsh gets the boot] ''Washington Post''. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012</ref>
{{Update section|The graph needs to be update to the current month. The political party Movement for Change (KA) also needs to be added.|date=June 2018}}
Tea Party activities began to decline in 2010.<ref name="HuffPostDec">{{cite news |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/14/tea-party-2012_n_1425957.html |title=Tea Party 2012: A Look At The Conservative Movement's Last Three Years |work=The Huffington Post |date=April 14, 2012 |access-date=December 12, 2019 |archive-date=April 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417025313/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/14/tea-party-2012_n_1425957.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="DBDec">{{cite news |url= http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/06/tea-party-is-dead-how-the-movement-fizzled-in-2012-s-gop-primaries.html |title=Tea Party 'Is Dead': How the Movement Fizzled in 2012's GOP Primaries |work=The Daily Beast |date=February 2, 2012}}</ref> According to Harvard professor ], the number of Tea Party chapters across the country slipped from about 1,000 to 600 between 2009 and 2012, but that this is still "a very good survival rate." Mostly, Tea Party organizations are said to have shifted away from national demonstrations to local issues.<ref name="HuffPostDec"/> A shift in the operational approach used by the Tea Party has also affected the movement's visibility, with chapters placing more emphasis on the mechanics of policy and getting candidates elected rather than staging public events.<ref name="csmonitor.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2012/0801/How-tea-party-and-its-unlikely-allies-nixed-Atlanta-s-transit-tax |title=How tea party and its unlikely allies nixed Atlanta's transit tax |work=The Christian Science Monitor |location=Boston |date= August 1, 2012 |access-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref><ref name="MSNBC">{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} NBC News. August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.</ref>


The Tea Party's involvement in the ] was minimal, owing to divisions over whom to endorse as well as lack of enthusiasm for all the candidates.<ref name="DBDec"/> However, the 2012 GOP ticket did have an influence on the Tea Party: following the selection of ] as ]'s vice-presidential running mate, '']'' declared that the once fringe of the conservative coalition, Tea Party lawmakers are now "indisputably at the core of the modern Republican Party."<ref>. ''The New York Times''. August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.</ref>
* In Indiana, Tea Party politician ] was elected Governor and provided with Republican super majorities in both the state's House and Senate. <ref>http://www.indystar.com/article/20121107/NEWS0502/121107029/Indiana-election-2012-Mike-Pence-Mitch-Daniel-plan-smooth-transition Republicans Mike Pence, Brian Bosma can rule weakened Democrats] ''IndyStar.com''. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012</ref>


Though the Tea Party has had a large influence on the Republican Party, it has attracted major criticism by public figures within the Republican coalition as well. Then-] ] particularly condemned many Tea Party-connected politicians for their behavior during the ]. "I think they're misleading their followers," Boehner was publicly quoted as saying, "They're pushing our members in places where they don't want to be, and frankly I just think that they've lost all credibility." In the words of '']'', Boehner "stamped out Tea Party resistance to extending the debt ceiling... worried that his party's prospects would be damaged by adherence to the Tea Party's preference for default".<ref name=star/>
===Current status===
Tea Party activities have declined since 2010.<ref name="HuffPostDec"></ref><ref name="DBDec">; The Daily Beast; February 2, 2012</ref> According to Harvard professor ], membership in Tea Party chapters across the country has slipped from about 1,000 to 600, but that this is still "a very good survival rate." Mostly, Tea Party organizations are said to have shifted away from national demonstrations to local issues.<ref name="HuffPostDec"/> A shift in the operational approach used by the Tea Party has also affected the movement's visibility, with chapters placing more emphasis on the mechanics of policy and getting candidates elected rather than staging public events.<ref name="csmonitor.com"> The Christian Science Monitor. August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.</ref><ref name="msnbc.msn.com"> NBC News. August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.</ref>
The tea party's involvement in the ] was minimal, owing to divisions over whom to endorse as well as lack of enthusiasm for all the candidates.<ref name="DBDec"/> Which is not to say the 2012 GOP ticket hasn't had an influence on the Tea Party: following the selection of ] as ]'s vice-presidential running mate, the '']'' declared that the once fringe of the conservative coalition, Tea Party lawmakers are now "indisputably at the core of the modern Republican Party."<ref>; The New York Times; August 12, 2012; Retrieved August 13, 2012</ref>


One 2013 survey found that, in political terms, 20% of self-identified Republicans stated that they considered themselves as part of the Tea Party movement.<ref name=Richardson/> Tea Party participants rallied at the U.S. Capitol on February 27, 2014; their demonstrations celebrated the fifth anniversary of the movement coming together.<ref name=realspin>{{cite magazine |magazine=] |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/02/24/as-the-tea-party-turns-five-it-looks-a-lot-like-the-conservative-base/ |title=As The Tea Party Turns Five, It Looks A Lot Like The Conservative Base |date=February 24, 2014 |access-date=May 19, 2014 |first1=Karlyn |last1=Bowman |first2=Jennifer |last2=Marsico}}</ref>
==Composition==
{{see also|List of Tea Party politicians}}


By 2016, '']'' noted that the Tea Party movement was essentially completely dead; however, the article noted that the movement seemed to die in part because some of its ideas had been absorbed by the mainstream Republican Party.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/08/tea-party-pacs-ideas-death-214164|title=How We Killed the Tea Party|website=]|date=August 14, 2016 }}</ref> By 2019, it was reported that the conservative wing of the Republican Party "has basically shed the tea party moniker."<ref name=":0" />
===Membership and demographics===
Several polls have been conducted on the demographics of the movement. Though the various polls sometimes turn up slightly different results, they tend to show that Tea Party supporters tend more likely than Americans overall to be ], male, married, older than 45, regularly attending religious services, conservative, and to be more wealthy and have more education.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/politics/15poll.html?src=me&ref=general |title=Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated |last=Zernike |first=Kate |coauthors=Megan Thee-Brenan |date=April 14, 2010 |work=New York Times |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref> ''New York Times''/CBS News Poll; April 14, 2010</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-ds_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G2000_B02001&-redoLog=true&-geo_id=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en&-SubjectID=15233308|title= Data Set: 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates |work=Survey: American Community Survey |author=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="vogel1">{{Cite news |url=http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8E3F7732-18FE-70B2-A8C52111DA960902 |title=Poll: Tea Partiers Like GOP |first=Kenneth P. |last=Vogel |publisher=Politico |date=March 23, 2010 |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="quinnipiac1">{{cite press release|url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1436 |title=Tea Party Could Hurt GOP In Congressional Races, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Dems Trail 2-Way Races, But Win If Tea Party Runs |publisher=Quinnipiac University |date=March 24, 2010 |accessdate=September 9, 2010}}</ref>


Multiple sources identified remnants of the Tea Party movement as being among the participants of the ] in 2021.<ref name="List1">Multiple sources:
According to '']'', the three main groups that provide guidance and organization for the protests, ], ], and Americans for Prosperity, state that the demonstrations are an organic movement.<ref name=who>{{cite web |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/the-tea-party-movement-whos-in-charge/13041/ |title=The Tea Party Movement: Who's In Charge? |first=Chris |last=Good | date=April 13, 2000 |publisher=] |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> Law professor and commentator ], best known as author of the ] political blog, argued in the '']'' that: "These aren't the usual semiprofessional protesters who attend ] and pro-union marches. These are people with real jobs; most have never attended a protest march before. They represent a kind of energy that our politics hasn't seen lately, and an influx of new activists."<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132009/postopinion/opedcolumnist/tea_parties__real_grassroots_164143.htm {{dead link|date=July 2011}} |title= Tea Parties: Real Grassroots |first=Glenn H. |last=Reynolds |work=New York Post| date=April 13, 2009| accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> Conservative political strategist ], now head of Americans for Prosperity, has remarked that the Republican Party is "too disorganized and unsure of itself to pull this off".<ref name=rebel>{{Cite news | first=Michael | last=Oneal | coauthors= Janet Hook | title=Anti-Obama rebellion poses risk for the GOP | date=April 16, 2009 | url =http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-tax-day_thuapr16,0,2440162.story | work=Chicago Tribune | accessdate =April 25, 2010}}</ref>
* {{cite news|last1=Yousef|first1=Odette|date=January 9, 2021|url=https://www.wbez.org/stories/the-bizarre-outfits-at-the-capitol-werent-just-costumes-they-were-a-message/0ac8c1d1-fcba-441f-81af-0fd34dd53383|title=The Bizarre Outfits At The Capitol Weren't Just Costumes. They Were A Message.|work=]|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111204341/https://www.wbez.org/stories/the-bizarre-outfits-at-the-capitol-werent-just-costumes-they-were-a-message/0ac8c1d1-fcba-441f-81af-0fd34dd53383|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last1=Neilson|first1=Susie|last2=McFall-Johnsen|first2=Morgan|date=January 6, 2021|title=Several groups of extremists stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Here are some of the most notable individuals, symbols, and groups.|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/hate-symbols-and-extremist-groups-at-the-us-capitol-siege-2021-1#national-anarchist-movement-n-am-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107223216/https://www.businessinsider.com/hate-symbols-and-extremist-groups-at-the-us-capitol-siege-2021-1#national-anarchist-movement-n-am-11|archive-date=January 7, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=]|ref=none}}
* {{cite news|last1=Adkins|first1=Laura E.|last2=Burack|first2=Emily|title=Hate on display: A guide to the symbols and signs on display at the Capitol insurrection|url=https://www.jweekly.com/2021/01/07/hate-on-display-a-guide-to-the-symbols-and-signs-on-display-at-the-capitol-insurrection/|access-date=January 8, 2021|work=]|publisher=]|date=January 7, 2021|archive-date=January 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108000802/https://www.jweekly.com/2021/01/07/hate-on-display-a-guide-to-the-symbols-and-signs-on-display-at-the-capitol-insurrection/|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{cite web|title='Second revolution begins': Armed right-wing groups celebrate Capitol attack|url=https://news.yahoo.com/second-revolution-begins-armed-wing-053014168.html|date=January 7, 2021|access-date=January 7, 2021|work=]|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107183012/https://news.yahoo.com/second-revolution-begins-armed-wing-053014168.html|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{cite news|last1=Read|first1=Richard|last2=Hennessy-Fisk|first2=Molly|last3=Chabria|first3=Anita|title=Far-right extremists want to attack more capitols, but are divided after D.C. riot|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/far-right-extremists-want-to-attack-more-capitols-but-are-divided-after-dc-riot/ar-BB1cA4Q9|access-date=January 8, 2021|work=]|date=January 8, 2021|archive-date=January 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108142036/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/far-right-extremists-want-to-attack-more-capitols-but-are-divided-after-dc-riot/ar-BB1cA4Q9|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/01/06/dc-protests-live-updates-trump-supporters-electoral-college-proud-boys/4126018001/|title=Pro-Trump rioters breach Capitol, forcing lockdown; one person shot; Pence evacuated, Senate chamber cleared out|first1=N'dea|last1=Yancey-Bragg|first2=John|last2=Bacon|first3=Will|last3=Carless|first4=Ryan W.|last4=Miller|website=]|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106211223/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/01/06/dc-protests-live-updates-trump-supporters-electoral-college-proud-boys/4126018001/|date=January 6, 2021|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/fears-as-trump-supporters-including-anti-semitic-groups-rally-in-washington/|date=January 6, 2021|title=Fears as Trump supporters, including anti-Semitic groups, rally in Washington|first=Ben|last=Sales|website=www.timesofisrael.com|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106214230/https://www.timesofisrael.com/fears-as-trump-supporters-including-anti-semitic-groups-rally-in-washington/|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/confederate-flag-capitol-dc/|first=Nur|last=Ibrahim|date=January 6, 2021|title=Was the Confederate Flag Raised at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.?|website=Snopes.com|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106215047/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/confederate-flag-capitol-dc/|url-status=live|ref=none}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Biesecker|first1=Michael|last2=Kunzelman|first2=Michael|last3=Flaccus|first3=Gillian|last4=Mustian|first4=Jim|date=January 10, 2021|title=Records show fervent Trump fans fueled US Capitol takeover|work=]|url=https://apnews.com/article/us-capitol-trump-supporters-1806ea8dc15a2c04f2a68acd6b55cace|url-status=live|access-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111143844/https://apnews.com/article/us-capitol-trump-supporters-1806ea8dc15a2c04f2a68acd6b55cace|archive-date=January 11, 2021|quote=The insurrectionist mob that showed up at the president's behest and stormed the U.S. Capitol was overwhelmingly made up of longtime Trump supporters, including Republican Party officials, GOP political donors, far-right militants, white supremacists, members of the military and adherents of the QAnon myth that the government is secretly controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophile cannibals. Records show that some were heavily armed and included convicted criminals, such as a Florida man recently released from prison for attempted murder.}}
* {{cite news|last1=Jelten|first1=Tom|title=Militant Christian Nationalists Remain A Potent Force, Even After The Capitol Riot|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/19/958159202/militant-christian-nationalists-remain-a-potent-force|newspaper=NPR.org|access-date=February 7, 2021}}
* {{Cite web|last=Makuch, Ben|date=January 7, 2021|title=Neo-Nazis Boast About Participation In Capitol Hill Invasion|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wnja/neo-nazis-boast-about-participation-in-capitol-hill-invasion|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108020725/https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wnja/neo-nazis-boast-about-participation-in-capitol-hill-invasion|archive-date=January 8, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=]}}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/04/politics/anti-vaxxers-stop-the-steal-invs/index.html|title=Leaders of the anti-vaccine movement used 'Stop the Steal' crusade to advance their own conspiracy theories|publisher=]|last1=Devine|first1=Curt|last2=Griffin|first2=Drew|date=February 4, 2021|access-date=February 5, 2021}}
* {{Cite news|last=Satija|first=Neena|date=January 12, 2021|title='I do regret being there': Simone Gold, noted hydroxychloroquine advocate, was inside the Capitol during the riot|language=en-US|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/simone-gold-capitol-riot-coronavirus/2021/01/12/d1d39e84-545f-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112184002/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/simone-gold-capitol-riot-coronavirus/2021/01/12/d1d39e84-545f-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html|archive-date=January 12, 2021|issn=0190-8286}}
* {{Cite web|last=Dazio|first=Stefanie |date=January 19, 2021|title=Capitol photos, videos lead to California doctor's arrest|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/capitol-photos-videos-lead-california-doctors-arrest-75351374|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210121224731/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/capitol-photos-videos-lead-california-doctors-arrest-75351374|archive-date=January 21, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=abcnews.go.com|publisher=]}}
* {{Cite web|title=Enrique Tarrio, the Cuban-American leader of the far-right 'Proud Boys'|url=https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20210106-who-exactly-is-enrique-tarrio-leader-of-the-us-s-far-right-proud-boys-organisation|access-date=January 7, 2021|date=January 6, 2021|language=en|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106220822/https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20210106-who-exactly-is-enrique-tarrio-leader-of-the-us-s-far-right-proud-boys-organisation|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite web|title=Was the Confederate Flag Raised at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.?|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/confederate-flag-capitol-dc/|access-date=January 7, 2021|work=]|date=January 6, 2021 |language=en-US|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106215047/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/confederate-flag-capitol-dc/|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite web|title=Chaos ensues as Trump supporters storm Capitol, thwart Biden confirmation|date=January 6, 2021 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/trump-supporters-storm-capitol-barricades-185238935.html|access-date=January 7, 2021}}
* {{Cite web|title=Neo-Nazis among protesters who stormed US Capitol|url=https://nypost.com/2021/01/06/neo-nazis-among-protesters-who-stormed-us-capitol/|access-date=January 7, 2021|date=January 7, 2021|last=Fitz-Gibbon|first=Jorge}}
* {{cite news|title=Here are the Donors to Tea Party Group that Helped Organize Pre-Riot Rally|url=https://theintercept.com/2021/01/13/capitol-riot-donors-tea-party-patriots/|work=]|date=January 13, 2021|access-date=February 19, 2021}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrection-extremist-flags-soh/index.html|title=Decoding the extremist symbols and groups at the Capitol Hill insurrection|author1=Mallory Simon|author2=Sara Sidner|others=Photo illustrations by Priya Krishnakumar|website=]|date=January 9, 2021}}
* {{cite news |title=FBI moves on alleged members of extremist groups Oath Keepers, Three Percenters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/oath-keeper-three-percenter-arrests/2021/01/17/27e726f2-5847-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html |first1=Devlin |last1=Barrett |first2=Spencer S. |last2=Hsu |newspaper=] |date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=February 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211204534/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/oath-keeper-three-percenter-arrests/2021/01/17/27e726f2-5847-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite journal |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2021/0114/Capitol-assault-Why-did-police-show-up-on-both-sides-of-thin-blue-line |first=Patrik |last=Jonsson |title=Capitol assault: Why did police show up on both sides of 'thin blue line'? |date=January 14, 2021 |journal=Christian Science Monitor }}
* {{Cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Malachi|url=https://www.mlive.com/politics/2021/01/far-right-activist-who-encouraged-us-capitol-occupation-also-organized-stop-the-steal-rally-in-michigan.html|title=Far-right activist who encouraged U.S. Capitol occupation also organized 'stop the steal' rally in Michigan|date=January 7, 2021|publisher=]|access-date=April 16, 2021}}
* {{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/white-supremacists-among-those-who-stormed-the-u-s-capitol-live-streamed-inside-1.9431649|title=White Supremacists Among Those Who Stormed the U.S. Capitol, Live Streamed From Inside|date=January 9, 2021|publisher=]|agency=]|access-date=April 16, 2021}}</ref>


Dr. Geoffrey Kabaservice argued in 2020 that the Tea Party's <blockquote>characteristic mistrust of norms was evident from the beginning in its embrace of birtherism, the racist conspiracy theory that claimed without evidence that Obama was secretly a foreign-born Muslim and ineligible for the presidency. Social media accelerated the spread of such conspiratorial beliefs, which further dissolved trust in established institutions and objective truth....the tea party never really died; its energies were reactivated with the presidential campaign of Donald Trump — who of course was the leading purveyor of birtherism.....both the tea party and Trump's movement also were rooted in fact-free conspiracy theories about the treachery of Democrats and elites, who allegedly plotted to destroy the livelihoods and traditions of "real Americans" for their own benefit.<ref>Geoffrey Kabaservice, "The forever grievance: Conservatives have traded periodic revolts for a permanent revolution" </ref></blockquote>
Patrik Jonsson of the '']'' has noted that Tea Party activists "have been called neo-Klansmen and knuckle-dragging hillbillies" and adding that "demonizing tea party activists tends to energize the Democrats' left-of-center base". He notes that "polls suggest that tea party activists are not only more mainstream than many critics suggest, but that a majority of them are women (primarily mothers), not angry white men".<ref name=Jonsson040310>Patrik Jonsson, ''Christian Science Monitor'', April 3, 2010</ref> Jonsson quotes ] as saying that the Tea Party's opposition to health reform was based on self-interest rather than racism.<ref name=Jonsson040310/>


==Composition==
A ] poll conducted in March 2010 found that—other than gender, income and politics—self-described Tea Party members were demographically similar to the population as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/tea-partiers-fairly-mainstream-demographics.aspx |title=Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics |publisher=Gallup.com |date=April 5, 2010 |accessdate=July 27, 2010}}</ref>
{{see also|List of politicians affiliated with the Tea Party movement}}
]]]
===Demographics===
Several polls have been conducted on the demographics of the movement. Though the various polls sometimes turn up slightly different results, they tend to show that Tea Party supporters tend more likely, than Americans overall, to be ], male, married, older than 45, regularly attending religious services, conservative, and to be more wealthy and have more education.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/politics/15poll.html?src=me&ref=general |title=Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated |last=Zernike |first=Kate |author2=Megan Thee-Brenan |date=April 14, 2010 |work=] |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref> ''New York Times''/CBS News Poll; April 14, 2010</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Data Set: 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates |work=Survey: American Community Survey |author=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=April 24, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="vogel1">{{Cite news |url=http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8E3F7732-18FE-70B2-A8C52111DA960902 |title=Poll: Tea Partiers Like GOP |first=Kenneth P. |last=Vogel |publisher=Politico |date=March 23, 2010 |access-date=April 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329002130/http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8E3F7732-18FE-70B2-A8C52111DA960902 |archive-date=March 29, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="quinnipiac1">{{cite press release |url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1436 |title=Tea Party Could Hurt GOP In Congressional Races, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Dems Trail 2-Way Races, But Win If Tea Party Runs |publisher=Quinnipiac University |date=March 24, 2010 |access-date=September 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809074638/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1436 |archive-date=August 9, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Broadly speaking, multiple surveys have found between 10% and 30% of Americans identified as members of the Tea Party movement.<ref name=realspin/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/147635/tea-party-movement.aspx |title=Tea Party Movement &#124; Gallup Historical Trends |publisher=Gallup.com |access-date=August 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808203938/http://www.gallup.com/poll/147635/tea-party-movement.aspx |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Most Republicans and 20% of Democrats support the movement according to one ''Washington Post''–] poll.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fuller |first=Jaime |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/01/28/what-shutdown-new-poll-shows-tea-party-support-remains-steady/ |title=What shutdown? New poll shows tea party support remains steady |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 10, 2014 |date=January 28, 2014}}</ref>


According to '']'', the three main groups that provide guidance and organization for the protests, ], ], and ], state that the demonstrations are an organic movement.<ref name=who>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/the-tea-party-movement-whos-in-charge/13041/ |title=The Tea Party Movement: Who's In Charge? |first=Chris |last=Good | date=April 13, 2000 |magazine=] |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref> Conservative political strategist ], now head of Americans for Prosperity, has remarked that the Republican Party is "too disorganized and unsure of itself to pull this off".<ref name=rebel>{{Cite news | first=Michael | last=Oneal | author2=Janet Hook | title=Anti-Obama rebellion poses risk for the GOP | date=April 16, 2009 | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-tax-day_thuapr16,0,2440162.story | work=Chicago Tribune | access-date=April 25, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104100210/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-tax-day_thuapr16,0,2440162.story | archive-date=November 4, 2010 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
When surveying supporters or participants of the Tea Party movement, polls have shown that they are to a very great extent more likely to be registered Republican, have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party and an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party.<ref name="quinnipiac1"/><ref name="nytimes1">{{Cite news |title=CBS/NY Times Poll: National Survey of Tea Party Supporters|url=http://documents.nytimes.com/new-york-timescbs-news-poll-national-survey-of-tea-party-supporters?ref=politics|work=New York Times |date=April 12, 2010 |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name=WinstonPoll/>
The ] of adults 18 and over showed that 40% of Tea Party supporters are 55 or older, compared with 32% of all poll respondents; 79% are white, 61% are men and 44% identify as "]",<ref name="bloomberg 03-2010">{{Cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLBZwxqgYgwI&pos=8 |title=Tea Party Advocates Who Scorn Socialism Want a Government Job |last=Przybyla |first=Heidi |date=March 26, 2010 |publisher=Bloomberg News |accessdate=March 28, 2010}}</ref> compared with 75%,<ref>This number includes ].
Excluding these, this category comprises 65.4%: . 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2009, and . 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2009</ref> 48.5%,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html |work=The World Factbook|title=United States |accessdate=February 16, 2010 |publisher=CIA}}</ref> and 34%<ref>Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar (2009) Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Retrieved April 1, 2009 (PDF)</ref> for the general population, respectively.


'']'' has reported that Tea Party activists "have been called neo-Klansmen and knuckle-dragging hillbillies", adding that "demonizing tea party activists tends to energize the Democrats' left-of-center base" and that "polls suggest that tea party activists are not only more mainstream than many critics suggest",<ref name=Jonsson040310>Patrik Jonsson, ''Christian Science Monitor'', April 3, 2010.</ref> but that a majority of them are women, not angry white men.<ref name=Jonsson040310 /><ref>{{cite news|last=Vogel|first=Kenneth P.|title=Face of the tea party is female|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35094.html|access-date=October 7, 2013|newspaper=Politico|date=March 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Geraghty|first=Jim|title=The Tea Party Movement Has More Women Than Men?|url=http://nationalreview.com/campaign-spot/4739/tea-party-movement-has-more-women-men|access-date=October 7, 2013|newspaper=National Review|date=March 24, 2010}}</ref> The article quoted ] as saying that the Tea Party's opposition to health reform was based on self-interest rather than racism.<ref name=Jonsson040310/>
According to Susan Page and Naomi Jagoda of ''USA Today'' in 2010, the Tea Party was more "a frustrated state of mind" than "a classic political movement".<ref name = "PageNaomi">Page Susan; Jagoda Naomi (July 1, 2010). . ''USA Today''.</ref> Tea party members "are more likely to be married and a bit older than the nation as a whole".<ref name=" PageNaomi" /> They are predominantly white, but other groups make up just under one-fourth of their ranks.<ref name=" PageNaomi" /> They believe that the federal government has become too large and powerful.<ref name=" PageNaomi" />


A ] poll conducted in March 2010 found that—other than gender, income and politics—self-described Tea Party members were demographically similar to the population as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/tea-partiers-fairly-mainstream-demographics.aspx |title=Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics |publisher=Gallup.com |date=April 5, 2010 |access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref> A 2014 article from ] stated that the Tea Party's membership appears reminiscent of the people who supported independent ]'s presidential campaigns in the 1990s.<ref name=realspin/>
===Polling of supporters===
An October 2010 ''Washington Post'' canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 99% said "concern about the economy" was an "important factor".<ref name="agwpostface"/> Various polls have also probed Tea Party supporters for their views on a variety of political and controversial issues. On the question of whether they think their own income taxes this year are fair, 52% of Tea Party supporters told pollsters for ]/''New York Times'' that they were, versus 62% in the general population (including tea party supporters).<ref name="nytimes1"/> A ] poll found that Tea Partiers are not against increased government action in all cases. "The ideas that find nearly universal agreement among Tea Party supporters are rather vague," says J. Ann Selzer, the pollster who created the survey. "You would think any idea that involves more government action would be anathema, and that is just not the case."


When surveying supporters or participants of the Tea Party movement, polls have shown that they are to a very great extent more likely to be registered Republican, have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party and an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party.<ref name="quinnipiac1"/><ref name="nytimes1">{{Cite news |title=CBS/NY Times Poll: National Survey of Tea Party Supporters|url=http://documents.nytimes.com/new-york-timescbs-news-poll-national-survey-of-tea-party-supporters?ref=politics|work=] |date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name=WinstonPoll/>
In advance of a new edition of their book ''American Grace'', political scientists David E. Campbell of Notre Dame and ] of Harvard published in a '']'' opinion the results of their research into the political attitudes and background of Tea Party supporters. Using a pre-Tea Party poll in 2006 and going back to the same respondents in 2011, they found the supporters to be not "nonpartisan political neophytes" as often described, but largely "overwhelmingly partisan Republicans" who were politically active prior to the Tea Party. The survey found Tea Party supporters "no more likely than anyone else" to have suffered hardship during the ]. Additionally, the respondents were more concerned about "putting God in government" than with trying to shrink government.<ref>{{cite news|author=Campbell, David E. and Putnam, Robert D.|title=Crashing the Tea Party|date=August 16, 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=August 17, 2011|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/opinion/crashing-the-tea-party.html}}</ref><ref name=God>David E. Campbell, Robert D. Putnam "God and Caesar in America" ''Foreign Affairs, March April 2012, pp34-43, p.38</ref>
The ] of adults 18 and over showed that 40% of Tea Party supporters are 55 or older, compared with 32% of all poll respondents; 79% are white, 61% are men and 44% identify as "]",<ref name="bloomberg 03-2010">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLBZwxqgYgwI&pos=8 |title=Tea Party Advocates Who Scorn Socialism Want a Government Job |last=Przybyla |first=Heidi |date=March 26, 2010 |publisher=Bloomberg News |access-date=March 28, 2010}}</ref> compared with 75%,<ref>This number includes ].
Excluding these, this category comprises 65.4%: . 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2009, and . 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2009</ref> 48.5%,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states/ |work=The World Factbook|title=United States |access-date=February 16, 2010 |publisher=CIA}}</ref> and 34%<ref>Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar (2009) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407053149/http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-ARIS/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf |date=April 7, 2009 }} Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Retrieved April 1, 2009 (PDF)</ref> for the general population, respectively.


According to Susan Page and Naomi Jagoda of '']'' in 2010, the Tea Party was more "a frustrated state of mind" than "a classic political movement".<ref name = "PageNaomi">Page Susan; Jagoda Naomi (July 1, 2010). . ''USA Today''.</ref> Tea party participants "are more likely to be married and a bit older than the nation as a whole".<ref name="PageNaomi"/> They are predominantly white, but other groups make up just under one-fourth of their ranks.<ref name="PageNaomi"/> They believe that the federal government has become too large and powerful.<ref name="PageNaomi"/> Surveys of Republican primary voters in the South in 2012 show that Tea Party supporters were not driven by racial animosity. Instead there was a strong positive relationship with religious evangelicalism. Tea Party supporters were older, male, poorer, more ideologically conservative, and more partisan than their fellow Republicans.<ref>M. V. Hood, III, Quentin Kidd, and Irwin L. Morris, "Tea leaves and Southern politics: Explaining Tea Party support in the region." ''Social Science Quarterly'' 96.4 (2015): 923-940.</ref>
The ] demonstrated considerable skepticism within the Tea Party movement with respect to the dangers and the reality of ]. A ''New York Times''/CBS News Poll during the election revealed that only a small percentage of Tea Party supporters considered global warming a serious problem, much less than the portion of the general public that does. The Tea Party is strongly opposed to government-imposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions as part of ] legislation to encourage use of fuels that emit less ].<ref>John M. Broder ''The New York Times'', October 20, 2010, retrieved October 21, 2010</ref> An example is the movement's support of ], which would suspend AB32, the ].<ref>. ''San Jose Mercury News''. October 4, 2010.{{dead link|date=July 2011}}</ref> The proposition failed to pass, with less than 40% voting in favor.<ref>. California Secretary of State. May 17, 2011.</ref>


Each of those factors is associated among Republicans with being more racially conservative. Using multiple regression techniques and a very large sample of N=100,000 the authors hold all the background factors statistically constant. When that happens, the tea party Republicans and other Republicans are practically identical on racial issues.<ref>M. V. Hood, III, Quentin Kidd, and Irwin L. Morris, "Tea leaves and Southern politics: Explaining Tea Party support in the region." ''Social Science Quarterly'' 96.4 (2015): 923-940, especially p 934.</ref> In contrast, a 2015 study found that racial resentment was one of the strongest predictors for Tea Party Movement membership.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.ssresearch.2014.09.006|title=Anti-minority attitudes and Tea Party Movement membership|year=2015|last1=Tope|first1=Daniel|last2=Pickett|first2=Justin T.|last3=Chiricos|first3=Ted|journal=Social Science Research|volume=51|pages=322–337|pmid=25769870}}</ref>
Many of the movement's members also favor stricter measures against ].<ref>, '']'', August 11, 2010</ref>


===Polling of supporters===
Polls found that just 7% of Tea Party supporters approve of how Obama is doing his job compared to 50% (as of April 2010) of the general public,<ref name="nytimes1"/> and that roughly 77% of supporters had voted for Obama's Republican opponent, ] in 2008.<ref name="vogel1"/><ref name="quinnipiac1"/>
An October 2010 ''Washington Post'' canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 99% said "concern about the economy" was an "important factor".<ref name="agwpostface"/> Various polls have also probed Tea Party supporters for their views on a variety of political and controversial issues. On the question of whether they think their own income taxes this year are fair, 52% of Tea Party supporters told pollsters for ]/''New York Times'' that they were, versus 62% in the general population (including Tea Party supporters).<ref name="nytimes1"/> A ] poll found that Tea Partiers are not against increased government action in all cases. "The ideas that find nearly universal agreement among Tea Party supporters are rather vague," says ], the pollster who created the survey. "You would think any idea that involves more government action would be anathema, and that is just not the case."


In advance of a new edition of their book ''American Grace'', political scientists David E. Campbell of Notre Dame and ] of Harvard published in a '']'' opinion the results of their research into the political attitudes and background of Tea Party supporters. Using a pre-Tea Party poll in 2006 and going back to the same respondents in 2011, they found the supporters to be not "nonpartisan political neophytes" as often described, but largely "overwhelmingly partisan Republicans" who were politically active prior to the Tea Party. The survey found Tea Party supporters "no more likely than anyone else" to have suffered hardship during the ]. Additionally, the respondents were more concerned about "putting God in government" than with trying to shrink government.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Campbell, David E. |author2=Putnam, Robert D. |name-list-style=amp |title=Crashing the Tea Party|date=August 16, 2011|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 17, 2011|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/opinion/crashing-the-tea-party.html}}</ref><ref name=God>David E. Campbell, Robert D. Putnam, "God and Caesar in America" ''Foreign Affairs'', March–April 2012, pp. 34–43, p. 38</ref>
A ] poll of 1,695 registered voters in the state of ] reported that 73% of Tea Party supporters disapprove of Obama's policy of engaging with Muslim countries, 88% approve of the controversial ] enacted in 2010 which requires police to question people they suspect are illegal immigrants for proof of legal status, 54% feel that immigration is changing the culture in the U.S. for the worse, 82% do not believe that gay and lesbian couples should have the ], and that about 52% believed that "Compared to the size of the group, lesbians and gays have too much political power".<ref name="huffingtonpost1">{{cite web |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/02/tea-party-poll-more-than_n_597968.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=164043 |title= More Than Half Of Tea Party Supporters Say Gays And Lesbians Have Too Much Political Power (POLL) | date= Released June 2, 2010 | publisher=The Huffington Post |accessdate=July 1, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nwsource1">{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2012005031_new_poll_looks_at_tea_party_vi.html |title=New poll looks at tea party views toward minorities |publisher=Seattletimes.nwsource.com |date=June 1, 2010 |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>http://www.washingtonpoll.org/results/June1_teaparty.pdf</ref>


The ] demonstrated considerable skepticism within the Tea Party movement with respect to the dangers and the reality of ]. A ''New York Times''/CBS News Poll during the election revealed that only a small percentage of Tea Party supporters considered global warming a serious problem, much less than the portion of the general public that does. The Tea Party is strongly opposed to government-imposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions as part of ] legislation to encourage use of fuels that emit less ].<ref>John M. Broder ''The New York Times'', October 20, 2010, retrieved October 21, 2010</ref> An example is the movement's support of ], which would suspend AB32, the ].<ref>. ''San Jose Mercury News''. October 4, 2010. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315214345/http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_16221401?nclick_check=1 |date=March 15, 2012 }}</ref> The proposition failed to pass, with less than 40% voting in favor.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105205625/http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/ballot-measures/ |date=November 5, 2010 }}. California Secretary of State. May 17, 2011.</ref>
===Leadership and groups===
An October 2010 ''Washington Post'' canvass of 647 local Tea Party organizers asked "which national figure best represents your groups?" and got the following responses: no one 34%, ] 14%, ] 7%, ] 6%, ] 6%, ] 4%.<ref name="agwpostface"> ''Washington Post'' October 24, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2011.</ref>


Many{{quantify|date=November 2013}} of the movement's participants favored stricter measures against ].<ref>, '']'', August 11, 2010</ref>
The success of candidates popular within the Tea Party movement has boosted Sarah Palin's visibility.<ref>"One Republican who is not on any ticket is stealing the national spotlight: Sarah Palin" according to Huma Khan and Alexander Pepper, ''ABC News'', June 24, 2010</ref> Rasmussen and Schoen (2010) conclude that "She is the symbolic leader of the movement, and more than anyone else has helped to shape it."<ref>Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen ''Mad As Hell'' (2010) pp. 154</ref>


Polls found that just 7% of Tea Party supporters approve of how Obama is doing his job compared to 50% (as of April 2010) of the general public,<ref name="nytimes1"/>{{Update inline|date=November 2013}} and that roughly 77% of supporters had voted for Obama's Republican opponent, ] in 2008.<ref name="vogel1"/><ref name="quinnipiac1"/>
The movement has been supported nationally by prominent individuals and organizations,<ref name="top_players"> '']'', September 26, 2010</ref><ref name="tea_players">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20100204_7827.php |title=12 Tea Party Players To Watch
|publisher=NationalJournal |date=February 4, 2010 |accessdate=September 9, 2010}}</ref> including:


A ] poll of 1,695 registered voters in the state of ] reported that 73% of Tea Party supporters disapprove of Obama's policy of engaging with Muslim countries, 88% approve of the controversial ] enacted in 2010 that requires police to question people they suspect are illegal immigrants for proof of legal status, 54% feel that immigration is changing the culture in the U.S. for the worse, 82% do not believe that gay and lesbian couples should have the ], and that about 52% believe that "ompared to the size of the group, lesbians and gays have too much political power".<ref name="huffingtonpost1">{{cite news |url= https://huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/02/tea-party-poll-more-than_n_597968.html?ref=fb&src=sp#sb=164043 |title= More Than Half Of Tea Party Supporters Say Gays And Lesbians Have Too Much Political Power (POLL) | date=June 2, 2010 | work=The Huffington Post |access-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nwsource1">{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2012005031_new_poll_looks_at_tea_party_vi.html |title=New poll looks at tea party views toward minorities |publisher=Seattletimes.nwsource.com |date=June 1, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2012 |first=Andrew |last=Garber}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Matt Barreto|author2=Christopher Parker|title=May 2010 Washington Poll|url=http://www.washingtonpoll.org/results/June1_teaparty.pdf|website=Washingtonpoll.org|publisher=University of Washington Institute for the Study of Ethnicity, Race and Sexuality|access-date=August 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819233106/http://www.washingtonpoll.org/results/June1_teaparty.pdf|archive-date=August 19, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
'''] Non-Profit Organizations:'''
* ], an organization with more than 1,000 affiliated groups across the nation<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ |title=Find Your Local Tea Party |publisher=Tea Party Patriots |date=April 15, 2010 |accessdate=July 27, 2010}}</ref> that proclaims itself to be the "Official Home of the Tea Party Movement".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/ |title=Official Home of the American Tea Party Movement |publisher=Tea Party Patriots |accessdate=July 27, 2010}}</ref>
* ], an organization founded by ] in 2003, and led by ]. The group has over 1 million members in 500 local affiliates, and led protests against health care reform in 2009.<ref name="top_players" />
* ], an organization led ]. Like Americans for Prosperity, the group has over 1 million members in 500 local affiliates. It makes local and national candidate endorsements.<ref name="top_players" />
* ], a national bus tour run by ], itself a conservative ] created by ]-based ] consulting firm ].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-brantzawadzki/tea-party-convention-lose_b_416987.html |first=Alex |last=Brant-Zawadzki |title=Tea Party Convention Loses Main Sponsor |date=January 14, 2010 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="tpmmuckraker">{{cite web|url=http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/majority_of_tea_party_groups_spending_went_to_gop.php?ref=fpa |title=Majority Of Tea Party Group's Spending Went To GOP Firm That Created It |last=Roth |first=Zachery |date=December 28, 2009 |publisher=TPMMuckraker |accessdate=February 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/2877-turning-republicans-into-teapublicans |title=Turning Republicans into Teapublicans |last=Adelmann |first=Bob |date=January 18, 2010 |publisher=TheNewAmerican.com |accessdate=April 23, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2010/01/04/news/6669165.txt |title=On board the Tea Party Express |first=Rick |last=Foster |newspaper=] |location=Attleboro, Massachusetts|date=January 4, 2010 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref>


=== Leadership ===
'''For-Profit Businesses:'''
]]]
* ], which sponsored the ] that was criticized for its $549 ticket price.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0130/Why-the-Tea-Party-Convention-is-tea-tering-on-the-edge |title=Why the Tea Party Convention is tea-tering on the edge |first=Patrik |last=Jonsson |publisher=The Christian Science Monitor |date=January 30, 2010 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.startribune.com/blogs/81186517.html |title=Palin, Bachmann Tea Party sessions closed to press | publisher=StarTribune.com |first=Kevin |last=Diaz |date=January 26, 2010 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26teaparty.html | work=The New York Times | title=Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention | first=Kate | last=Zernike | date=January 26, 2010 | accessdate=April 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/15/2175393.aspx |title=Tea Partying for profit? |first=Domenico |last=Montanaro |publisher=MSNBC |date=January 15, 2010 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref> and because Sarah Palin was apparently paid $100,000 USD for her appearance (which she put towards ]<ref>{{cite web|author=Patrik Jonsson |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0203/As-others-bolt-Sarah-Palin-stands-by-tea-party-convention |title=As others bolt, Sarah Palin stands by 'tea party' convention |publisher=Csmonitor.com |date=February 3, 2010 |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref>).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2010/02/20100207-085944.html |title=Palin prête pour une révolution |format=in French |date=February 20, 2010 |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
The movement has been supported nationally by prominent individuals and organizations.<ref name="top_players">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/09/26/GR2010092600175.html |title=The top national players in the tea party |newspaper=] |date=September 26, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name="tea_players">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20100204_7827.php |title=12 Tea Party Players To Watch |magazine=] |date=February 4, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2015 |first1=Christopher |last1=Snow Hopkins |first2=Siddhartha |last2=Mahanta |first3=Theresa |last3=Poulson |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521014750/http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20100204_7827.php |archive-date=May 21, 2013 }}</ref>


==== Individuals ====
'''Informal Organizations and Coalitions:'''
] at the 2012 Tea Party Express rally in Austin, Texas]]
* The ], formed on April 8, 2010, by several leaders in the Tea Party movement to help spread its message and to respond to critics with a quick, unified response.<ref name="Federation announcement">{{Cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/08/nation/la-na-tea-federation9-2010apr09 |title=Tea parties form a federation, but don't call them organized |first=Kathleen |last= Hennessey |date=April 8, 2010 |work=Los Angeles Times |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
An October 2010 ''Washington Post'' canvass of 647 local Tea Party organizers asked "which national figure best represents your groups?" and got the following responses: no one 34%, Sarah Palin 14%, Glenn Beck 7%, Jim DeMint 6%, Ron Paul 6%, Michele Bachmann 4%.<ref name="agwpostface"> ''Washington Post'' October 24, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2011.</ref>
* , a loose national coalition of several dozen local tea party groups.


The success of candidates popular within the Tea Party movement has boosted Palin's visibility.<ref>"One Republican who is not on any ticket is stealing the national spotlight: Sarah Palin" according to Huma Khan and Alexander Pepper, ''ABC News'', June 24, 2010</ref> Rasmussen and Schoen (2010) conclude that "She is the symbolic leader of the movement, and more than anyone else has helped to shape it."<ref>Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen ''Mad As Hell'' (2010) p. 154</ref>
'''Prominent Individuals:'''
*In July 2010, Rep. ], a ] Republican, formed the House congressional ]. This ], which Bachmann chairs, is devoted to the Tea Party's stated principles of "fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution, and limited government".<ref>. ]; July 16, 2010</ref> As of March 31, 2011, the caucus consisted of 62 Republican representatives.<ref name="house1"/> Rep. ] and Melissa Clouthier have accused them of trying to hijack or co-opt the grassroots Tea Party Movement.<ref>Kenneth P. Vogel . ]; August 2, 2010.</ref>


In June 2008, Congressman Ron Paul announced his non-profit organization called ] as a way of continuing the grassroots support involved in Ron Paul's 2007–2008 presidential run.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} This announcement corresponded with the suspension of his campaign.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}
'''Student Movement:'''
*Tea Party Students organized the 1st National Tea Party Students Conference, which was hosted by Tea Party Patriots at its American Policy Summit in Phoenix on February 25–27, 2011. The conference included sessions with Campus Reform, Students For Liberty, Young America’s Foundation, and Young Americans for Liberty.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/7185 |title=Student Tea Partyers head to Phoenix, face challenges |publisher=Thecollegefix.com |date=February 25, 2011 |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref>


In July 2010, Bachmann formed the House congressional ]. This ], which Bachmann chaired, is devoted to the Tea Party's stated principles of "fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution, and limited government".<ref>. ]; July 16, 2010</ref> As of March 31, 2011, the caucus consisted of 62 Republican representatives.<ref name="house1"/> Rep. ] and Melissa Clouthier have accused them of trying to hijack or co-opt the grassroots Tea Party Movement.<ref>] . ]; August 2, 2010.</ref>
==Fundraising and support==
Sarah Palin headlined four "Liberty at the Ballot Box" bus tours, to raise money for candidates and the Tea Party Express. One of the tours visited 30 towns and covered 3,000 miles.<ref>{{cite news |title=Palin stirs Tea Party troops with call to recapture principles of Ronald Reagan: Activists start two-week tour ahead of midterm poll: Key Democrats targeted amid attack on 'socialism' |first=Ed |last=Pilkington |work=The Guardian |date=October 19, 2010 |page=18}}</ref> Following the formation of the Tea Party Caucus, Michele Bachmann raised $10&nbsp;million for a ], MichelePAC, and sent funds to the campaigns of Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell, ], and ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bachmann's MichelePAC has $10&nbsp;million, shared with local conservatives, 'tea party' hopefuls |first=Jason |last=Hoppin |work=Saint Paul Pioneer Press |date=October 22, 2010}}</ref> In September 2010, the ] announced it had received a $1,000,000 USD donation from an anonymous donor.<ref name="million"> Bloomberg, September 21, 2010</ref>


==== Organizations ====
In an April 2009 '']'' opinion column, contributor ] wrote that "the tea parties don't represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They're ] (fake grassroots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by ], an organization run by ]."<ref name="Krugman 04-12-09">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13krugman.html | work=The New York Times | title=Tea Parties Forever | first=Paul | last=Krugman | date=April 12, 2009 | accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> The same month, then Speaker of the House ] (D-California) stated "It's not really a grassroots movement. It's astroturf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class"<ref>{{cite news|title=Pelosi Backpedals on Tea Partiers |date=March 2, 2010 |first=Sean |last=Hannity |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587745,00.html |publisher=FOX News Network |work=Hannity's America}}</ref><ref> ThinkProgress, Apr 15, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2011.</ref>
;Non-profit social welfare organizations (] classification ])
Note: the self-reported membership numbers below are several years old.
* ], an organization with more than 1,000 affiliated groups across the nation<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ |title=Find Your Local Tea Party |publisher=Tea Party Patriots |date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=July 27, 2010 |archive-date=February 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211194328/http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> that proclaims itself to be the "Official Home of the Tea Party Movement".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/ |title=Official Home of the American Tea Party Movement |publisher=Tea Party Patriots |access-date=July 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722094608/http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/ |archive-date=July 22, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* ], an organization founded by ] in 2003, and led by ]. The group has over 1 million members in 500 local affiliates and led protests against health care reform in 2009.<ref name="top_players" />
* ], an organization led by ]. The group has over 1 million members in 500 local affiliates. It makes local and national candidate endorsements.<ref name="top_players" />
* ], a national bus tour run by ], itself a conservative ] created by ]-based Republican consulting firm ].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/alex-brantzawadzki/tea-party-convention-lose_b_416987.html |first=Alex |last=Brant-Zawadzki |title=Tea Party Convention Loses Main Sponsor |date=January 14, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2010 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref><ref name="tpmmuckraker">{{cite web|url=http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/majority_of_tea_party_groups_spending_went_to_gop.php?ref=fpa |title=Majority Of Tea Party Group's Spending Went To GOP Firm That Created It |last=Roth |first=Zachery |date=December 28, 2009 |publisher=TPMMuckraker |access-date=February 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2010/01/04/news/6669165.txt |title=On board the Tea Party Express |first=Rick |last=Foster |newspaper=] |location=Attleboro, Massachusetts|date=January 4, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref>


FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity, and ], a ] ] ], were guiding the Tea Party movement in April 2009, according to '']''.<ref name=who/> Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks were "probably the leading partners" in the September 2009 ], also known as the 9/12 Tea Party, according to '']''.<ref name="guardian20090918"/>
===Influence of Koch Industries===
{{Main|Political activities of the Koch family}}
In an August 30, 2010, article in '']'', ] said that the billionaire brothers ] and ] and ] are providing financial and organizational support to the Tea Party movement through ], which David founded.<ref name="nyerhit">{{cite news |author=Mayer, Jane |date=August 30, 2010 |title=Covert Operations |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all |work=The New Yorker |publisher=Condé Nast |accessdate=January 31, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Zernike1020">{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/us/politics/20koch.htm |title=Secretive Republican Donors Are Planning Ahead |work=The New York Times |date=October 19, 2010 |first=Kate |last=Zernike }}{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref> The AFP's "Hot Air Tour" was organized to fight against taxes on carbon use and the activation of a ] program.<ref>Rasmussen, Scott; Schoen, Doug (2010). ''Mad As Hell''. p. 150</ref> In 1984, David Koch also founded ],<ref>Pilkington, Ed (September 18, 2009). . '']'' (London).</ref> part of which became ] in a 2004 split, another group that organized and supports the movement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tea party invests at local level in Virginia |first1=Rosalind S.|last1=Helderman |first2=Amy |last2=Gardner |work=The Washington Post |date=November 26, 2010 |page=A.1 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/25/AR2010112504072.html}}</ref> Koch Industries issued a press release stating that the Kochs have "no ties to and have never given money to FreedomWorks".<ref name="WeigelFW">{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/dick_armey_please_koch_keep_di.html |author=Weigel, David |title=Dick Armey: Please, Koch, keep distancing yourself from me |agency=Washington Post <--online only--> |date=April 15, 2010}}</ref> Former ambassador ] writes in the '']'' that the Tea Party movement is a mix of "grassroots populism, professional conservative politics, and big money", the last supplied in part by Charles and David Koch.<ref>{{cite news |title=Is this the start of a new American Revolution? |first=Christopher |last=Meyer |work=Daily Mail |location=UK (UK) |date=October 23, 2010 |page=16 |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323047/Anti-establishment-Tea-Party-leave-Obama-lame-duck.html}}</ref> Jane Mayer says that the Koch brothers' political involvement with the Tea Party has been so secretive that she labels it "covert".<ref name="mayer-fresh-air-2010">{{cite web |title=The Brothers Koch: Rich, Political And Playing To Win |last=Mayer |first=Jane |work=] |publisher=] |date=August 26, 2010 |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129425186}}</ref>


;''Tea Party Review''
==Ground game and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts==
In 2011 the movement launched a monthly magazine, the '']''.<ref name="BouieCrasher">{{cite magazine |last1=Bouie |first1=Jamelle |title=Tea Party Crasher |url=https://prospect.org/article/tea-party-crasher |access-date=April 3, 2019 |magazine=] |date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>


;For-profit businesses
===Tea Party ground game/GOTV before 2012===
* ], which sponsored the ] that was criticized for its $549 ticket price<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0130/Why-the-Tea-Party-Convention-is-tea-tering-on-the-edge |title=Why the Tea Party Convention is tea-tering on the edge |first=Patrik |last=Jonsson |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |date=January 30, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.startribune.com/blogs/81186517.html |title=Palin, Bachmann Tea Party sessions closed to press | newspaper=StarTribune.com |first=Kevin |last=Diaz |date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26teaparty.html | work=The New York Times | title=Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention | first=Kate | last=Zernike | date=January 26, 2010 | access-date=April 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/15/2175393.aspx |title=Tea Partying for profit? |first=Domenico |last=Montanaro |publisher=MSNBC |date=January 15, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119183309/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/15/2175393.aspx |archive-date=January 19, 2010 }}</ref> and because Palin was apparently paid $100,000 for her appearance (which she put towards ]<ref>{{cite web|author=Patrik Jonsson |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0203/As-others-bolt-Sarah-Palin-stands-by-tea-party-convention |title=As others bolt, Sarah Palin stands by 'tea party' convention |publisher=Csmonitor.com |date=February 3, 2010 |access-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref>).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2010/02/20100207-085944.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710022310/http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/lemonde/archives/2010/02/20100207-085944.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |title=Palin prête pour une révolution |format=in French |date=February 20, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
]
The Tea Party began life as a protest movement, not as an organization that works on political ground games or Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}} One of the first national signs of the Tea Party's efforts to organize voters came with the election of ] in the contest to fill the remaining two-year term of the late Sen. ].{{citation needed|date=August 2012}} Tea Party activists nationwide made a mass pilgrimage to the Bay State to support his unlikely campaign and ultimate win over Democrat ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Van Sack |first= Jessica|url=http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100119epic_battle_ends_at_the_polls_today_eyes_of_nation_on_mass_as_voters_decide_on_scott_brown_martha_coakley|title=Amazing Senate battle heads to the finish line|publisher=Boston Herald|date=January 19, 2010 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref> Democrats have said as late as September 2010 that the Tea Party could not match their ground game and was mostly hype. The Democrats have the advantage in better organization, an older volunteer organization and personal connections between volunteers and voters.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dickerson |first=John|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2010/09/obama_unleashed.html|publisher=Slate|date=September 2, 2010 |accessdate=August 18, 2012}}</ref>


;Informal organizations and coalitions
On November 2, 2010, ] reported that the Democrats did not dispute expectations that they would lose the House, and that their vaunted campaign operation faced a less polished ground game infused with the energy of the new Tea Party.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/02/voters-poised-punish-democrats-ballot-box/|title=Control of Congress at Stake on Election Day|publisher=FOX News|date=November 2, 2010 |accessdate=August 18, 2012}}</ref> The Tea Party helped deliver to Democrats what President Obama called a "shellacking" in the mid-term elections.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jackson |first=David|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/11/obamas-shellacking----how-badly-will-it-bruise-his-agenda/1#.UC9gViqF-K4|title=Obama's 'shellacking' -- how badly will it bruise his agenda|publisher=USA Today|date=November 4, 2010 |accessdate=August 18, 2012}}</ref> On November 10, 2010, ] announced the national rollout of “FreedomConnect” which they touted as a "grassroots action center that will revolutionize the ways in which FreedomWorks members, 9/12ers and tea party groups across the country communicate and organize in 2011 and beyond."<ref>{{cite news|last=Bodnar |first=Jacqueline|url=http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/freedomworks-launches-tea-party-action-center-“fre|title=FreedomWorks Launches Tea Party Action Center "FreedomConnect" In Ohio|publisher=FreedomWorks|date=November 16, 2010 |accessdate=August 18, 2012}}</ref>
* The ], formed on April 8, 2010, by several leaders in the Tea Party movement to help spread its message and to respond to critics with a quick, unified response.<ref name="Federation announcement">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-08-la-na-tea-federation9-2010apr09-story.html |title=Tea parties form a federation, but don't call them organized |first=Kathleen |last= Hennessey |date=April 8, 2010 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
* The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, a loose national coalition of several dozen local tea party groups.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nationwidechicagoteaparty.com/ |title=Nationwide Tea Party Coalition &#124; Plug into the Tea Party Movement Ecosystem |work=nationwidechicagoteaparty.com |access-date=May 15, 2013}}</ref>


;Student movement
===Challenge of the ground game for the Tea Party in the 2012 election cycle===
* Tea Party Students organized the 1st National Tea Party Students Conference, which was hosted by Tea Party Patriots at its American Policy Summit in Phoenix on February 25–27, 2011. The conference included sessions with Campus Reform, ], Young America's Foundation, and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/7185 |title=Student Tea Partyers head to Phoenix, face challenges |publisher=Thecollegefix.com |date=February 25, 2011 |access-date=February 23, 2012}}</ref>
]
The ground game was considered to be a major challenge for Tea Party candidates in several important contests in 2012, including Wisconsin's recall election of Gov. ]<ref>{{cite news|last=Carey |first=Nick |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47641406/ns/politics/t/wisconsin-recall-tests-conservatives-ground-game/#.UC7HQiqF-K4|title=Wisconsin recall tests conservative's ground game. |publisher=NBCNews.com |date=June 1, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hamby |first=Peter |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/05/politics/wisconsin-recall/index.html|title=Walker's fate in Wisconsin comes down to ground game.|publisher=CNN.com |date=June 1, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref> and the Texas GOP Senate primary race between "establishment" candidate Lt. Gov. ] and Tea Party favorite ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Fikac |first=Peggy |url=http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Ad-war-costly-but-campaigns-ground-games-will-3725445.php|title=Ground games will be key for Cruz, Dewhurst.|publisher=Chron.com |date=July 23, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref>


Other influential organizations include ], the training organization ], the ] political action committee, and ]'s ], according to the '']'' in February 2010.<ref name="tea_players"/>
Early in the election cycle, Democratic allies had expressed confidence in the strength of their own ground game. In September 2011, ] President ] delivering a speech to introduce President Obama to the gathered crowd, said "We got to keep an eye on the battle that we face: The war on workers. And you see it everywhere, it is the Tea Party.... We’re going to win that war.... President Obama, this is your army.... We are ready to march. Let’s take these sons of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong."<ref>{{cite news|last=CRABTREE|first=SUSAN|url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/hoffa-lets-take-these-sons-of-bitches-out.php|title=Hoffa: ‘Let’s Take These Sons Of Bitches Out!’|publisher=TPMDC |date=September 5, 2011|accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref> Similarly, Organized Labor in Wisconsin hoped its ground game would give it the edge.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nwlaborpress.org/2012/05/wisconsin-9/|title=Anti-union Wisconsin governor faces June 5 recall|publisher=nwLaborPress.org |date=May 29, 2012|accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref> According to ], Democratic Party Chair ] also boasted on ] in May that the Wisconsin recall would be the "dry run we need of our massive, significant dynamic grass-roots presidential campaign."<ref>{{cite news|last=Fikac |first=Peggy |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303665904577450533294600706.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop|title=Rove: Wisconsin and the GOP Ground Game.|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=June 6, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref>


==Fundraising==
When challenging GOP "establishment" opponents, the Tea Party faced opposing ground games of various size and sophistication. In Texas, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst hired "ground game expert" Kevin Lindley, who had run Gov. ]'s campaigns,<ref>{{cite news|last=Root|first=Jay|url=http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/2012-elections/ricks-perry-senate-race/|title=Risks For Perry In Senate Race|publisher=Texas Weekly |date=July 13, 2011|accessdate=August 18, 2012}}</ref> while in Indiana ] no longer lived in the state and developed a reputation for being out of touch with voters there.<ref>{{cite news|last=Writer|first=Staff|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Senate/2012/0509/In-Richard-Lugar-defeat-a-tea-party-road-map-for-revamping-Washington|title=In Richard Lugar defeat, a tea party road map for revamping Washington?|publisher=Christian Science Monitor|date=May 9, 2011|accessdate=August 18, 2012}}</ref>
] at a Tea Party rally in Hawesville, Kentucky, November 2009]]
Sarah Palin headlined four "Liberty at the Ballot Box" bus tours, to raise money for candidates and the Tea Party Express. One of the tours visited 30 towns and covered 3,000 miles.<ref>{{cite news |title=Palin stirs Tea Party troops with call to recapture principles of Ronald Reagan: Activists start two-week tour ahead of midterm poll: Key Democrats targeted amid attack on 'socialism' |first=Ed |last=Pilkington |work=The Guardian |date=October 19, 2010 |page=18}}</ref> Following the formation of the Tea Party Caucus, Michele Bachmann raised $10&nbsp;million for a ], MichelePAC, and sent funds to the campaigns of ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bachmann's MichelePAC has $10&nbsp;million, shared with local conservatives, 'tea party' hopefuls |first=Jason |last=Hoppin |work=Saint Paul Pioneer Press |date=October 22, 2010}}</ref> In September 2010, the ] announced it had received a $1,000,000 donation from an anonymous donor.<ref name="million"> Bloomberg, September 21, 2010</ref>


===Support of Koch brothers===
=== Tea Party shifts focus from demonstrations to ground game/GOTV ===
{{Main|Political activities of the Koch family}}
The '']'' noted in July 2012 that the Tea Party "is no longer the rising tsunami it appeared to be in 2010. Largely gone are the disorderly rallies, colonial-era costumes and fixations on fringe issues, such as the provenance of the president’s birth certificate. Instead, the movement has retooled into a loosely organized network of field operations that, as in Texas, pushes Republicans toward more strident conservative positions and candidates, while supplying ground troops across the country for candidates and big-money conservative groups, such as the ] and ]."<ref name="retool">{{cite news|last=Blackmon |first=Douglas |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tea-party-retools-itself-pushing-republicans-toward-more-strident-conservative-positions/2012/07/30/gJQAGuG1KX_print.html|title=Tea party retools as network of field operatives, keeps pushing GOP rightward|publisher=Washington Post |date=July 30, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}</ref>
In an August 30, 2010, article in '']'', ] asserted that the brothers ] and ] and ] provided financial support to one of the organizations that became part of the Tea Party movement through ].<ref name="nyerhit">{{cite news |author=Mayer, Jane |date=August 30, 2010 |title=Covert Operations |url=https://newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all |magazine=The New Yorker |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=January 31, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Zernike1020">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/us/politics/20koch.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |title=Secretive Republican Donors Are Planning Ahead |work=The New York Times |date=October 19, 2010 |first=Kate |last=Zernike }}</ref> The AFP's "Hot Air Tour" was organized to fight against taxes on carbon use and the activation of a ] program.<ref>Rasmussen, Scott; Schoen, Doug (2010). ''Mad As Hell''. p. 150</ref> A ] company spokesperson issued a 2010 statement saying "No funding has been provided by Koch companies, the Koch foundation, or Charles Koch or David Koch specifically to support the tea parties".<ref name="mayer-fresh-air-2010">{{cite web |title=The Brothers Koch: Rich, Political And Playing To Win |last=Mayer |first=Jane |work=] |publisher=] |date=August 26, 2010 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129425186}}</ref>

Tea Party members now tell stories of mailing literature from their laundry rooms, manning phone banks, knocking on doors,<ref name="retool"/> and driving over 34,000 miles in their cars to build support for legislation.<ref name="msnbc.msn.com"/> The ] now offer free, on-demand, online grassroots training programs.<ref> The Tea Party Patriots. Retrieved August 20, 2012.</ref> The Tea Party has also displayed a willingness to partner with seemingly unlikely groups, such as the ] and the ].<ref name="csmonitor.com"/>


==Public opinion== ==Public opinion==
===2010 polling===
A ''USA Today''/Gallup poll conducted in March 2010 found that 28% of those surveyed considered themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement, 26% opponents, and 46% neither.<ref name=GallupPoll>{{cite web |title=Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/tea-partiers-fairly-mainstream-demographics.aspx |first=Lydia |last=Saad |publisher=] |date=April 5, 2010 |mode=cs2 |access-date=February 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203021532/http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/Tea-Partiers-Fairly-Mainstream-Demographics.aspx |archive-date=February 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> These figures remained stable through January 2011, but public opinion changed by August 2011. In a ''USA Today''/Gallup poll conducted in January 2011, approximately 70% of adults, including approximately 9 out of 10 Republicans, felt Republican leaders in Congress should give consideration to Tea Party movement ideas.<ref name=GallupPoll2>{{cite web |title=Americans Believe GOP Should Consider Tea Party Ideas |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/145838/americans-believe-gop-consider-tea-party-ideas.aspx |first=Lydia |last=Saad |publisher=] |date=January 31, 2011 |access-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806091944/http://www.gallup.com/poll/145838/americans-believe-gop-consider-tea-party-ideas.aspx |archive-date=August 6, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2011, 42% of registered voters, but only 12% of Republicans, said Tea Party endorsement would be a "negative" and that they would be "less likely" to vote for such a candidate.<ref>{{cite news|author=USA Today/Gallup|date=August 4–7, 2011|title=Democrats Enjoy Slight Edge on 2012 Congressional Ballot|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/148964/Democrats-Enjoy-Slight-Edge-2012-Congressional-Ballot.aspx|publisher=Gallup|access-date=August 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824164245/http://www.gallup.com/poll/148964/democrats-enjoy-slight-edge-2012-congressional-ballot.aspx|archive-date=August 24, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>


A ] in April 2010 found 47% of Americans had an unfavorable image of the Tea Party movement, as opposed to 33% who had a favorable opinion.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716094624/http://www.gallup.com/poll/147308/negative-views-tea-party-rise-new-high.aspx |date=July 16, 2017 }} gallup.com| April 28, 2011</ref> A 2011 opinion survey by political scientists David E. Campbell and ] found the Tea Party ranked at the bottom of a list of "two dozen" American "religious, political, and racial groups" in terms of favorability—"even less liked than Muslims and atheists."<ref name=God/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/41744|title=Tea party more unpopular than atheists and Muslims|author=Doug Thompson|work=Capitol Hill Blue|date=August 19, 2011|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015193358/http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/41744|archive-date=October 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2011, '']'' cited opinion polls showing that support for the Tea Party had "fallen sharply even in places considered Tea Party strongholds." It quoted pollster ] speculating that the Tea Party position in Congress was perceived as "too extreme and not willing to compromise".<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719094150/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/us/politics/tea-party-support-falls-even-in-strongholds-survey-finds.html |date=July 19, 2018 }}, ''New York Times'', Kate Zernike, November 29, 2011</ref>
===2010 Polling===
A ''USA Today''/Gallup poll conducted in March 2010, found that 28% of those surveyed considered themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement, 26% were opponents, and 46% were neither.<ref name=GallupPoll>{{cite web |title=Tea Partiers Are Fairly Mainstream in Their Demographics |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/127181/tea-partiers-fairly-mainstream-demographics.aspx |first=Lydia |last=Saad |publisher=] |date=April 5, 2010 |separator=, |accessdate=February 6, 2011}}</ref> These figures remained stable through January 2011, but public opinion of the movement changed by August 2011. In the ''USA Today''/Gallup poll conducted in January 2011, approximately 70% of adults, including approximately 9 out of 10 Republicans, feel Republican leaders in Congress should give consideration to Tea Party movement ideas.<ref name=GallupPoll2>{{cite web |title=Americans Believe GOP Should Consider Tea Party Ideas |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/145838/americans-believe-gop-consider-tea-party-ideas.aspx|first=Lydia |last=Saad |publisher=] |date=January 31, 2011}}</ref> In August 2011, 42% of registered voters, but only 12% of Republicans, said Tea Party endorsement would be a "negative" and that they would be "less likely" to vote for such a candidate.<ref>{{cite news|author=USA Today/Gallup|date=August 4–7, 2011|title=Democrats Enjoy Slight Edge on 2012 Congressional Ballot|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/148964/Democrats-Enjoy-Slight-Edge-2012-Congressional-Ballot.aspx|publisher=Gallup|accessdate=August 22, 2011}}</ref>

A ] of April 2010 found 47% of Americans had an "unfavorable" image of the Tea Party movement, as opposed to 33% who had a favorable opinion.
<ref> gallup.com| April 28, 2011</ref> A 2011 opinion survey by political scientists David E. Campbell and ] found the Tea Party ranked at the bottom of a list of "two dozen" American "religious, political, and racial groups" in terms of favorability -- "even less liked than Muslims and atheists."<ref name=God/><ref></ref> In November 2011 the ] cited opinion polls showing that support for the Tea Party had "fallen sharply even in places considered Tea Party strongholds." It quoted a pollster (], president of the ]) speculating that the Tea Party position in congress was perceived as "too extreme and not willing to compromise.”<ref> By KATE ZERNIKE November 29, 2011</ref>


A CBS News/''New York Times'' poll in September 2010, showed 19% of respondents supported the movement, 63% did not, and 16% said they did not know. In the same poll, 29% had an unfavorable view of the Tea Party, compared to 23% with a favorable view.<ref name=CBSPoll>{{cite news |title=Tea Party Supported by One in Five in New CBS News/NYT Poll |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20016526-503544.html |first=Stephanie |last=Condon |publisher=] |date=September 20, 2010 |separator=, |accessdate=February 8, 2011}}</ref> The same poll retaken in August 2011 found that 20% of respondents had a "favorable" view of the Tea Party and 40% had an "unfavorable" view.<ref>{{cite news|author=New York Times/CBS News|date=August 2–3, 2011|title=Poll|url=http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/05/us/politics/20110805_Poll-docs.html|work=The New York Times|accessdate=August 22, 2011}}</ref> A CNN/ORC poll taken September 23–25, 2011, found that the favorable/unfavorable ratio was 28% versus 53%.<ref>{{cite news|title=Poll: Thumbs down to Tea Party|first=Joel |last=Connelly|date=September 27, 2011|url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/09/27/thumbs-down-to-tea-party-poll/|work=seattlepi.com}}</ref> A CBS News/''New York Times'' poll in September 2010 showed 19% of respondents supported the movement, 63% did not, and 16% said they did not know. In the same poll, 29% had an unfavorable view of the Tea Party, compared to 23% with a favorable view.<ref name=CBSPoll>{{cite news |title=Tea Party Supported by One in Five in New CBS News/NYT Poll |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tea-party-supported-by-one-in-five-in-new-cbs-news-nyt-poll/ |first=Stephanie |last=Condon |publisher=] |date=September 20, 2010 |mode=cs2 |access-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119202601/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20016526-503544.html |archive-date=January 19, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The same poll retaken in August 2011 found that 20% of respondents had a favorable view of the Tea Party and 40% had an unfavorable view.<ref>{{cite news|author=New York Times/CBS News|date=August 2–3, 2011|title=Poll|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/05/us/politics/20110805_Poll-docs.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822235433/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/05/us/politics/20110805_Poll-docs.html|archive-date=August 22, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> A CNN/ORC poll taken September 23–25, 2011 found that the favorable/unfavorable ratio was 28% versus 53%.<ref>{{cite news|title=Poll: Thumbs down to Tea Party|first=Joel|last=Connelly|date=September 27, 2011|url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/09/27/thumbs-down-to-tea-party-poll/|work=seattlepi.com|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930001857/http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/09/27/thumbs-down-to-tea-party-poll/|archive-date=September 30, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>


An NBC News/''Wall Street Journal'' poll later in September 2010 found 27% considered themselves Tea Party supporters. In that poll, 42% said the Tea Party has been good for the U.S. political system; 18% called it a bad thing. Those with an unfavorable view of the Tea Party outnumbered those with a favorable view 36–30%. In comparison, the Democratic Party was viewed unfavorably by a 42–37% margin, and the Republican Party by 43–31%.<ref name=WSJPoll>{{cite news |title=Poll: Battle for Congress tightens between parties |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39405132/ns/politics-white_house/ |first=Mark |last=Murray |publisher=MSNBC |date=September 28, 2010 |separator=, |accessdate=February 8, 2011}}</ref> An NBC News/''Wall Street Journal'' poll in September 2010 found 27% considered themselves Tea Party supporters. 42% said the Tea Party has been good for the U.S. political system; 18% called it a bad thing. Those with an unfavorable view of the Tea Party outnumbered those with a favorable view 36–30%. In comparison, the Democratic Party was viewed unfavorably by a 42–37% margin, and the Republican Party by 43–31%.<ref name=WSJPoll>{{cite news |title=Poll: Battle for Congress tightens between parties |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39405132 |first=Mark |last=Murray |publisher=NBC News |date=September 28, 2010 |mode=cs2 |access-date=February 8, 2011 }}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>


A poll conducted by the ] in March 2010 found that only 13% of national adults identified themselves as part of the Tea Party movement but that the Tea Party had a positive opinion by a 28–23% margin with 49% who did not know enough about the group to form an opinion.<ref name="quinnipiac1" /> A similar poll conducted by the ''Winston Group'' in April 2010 found that 17% of American registered voters consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement.<ref name=WinstonPoll>{{cite news |title=Survey: Four in 10 Tea Party members are Democrats or independents |url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/90541-survey-four-in-10-tea-party-members-dem-or-indie |first=Sean |last=Miller |date=April 4, 2010 |separator=, |accessdate=February 11, 2011}}</ref> A poll conducted by the ] in March 2010 found that 13% of national adults identified themselves as part of the Tea Party movement but that the Tea Party had a positive opinion by a 28–23% margin with 49% who did not know enough about the group to form an opinion.<ref name="quinnipiac1" /> A similar poll conducted by the Winston Group in April 2010 found that 17% of American registered voters considered themselves part of the Tea Party movement.<ref name=WinstonPoll>{{cite news |title=Survey: Four in 10 Tea Party members are Democrats or independents |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/65954-survey-four-in-10-tea-party-members-are-democrats-or-independents/ |first=Sean |last=Miller |date=April 4, 2010 |mode=cs2 |access-date=February 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111170225/http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/90541-survey-four-in-10-tea-party-members-dem-or-indie |archive-date=January 11, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>


===After debt-ceiling crisis=== ===After debt-ceiling crisis===
{{See also|United States debt-ceiling crisis of 2011}} {{See also|United States debt-ceiling crisis of 2011}}
After the mid-2011 debt-ceiling crisis, polls became more unfavorable to the Tea Party.<ref name="GallupAug">, Gallup</ref><ref name="PewAug">, Pew</ref> According to a ] poll, 28% of adults disapproved of the Tea Party compared to 25% approving, and noted that "he national Tea Party movement appears to have lost some ground in popular support after the blistering debate over raising the nation's debt ceiling in which Tea Party Republicans...fought any compromise on taxes and spending".<ref name="GallupAug" /> Similarly, a Pew poll found that 29% of respondents thought Congressional tea party supporters had a negative effect compared to 22% thinking it was a positive effect. It noted that "he new poll also finds that those who followed the debt ceiling debate very closely have more negative views about the impact of the Tea Party than those who followed the issue less closely."<ref name="PewAug" /> A CNN/ORC poll put disapproval at 51% with a 31% approval.<ref>, CNN</ref>


After the mid-2011 debt ceiling crisis, polls became more unfavorable to the Tea Party.<ref name="GallupAug"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107095927/http://www.gallup.com/poll/148940/tea-party-sparks-antipathy-passion.aspx |date=January 7, 2017 }}, Gallup</ref><ref name="PewAug"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322135612/https://www.people-press.org/2011/08/09/views-of-tea-party-supporters-in-congress-grow-more-negative/?src=rss_main |date=March 22, 2019 }}, Pew</ref> According to a Gallup poll, 28% of adults disapproved of the Tea Party compared to 25% approving, and noted that "he national Tea Party movement appears to have lost some ground in popular support after the blistering debate over raising the nation's debt ceiling in which Tea Party Republicans... fought any compromise on taxes and spending".<ref name="GallupAug" /> Similarly, a Pew poll found that 29% of respondents thought Congressional Tea Party supporters had a negative effect compared to 22% thinking it was a positive effect. It noted that "he new poll also finds that those who followed the debt ceiling debate very closely have more negative views about the impact of the Tea Party than those who followed the issue less closely."<ref name="PewAug" /> A CNN/ORC poll put disapproval at 51% with a 31% approval.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206185059/http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/08/09/poll.aug9.pdf |date=February 6, 2019 }}, CNN</ref>
===2012 Polling===
A ] poll conducted in April 2012 shows 44% of Likely U.S. Voters hold at least a somewhat favorable view of Tea Party activists, while 49% share an unfavorable opinion of them. When asked if the Tea Party movement will help or hurt Republicans in the 2012 elections, 53% of Republicans said they see the Tea Party as a political plus.<ref name="rasmussenreports1">{{cite web |title=53% of Republicans See Tea Party As Political Plus; 32% of Democrats Say Same of Occupy |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2012/53_of_republicans_see_tea_party_as_political_plus_32_of_democrats_say_same_of_occupy |publisher=] |date=April 4, 2012 |separator=, |accessdate=June 9, 2012}}</ref>


==Symbols and names== ===2012 polling===
A ] poll conducted in April 2012 showed 44% of likely U.S. voters held at least a somewhat favorable view of Tea Party activists, while 49% share an unfavorable opinion of them. When asked if the Tea Party movement would help or hurt Republicans in the 2012 elections, 53% of Republicans said they see the Tea Party as a political plus.<ref name="rasmussenreports1">{{cite web |title=53% of Republicans See Tea Party As Political Plus; 32% of Democrats Say Same of Occupy |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2012/53_of_republicans_see_tea_party_as_political_plus_32_of_democrats_say_same_of_occupy |publisher=] |date=April 4, 2012 |mode=cs2 |access-date=June 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609012944/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2012/53_of_republicans_see_tea_party_as_political_plus_32_of_democrats_say_same_of_occupy |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>


===Symbols=== ===2013 and 2014 polling===
A February 2014 article from ] reported about the past few years, "Nationally, there is no question that negative views of the Tea Party have risen. But core support seems to be holding steady."<ref name=realspin/> In October 2013, ] research found as many respondents (42%) identify with the Tea Party as with President Obama. However, while 30% of those polled viewed the movement favorably, 50% were unfavorable; in addition, 34% considered the movement a force for good while 43% considered them bad for the nation. On major national issues, 77% of Democrats said their views were closest to Obama's; in contrast, 76% of Republicans and 51% of unaffiliated voters identified closely with the Tea Party.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/october_2013/42_identify_with_obama_politically_42_with_the_tea_party |title=42% Identify with Obama Politically, 42% with the Tea Party |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |date=October 29, 2013 |access-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413185941/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/october_2013/42_identify_with_obama_politically_42_with_the_tea_party |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
]]] ]Beginning in 2009, the ] had become widely used as a protest symbol by Tea Party protesters nationwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/gadsden-flag-denied-over-state-capitol |title=Gadsden flag denied over State Capitol |publisher=]|location=New Haven, CT|date=May 26, 2010 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/136113.html|title={{-'}}Tea Party' flag rankles some |publisher=]|first=Ted|last=Hayes|date=May 27, 2010|accessdate=September 7, 2011}}</ref><ref name="foxnews1">{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/28/connecticut-marines-fight-dont-trend-flag-display/ |title=Connecticut Marines Fight for 'Don't Tread on Me' Flag Display |publisher=Fox News |date=April 7, 2010 |accessdate=August 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/06/13/flag_daze/ |title=Flag daze |work=The Boston Globe |date=June 13, 2010 |accessdate=August 2, 2010 |first=Tom |last=Scocca}}</ref> It was also seen being displayed by members of Congress at Tea Party rallies.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS197716+16-Apr-2009+MW20090416|title=Gadsden Flags Flying Off the Shelves in Support of the Tea Party Tax Protest|accessdate=July 7, 2009|publisher=]|date=April 16, 2009}}</ref> Some lawmakers have dubbed it a political symbol due to the Tea Party connection<ref name="foxnews1"/> and the political nature of Tea Party supporters.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.necn.com/04/08/10/Tea-Party-flag-will-not-fly-at-Connectic/landing.html?blockID=212620&feedID=4215|title=Tea Party flag will not fly at Connecticut Capitol|publisher=]|date=April 8, 2010|accessdate=August 2, 2010}}</ref>


Other survey data over recent years show that past trends of partisan divides about the Tea Party remain. For example, a ] poll from October 2013 reported that 69% of Democrats had an unfavorable view of the movement, in contrast to 49% of independents and 27% of Republicans.<ref name=realspin/> A CNN/ORC poll also conducted October 2013 generally showed that 28% of Americans were favorable to the Tea party while 56% were unfavorable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2013/images/10/22/10-22-2013.gop-tea.party.poll.pdf|title=CNN/ORC poll|date=October 22, 2013|access-date=May 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104223544/http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2013/images/10/22/10-22-2013.gop-tea.party.poll.pdf|archive-date=November 4, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In an AP/GfK survey from January 2014, 27% of respondents stated that they considered themselves a Tea Party supporter in comparison to 67% that said that they did not.<ref name=realspin/>
The Second Revolution flag gained national attention on January 19, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alan.com/2010/01/20/flag-calling-for-second-revolution-distributed-at-scott-brown-victory-party/|title=Flag Calling For 'Second Revolution' Distributed At Scott Brown Victory Party|first=Alan|last=Colmes|authorlink=Alan Colmes|work=Liberaland |publisher=Alan Colmes|date=January 20, 2010 |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref> It is a version of the ] with a Roman numeral "II" in the center of the circle of 13 stars symbolizing a second revolution in America.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/15/tea_party_rally_generates_plenty_of_criticism_opposing_views/?page=2 | work=The Boston Globe | first=David | last=Abel | title=Tea party rally generates plenty of criticism, opposing views | date=April 15, 2010}}</ref> The Second Revolution flag has been called synonymous with Tea Party causes and events.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.worcestermag.com/city-desk/top-news/95576569.html |title=Is this town big enough for the Tea Party and the Grand Old Party? |first=Jeremy |last=Shulkin |date=June 3, 2010 |accessdate=April 10, 2011 |work=]}}</ref>


==Symbols==
===Use of term "teabagger"===
]]] ]
The term '']'' was initially used to refer to Tea Partiers after conservatives used ''tea bag'' as a verb on protest signs and websites. Members of the movement adopted the term, and referred to themselves as teabaggers. Shortly thereafter, however, others outside the movement began to use the term mockingly, alluding to the ] when referring to Tea Party protesters. Most conservatives do not, for the most part, use the term with its ] meaning; rather it seems the political left has adopted the joke.<ref> Washington Independent, February 27, 2009; Retrieved April 24, 2010.</ref><ref>Alex Koppelman Salon.com; April 14, 2009</ref><ref name="evolution">; The Week; May 5, 2010</ref> It has been used by several media outlets to humorously refer to Tea Party-affiliated protestors.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-platform-frat-house-humor/ |title=Cable Anchors, Guests Use Tea Parties as Platform for Frat House Humor |publisher=FOX News |date=April 7, 2010 |accessdate=September 9, 2010}}</ref>Some conservatives have advocated that the non-vulgar meaning of the word be reclaimed.<ref name="evolution"/> ], co-host of the ''"]"'' radio program, has listed ''teabagger'' as a 2009 buzzword meaning, "a derogatory name for attendees of Tea Parties, probably coined in allusion to a sexual practice".<ref> By MARK LEIBOVICH and GRANT BARRETT, December 19, 2009, ]</ref>


Beginning in 2009, the ] became widely used as a symbol by Tea Party protesters nationwide.<ref>See
==Commentaries on the movement==
* {{cite news | last = Staff writer | title = Gadsden flag denied over State Capitol | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110113131110/http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/gadsden-flag-denied-over-state-capitol | archive-date = January 13, 2011 | url = http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/gadsden-flag-denied-over-state-capitol | work = ] | publisher = ] | location = New Haven, Connecticut | date = May 26, 2010 | access-date = January 23, 2011 }}
* {{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611075117/http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/136113.html|archive-date=June 11, 2010|url=http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/136113.html|title={{-'}}Tea Party' flag rankles some|publisher=]|first=Ted|last=Hayes|date=May 27, 2010|access-date=September 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite news |last=Scocca |first=Tom |url=http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/06/13/flag_daze/ |title=Flag daze |work=] |date=June 13, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="foxnews1">{{cite news| last = Macedo | first = Diane |title=Connecticut Marines Fight for 'Don't Tread on Me' Flag Display |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/connecticut-marines-fight-for-dont-tread-on-me-flag-display/ |work=] |date=April 7, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2010}}</ref> It was also displayed by members of Congress at Tea Party rallies.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS197716+16-Apr-2009+MW20090416|title=Gadsden Flags Flying Off the Shelves in Support of the Tea Party Tax Protest|access-date=July 7, 2009|publisher=]|date=April 16, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090814025505/https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS197716+16-Apr-2009+MW20090416|archive-date=August 14, 2009}}</ref> Some lawmakers dubbed it a political symbol due to the Tea Party connection<ref name="foxnews1"/> and the political nature of Tea Party supporters.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/_NECN__Tea_Party_Flag_Will_Not_Fly_at_Connecticut_Capitol_NECN-247451121.html|title=Tea Party flag will not fly at Connecticut Capitol|publisher=]|date=April 8, 2010|access-date=August 2, 2010}}</ref>


The Second Revolution flag gained national attention on January 19, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alan.com/2010/01/20/flag-calling-for-second-revolution-distributed-at-scott-brown-victory-party/|title=Flag Calling For 'Second Revolution' Distributed At Scott Brown Victory Party (blog)|first=Alan|last=Colmes|author-link=Alan Colmes|work=Liberaland |publisher=]|date=January 20, 2010 |access-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref> It is a version of the ] with a Roman numeral "II" in the center of the circle of 13 stars symbolizing a second revolution in America.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/15/tea_party_rally_generates_plenty_of_criticism_opposing_views/?page=2 | work=] | first=David | last=Abel | title=Tea party rally generates plenty of criticism, opposing views | date=April 15, 2010}}</ref> The Second Revolution flag has been called synonymous with Tea Party causes and events.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.worcestermag.com/city-desk/top-news/95576569.html |title=Is this town big enough for the Tea Party and the Grand Old Party? |first=Jeremy |last=Shulkin |date=June 3, 2010 |access-date=April 10, 2011 |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602025911/http://www.worcestermag.com/city-desk/top-news/95576569.html |archive-date=June 2, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Commentary by the Obama administration===


=="Teabagger"{{anchor|Use_of_term_.22teabagger.22}}==
On April 29, 2009, Obama commented on the Tea Party protests publicly during a townhall meeting in ], saying: "let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we're going to stabilize ]. ] and I are working diligently to do basically a thorough audit of federal spending. But let's not play games and pretend that the reason is because of the recovery act, because that's just a fraction of the overall problem that we've got. We are going to have to tighten our belts, but we're going to have to do it in an intelligent way. And we've got to make sure that the people who are helped are working American families, and we're not suddenly saying that the way to do this is to eliminate programs that help ordinary people and give more tax cuts to the wealthy. We tried that formula for eight years. It did not work. And I don't intend to go back to it."<ref> ]; April 29, 2009.</ref><ref> CNN Political Ticker; April 29, 2009</ref>
Some participants of the movement adopted the term as a verb, and a few others referred to themselves as "]".<ref>{{cite news | first = David | last = Weigel | title = The Slur That Must Not Be Named | date = November 10, 2009 | url = http://washingtonindependent.com/67191/the-slur-that-must-not-be-named | work = The Washington Independent | access-date = June 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130606173953/http://washingtonindependent.com/67191/the-slur-that-must-not-be-named | archive-date = June 6, 2013 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=evolution>{{cite news | title = The evolution of the word 'tea bagger' | date = May 5, 2010 | url = https://theweek.com/article/index/202620/the-evolution-of-the-word-tea-bagger | work = The Week | access-date = June 6, 2013}}</ref> News media and progressive commentators outside the movement began to use the term mockingly and derisively, alluding to the ] when referring to Tea Party protesters. The first pejorative use of the term was in 2007 by ] Communications Director Jennifer Wagner.<ref name="tdw">{{cite web |url=http://www.takingdownwords.com/taking_down_words/2007/07/stay-vigilant-t.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123080347/http://www.takingdownwords.com/taking_down_words/2007/07/stay-vigilant-t.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 23, 2017 |title=Stay Vigilant: Taxpayers Plan To Teabag Broad Ripple Canal On Saturday |last=Wagner |first=Jennifer |date=July 27, 2007}}</ref> The use of the ] evolved from Tea Party protest sites encouraging readers to "Tea bag the fools in DC" to the political left adopting the term for derogatory jokes.<ref name=evolution/><ref>{{cite news | first = David | last = Weigel | title = Scenes from the New American Tea Party | date = February 27, 2009 | url = http://washingtonindependent.com/31868/scenes-from-the-new-american-tea-party | work = The Washington Independent | access-date = June 6, 2013 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100916064652/http://washingtonindependent.com/31868/scenes-from-the-new-american-tea-party | archive-date = September 16, 2010 | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=Koppelman>{{cite news | first = Alex | last = Koppelman | title = Your guide to teabagging | date = April 14, 2009 | url = http://www.salon.com/2009/04/15/teabagging_guide/ | work = Salon.com | access-date = June 6, 2013}}</ref> It has been used by several media outlets to humorously refer to Tea Party-affiliated protestors.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-as-platform-for-frat-house-humor/ |title=Cable Anchors, Guests Use Tea Parties as Platform for Frat House Humor |publisher=FOX News |date=April 7, 2010 |access-date=September 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915025853/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-platform-frat-house-humor/ |archive-date=September 15, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Some conservatives have advocated that the non-vulgar meaning of the word be reclaimed.<ref name="evolution"/> ], co-host of the '']'' radio program, has listed ''teabagger'' as a 2009 buzzword meaning, "a derogatory name for attendees of Tea Parties, probably coined in allusion to a sexual practice".<ref>{{cite news | first = Mark | last = Leibovich |author2=Grant Barrett | title = The Buzzwords of 2009 | date = December 19, 2009 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/weekinreview/20buzz.html | work = The New York Times | access-date = June 6, 2013}}</ref>


==Commentary by the Obama administration==
On April 15, 2010, Obama touted his administration's tax cuts, noting the passage of 25 different tax cuts over the past year, including tax cuts for 95% of working Americans. He then remarked, "So I've been a little amused over the last couple of days where people have been having these rallies about taxes. You would think they would be saying thank you. That's what you'd think."<ref name="ABC pol punch">{{Cite news |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/04/obama-at-democratic-fundraiser-tea-partiers-should-be-thanking-him-for-tax-cuts.html |title=Obama at Democratic Fundraiser: Tea Partiers Should Be Thanking Him for Tax Cuts |last=Travers |first=Karen |coauthors=Rachel Martin |date=April 15, 2010 |work=Political Punch |publisher=ABC News |accessdate=April 23, 2010}}</ref><ref> (Transcript). White House Press Office. April 16, 2010.</ref>
On April 29, 2009, Obama commented on the Tea Party protests during a townhall meeting in ]: "Let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we're going to stabilize Social Security. Claire McCaskill and I are working diligently to do basically a thorough audit of federal spending. But let's not play games and pretend that the reason is because of the recovery act, because that's just a fraction of the overall problem that we've got. We are going to have to tighten our belts, but we're going to have to do it in an intelligent way. And we've got to make sure that the people who are helped are working American families, and we're not suddenly saying that the way to do this is to eliminate programs that help ordinary people and give more tax cuts to the wealthy. We tried that formula for eight years. It did not work. And I don't intend to go back to it."<ref> ]; April 29, 2009.</ref><ref> CNN Political Ticker; April 29, 2009</ref>


On April 15, 2010, Obama noted the passage of 25 different tax cuts over the past year, including tax cuts for 95% of working Americans. He then remarked, "So I've been a little amused over the last couple of days where people have been having these rallies about taxes. You would think they would be saying thank you. That's what you'd think."<ref name="ABC pol punch">{{Cite news |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/04/obama-at-democratic-fundraiser-tea-partiers-should-be-thanking-him-for-tax-cuts.html |title=Obama at Democratic Fundraiser: Tea Partiers Should Be Thanking Him for Tax Cuts |last=Travers |first=Karen |author2=Rachel Martin |date=April 15, 2010 |work=Political Punch |publisher=ABC News |access-date=April 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419110031/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/04/obama-at-democratic-fundraiser-tea-partiers-should-be-thanking-him-for-tax-cuts.html |archive-date=April 19, 2010 }}</ref><ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216153853/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-dnc-reception-41510 |date=February 16, 2017 }} (Transcript). White House Press Office. April 16, 2010.</ref>
On September 20, 2010, at a townhall discussion sponsored by CNBC, Obama said healthy skepticism about government and spending was good, but it was not enough to just say "Get control of spending", and he challenged the Tea Party movement to get specific about how they would cut government debt and spending: "And so the challenge, I think, for the Tea Party movement is to identify specifically what would you do. It's not enough just to say, get control of spending. I think it's important for you to say, I'm willing to cut veterans' benefits, or I'm willing to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits, or I'm willing to see these taxes go up. What you can't do—which is what I've been hearing a lot from the other side—is say we're going to control government spending, we're going to propose $4&nbsp;trillion of additional tax cuts, and that magically somehow things are going to work."<ref> USA Today; September 20, 2010</ref><ref> Scribd Transcript; September 20, 2010</ref>

On September 20, 2010, at a townhall discussion sponsored by CNBC, Obama said healthy skepticism about government and spending was good, but it was not enough to just say "Get control of spending", and he challenged the Tea Party movement to get specific about how they would cut government debt and spending: "And so the challenge, I think, for the Tea Party movement is to identify specifically what would you do. It's not enough just to say, get control of spending. I think it's important for you to say, I'm willing to cut veterans' benefits, or I'm willing to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits, or I'm willing to see these taxes go up. What you can't do—which is what I've been hearing a lot from the other side—is say we're going to control government spending, we're going to propose $4&nbsp;trillion of additional tax cuts, and that magically somehow things are going to work."<ref> USA Today; September 20, 2010</ref><ref> Scribd Transcript; September 20, 2010</ref>


==Media coverage== ==Media coverage==
], Conservative radio commentator]]
'']'' reported that the nature of the coverage of the protests has become part of the story.<ref name=world>{{Cite news |date=April 16, 2009 |publisher=US News and World Report |title=Tea Party Rallies Protest Obama Policies |accessdate=April 24, 2010 |url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090416.htm}}</ref> On ]'s '']'', journalist ] commented that "much of the media seems to have chosen sides". He says that Fox News portrayed the protests "as a big story, CNN as a modest story, and ] as a great story to make fun of. And for most major newspapers, it's a nonstory."<ref name=world/> There are reports that the movement has been ].<ref>
'']'' reported that the nature of the coverage of the protests has become part of the story.<ref name=world>{{cite magazine |date=April 16, 2009 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |title=Tea Party Rallies Protest Obama Policies |access-date=April 24, 2010 |url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090416.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503154045/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090416.htm |archive-date=May 3, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On ]'s '']'', journalist ] commented that "much of the media seems to have chosen sides". He says that Fox News portrayed the protests "as a big story, CNN as a modest story, and ] as a great story to make fun of. And for most major newspapers, it's a nonstory".<ref name=world/> There were reports that the movement had been ].<ref>
{{Cite news {{Cite news
|last=Calderone |last=Calderone
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|title=Fox teas up a tempest |title=Fox teas up a tempest
|date=April 15, 2009 |date=April 15, 2009
|work=POLITICO |work=POLITICO
|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21275.html }} |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21275.html }}
</ref><ref> </ref><ref>
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|title=More Tea Party Symbiotics: Fox News |title=More Tea Party Symbiotics: Fox News
|date=April 10, 2009 |date=April 10, 2009
|magazine=The Atlantic |magazine=The Atlantic
|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/more-tea-party-symbiotics-fox-news/12984/ }} |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/more-tea-party-symbiotics-fox-news/12984/ }}
</ref> </ref>
] during the ], September 12, 2009.]]


According to ], a ] media watchdog, there is a disparity between large coverage of the Tea Party movement and minimal coverage of larger movements. In 2009, the major Tea Party protests were quoted twice as often as the ] despite a much lower turnout.<ref>{{Cite news According to ], a ] media watchdog, there is a disparity between large coverage of the Tea Party movement and minimal coverage of larger movements. In 2009, the major Tea Party protests were quoted twice as often as the ] despite a much lower turnout.<ref>{{Cite news
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|work=Extra! |work=Extra!
|url=http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3955}}</ref> |url=http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3955}}</ref>
In 2010, a Tea Party protest was covered 59 times more than the ] (177 Tea Party mentions versus 3 for Social Forum) despite an attendance that was 25 times smaller in size (600 Tea Party attendees versus at least 15,000 for Social Forum).<ref>{{Cite news In 2010, a Tea Party protest was covered 59 times as much as the ] (177 Tea Party mentions versus 3 for Social Forum) despite the attendance of the latter being 25 times as much (600 Tea Party attendees versus at least 15,000 for Social Forum).<ref>{{Cite news
|last=Hollar |last=Hollar
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|url=http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4143}}</ref> |url=http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4143}}</ref>


In April 2010, responding to a question from the media watchdog group ] posed the previous week, ], the chief executive of ], which owns Fox News, said, "I don't think we should be supporting the Tea Party or any other party." That same week Fox News canceled an appearance by ] at a ] Tea Party rally.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/us/17fox.html |work=The New York Times |title=Fox Canceled Hannity's Attendance at Tea Party's Tax Day Rally in Cincinnati |first=Brian |last=Stelter |date=April 16, 2010}}</ref> In April 2010, responding to a question from the media watchdog group ] posed the previous week, ], the chief executive of ], which owns Fox News, said, "I don't think we should be supporting the Tea Party or any other party." That same week, Fox News canceled an appearance by ] at a ] Tea Party rally.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/us/17fox.html |work=The New York Times |title=Fox Canceled Hannity's Attendance at Tea Party's Tax Day Rally in Cincinnati |first=Brian |last=Stelter |date=April 16, 2010}}</ref>


Following the September 12 ], Fox News said it was the only cable news outlet to cover the emerging protests and took out full-page ads in '']'', the '']'', and '']'' with a prominent headline reading, "How did ], CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN miss this story?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Krakauer |first =Steve |title =Internal Fox News Email Addresses "Standards" After 9/12 Flap |publisher=Mediaite |date =September 21, 2009 |url =http://www.mediaite.com/tv/internal-fox-email-addresses-standards-after-912-flap/ |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> CNN news anchor ] disputed Fox's assertion, pointing to various coverage of the event.<ref name="politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com">{{Cite news|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/18/networks-respond-to-false-fox-ad/ |title=Networks respond to false Fox ad |date=September 18, 2009 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0909/WaPo_defends_running_Fox_ad.html |title=WaPo defends running Fox ad |last=Calderone |first=Michael |date=September 18, 2009 |publisher=Politico |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="mediabistro.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/in_full_page_ad_fox_asks_where_were_other_media_on_912_the_answer_they_were_there_136133.asp?c=rss |title=In Full Page Ad, Fox Asks Where Were Other Media on 9/12. The Answer: They Were There |first=Chris |last=Ariens |publisher=MediaBistro.com |date=September 18, 2009 |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> CNN, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, and CBS Radio News provided various forms of live coverage of the rally in Washington throughout the day on Saturday, including the lead story on CBS Evening News.<ref name="politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com"/><ref name="mediabistro.com"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/09/18/nr.sanchez.on.fox.news.cnn |publisher=CNN |title=Fox News, Your Facts Are Wrong: CNN's Rick Sanchez takes FOX News |date=September 18, 2009 |format=Video |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/fox-news-newspaper-ad-mak_n_291494.html |first=Jason |last=Linkins |title=Fox News Newspaper Ad Makes False Claims About Tea Party Coverage |date=September 18, 2009 |work=Huffington Post |location=USA |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> Following the September 12 ], Fox News said it was the only cable news outlet to cover the emerging protests and took out full-page ads in '']'', the '']'', and '']'' with a prominent headline reading, "How did ], CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN miss this story?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Krakauer |first =Steve |title =Internal Fox News Email Addresses "Standards" After 9/12 Flap |publisher=Mediaite |date =September 21, 2009 |url =http://www.mediaite.com/tv/internal-fox-email-addresses-standards-after-912-flap/ |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref> CNN news anchor ] disputed Fox's assertion, pointing to various coverage of the event.<ref name="politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com">{{Cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/18/networks-respond-to-false-fox-ad/ |title=Networks respond to false Fox ad |date=September 18, 2009 |publisher=CNN |access-date=April 24, 2010 |archive-date=March 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316121501/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/18/networks-respond-to-false-fox-ad/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0909/WaPo_defends_running_Fox_ad.html |title=WaPo defends running Fox ad |last=Calderone |first=Michael |date=September 18, 2009 |publisher=Politico |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="mediabistro.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/in_full_page_ad_fox_asks_where_were_other_media_on_912_the_answer_they_were_there_136133.asp?c=rss |title=In Full Page Ad, Fox Asks Where Were Other Media on 9/12. The Answer: They Were There |first=Chris |last=Ariens |publisher=MediaBistro.com |date=September 18, 2009 |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref> CNN, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, and CBS Radio News provided various forms of live coverage of the rally in Washington throughout the day on Saturday, including the lead story on CBS Evening News.<ref name="politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com"/><ref name="mediabistro.com"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/09/18/nr.sanchez.on.fox.news.cnn |publisher=CNN |title=Fox News, Your Facts Are Wrong: CNN's Rick Sanchez takes FOX News |date=September 18, 2009 |format=Video |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/fox-news-newspaper-ad-mak_n_291494.html |first=Jason |last=Linkins |title=Fox News Newspaper Ad Makes False Claims About Tea Party Coverage |date=September 18, 2009 |work=Huffington Post |location=USA |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref>


James Rainey of the '']'' said MSNBC's attacks on the tea parties paled compared to Fox's support, but that MSNBC personalities ], ] and ] were hardly subtle in disparaging the movement.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{Cite news |title=Fox News, MSNBC prejudge 'tea parties' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 15, 2009 |url =http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-onthemedia15-2009apr15,0,189873.column |last=Rainey |first=James |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> ] has said that, "These hosts said little or nothing about the huge deficits run up by ], but Barack Obama's budget and tax plans have driven them to tea. On the other hand, CNN and MSNBC may have dropped the ball by all but ignoring the protests."<ref name=kurtz>{{Cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/18/AR2009091801102.html |work=The Washington Post |title=Fox News Ad Draws Protests |first=Howard |last=Kurtz |date=September 18, 2009 |accessdate=May 24, 2010}}</ref> James Rainey of the '']'' said that MSNBC's attacks on the tea parties paled compared to Fox's support, but that MSNBC personalities ], ] and ] were hardly subtle in disparaging the movement.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{Cite news |title=Fox News, MSNBC prejudge 'tea parties' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 15, 2009 |url =https://latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-onthemedia15-2009apr15,0,189873.column |last=Rainey |first=James |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref> ] has said that, "These hosts said little or nothing about the huge deficits run up by ], but Barack Obama's budget and tax plans have driven them to tea. On the other hand, CNN and MSNBC may have dropped the ball by all but ignoring the protests."<ref name=kurtz>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/18/AR2009091801102.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=Fox News Ad Draws Protests |first=Howard |last=Kurtz |date=September 18, 2009 |access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref>


In the January/February 2012 issue of ], ] stated the Tea Party is supporting "politicians who serve the interests of precisely those ] and ] ] they claim to despise" and ] while comparing and contrasting it with the ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Fukuyama |first=Francis |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136782/francis-fukuyama/the-future-of-history |title=The Future of History; Can Liberal Democracy Survive the Decline of the Middle Class? |publisher=Foreignaffairs.com |date=January 1, 2012 |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pnhp.org/blog/2012/01/06/francis-fukuyama-on-the-decline-of-the-middle-class/ |title=Francis Fukuyama on the decline of the middle class - PNHP's Official Blog |publisher=Pnhp.org |date=January 6, 2012 |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref> In the January/February 2012 issue of '']'', ] stated that the Tea Party is supporting "politicians who serve the interests of precisely those ] and ] ] they claim to despise" and ] while comparing and contrasting it with the ].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Fukuyama |first=Francis |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136782/francis-fukuyama/the-future-of-history |title=The Future of History; Can Liberal Democracy Survive the Decline of the Middle Class? |publisher=Foreignaffairs.com |date=January 1, 2012 |access-date=February 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pnhp.org/blog/2012/01/06/francis-fukuyama-on-the-decline-of-the-middle-class/ |title=Francis Fukuyama on the decline of the middle class PNHP's Official Blog |publisher=Pnhp.org |date=January 6, 2012 |access-date=February 23, 2012}}</ref>


===Tea Party's views of media coverage=== ===Tea Party's views of media coverage===
In October 2010, a survey conducted by '']'' found that the majority of local Tea Party organizers consider the media coverage of their groups to be fair. Seventy-six percent of the local organizers said media coverage has been fair, while 23 percent have said coverage was unfair. This was based on responses from all 647 local Tea Party organizers the ''Post'' was able to contact and verify, from a list of more than 1,400 possible groups identified.<ref name="agwpostmedia">Gardner, Amy , '']'', October 26, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2011.</ref>


==Perceptions of the Tea Party==
In October 2010, a survey conducted by '']'' found that the majority of local Tea Party organizers consider the media coverage of their groups to be fair. 76 percent of the local organizers said media coverage has been fair while 23 percent have said coverage was unfair. This was based on responses from all 647 local Tea Party organizers the ''Post'' was able to contact and verify, from a list of more than 1,400 possible groups identified.<ref name="agwpostmedia">Gardner, Amy , ''The Washington Post'', October 26, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2011.</ref>
] during the ], September 12, 2009.]]
The movement has been called a mixture of conservative,<ref name=Conservatism>{{cite news|author=Pauline Arrillaga|title=Tea Party 2012: A Look At The Conservative Movement's Last Three Years|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/14/tea-party-2012_n_1425957.html|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=April 14, 2014|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417025313/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/14/tea-party-2012_n_1425957.html|archive-date=April 17, 2012|url-status=live}}<br>{{cite news|author=Michelle Boorstein|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/05/AR2010100501491.html|title=Tea party, religious right often overlap, poll shows|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 5, 2010|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407201008/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/05/AR2010100501491.html|archive-date=April 7, 2019|url-status=live}}<br>{{cite news|author1=Peter Wallsten|author2=Danny Yadron|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703882404575520252928390046|title=Tea-Party Movement Gathers Strength|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=September 29, 2010|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913085143/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703882404575520252928390046|archive-date=September 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> libertarian,<ref name=libertarian>{{cite news |title=Is Half the Tea Party Libertarian? |first=Emily |last=Ekins |url=http://reason.com/poll/2011/09/26/is-half-the-tea-part-libertart |newspaper=] |date=September 26, 2011 |access-date=July 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511064727/http://reason.com/poll/2011/09/26/is-half-the-tea-part-libertart |archive-date=May 11, 2012 |url-status=live }}<br>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/libertarian-roots-tea-party?mc_cid=6b9d637298&mc_eid=a1708a475b|title=Libertarian Roots of the Tea Party|last1=Kirby|first1=David|last2=Ekins|first2=Emily McClintock|publisher=Cato|date=August 6, 2012|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204005725/https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/libertarian-roots-tea-party?mc_cid=6b9d637298&mc_eid=a1708a475b|archive-date=December 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and ]<ref name=populist>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123137382 |first=Liz |last=Halloran |title=What's Behind The New Populism? |publisher=NPR |date=February 5, 2010 |access-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729230703/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123137382 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |url-status=live }}<br>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/us/politics/16teaparty.html |title=Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right |work=] |date=February 16, 2010 |first=David |last=Barstow |access-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302180744/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/us/politics/16teaparty.html |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |url-status=live }}<br>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/05/party-time.html |title=Party Time |work=Newsweek |date=April 6, 2010 |first=Howard |last=Fineman |access-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713102631/http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/05/party-time.html |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> activists. As stated before, opinions in terms of the U.S. major political parties play a large role in terms of attitudes about the Tea Party movement, with one study finding that 20% of self-identified Republicans personally view themselves as part of the Tea Party.<ref name=Richardson/>


The movement has sponsored ] and supported political candidates circa 2009.<ref name="deseret">{{Cite news |first=David |last=Servatius |url=http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705289328,00.html |title=Anti-tax-and-spend group throws "tea party" at Capitol |access-date=June 16, 2009 |date=March 6, 2009 |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090613060825/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705289328,00.html |archive-date=June 13, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="economist">{{Cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13235069 |title=Anger Management |date=March 5, 2009 |newspaper=The Economist |access-date=April 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510102410/http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13235069 |archive-date=May 10, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="sfexaminer">{{Cite news |url=http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/Tea-parties-are-flash-crowds-Obama-should-fear-41547632.html |title=Tea parties are flash crowds Obama should fear |date=March 19, 2009 |newspaper=] |first=Mark |last=Tapscott |access-date=June 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419142317/http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/Tea-parties-are-flash-crowds-Obama-should-fear-41547632.html |archive-date=April 19, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since the movement's inception, in the late 2000s, left wing groups have accused the party of racism and intolerance.<ref name="newsweek1"/><ref name="extremists"/> Left leaning opponents have cited various incidents as evidence that the movement is, in their opinion, propelled by various forms of bigotry.<ref name="newsweek1"/><ref name="extremists"/> Supporters say the incidents are isolated acts attributable to a small fringe that is not representative of the movement.<ref name="newsweek1"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808075648/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/25/are-tea-partiers-racist.html |date=August 8, 2012 }}; Newsweek; April 25, 2010</ref><ref name="extremists"> ; NBCNews.com; April 15, 2010</ref> Accusations that the news media are biased either for or against the movement are common, while polls and surveys have been faced with issues regarding the population surveyed, and the meaningfulness of poll results from disparate groups.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Judis |first=John B. |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/politics/75241/the-tea-party-movement-isn%E2%80%99t-racist# |title=The Tea Party Movement Isn't Racist |magazine=New Republic |date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=August 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163937/http://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/75241/the-tea-party-movement-isn%E2%80%99t-racist |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==On issues of race, bigotry and public perception==
Since its inception, the Tea Party movement has struggled with charges of racism. Opponents cite a number of events as proof that the movement is, at least in part, motivated by bigotry and intolerance. Supporters, however, say the incidents are the work of "a few bad apples", a small fringe that have unfairly maligned the movement.<ref name="newsweek1">; Newsweek; April 25, 2010</ref><ref name="extremists"/> Examples include:


Although the Tea Party has a libertarian element in terms of some issue convictions, most American libertarians do not support the movement enough to identify with it. A 2013 survey by the ] (PRRI) found that 61% of identified libertarians stated they did not consider themselves part of the tea party. This split exists due to the strong ] influence in the movement, which puts the majority of the tea party movement at direct odds against libertarians on issues such as the ] (with the aforementioned survey finding that 71% of libertarians support legalizing marijuana).<ref name=Richardson>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/29/libertarians-dont-call-us-tea-partyers-survey-find/?page=all|title=Libertarians: Don't call us tea partyers; survey finds blocs often clash|work=The Washington Times|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128011755/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/29/libertarians-dont-call-us-tea-partyers-survey-find/?page=all|archive-date=January 28, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Some libertarian leaning supporters have grown increasingly annoyed by the influx of religious social issues into the movement. Many in the movement would prefer the complex social issues such as homosexuality, abortion, and religion to be left out of the discussion, while instead increasing the focus on limited government and states' rights.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
* ''TeaParty.org'' owner Dale Robertson protested in 2009 with a sign that said "Congress = Slaveowner, Taxpayer = ]".<ref name="sign">{{cite news |title=Tea Party Leader Dale Robertson Ousted for N-Word Sign |url=http://www.bet.com/news/news/2010/01/06/politicsteapartyleaderdalerobertsonoustedfornwordsign.html |accessdate=September 27, 2010 |newspaper=BET |date=December 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teaparty.org/founder.html |title=1776 Tea Party |publisher=TeaParty.org |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/OKOw9.jpg |title=Welcome to TeaParty.org (image) |accessdate=August 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Morgan |first=David S. |title=Tea Party Leader: NAACP Is Playing the Race Card |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/18/ftn/main6689716.shtml |accessdate=September 27, 2010 |newspaper=CBS News |date=July 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kiely |first=Kathy |title=Squabbling threatens to ice 'Tea Party' momentum |url=http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2010-02-05-teaparty05_ST_U.htm |accessdate=September 27, 2010 |newspaper=USA Today |date=February 4, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Teaparty.org for Sale—Tea Party Founder loses Home |url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2510974.htm |accessdate=September 27, 2010 |newspaper=PRWeb |date=June 8, 2009}}</ref><ref>. '']''. January 4, 2010.</ref>


According to a review in '']'' published in 2012, professor Ronald P. Formisano in ''The Tea Party: A Brief History'' provides an "even-handed perspective on and clarifying misconceptions about America's recent political phenomenon" since "party supporters are not isolated zealots, and may, like other Americans, only want to gain control over their destinies". Professor Formisano sees underlying social roots and draws a parallel between the tea party movement and past support for independent candidate ],<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164237/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4214-0596-4 |date=August 15, 2018 }} ''The Tea Party: A Brief History'' (Ronald P. Formisano, The Johns Hopkins University Press; 2012)</ref> a similar point to that made in '']'' as mentioned earlier.<ref name=realspin/>
* Racially charged placards at protest rallies as early as 2009 have depicted President Obama as a ] over the word "Obamacare", stated "Obama's Plan White Slavery", and depicted Obama in ] over the word "]".<ref name="extremists">; NBCNews.com; April 15, 2010</ref><ref>; CNN; September 18, 2009</ref>


The final round of debate before voting on the ] was marked with vandalism and widespread threats of violence to at least ten Democratic lawmakers across the country, which created public relations problems for the fledgeling Tea Party movement. On March 22, 2010, in what the New York Times called "potentially the most dangerous of many acts of violence and threats against supporters of the bill," a ] Tea Party organizer and the ] Tea Party Chairman both posted the home address of Representative ]'s brother (mistakenly believing it was the Congressman's address) on their websites, and encouraged readers to "drop by" to express their anger against Representative Perriello's vote in favor of the healthcare bill. The following day, after smelling gas in his house, a severed gas line that connected to a ] was discovered on Perriello's brother's screened-in porch. Local police and ] investigators determined that it was intentionally cut as an act of vandalism. Perriello's brother also received a threatening letter referencing the legislation. Attorney General ] stated that posting a home address on a website and encouraging people to visit is "an appalling approach. It's not civil discourse, it's an invitation to intimidation and it's totally unacceptable." Leaders of the Tea Party movement tried to contain the public relations damage by denouncing the violent acts and distancing themselves from those behind the acts. One Tea Party website issued a response saying the Tea Party member's action of posting the address "was not requested, sanctioned or endorsed by the Lynchburg Tea Party". The director of the Northern Colorado Tea Party said, "Although many are frustrated by the passage of such controversial legislation, threats are absolutely not acceptable in any form, to any lawmaker, of any party."<ref>
* During a protest rally in Washington, D.C., before the ] was voted on in March 2010, several black lawmakers said that demonstrators shouted racial epithets at them.<ref name="WPost Omb">{{Cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040903716.html |title=Allegations of spitting and slurs at Capitol protest merit more reporting |date=April 11, 2010 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=April 14, 2010 |first=Andrew |last=Alexander}}</ref><ref name="Fox March 22, 2010">{{Cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,589776,00.html |title=Tea Party Protesters Dispute Reports of Slurs, Spitting Against Dem Lawmakers |date=March 22, 2010 |publisher=Fox News |accessdate=April 14, 2010}}</ref><ref name=UKGuardian1> ''The Guardian'' (London), April 13, 2010</ref> Congressman ] was spat upon, although it is unclear if this was deliberate, and said he heard the slurs. Congressman ], who is gay, was called a "]".<ref name="WPost Omb"/><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100320/NEWS02/100329990 |title=Racist epithets fly at tea party health protest |agency=McClatchy News |publisher=HeraldNet.com |date=March 20, 2010 |accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref>
See:
* {{cite news | last = Kumar | first = Anita | title = FBI investigating cut gas line at Perriello's brother's home | url = http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/03/fbi_investigating_the_severing.html | newspaper = ] | date = March 24, 2010 | access-date = June 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170123080240/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/03/fbi_investigating_the_severing.html | archive-date = January 23, 2017 | url-status = dead }}
* {{cite news | last = Cooper | first = Michael | title = Accusations Fly Between Parties Over Threats and Vandalism | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/us/politics/26threat.html | work = ] | date = March 25, 2010 | access-date = June 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190608084211/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/us/politics/26threat.html | archive-date = June 8, 2019 | url-status = live }}
* {{cite news | last = McNeill | first = Brian | title = Severed gas line found at home of Perriello brother | url = http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/crime/article/damage_at_home_of_perriello_brother_under_investigation/54038/ | work = ] | location = Charlottesville, Virginia | date = March 24, 2010 | access-date = May 10, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100329000020/http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/News/local/crime/article/damage_at_home_of_perriello_brother_under_investigation/54038/ | archive-date = March 29, 2010 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}
* {{cite news | last = Barr | first = Andy | title = Tom Perriello gas line 'intentionally cut' | url = http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35040.html#ixzz0lC0cMKi7 | work = ] | date = March 25, 2010 | access-date = June 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150610213616/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35040.html#ixzz0lC0cMKi7 | archive-date = June 10, 2015 | url-status = live }}
* {{cite news | last = Barr | first = Andy | title = Tea partiers told to 'drop by' Tom Perriello's home | url = http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34843.html | work = ] | date = March 22, 2010 | access-date = June 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150610230529/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34843.html | archive-date = June 10, 2015 | url-status = live }}
</ref>


In early July 2010, the North Iowa Tea Party (NITP) posted a billboard showing a photo of ] with the heading "National Socialism", one of Barack Obama with the heading "Democrat Socialism", and one of ] with the heading "Marxist Socialism", all three marked with the word "change" and the statement "Radical leaders prey on the fearful and naive". It received sharp criticism, including some from other Tea Party activists. NITP co-founder Bob Johnson acknowledged the anti-socialist message may have gotten lost amid the fascist and communist images. Following a request from the NITP, the billboard was removed on July 14.<ref>
* While attending the March 2010, health care rally in Washington, D.C., ], Tea Party founder Sonny Thomas posted a racist comment on the Springboro Tea Party ] page he managed by tweeting "Illegals everywhere today! So many spicks makes me feel like a speck. Grrr. Wheres my gun!?"<ref>; Dayton Daily News; April 14, 2010</ref><ref name="TRS20100414">{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=David |title=CNN anchor rips 'bigot' Ohio Tea Party Leader |work=The Raw Story |date=April 14, 2010 |url=http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/04/cnn-anchor-rips-bigot-ohio-tea-party-leader/}}</ref>
See:

* {{Cite news |last=Associated Press |author-link=Associated Press |title=Iowa billboard linking Obama, Hitler removed |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38244427 |work=NBC News |date=July 14, 2010 |mode=cs2 |access-date=June 7, 2011 }}
* Tea Party Express leader ] referred to ] as "the terrorists' monkey god", and posted other anti-Islamic remarks in May 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/05/20/2010-05-20_tea_party_leader_mark_williams_says_sorry_for_monkey_god_remark__to_hindus.html |title=Tea Party Express leader Mark Williams says 'sorry'—to Hindus—for slamming Muslim's 'monkey god{{'-}} |newspaper=Daily News|date=May 20, 2010 |accessdate=December 9, 2011|location=New York |first=Samuel |last=Goldsmith|archivedate=July 26, 2010|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100726082531/http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/05/20/2010-05-20_tea_party_leader_mark_williams_says_sorry_for_monkey_god_remark__to_hindus.html?}}</ref> When questioned by ''The Washington Post'' about his comments about Islam, Williams stated the controversy has "been fantastic for the movement".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/05/mark_williams_the_monkey_god_a.html |title=Mark Williams, the monkey god and the 'controversy' game|work=The Washington Post |date=May 20, 2010 |accessdate=June 13, 2010}}</ref> Williams received further criticism in mid-July when he posted a fictional letter named "Colored People" on his blog. Williams said that the letter was a satirical response to a resolution passed by the ] calling on Tea Party leaders to {{"'}}repudiate the racist element and activities' from within the movement".<ref>. ]. July 18, 2010.</ref>
* {{cite news | last = Meredith | first = Luke | title = Iowa Tea Party Billboard Compares Obama To Hitler, Lenin | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100715075515/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/obama-hitler-tea-party-billboard_n_645203.html | archive-date = July 15, 2010 | url = https://huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/obama-hitler-tea-party-billboard_n_645203.html | work = ] | date = July 13, 2010 }}

* Ozark Tea Party steering committee board member Inge Marler opened a June 2012, Arkansas Tea Party rally of over 500 people by telling a racist joke about African-Americans on welfare.<ref>; Huffington Post; June 16, 2012</ref><ref>; Washington Post; June 15, 2012</ref> * {{cite news | last = Hirschfeld Davis | first = Julie | title = Iowa Tea Party Billboard Compares Obama To Hitler, Lenin | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101119081621/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/tea-party-republicans-congress_n_784542.html | archive-date = November 19, 2010 | url = https://huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/tea-party-republicans-congress_n_784542.html | work = ] | date = November 16, 2010 }}
</ref>

After each incident, other prominent Tea Partiers were quick to denounce the actions. In each case, public announcements were made strongly stating that the controversial actions were neither condoned by, nor representative of, the Tea Party movement. Where Tea Party leaders were involved, they were forced to relinquish their position, or were ostracized from the movement.
], September 12, 2009.]] Some Tea Party organizers have started taking steps to prevent potentially controversial situations from arising, including hiring off-duty police officers and restricting attendance at their events, uninviting speakers espousing controversial views, and urging attendees to self-police events for troublemakers.<ref name="newsweek1"/><ref name="extremists"/>
Polls, surveys and studies have been conducted to examine Tea Party supporters' views on racial issues. The University of Washington poll of registered voters in Washington State found that 74% of Tea Party supporters agreed with the statement "hile equal opportunity for blacks and minorities to succeed is important, it's not really the government's job to guarantee it", while a CBS/''New York Times'' poll found that 25% think that the administration favors blacks over whites, compared with just 11% of the general public, and that they are more likely to believe Obama was born outside the United States.<ref name="nytimes1"/><ref name="huffingtonpost1"/><ref name="nwsource1"/> A seven state study conducted from the ] Institute for the Study of Ethnicity, Race & Sexuality found that Tea Party movement supporters studied were "more likely to be racially resentful" than the population as a whole, even when controlling for partisanship and ideology.<ref name=NewsweekAreTea>{{Cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/236996 |title=Are Tea Partiers Racist? |last=Campo-Flores |first=Arian |date=April 26, 2010 |work=Newsweek |accessdate=April 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>. FiveThirtyEight—Politics Done Right. April 14, 2010.</ref> Of white poll respondents who strongly approve of the Tea Party, only 35% believe that blacks are hard-working, compared to 55% of those strongly opposed to the Tea Party, and 40% of all respondents.<ref>{{cite web| title=New Poll Finds Tea Partiers Have More Racist Attitudes |url=http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/04/09/new-poll-finds-tea-partiers-have-more-racist-attitudes.html |date=April 9, 2010 |work=Newsweek}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/Stereotypes%20about%20Asians%20and%20whites%20by%20White%20tea%20Party%20Approval.pdf |title=Stereotypes about blacks and Latinos by white Tea Party Approval |format=PDF |accessdate=September 9, 2010|publisher=University of Washington}}</ref> An analysis done by ABC News' Polling Unit found that views on the extent of racism in America "are not significant predictors of support for the Tea Party movement" because similar views are also found among the very conservative, and are more common among whites than non-whites.<ref> ABC News, July 12, 2010</ref><ref> FT.com {{subscription}}</ref>

A ] poll of Washington State residents reported that 46% of Tea Party supporters agree with the observation that "If blacks would only try harder, they would be just as well off as whites", 73% disapprove of Obama's policy of engaging with Muslim countries, 88% approve of the ] recently enacted in ], 82% do not believe that gay and lesbian couples should have the ], and that about 52% believed that "lesbians and gays have too much political power".<ref name="huffingtonpost1"/><ref name="nwsource1"/><ref name="tribune2">; The News Tribune; June 1, 2010</ref>

''The Washington Post'' reported that an analysis of the signs displayed at a September 2010 Tea Party rally found that "the vast majority of activists expressed narrow concerns about the government's economic and spending policies and steered clear of the racially charged anti-Obama messages that have helped define some media coverage of such events".<ref name="Gardner 10-14-2010">Gardner, Amy (October 14, 2010), , '']''</ref> Roughly a quarter of the signs "reflected direct anger with Obama", 5 percent "mentioned the president's race or religion, and slightly more than 1 percent questioned his American citizenship".<ref name="Gardner 10-14-2010"/> The researcher, Emily Elkins, did not conclude that "the racially charged messages" were "unimportant", but she did conclude that "media coverage of tea party rallies over the past year have focused so heavily on the more controversial signs that it has contributed to the perception that such content dominates the tea party movement more than it actually does".<ref name="Gardner 10-14-2010"/> A report published in the fall 2010 by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights and backed by the ] has found what it says are efforts by white nationalist groups and militias to link themselves to the Tea Party movement.<ref>Burghart, Devin; Zeskind, Leonard (Fall 2010), , Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights</ref><ref>Thompson, Krissah (October 20, 2010), , '']''</ref> White nationalists have attempted to recruit new members at Tea Party events. Steve Smith, Pennsylvania Party Chairman of the white nationalist ] Party, has called Tea Party events "fertile ground for our activists".<ref>, ''Sky Valley Chronicle'', October 21, 2010</ref><ref>, American Third Position, October 11, 2010</ref>

Black conservatives have expressed varied opinions about the Tea Party's inclusiveness and concerns about racism. Brandon Brice, a primary black speaker at a tax-day Tea Party rally, expressed worry about the movement, saying, "It's strayed away from the message of wasteful spending and Washington not listening to its constituents, and it's become more of this rally of hate."<ref name=WapoThompson/> ], a Republican commentator, author and Tea Party speaker and supporter, said he has seen racism within the movement and has confronted it by approaching people with racially derogatory signs of President Obama and asking them to take the signs down. Like Brice, McAllister thinks leaders of the Tea Party movement must not ignore the issue. McAllister told '']'', "The people are speaking up and becoming more educated on the issues, but you have fringe elements that are defining this good thing with their negative, hateful behavior." He said the movement is more diverse than news clips show, commenting that "There is this perception that these are all old, white racists and that's not the case."<ref name=WapoThompson/> During an interview on ] with ], McAllister and columnist ] discussed racism and the Tea Parties; Tucker wrote about the interview, concluding that McAllister's take on racism was that "he'd seen enough racist signs at other Tea Party gatherings to know that racism is associated with the movement".<ref>
{{Cite document
|last=Tucker
|first=Cynthia
|publisher=Atlanta Journal-Constitution
|title=A black tea party supporter offers advice on the movement's struggle with racism
|date=May 6, 2010
|url=http://blogs.ajc.com/cynthia-tucker/2010/05/06/a-black-tea-party-supporter-offers-advice-on-the-movements-struggle-with-racism/}}</ref><ref>; NPR; April 16, 2010</ref>

Black Republican presidential candidate ] said that racist accusations about the Tea Party Movement are "ridiculous".<ref name = "CBSNewsCampaign2012">Montopoli, Brian (June 9, 2011), , CBS News, Retrieved July 15, 2011.</ref> "I have been speaking to Tea Parties, Americans for Prosperity, since 2009, before it was cool," Cain said, and then, referring to his victories in recent Tea Party Straw polls, "...&nbsp;If the Tea Party organization is racist, why does the black guy keep winning all these straw polls?" Cain went on to say that while he doesn't feel President Obama used race to get elected, "a lot of his supporters use race selectively to try to cover up some of his failures, to try to cover up some of his failed policies." Cain said Obama's surrogates "try to play the race card, because there's supposed to be something wrong with criticizing him", and concluded, "Some people have tried to use to try to give the president a pass on failed policies, bad decisions and the fact that this economy is not doing what it's supposed to do." <ref name = "CBSNewsCampaign2012"/> Conservative David Webb, who is a black Republican, stated that the ] was practising "selective racism" against Rick Santelli. Webb also stated that a picture of President Obama with a bone through his nose "is no more or less racist than Condoleezza Rice with a monkey baby".<ref>{{cite web|last=Sangweni |first=Yolanda |url=http://www.essence.com/2010/07/26/tea-party-365-co-founder-david-webb/ |title=The Tea Party's David Webb Talks Racism and NAACP |publisher=Essence.com |date=July 23, 2010 |accessdate=November 8, 2012}}</ref>

Another prominent African-American conservative, ], decried accusations of Tea Party racism and defended the movement in a '']'' column: "Race is the engine that drives the political Left. In the courtrooms, on college campuses, and, most especially, in our politics, race is a central theme. Where it does not naturally rise to the surface, there are those who will manufacture and amplify it," Connerly said. "I am convinced beyond any doubt that all of this is part of the strategic plan being implemented by the Left in its current campaign to remake America."<ref name="WapoThompson">{{Cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040703402.html | work=The Washington Post | title=Some black conservatives question tea party's inclusiveness | first=Krissah | last=Thompson | date=April 7, 2010}}</ref>

Some Tea Partiers blame the media for casting them as racists.<ref name=NewsweekAreTea/> ], one of 32 African-Americans who ran for Congress in 2010 as Republicans, says the notion of racism in the Tea Party movement has been made up by the news media.<ref>, '']'', May 4, 2010</ref>

==Other events==
The final round of debate before voting on the ] was marked with vandalism and widespread threats of violence to at least ten Democratic lawmakers across the country, which created public relations problems for the fledgeling Tea Party movement. On March 22, 2010, in what the New York Times called "potentially the most dangerous of many acts of violence and threats against supporters of the bill," a ] Tea Party organizer and the ] Tea Party Chairman both posted the home address of Representative ]'s brother (mistakenly believing it was the Congressman's address) on their websites, and encouraged readers to "drop by" to express their anger against Representative Perriello's vote in favor of the healthcare bill. The following day, after smelling gas in his house, a severed gas line that connected to a ] was discovered on Perriello's brother's screened-in porch. Local police and ] investigators determined that it was intentionally cut as a deliberate act of vandalism. Perriello's brother also received a threatening letter referencing the legislation. Attorney General ] stated that posting a home address on a website and encouraging people to visit is "an appalling approach. It's not civil discourse, it's an invitation to intimidation and it's totally unacceptable." Leaders of the Tea Party movement tried to contain the public relations damage by denouncing the violent acts and distancing themselves from those behind the acts. One Tea Party website issued a response saying the Tea Party member's action of posting the address "was not requested, sanctioned or endorsed by the Lynchburg Tea Party". The director of the Northern Colorado Tea Party said, "Although many are frustrated by the passage of such controversial legislation, threats are absolutely not acceptable in any form, to any lawmaker, of any party."<ref>, ''The Washington Post'', March 24, 2010</ref><ref>, ''The New York Times'', March 25, 2010.</ref><ref>McNeill, Brian (March 24, 2010), , '']'' (Charlottesville, VA)</ref><ref> ''Politico'', March 25, 2010</ref><ref>; ''Politico''; March 22, 2010</ref>

In early July 2010, the North Iowa Tea Party (NITP) posted a billboard showing a photo of ] with the heading "National Socialism", one of Barack Obama with the heading "Democrat Socialism", and one of ] with the heading "Marxist Socialism", all three marked with the word "change" and the statement "Radical leaders prey on the fearful and naive". It received sharp criticism, including some from other Tea Party activists. NITP co-founder Bob Johnson acknowledged the anti-socialist message may have gotten lost amid the fascist and communist images. Following a request from the NITP, the billboard was removed on July 14.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Iowa billboard linking Obama, Hitler removed |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38244427/ns/politics-decision_2010/t/iowa-billboard-linking-obama-hitler-removed/ |date=July 14, 2010 |publisher=MSNBC |agency=Associated Press |separator=, |accessdate=June 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>, ''The Huffington Post'', July 13, 2010</ref><ref>, Capitol Hill Blue, July 14, 2010<!-- |author=Luke Meredith |agency=Associated Press--></ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* ], a progressive alternative to the Tea Party started in 2010, opposing ] rather than taxes
{{portal|United States|Politics|Conservatism}}
*] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ], a progressive alternative to the Tea Party started in 2016
* ]
* ], third largest political party in the U.K. by popular vote in 2015, considered by some people as the British version of the Tea Party.<ref>{{cite news|author=Nico Hines |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/30/is-britain-s-tea-party-turning-politics-upside-down.html |title=Is Britain's Tea Party Turning Politics Upside Down? |website=] |date=April 30, 2014 |access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref>


==Notes== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{reflist}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
{{refbegin}} {{refbegin}}
* Agarwal, Sheetal D., et al. "." ''Information, Communication & Society'' 17.3 (2014): 326–341.
*{{Cite book |last=Avlon |first=John |coauthors= with Forward by Tina Brown |title=Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America |publisher=] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-9842951-1-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Armey|first=Dick|title=Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto|year=2010|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|location=New York|isbn=978-0062015877}}
* Foley, Elizabeth Price. ''The Tea Party: Three Principles'' (Cambridge University Press; 2012) 238 pages; $Identifies three core principles that bind the Tea Party movement: limited government, unapologetic U.S. sovereignty, and constitutional originalism; looks at how they apply to issues especially immigration, health-care reform, internationalism, and the war on terror.
*{{Cite book |last=Lepore |first=Jill |title=The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History |publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, New Jersey|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4008-3696-3}} * {{Cite book |last=Avlon |first=John |author2=Foreword by Tina Brown |title=Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America |publisher=] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0984295111 |url=https://archive.org/details/wingnutshowlunat00avlo_0 }}
* Blum, Rachel M. (2020). ''How the Tea Party Captured the GOP: Insurgent Factions in American Politics''. University of Chicago Press.
*{{Cite book |last=O'Hara |first=John M. |coauthors= with Forward by Michelle Malkin |title=A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes |publisher=] |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-470-56798-2}}
* Crossman, W. Henry, and Ronald B. Rapoport. (2021) "From Tea Party to Trump Party." (Ray Bliss Institute, University of Akron)
* {{Cite book |last=Rasmussen |first=Scott |first2=Doug |last2=Schoen |title=Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System |year=2010 |publisher=Harper |isbn=978-0-06-199523-1 }}
* Deckman, M. (2016). ''Tea Party women: Mama Grizzlies, grassroots leaders, and the changing face of the American right'' (New York University Press).
*{{Cite book |last1=Skocpol | first1=Theda |last2=Williamson | first2=Vanessa | title=The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism|publisher=] | year=2012 |isbn=978-0-19-983263-7}}
* Eastland-Underwood, Jessica. (2021) "What was the original intent? The Tea Party movement, the Founding Fathers, and the American welfare state." ''Journal of Political Ideologies'' (2021): 1-19.
*{{Cite book |last=Taibbi |first=Matt |title=The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion |publisher=] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-385-52034-8}}
* Foley, Elizabeth Price. ''The Tea Party: Three Principles'' (]; 2012) 238 pages. Identifies three core principles that bind the Tea Party movement: limited government, unapologetic U.S. sovereignty, and constitutional originalism; looks at how they apply to issues, especially immigration, health-care reform, internationalism, and the War on Terror.
*{{Cite book |last=Zernike |first=Kate |title=Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America |publisher=] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-8050-9348-3}}
* Fried, Amy, and Douglas B. Harris. "Chapter Five. "We're All Mad Here": The Tea Party and the Obama Era." in ''At War with Government'' (Columbia University Press, 2021) pp. 122-160.
* Horwitz, Robert B. ''America's right: anti-establishment conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party'' (2013).
* Johnson, Kirk A. ''African American Tea Party Supporters: Explaining a Political Phenomenon'' (Lexington Books, 2019.
* Kabaservice, Geoffrey. ''Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party'' (2012) scholarly history
* {{cite book|last=Leahy|first=Michael|title=Covenant of Liberty: The Ideological Origins of the Tea Party Movement|year=2012|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|location=New York|isbn=978-0062066336}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lepore |first=Jill | author-link = Jill Lepore |title=The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History |publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, NJ|year=2010|isbn=978-1400836963}}
* {{Cite book |last=O'Hara |first=John M. |author2=Foreword by Michelle Malkin |title=A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes |publisher=] |location=Hoboken, NJ |year=2010 |isbn=978-0470567982 |url=https://archive.org/details/newamericanteapa00ohar_0 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Paul |first=Rand |title=The Tea Party Goes to Washington |publisher=Center Street |year=2011 |isbn=978-1455503117 |url=https://archive.org/details/teapartygoestowa00paul }}
* Perrin, Andrew J., et al. "Political and Cultural Dimensions of Tea Party Support, 2009–2012." ''Sociological Quarterly'' (2014) 55#4 pp: 625–652.
* {{Cite book |last1=Rasmussen |first1=Scott |first2=Doug |last2=Schoen |title=Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System |year=2010 |publisher=Harper |isbn=978-0061995231 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/madashellhowteap0000rasm_k0l8 }}
* Rosenthalm Lawrence , and Christine Trost, eds. (2012) ''Steep: The Precipitous Rise of the Tea Party'' (U of California Press) pp: 295-211.
* Rouse, Stella M., Charles Hunt, and Kristen Essel. (2022) "Growing Tea With Subnational Roots: Tea Party Affiliation, Factionalism, and GOP Politics in State Legislatures." ''American Politics Research'' 50.2 (2022): 242-254.
* {{Cite book |last1=Skocpol |first1=Theda |last2=Williamson |first2=Vanessa |title=The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism |publisher=] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0199832637 |url=https://archive.org/details/teapartyremaking0000skoc }}
* Sparks, H. (2014). "Mama grizzlies and the guardians of the Republic: the Democratic and Intersectional politics of anger in the Tea party movement" ''New Political Science'' 37 (1), 1–23. doi:10.1080/07393148.2014.945252
* Van Dyke, Nella, and David S. Meyer, eds. ''Understanding the Tea Party Movement'' (The Mobilization Series on Social Movements, Protest, and Culture) (2014)
* {{Cite book |last=Zernike |first=Kate |title=Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America |publisher=] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0805093483}}
{{refend}} {{refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q19042|c=Category:Tea_Party_movement|n=Category:Tea_Party_movement|b=no|v=no|s=no|wikt=Tea_Party|m=no|mw=no|species=no}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* at '']'' * at ]
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Revision as of 21:07, 29 December 2024

American fiscally conservative political movement This article is about the political movement. For the protest events themselves, see Tea Party protests. For the U.S. Congressional caucus, see Tea Party Caucus. For other uses, see Tea Party (disambiguation).

Tea Party protesters on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall at the Taxpayer March on Washington on September 12, 2009
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The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2007, catapulted into the mainstream by Senator Rand Paul’s Presidential campaign. The movement expanded in response to the policies of Democratic President Barack Obama and was a major factor in the 2010 wave election in which Republicans gained 63 House seats and took control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Participants in the movement called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget deficit through decreased government spending. The movement supported small-government principles and opposed the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), President Obama's signature health care legislation. The Tea Party movement has been described as both a popular constitutional movement and as an "astroturf movement" purporting to be spontaneous and grassroots, but created by hidden elite interests. The movement was composed of a mixture of libertarian, right-wing populist, and conservative activism. It sponsored multiple protests and supported various political candidates since 2009. According to the American Enterprise Institute, various polls in 2013 estimated that slightly over 10% of Americans identified as part of the movement. The movement took its name from the December 1773 Boston Tea Party, a watershed event in the American Revolution, with some movement adherents using Revolutionary era costumes.

The Tea Party movement was popularly launched following a February 19, 2009, call by CNBC reporter Rick Santelli on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for a "tea party". On February 20, 2009, The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition also helped launch the Tea Party movement via a conference call attended by around 50 conservative activists. Supporters of the movement subsequently had a major impact on the internal politics of the Republican Party. While the Tea Party was not a political party in the strict sense, research published in 2016 suggests that members of the Tea Party Caucus voted like a right-wing third party in Congress. A major force behind the movement was Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative political advocacy group founded by businessman and political activist David Koch.

By 2016, Politico wrote that the Tea Party movement had died; however, it also said that this was in part because some of its ideas had been absorbed by the mainstream Republican Party. CNBC reported in 2019 that the conservative wing of the Republican Party "has basically shed the tea party moniker".

Agenda

See also: Politics of the United States

The Tea Party movement focuses on a significant reduction in the size and scope of the government. The movement advocates a national economy operating without government oversight. Movement goals include limiting the size of the federal government, reducing government spending, lowering the national debt and opposing tax increases. To this end, Tea Party groups have protested the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), stimulus programs such as Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act), cap and trade environmental regulations, health care reform such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, also known simply as the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare") and perceived attacks by the federal government on their 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th Amendment rights. Tea Party groups have also voiced support for right to work legislation as well as tighter border security, and opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants. On the federal health care reform law, they began to work at the state level to nullify the law, after the Republican Party lost seats in Congress and the Presidency in the 2012 elections. It has also mobilized locally against the United Nations Agenda 21. They have protested the IRS for controversial treatment of groups with "tea party" in their names. They have formed Super PACs to support candidates sympathetic to their goals and have opposed what they call the "Republican establishment" candidates.

The Tea Party does not have a single uniform agenda. The decentralized character of the Tea Party, with its lack of formal structure or hierarchy, allows each autonomous group to set its own priorities and goals. Goals may conflict, and priorities will often differ between groups. Many Tea Party organizers see this as a strength rather than a weakness, as decentralization has helped to immunize the Tea Party against co-opting by outside entities and corruption from within.

Even though the groups participating in the movement have a wide range of different goals, the Tea Party places its view of the Constitution at the center of its reform agenda. It urges the return of government as intended by some of the Founding Fathers. It also seeks to teach its view of the Constitution and other founding documents. Scholars have described its interpretation variously as originalist, popular, or a unique combination of the two. Reliance on the Constitution is selective and inconsistent. Adherents cite it, yet do so more as a cultural reference rather than out of commitment to the text, which they seek to alter. Two constitutional amendments have been targeted by some in the movement for full or partial repeal: the 16th that allows an income tax, and the 17th that requires popular election of senators. There has also been support for a proposed Repeal Amendment, which would enable a two-thirds majority of the states to repeal federal laws, and a Balanced Budget Amendment, to limit deficit spending.

The Tea Party has sought to avoid placing emphasis on traditional conservative social issues. National Tea Party organizations, such as the Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks, have expressed concern that engaging in social issues would be divisive. Instead, they have sought to have activists focus their efforts away from social issues and focus on economic and limited government issues. Still, many groups like Glenn Beck's 9/12 Tea Parties, TeaParty.org, the Iowa Tea Party and Delaware Patriot Organizations do act on social issues such as abortion, gun control, prayer in schools, and illegal immigration.

One attempt at forming a list of what Tea Partiers wanted Congress to do resulted in the Contract from America. It was a legislative agenda created by conservative activist Ryan Hecker with the assistance of Dick Armey of FreedomWorks. Armey had co-written with Newt Gingrich the previous Contract with America released by the Republican Party during the 1994 midterm elections. One thousand agenda ideas that had been submitted were narrowed down to twenty-one non-social issues. Participants then voted in an online campaign in which they were asked to select their favorite policy planks. The results were released as a ten-point Tea Party platform. The Contract from America was met with some support within the Republican Party, but it was not broadly embraced by GOP leadership, which released its own 'Pledge to America'.

In the aftermath of the 2012 American elections, some Tea Party activists have taken up more traditionally populist ideological viewpoints on issues that are distinct from general conservative views. Examples are various Tea Party demonstrators sometimes coming out in favor of U.S. immigration reform as well as for raising the U.S. minimum wage.

Foreign policy

See also: Foreign policy of the United States

Historian and writer Walter Russell Mead analyzes the foreign policy views of the Tea Party movement in a 2011 essay published in Foreign Affairs. Mead says that Jacksonian populists, such as the Tea Party, combine a belief in American exceptionalism and its role in the world with skepticism of American's "ability to create a liberal world order". When necessary, they favor "total war" and unconditional surrender over "limited wars for limited goals". Mead identifies two main trends, one personified by former Texas Congressman Ron Paul and the other by former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. "Paulites" have a Jeffersonian approach that seeks, if possible, to avoid foreign military involvement. "Palinites", while seeking to avoid being drawn into unnecessary conflicts, favor a more aggressive response to maintaining America's primacy in international relations. Mead says that both groups share a distaste for "liberal internationalism".

Some Tea Party-affiliated Republicans, such as Michele Bachmann, Jeff Duncan, Connie Mack IV, Jeff Flake, Tim Scott, Joe Walsh, Allen West, and Jason Chaffetz, voted for progressive Congressman Dennis Kucinich's resolution to withdraw U.S. military personnel from Libya. In the Senate, three Tea Party backed Republicans, Jim DeMint, Mike Lee and Michael Crapo, voted to limit foreign aid to Libya, Pakistan and Egypt. Tea Partiers in both houses of Congress have shown willingness to cut foreign aid. Most leading figures within the Tea Party both within and outside Congress opposed military intervention in Syria.

Organization

The Tea Party movement is composed of a loose affiliation of national and local groups that determine their own platforms and agendas without central leadership. The Tea Party movement has both been cited as an example of grassroots political activity and has also been described as an example of corporate-funded activity made to appear as spontaneous community action, a practice known as "astroturfing". Other observers see the organization as having its grassroots element "amplified by the right-wing media", supported by elite funding.

The Tea Party movement is not a national political party; polls show that most Tea Partiers consider themselves to be Republicans and the movement's supporters have tended to endorse Republican candidates. Commentators, including Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport, have suggested that the movement is not a new political group but simply a re-branding of traditional Republican candidates and policies. An October 2010 Washington Post canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 87% saying "dissatisfaction with mainstream Republican Party leaders" was "an important factor in the support the group has received so far".

Tea Party activists have expressed support for Republican politicians Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, Michele Bachmann, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz. In July 2010, Bachmann formed the Tea Party Congressional Caucus; however, since July 16, 2012, the caucus has been defunct. An article in Politico reported that many Tea Party activists were skeptical of the caucus, seeing it as an effort by the Republican Party to hijack the movement. Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz refused to join the caucus, saying

Structure and formality are the exact opposite of what the Tea Party is, and if there is an attempt to put structure and formality around it, or to co-opt it by Washington, D.C., it's going to take away from the free-flowing nature of the true Tea Party movement.

Etymology

The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, a protest in 1773 by colonists who objected to British taxation without representation, and demonstrated by dumping British tea taken from docked ships into the harbor. The event was one of the first in a series that led to the United States Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution that gave birth to American independence. Some commentators have referred to the Tea in "Tea Party" as the backronym "Taxed Enough Already", though this did not appear until months after the first nationwide protests.

History

See also: Tax revolt

Background

Two ships in a harbor, one in the distance. On board, men stripped to the waist and wearing feathers in their hair throw crates of tea overboard. A large crowd, mostly men, stands on the dock, waving hats and cheering. A few people wave their hats from windows in a nearby building.
The iconic 1846 lithograph by Nathaniel Currier, The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor; the phrase Boston Tea Party had not yet become standard and, contrary to Currier's depiction, few of the men dumping the tea were actually disguised as Native Americans.

References to the Boston Tea Party were part of Tax Day protests held in the 1990s and before. In 1984, David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch of Koch Industries founded Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), a conservative political group whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." Congressman Ron Paul was appointed as the first chairman of the organization. The CSE lobbied for policies favorable to corporations, particularly tobacco companies.

In 2002, a Tea Party website was designed and published by the CSE at web address www.usteaparty.com, and stated "our US Tea Party is a national event, hosted continuously online and open to all Americans who feel our taxes are too high and the tax code is too complicated." The site did not take off at the time. In 2003, Dick Armey became the chairman of CSE after retiring from Congress. In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy split into FreedomWorks, for 501c4 advocacy activity, and the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Dick Armey stayed as chairman of FreedomWorks, while David Koch stayed as Chairman of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. The two organizations would become key players in the Tea Party movement from 2009 onward. Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks were "probably the leading partners" in the September 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington, also known as the "9/12 Tea Party", according to The Guardian.

Commentaries on origin

Fox News Channel commentator Juan Williams has said that the Tea Party movement emerged from the "ashes" of Ron Paul's 2008 presidential primary campaign. Indeed, Ron Paul has stated that its origin was on December 16, 2007, when supporters held a 24-hour record breaking, "moneybomb" fundraising event on the Boston Tea Party's 234th anniversary, but that others, including Republicans, took over and changed some of the movement's core beliefs. Writing for Slate.com, Dave Weigel has argued in concurrence that, in his view, the "first modern Tea Party events occurred in December 2007, long before Barack Obama took office, and they were organized by supporters of Rep. Ron Paul," with the movement expanding and gaining prominence in 2009. (Barack Obama took office in January 2009.) Journalist Joshua Green has stated in The Atlantic that while Ron Paul is not the Tea Party's founder, or its culturally resonant figure, he has become the "intellectual godfather" of the movement since many now agree with his long-held beliefs.

Journalist Jane Mayer has said that the Koch brothers were essential in funding and strengthening the movement, through groups such as Americans for Prosperity. In 2013, a study published in the journal Tobacco Control concluded that organizations within the movement were connected with non-profit organizations that the tobacco industry and other corporate interests worked with and provided funding for, including the group Citizens for a Sound Economy. Al Gore cited the study and said that the connections between "market fundamentalists", the tobacco industry and the Tea Party could be traced to a 1971 memo from tobacco lawyer Lewis F. Powell, Jr. who advocated more political power for corporations. Gore said that the Tea Party is an extension of this political strategy "to promote corporate profit at the expense of the public good."

Former governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, keynoting a Tea Party Tax Day protest at the state capital in Madison, Wisconsin on April 15, 2011, reflected on the origins of the Tea Party movement and credited President Barack Obama, saying "And speaking of President Obama, I think we ought to pay tribute to him today at this Tax Day Tea Party because really he's the inspiration for why we're here today. That's right. The Tea Party Movement wouldn't exist without Barack Obama."

Charles Homans of The New York Times said that the Tea Party arose in response to the "unpopularity of the George W. Bush administration", which caused "a moment of crisis for the Republican Party."

Early local protest events

On January 24, 2009, Trevor Leach, chairman of the Young Americans for Liberty in New York State, organized the Binghamton Tea Party, to protest obesity taxes proposed by New York Governor David Paterson and call for fiscal responsibility on the part of the government. The protestors emptied bottles of soda into the Susquehanna River, and several of them wore Native American headdresses, similar to the band of 18th century colonists who dumped tea in Boston Harbor to express outrage about British taxes.

Some of the protests were partially in response to several federal laws: the Bush administration's Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, and the Obama administration's economic stimulus package the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and healthcare reform legislation.

New York Times journalist Kate Zernike reported that leaders within the Tea Party credit Seattle blogger and conservative activist Keli Carender with organizing the first Tea Party in February 2009, although the term "Tea Party" was not used. Other articles, written by Chris Good of The Atlantic and NPR's Martin Kaste, credit Carender as "one of the first" Tea Party organizers and state that she "organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests".

Carender first organized what she called a "Porkulus Protest" in Seattle on Presidents Day, February 16, the day before President Barack Obama signed the stimulus bill into law. Carender said she did it without support from outside groups or city officials. "I just got fed up and planned it." Carender said 120 people participated. "Which is amazing for the bluest of blue cities I live in, and on only four days notice! This was due to me spending the entire four days calling and emailing every person, think tank, policy center, university professors (that were sympathetic), etc. in town, and not stopping until the day came."

Contacted by Carender, Steve Beren promoted the event on his blog four days before the protest and agreed to be a speaker at the rally. Carender also contacted conservative author and Fox News Channel contributor Michelle Malkin, and asked her to publicize the rally on her blog, which Malkin did the day before the event. The following day, the Colorado branch of Americans for Prosperity held a protest at the Colorado Capitol, also promoted by Malkin. Carender held a second protest on February 27, 2009, reporting "We more than doubled our attendance at this one."

First national protests and birth of national movement

A Tea Party protest in Dallas in April 2009

On February 18, 2009, the one-month old Obama administration announced the Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan, an economic recovery plan to help home owners avoid foreclosure by refinancing mortgages in the wake of the Great Recession. The next day, CNBC business news editor Rick Santelli criticized the Plan in a live broadcast from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He said that those plans were "promoting bad behavior" by "subsidizing losers' mortgages". He suggested holding a tea party for traders to gather and dump the derivatives in the Chicago River on July 1. "President Obama, are you listening?" he asked. A number of the floor traders around him cheered on his proposal, to the amusement of the hosts in the studio. Santelli's "rant" became a viral video after being featured on the Drudge Report.

Beth McGrath of The New Yorker and Kate Zernike of The New York Times report that this where the Tea Party movement was first inspired to coalesce under the collective banner of "Tea Party". Santelli's remarks "set the fuse to the modern anti-Obama Tea Party movement," according to journalist Lee Fang. About 10 hours after Santelli's remarks, reTeaParty.com was bought to coordinate Tea Parties scheduled for Independence Day and, as of March 4, was reported to be receiving 11,000 visitors a day. Within hours, the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity registered the domain name "TaxDayTeaParty.com", and launched a website calling for protests against Obama. Overnight, websites such as "ChicagoTeaParty.com" (registered in August 2008 by Chicagoan Zack Christenson, radio producer for conservative talk show host Milt Rosenberg) were live within 12 hours. By the next day, guests on Fox News had already begun to mention this new "Tea Party". As reported by The Huffington Post, a Facebook page was developed on February 20 calling for Tea Party protests across the country.

A "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" protest was coordinated across more than 40 different cities for February 27, 2009, establishing the first national modern Tea Party protest. The movement has been supported nationally by at least 12 prominent individuals and their associated organizations. Fox News called many of the protests in 2009 "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties" which it promoted on air and sent speakers to. This was to include then-host Glenn Beck, though Fox came to discourage him from attending later events.

Health care bill

See also: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has been consistent within the Tea Party movement. The scheme has often been referred to as 'Obamacare' by critics, but was soon adopted as well by many of its advocates, including President Obama. This has been an aspect of an overall anti-government message throughout Tea Party rhetoric that includes opposition to gun control measures and to federal spending increases.

Activism by Tea Party people against the major health-care reform law from 2009 to 2014 has, according to the Kansas City Star, focused on pushing for Congressional victories so that a repeal measure would pass both houses and that President Obama's veto could be overridden. Some conservative public officials and commentators such as columnist Ramesh Ponnuru have criticized these views as completely unrealistic with the chances of overriding a Presidential veto being slim, with Ponnuru stating that "If you have in 2017 a Republican government... and it doesn't get rid of Obamacare, then I think that is a huge political disaster".

U.S. elections

Main article: Tea Party in U.S. elections See also: Mama grizzly
Michele Bachmann, Republican in Congress from Minnesota, 2007 to 2015
Tim Scott, Republican U.S. senator from South Carolina since 2013

Aside from rallies, some groups affiliated with the Tea Party movement began to focus on getting out the vote and ground game efforts on behalf of candidates supportive of their agenda starting in the 2010 elections.

In the 2010 midterm elections, The New York Times identified 138 candidates for Congress with significant Tea Party support, and reported that all of them were running as Republicans—of whom 129 were running for the House and 9 for the Senate. A poll by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News in mid October showed 35% of likely voters were Tea-party supporters, and they favored the Republicans by 84% to 10%. The first Tea Party affiliated candidate to be elected into office is believed to be Dean Murray, a Long Island businessman, who won a special election for a New York State Assembly seat in February 2010.

According to statistics on an NBC blog, overall, 32% of the candidates that were backed by the Tea Party or identified themselves as Tea Party participants won election in 2010. Tea Party supported candidates won 5 of 10 Senate races (50%) contested, and 40 of 130 House races (31%) contested. In the primaries for Colorado, Nevada and Delaware the Tea-party backed Senate Republican nominees defeated "establishment" Republicans that had been expected to win their respective Senate races, but went on to lose in the general election to their Democratic opponents. The movement played a major role in the 2010 wave election in which Republicans gained 63 House seats and took control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Tea Party is generally associated with the Republican Party. Most politicians with the "Tea Party brand" have run as Republicans. In recent elections in the 2010s, Republican primaries have been the site of competitions between the more conservative, Tea Party wing of the party and the more moderate, establishment wing of the party. The Tea Party has incorporated various conservative internal factions of the Republican Party to become a major force within the party.

Tea Party candidates were less successful in the 2012 election, winning four of 16 Senate races contested, and losing approximately 20% of the seats in the House that had been gained in 2010. Tea Party Caucus founder Michele Bachmann was re-elected to the House by a narrow margin.

A May 2014 Kansas City Star article remarked about the Tea Party movement post-2012, "Tea party candidates are often inexperienced and sometimes underfunded. More traditional Republicans—hungry for a win—are emphasizing electability over philosophy, particularly after high-profile losses in 2012. Some in the GOP have made that strategy explicit."

In June 2014, Tea Party favorite Dave Brat unseated the sitting GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Brat had previously been known as an economist and a professor at Randolph–Macon College, running a grassroots conservative campaign that espoused greater fiscal restraint and his Milton Friedman-based viewpoints. Brat has since won the seat by a comfortable margin until losing his reelection in 2018.

In November 2014, Tim Scott became the first African-American member of the U.S. Senate from the South since the reconstruction era, winning the South Carolina seat formerly held by Jim DeMint in a special election.

In the 2014 elections in Texas, the Tea Party made large gains, with numerous Tea Party favorites being elected into office, including Dan Patrick as Lieutenant Governor and Ken Paxton as Attorney General, in addition to numerous other candidates.

In the 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Matt Bevin, a Tea Party favorite who challenged Mitch McConnell in the Republican primary in the 2014 Kentucky Senate election, won with over 52% of the vote, despite fears that he was too extreme for the state. Bevin is the second Republican in 44 years to be Governor of Kentucky.

IRS controversy

Main articles: 2013 IRS controversy and Linchpins of Liberty v. United States
Lois Lerner, facing allegations of targeting Tea Party organizations in the 2013 IRS controversy, testifies before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in March 2014.

In May 2013, the Associated Press and The New York Times reported that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) flagged Tea Party groups and other conservative groups for review of their applications for tax-exempt status during the 2012 election. This led to both political and public condemnation of the agency, and triggered multiple investigations.

Some groups were asked for donor lists, which is usually a violation of IRS policy. Groups were also asked for details about family members and about their postings on social networking sites. Lois Lerner, head of the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups, apologized on behalf of the IRS and stated, "That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate." Testifying before Congress in March 2012, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman denied that the groups were being targeted based on their political views.

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, rejected the apology as insufficient, demanding "ironclad guarantees from the I.R.S. that it will adopt significant protocols to ensure this kind of harassment of groups that have a constitutional right to express their own views never happens again."

The resulting Senate subcommittee report ultimately found there had been "no bias", though Republican committeemembers filed a dissenting report. According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, 18% of the conservative groups that had Tea Party or other related terms in their names flagged for extra scrutiny by the IRS had no evidence of political activity. Michael Hiltzik, writing in the Los Angeles Times, stated that evidence put forth in the House report indicated the IRS had been struggling to apply complicated new rules to nonprofits that may have been involved in political activity, and had also flagged liberal-sounding groups. Of all the groups flagged, the only one to lose tax exempt status was a group that trains Democratic women to run for office.

After a two-year investigation, the Justice Department announced in October 2015 that "We found no evidence that any IRS official acted based on political, discriminatory, corrupt, or other inappropriate motives that would support a criminal prosecution."

On October 25, 2017, the Trump Administration settled with a Consent Order for the case Linchpins of Liberty v. United States; the IRS consented to express "its sincere apology" for singling out the plaintiff for aggressive scrutiny, stating, "The IRS admits that its treatment of Plaintiffs during the tax-exempt determinations process, including screening their applications based on their names or policy positions, subjecting those applications to heightened scrutiny and inordinate delays, and demanding of some Plaintiffs' information that TIGTA determined was unnecessary to the agency's determination of their tax-exempt status, was wrong. For such treatment, the IRS expresses its sincere apology." That same month, the Treasury Department's inspector general reported that the I.R.S. had also targeted liberal groups, flagging organization names with terms that included "Progressive" and "Occupy".

Role in the 2016 presidential election

Ted Cruz speaking at an event hosted by the Iowa Republican Party in October 2015
See also: 2016 United States presidential election

The presidential candidate Donald Trump praised the Tea Party movement throughout his 2016 campaign. In August 2015, he told a Tea Party gathering in Nashville that "The tea party people are incredible people. These are people who work hard and love the country and they get beat up all the time by the media." In a January 2016 CNN poll at the beginning of the 2016 Republican primary, Trump led all Republican candidates modestly among self-identified Tea Party voters with 37 percent supporting Trump and 34 percent supporting Ted Cruz.

Several commentators, including Jonathan Chait, Jenny Beth Martin, and Sarah Palin, argued that the Tea Party played a key role in the election of Donald Trump as the Republican Party presidential nominee, and eventually as U.S. president, and that Trump's election was even the culmination of the Tea Party and anti-establishment dissatisfaction associated with it. Martin stated after the election that "with the victory of Donald Trump, the values and principles that gave rise to the tea party movement in 2009 are finally gaining the top seat of power in the White House."

On the other hand, other commentators, including Paul H. Jossey, a conservative campaign finance attorney, and Jim Geraghty of the conservative National Review, believed that the Tea Party to be dead or in decline. Jossey, for example, argued that the Tea Party "began as an organic, policy-driven grass-roots movement" but was ultimately "drained of its vitality and resources by national political action committees that dunned the movement's true believers endlessly for money to support its candidates and causes."

Decline

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (June 2018)

Tea Party activities began to decline in 2010. According to Harvard professor Theda Skocpol, the number of Tea Party chapters across the country slipped from about 1,000 to 600 between 2009 and 2012, but that this is still "a very good survival rate." Mostly, Tea Party organizations are said to have shifted away from national demonstrations to local issues. A shift in the operational approach used by the Tea Party has also affected the movement's visibility, with chapters placing more emphasis on the mechanics of policy and getting candidates elected rather than staging public events.

The Tea Party's involvement in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries was minimal, owing to divisions over whom to endorse as well as lack of enthusiasm for all the candidates. However, the 2012 GOP ticket did have an influence on the Tea Party: following the selection of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's vice-presidential running mate, The New York Times declared that the once fringe of the conservative coalition, Tea Party lawmakers are now "indisputably at the core of the modern Republican Party."

Though the Tea Party has had a large influence on the Republican Party, it has attracted major criticism by public figures within the Republican coalition as well. Then-Speaker of the House John Boehner particularly condemned many Tea Party-connected politicians for their behavior during the 2013 U.S. debt ceiling crisis. "I think they're misleading their followers," Boehner was publicly quoted as saying, "They're pushing our members in places where they don't want to be, and frankly I just think that they've lost all credibility." In the words of The Kansas City Star, Boehner "stamped out Tea Party resistance to extending the debt ceiling... worried that his party's prospects would be damaged by adherence to the Tea Party's preference for default".

One 2013 survey found that, in political terms, 20% of self-identified Republicans stated that they considered themselves as part of the Tea Party movement. Tea Party participants rallied at the U.S. Capitol on February 27, 2014; their demonstrations celebrated the fifth anniversary of the movement coming together.

By 2016, Politico noted that the Tea Party movement was essentially completely dead; however, the article noted that the movement seemed to die in part because some of its ideas had been absorbed by the mainstream Republican Party. By 2019, it was reported that the conservative wing of the Republican Party "has basically shed the tea party moniker."

Multiple sources identified remnants of the Tea Party movement as being among the participants of the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021.

Dr. Geoffrey Kabaservice argued in 2020 that the Tea Party's

characteristic mistrust of norms was evident from the beginning in its embrace of birtherism, the racist conspiracy theory that claimed without evidence that Obama was secretly a foreign-born Muslim and ineligible for the presidency. Social media accelerated the spread of such conspiratorial beliefs, which further dissolved trust in established institutions and objective truth....the tea party never really died; its energies were reactivated with the presidential campaign of Donald Trump — who of course was the leading purveyor of birtherism.....both the tea party and Trump's movement also were rooted in fact-free conspiracy theories about the treachery of Democrats and elites, who allegedly plotted to destroy the livelihoods and traditions of "real Americans" for their own benefit.

Composition

See also: List of politicians affiliated with the Tea Party movement
A March 2010 Tea Party movement rally in Searchlight, Nevada

Demographics

Several polls have been conducted on the demographics of the movement. Though the various polls sometimes turn up slightly different results, they tend to show that Tea Party supporters tend more likely, than Americans overall, to be white, male, married, older than 45, regularly attending religious services, conservative, and to be more wealthy and have more education. Broadly speaking, multiple surveys have found between 10% and 30% of Americans identified as members of the Tea Party movement. Most Republicans and 20% of Democrats support the movement according to one Washington PostABC News poll.

According to The Atlantic, the three main groups that provide guidance and organization for the protests, FreedomWorks, dontGO, and Americans for Prosperity, state that the demonstrations are an organic movement. Conservative political strategist Tim Phillips, now head of Americans for Prosperity, has remarked that the Republican Party is "too disorganized and unsure of itself to pull this off".

The Christian Science Monitor has reported that Tea Party activists "have been called neo-Klansmen and knuckle-dragging hillbillies", adding that "demonizing tea party activists tends to energize the Democrats' left-of-center base" and that "polls suggest that tea party activists are not only more mainstream than many critics suggest", but that a majority of them are women, not angry white men. The article quoted Juan Williams as saying that the Tea Party's opposition to health reform was based on self-interest rather than racism.

A Gallup poll conducted in March 2010 found that—other than gender, income and politics—self-described Tea Party members were demographically similar to the population as a whole. A 2014 article from Forbes.com stated that the Tea Party's membership appears reminiscent of the people who supported independent Ross Perot's presidential campaigns in the 1990s.

When surveying supporters or participants of the Tea Party movement, polls have shown that they are to a very great extent more likely to be registered Republican, have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party and an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party. The Bloomberg National Poll of adults 18 and over showed that 40% of Tea Party supporters are 55 or older, compared with 32% of all poll respondents; 79% are white, 61% are men and 44% identify as "born-again Christians", compared with 75%, 48.5%, and 34% for the general population, respectively.

According to Susan Page and Naomi Jagoda of USA Today in 2010, the Tea Party was more "a frustrated state of mind" than "a classic political movement". Tea party participants "are more likely to be married and a bit older than the nation as a whole". They are predominantly white, but other groups make up just under one-fourth of their ranks. They believe that the federal government has become too large and powerful. Surveys of Republican primary voters in the South in 2012 show that Tea Party supporters were not driven by racial animosity. Instead there was a strong positive relationship with religious evangelicalism. Tea Party supporters were older, male, poorer, more ideologically conservative, and more partisan than their fellow Republicans.

Each of those factors is associated among Republicans with being more racially conservative. Using multiple regression techniques and a very large sample of N=100,000 the authors hold all the background factors statistically constant. When that happens, the tea party Republicans and other Republicans are practically identical on racial issues. In contrast, a 2015 study found that racial resentment was one of the strongest predictors for Tea Party Movement membership.

Polling of supporters

An October 2010 Washington Post canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 99% said "concern about the economy" was an "important factor". Various polls have also probed Tea Party supporters for their views on a variety of political and controversial issues. On the question of whether they think their own income taxes this year are fair, 52% of Tea Party supporters told pollsters for CBS/New York Times that they were, versus 62% in the general population (including Tea Party supporters). A Bloomberg News poll found that Tea Partiers are not against increased government action in all cases. "The ideas that find nearly universal agreement among Tea Party supporters are rather vague," says J. Ann Selzer, the pollster who created the survey. "You would think any idea that involves more government action would be anathema, and that is just not the case."

In advance of a new edition of their book American Grace, political scientists David E. Campbell of Notre Dame and Robert D. Putnam of Harvard published in a New York Times opinion the results of their research into the political attitudes and background of Tea Party supporters. Using a pre-Tea Party poll in 2006 and going back to the same respondents in 2011, they found the supporters to be not "nonpartisan political neophytes" as often described, but largely "overwhelmingly partisan Republicans" who were politically active prior to the Tea Party. The survey found Tea Party supporters "no more likely than anyone else" to have suffered hardship during the 2007–2010 recession. Additionally, the respondents were more concerned about "putting God in government" than with trying to shrink government.

The 2010 midterm elections demonstrated considerable skepticism within the Tea Party movement with respect to the dangers and the reality of global warming. A New York Times/CBS News Poll during the election revealed that only a small percentage of Tea Party supporters considered global warming a serious problem, much less than the portion of the general public that does. The Tea Party is strongly opposed to government-imposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions as part of emissions trading legislation to encourage use of fuels that emit less carbon dioxide. An example is the movement's support of California Proposition 23, which would suspend AB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The proposition failed to pass, with less than 40% voting in favor.

Many of the movement's participants favored stricter measures against illegal immigration.

Polls found that just 7% of Tea Party supporters approve of how Obama is doing his job compared to 50% (as of April 2010) of the general public, and that roughly 77% of supporters had voted for Obama's Republican opponent, John McCain in 2008.

A University of Washington poll of 1,695 registered voters in the state of Washington reported that 73% of Tea Party supporters disapprove of Obama's policy of engaging with Muslim countries, 88% approve of the controversial Arizona immigration law enacted in 2010 that requires police to question people they suspect are illegal immigrants for proof of legal status, 54% feel that immigration is changing the culture in the U.S. for the worse, 82% do not believe that gay and lesbian couples should have the legal right to marry, and that about 52% believe that "ompared to the size of the group, lesbians and gays have too much political power".

Leadership

Sarah Palin

The movement has been supported nationally by prominent individuals and organizations.

Individuals

Ron Paul at the 2012 Tea Party Express rally in Austin, Texas

An October 2010 Washington Post canvass of 647 local Tea Party organizers asked "which national figure best represents your groups?" and got the following responses: no one 34%, Sarah Palin 14%, Glenn Beck 7%, Jim DeMint 6%, Ron Paul 6%, Michele Bachmann 4%.

The success of candidates popular within the Tea Party movement has boosted Palin's visibility. Rasmussen and Schoen (2010) conclude that "She is the symbolic leader of the movement, and more than anyone else has helped to shape it."

In June 2008, Congressman Ron Paul announced his non-profit organization called Campaign for Liberty as a way of continuing the grassroots support involved in Ron Paul's 2007–2008 presidential run. This announcement corresponded with the suspension of his campaign.

In July 2010, Bachmann formed the House congressional Tea Party Caucus. This congressional caucus, which Bachmann chaired, is devoted to the Tea Party's stated principles of "fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution, and limited government". As of March 31, 2011, the caucus consisted of 62 Republican representatives. Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Melissa Clouthier have accused them of trying to hijack or co-opt the grassroots Tea Party Movement.

Organizations

Non-profit social welfare organizations (IRS classification 501(c)(4))

Note: the self-reported membership numbers below are several years old.

FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity, and DontGo, a free market political activist non-profit group, were guiding the Tea Party movement in April 2009, according to The Atlantic. Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks were "probably the leading partners" in the September 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington, also known as the 9/12 Tea Party, according to The Guardian.

Tea Party Review

In 2011 the movement launched a monthly magazine, the Tea Party Review.

For-profit businesses
Informal organizations and coalitions
  • The National Tea Party Federation, formed on April 8, 2010, by several leaders in the Tea Party movement to help spread its message and to respond to critics with a quick, unified response.
  • The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, a loose national coalition of several dozen local tea party groups.
Student movement
  • Tea Party Students organized the 1st National Tea Party Students Conference, which was hosted by Tea Party Patriots at its American Policy Summit in Phoenix on February 25–27, 2011. The conference included sessions with Campus Reform, Students For Liberty, Young America's Foundation, and Young Americans for Liberty.

Other influential organizations include Americans for Limited Government, the training organization American Majority, the Our Country Deserves Better political action committee, and Glenn Beck's 9-12 Project, according to the National Journal in February 2010.

Fundraising

Rand Paul at a Tea Party rally in Hawesville, Kentucky, November 2009

Sarah Palin headlined four "Liberty at the Ballot Box" bus tours, to raise money for candidates and the Tea Party Express. One of the tours visited 30 towns and covered 3,000 miles. Following the formation of the Tea Party Caucus, Michele Bachmann raised $10 million for a political action committee, MichelePAC, and sent funds to the campaigns of Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. In September 2010, the Tea Party Patriots announced it had received a $1,000,000 donation from an anonymous donor.

Support of Koch brothers

Main article: Political activities of the Koch family

In an August 30, 2010, article in The New Yorker, Jane Mayer asserted that the brothers David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch and Koch Industries provided financial support to one of the organizations that became part of the Tea Party movement through Americans for Prosperity. The AFP's "Hot Air Tour" was organized to fight against taxes on carbon use and the activation of a cap and trade program. A Koch Industries company spokesperson issued a 2010 statement saying "No funding has been provided by Koch companies, the Koch foundation, or Charles Koch or David Koch specifically to support the tea parties".

Public opinion

2010 polling

A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted in March 2010 found that 28% of those surveyed considered themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement, 26% opponents, and 46% neither. These figures remained stable through January 2011, but public opinion changed by August 2011. In a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted in January 2011, approximately 70% of adults, including approximately 9 out of 10 Republicans, felt Republican leaders in Congress should give consideration to Tea Party movement ideas. In August 2011, 42% of registered voters, but only 12% of Republicans, said Tea Party endorsement would be a "negative" and that they would be "less likely" to vote for such a candidate.

A Gallup Poll in April 2010 found 47% of Americans had an unfavorable image of the Tea Party movement, as opposed to 33% who had a favorable opinion. A 2011 opinion survey by political scientists David E. Campbell and Robert D. Putnam found the Tea Party ranked at the bottom of a list of "two dozen" American "religious, political, and racial groups" in terms of favorability—"even less liked than Muslims and atheists." In November 2011, The New York Times cited opinion polls showing that support for the Tea Party had "fallen sharply even in places considered Tea Party strongholds." It quoted pollster Andrew Kohut speculating that the Tea Party position in Congress was perceived as "too extreme and not willing to compromise".

A CBS News/New York Times poll in September 2010 showed 19% of respondents supported the movement, 63% did not, and 16% said they did not know. In the same poll, 29% had an unfavorable view of the Tea Party, compared to 23% with a favorable view. The same poll retaken in August 2011 found that 20% of respondents had a favorable view of the Tea Party and 40% had an unfavorable view. A CNN/ORC poll taken September 23–25, 2011 found that the favorable/unfavorable ratio was 28% versus 53%.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in September 2010 found 27% considered themselves Tea Party supporters. 42% said the Tea Party has been good for the U.S. political system; 18% called it a bad thing. Those with an unfavorable view of the Tea Party outnumbered those with a favorable view 36–30%. In comparison, the Democratic Party was viewed unfavorably by a 42–37% margin, and the Republican Party by 43–31%.

A poll conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in March 2010 found that 13% of national adults identified themselves as part of the Tea Party movement but that the Tea Party had a positive opinion by a 28–23% margin with 49% who did not know enough about the group to form an opinion. A similar poll conducted by the Winston Group in April 2010 found that 17% of American registered voters considered themselves part of the Tea Party movement.

After debt-ceiling crisis

See also: United States debt-ceiling crisis of 2011

After the mid-2011 debt ceiling crisis, polls became more unfavorable to the Tea Party. According to a Gallup poll, 28% of adults disapproved of the Tea Party compared to 25% approving, and noted that "he national Tea Party movement appears to have lost some ground in popular support after the blistering debate over raising the nation's debt ceiling in which Tea Party Republicans... fought any compromise on taxes and spending". Similarly, a Pew poll found that 29% of respondents thought Congressional Tea Party supporters had a negative effect compared to 22% thinking it was a positive effect. It noted that "he new poll also finds that those who followed the debt ceiling debate very closely have more negative views about the impact of the Tea Party than those who followed the issue less closely." A CNN/ORC poll put disapproval at 51% with a 31% approval.

2012 polling

A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted in April 2012 showed 44% of likely U.S. voters held at least a somewhat favorable view of Tea Party activists, while 49% share an unfavorable opinion of them. When asked if the Tea Party movement would help or hurt Republicans in the 2012 elections, 53% of Republicans said they see the Tea Party as a political plus.

2013 and 2014 polling

A February 2014 article from Forbes.com reported about the past few years, "Nationally, there is no question that negative views of the Tea Party have risen. But core support seems to be holding steady." In October 2013, Rasmussen Reports research found as many respondents (42%) identify with the Tea Party as with President Obama. However, while 30% of those polled viewed the movement favorably, 50% were unfavorable; in addition, 34% considered the movement a force for good while 43% considered them bad for the nation. On major national issues, 77% of Democrats said their views were closest to Obama's; in contrast, 76% of Republicans and 51% of unaffiliated voters identified closely with the Tea Party.

Other survey data over recent years show that past trends of partisan divides about the Tea Party remain. For example, a Pew Research Center poll from October 2013 reported that 69% of Democrats had an unfavorable view of the movement, in contrast to 49% of independents and 27% of Republicans. A CNN/ORC poll also conducted October 2013 generally showed that 28% of Americans were favorable to the Tea party while 56% were unfavorable. In an AP/GfK survey from January 2014, 27% of respondents stated that they considered themselves a Tea Party supporter in comparison to 67% that said that they did not.

Symbols

Gadsden flag
Second Revolution flag

Beginning in 2009, the Gadsden flag became widely used as a symbol by Tea Party protesters nationwide. It was also displayed by members of Congress at Tea Party rallies. Some lawmakers dubbed it a political symbol due to the Tea Party connection and the political nature of Tea Party supporters.

The Second Revolution flag gained national attention on January 19, 2010. It is a version of the Betsy Ross flag with a Roman numeral "II" in the center of the circle of 13 stars symbolizing a second revolution in America. The Second Revolution flag has been called synonymous with Tea Party causes and events.

"Teabagger"

Some participants of the movement adopted the term as a verb, and a few others referred to themselves as "teabaggers". News media and progressive commentators outside the movement began to use the term mockingly and derisively, alluding to the sexual connotation of the term when referring to Tea Party protesters. The first pejorative use of the term was in 2007 by Indiana Democratic Party Communications Director Jennifer Wagner. The use of the double entendre evolved from Tea Party protest sites encouraging readers to "Tea bag the fools in DC" to the political left adopting the term for derogatory jokes. It has been used by several media outlets to humorously refer to Tea Party-affiliated protestors. Some conservatives have advocated that the non-vulgar meaning of the word be reclaimed. Grant Barrett, co-host of the A Way with Words radio program, has listed teabagger as a 2009 buzzword meaning, "a derogatory name for attendees of Tea Parties, probably coined in allusion to a sexual practice".

Commentary by the Obama administration

On April 29, 2009, Obama commented on the Tea Party protests during a townhall meeting in Arnold, Missouri: "Let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we're going to stabilize Social Security. Claire McCaskill and I are working diligently to do basically a thorough audit of federal spending. But let's not play games and pretend that the reason is because of the recovery act, because that's just a fraction of the overall problem that we've got. We are going to have to tighten our belts, but we're going to have to do it in an intelligent way. And we've got to make sure that the people who are helped are working American families, and we're not suddenly saying that the way to do this is to eliminate programs that help ordinary people and give more tax cuts to the wealthy. We tried that formula for eight years. It did not work. And I don't intend to go back to it."

On April 15, 2010, Obama noted the passage of 25 different tax cuts over the past year, including tax cuts for 95% of working Americans. He then remarked, "So I've been a little amused over the last couple of days where people have been having these rallies about taxes. You would think they would be saying thank you. That's what you'd think."

On September 20, 2010, at a townhall discussion sponsored by CNBC, Obama said healthy skepticism about government and spending was good, but it was not enough to just say "Get control of spending", and he challenged the Tea Party movement to get specific about how they would cut government debt and spending: "And so the challenge, I think, for the Tea Party movement is to identify specifically what would you do. It's not enough just to say, get control of spending. I think it's important for you to say, I'm willing to cut veterans' benefits, or I'm willing to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits, or I'm willing to see these taxes go up. What you can't do—which is what I've been hearing a lot from the other side—is say we're going to control government spending, we're going to propose $4 trillion of additional tax cuts, and that magically somehow things are going to work."

Media coverage

Glenn Beck, Conservative radio commentator

U.S. News & World Report reported that the nature of the coverage of the protests has become part of the story. On CNN's Situation Room, journalist Howard Kurtz commented that "much of the media seems to have chosen sides". He says that Fox News portrayed the protests "as a big story, CNN as a modest story, and MSNBC as a great story to make fun of. And for most major newspapers, it's a nonstory". There were reports that the movement had been actively promoted by the Fox News Channel.

According to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a progressive media watchdog, there is a disparity between large coverage of the Tea Party movement and minimal coverage of larger movements. In 2009, the major Tea Party protests were quoted twice as often as the National Equality March despite a much lower turnout. In 2010, a Tea Party protest was covered 59 times as much as the US Social Forum (177 Tea Party mentions versus 3 for Social Forum) despite the attendance of the latter being 25 times as much (600 Tea Party attendees versus at least 15,000 for Social Forum).

In April 2010, responding to a question from the media watchdog group Media Matters posed the previous week, Rupert Murdoch, the chief executive of News Corporation, which owns Fox News, said, "I don't think we should be supporting the Tea Party or any other party." That same week, Fox News canceled an appearance by Sean Hannity at a Cincinnati Tea Party rally.

Following the September 12 Taxpayer March on Washington, Fox News said it was the only cable news outlet to cover the emerging protests and took out full-page ads in The Washington Post, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal with a prominent headline reading, "How did ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN miss this story?" CNN news anchor Rick Sanchez disputed Fox's assertion, pointing to various coverage of the event. CNN, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, and CBS Radio News provided various forms of live coverage of the rally in Washington throughout the day on Saturday, including the lead story on CBS Evening News.

James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times said that MSNBC's attacks on the tea parties paled compared to Fox's support, but that MSNBC personalities Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews were hardly subtle in disparaging the movement. Howard Kurtz has said that, "These hosts said little or nothing about the huge deficits run up by President Bush, but Barack Obama's budget and tax plans have driven them to tea. On the other hand, CNN and MSNBC may have dropped the ball by all but ignoring the protests."

In the January/February 2012 issue of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fukuyama stated that the Tea Party is supporting "politicians who serve the interests of precisely those financiers and corporate elites they claim to despise" and inequality while comparing and contrasting it with the occupy movement.

Tea Party's views of media coverage

In October 2010, a survey conducted by The Washington Post found that the majority of local Tea Party organizers consider the media coverage of their groups to be fair. Seventy-six percent of the local organizers said media coverage has been fair, while 23 percent have said coverage was unfair. This was based on responses from all 647 local Tea Party organizers the Post was able to contact and verify, from a list of more than 1,400 possible groups identified.

Perceptions of the Tea Party

Tea Party protesters walk towards the United States Capitol during the Taxpayer March on Washington, September 12, 2009.

The movement has been called a mixture of conservative, libertarian, and populist activists. As stated before, opinions in terms of the U.S. major political parties play a large role in terms of attitudes about the Tea Party movement, with one study finding that 20% of self-identified Republicans personally view themselves as part of the Tea Party.

The movement has sponsored protests and supported political candidates circa 2009. Since the movement's inception, in the late 2000s, left wing groups have accused the party of racism and intolerance. Left leaning opponents have cited various incidents as evidence that the movement is, in their opinion, propelled by various forms of bigotry. Supporters say the incidents are isolated acts attributable to a small fringe that is not representative of the movement. Accusations that the news media are biased either for or against the movement are common, while polls and surveys have been faced with issues regarding the population surveyed, and the meaningfulness of poll results from disparate groups.

Although the Tea Party has a libertarian element in terms of some issue convictions, most American libertarians do not support the movement enough to identify with it. A 2013 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that 61% of identified libertarians stated they did not consider themselves part of the tea party. This split exists due to the strong Christian right influence in the movement, which puts the majority of the tea party movement at direct odds against libertarians on issues such as the war on drugs (with the aforementioned survey finding that 71% of libertarians support legalizing marijuana). Some libertarian leaning supporters have grown increasingly annoyed by the influx of religious social issues into the movement. Many in the movement would prefer the complex social issues such as homosexuality, abortion, and religion to be left out of the discussion, while instead increasing the focus on limited government and states' rights.

According to a review in Publishers Weekly published in 2012, professor Ronald P. Formisano in The Tea Party: A Brief History provides an "even-handed perspective on and clarifying misconceptions about America's recent political phenomenon" since "party supporters are not isolated zealots, and may, like other Americans, only want to gain control over their destinies". Professor Formisano sees underlying social roots and draws a parallel between the tea party movement and past support for independent candidate Ross Perot, a similar point to that made in Forbes as mentioned earlier.

The final round of debate before voting on the health care bill was marked with vandalism and widespread threats of violence to at least ten Democratic lawmakers across the country, which created public relations problems for the fledgeling Tea Party movement. On March 22, 2010, in what the New York Times called "potentially the most dangerous of many acts of violence and threats against supporters of the bill," a Lynchburg, Virginia Tea Party organizer and the Danville, Virginia Tea Party Chairman both posted the home address of Representative Tom Perriello's brother (mistakenly believing it was the Congressman's address) on their websites, and encouraged readers to "drop by" to express their anger against Representative Perriello's vote in favor of the healthcare bill. The following day, after smelling gas in his house, a severed gas line that connected to a propane tank was discovered on Perriello's brother's screened-in porch. Local police and FBI investigators determined that it was intentionally cut as an act of vandalism. Perriello's brother also received a threatening letter referencing the legislation. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli stated that posting a home address on a website and encouraging people to visit is "an appalling approach. It's not civil discourse, it's an invitation to intimidation and it's totally unacceptable." Leaders of the Tea Party movement tried to contain the public relations damage by denouncing the violent acts and distancing themselves from those behind the acts. One Tea Party website issued a response saying the Tea Party member's action of posting the address "was not requested, sanctioned or endorsed by the Lynchburg Tea Party". The director of the Northern Colorado Tea Party said, "Although many are frustrated by the passage of such controversial legislation, threats are absolutely not acceptable in any form, to any lawmaker, of any party."

In early July 2010, the North Iowa Tea Party (NITP) posted a billboard showing a photo of Adolf Hitler with the heading "National Socialism", one of Barack Obama with the heading "Democrat Socialism", and one of Vladimir Lenin with the heading "Marxist Socialism", all three marked with the word "change" and the statement "Radical leaders prey on the fearful and naive". It received sharp criticism, including some from other Tea Party activists. NITP co-founder Bob Johnson acknowledged the anti-socialist message may have gotten lost amid the fascist and communist images. Following a request from the NITP, the billboard was removed on July 14.

See also

References

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Further reading

  • Agarwal, Sheetal D., et al. "Grassroots organizing in the digital age: Considering values and technology in Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street." Information, Communication & Society 17.3 (2014): 326–341.
  • Armey, Dick (2010). Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0062015877.
  • Avlon, John; Foreword by Tina Brown (2010). Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America. Beast Books. ISBN 978-0984295111.
  • Blum, Rachel M. (2020). How the Tea Party Captured the GOP: Insurgent Factions in American Politics. University of Chicago Press.
  • Crossman, W. Henry, and Ronald B. Rapoport. (2021) "From Tea Party to Trump Party." (Ray Bliss Institute, University of Akron) online
  • Deckman, M. (2016). Tea Party women: Mama Grizzlies, grassroots leaders, and the changing face of the American right (New York University Press).
  • Eastland-Underwood, Jessica. (2021) "What was the original intent? The Tea Party movement, the Founding Fathers, and the American welfare state." Journal of Political Ideologies (2021): 1-19.
  • Foley, Elizabeth Price. The Tea Party: Three Principles (Cambridge University Press; 2012) 238 pages. Identifies three core principles that bind the Tea Party movement: limited government, unapologetic U.S. sovereignty, and constitutional originalism; looks at how they apply to issues, especially immigration, health-care reform, internationalism, and the War on Terror.
  • Fried, Amy, and Douglas B. Harris. "Chapter Five. "We're All Mad Here": The Tea Party and the Obama Era." in At War with Government (Columbia University Press, 2021) pp. 122-160.
  • Horwitz, Robert B. America's right: anti-establishment conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party (2013).
  • Johnson, Kirk A. African American Tea Party Supporters: Explaining a Political Phenomenon (Lexington Books, 2019.
  • Kabaservice, Geoffrey. Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party (2012) scholarly history excerpt and text search
  • Leahy, Michael (2012). Covenant of Liberty: The Ideological Origins of the Tea Party Movement. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0062066336.
  • Lepore, Jill (2010). The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1400836963.
  • O'Hara, John M.; Foreword by Michelle Malkin (2010). A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470567982.
  • Paul, Rand (2011). The Tea Party Goes to Washington. Center Street. ISBN 978-1455503117.
  • Perrin, Andrew J., et al. "Political and Cultural Dimensions of Tea Party Support, 2009–2012." Sociological Quarterly (2014) 55#4 pp: 625–652. online
  • Rasmussen, Scott; Schoen, Doug (2010). Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System. Harper. ISBN 978-0061995231.
  • Rosenthalm Lawrence , and Christine Trost, eds. (2012) Steep: The Precipitous Rise of the Tea Party (U of California Press) pp: 295-211.
  • Rouse, Stella M., Charles Hunt, and Kristen Essel. (2022) "Growing Tea With Subnational Roots: Tea Party Affiliation, Factionalism, and GOP Politics in State Legislatures." American Politics Research 50.2 (2022): 242-254.
  • Skocpol, Theda; Williamson, Vanessa (2012). The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199832637.
  • Sparks, H. (2014). "Mama grizzlies and the guardians of the Republic: the Democratic and Intersectional politics of anger in the Tea party movement" New Political Science 37 (1), 1–23. doi:10.1080/07393148.2014.945252
  • Van Dyke, Nella, and David S. Meyer, eds. Understanding the Tea Party Movement (The Mobilization Series on Social Movements, Protest, and Culture) (2014)
  • Zernike, Kate (2010). Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America. Times Books. ISBN 978-0805093483.

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