Who Is the Tea Party?

The Tea Parties have been around for many months, more than enough time for people to find the answer, yet I keep reading goofball stories about them. Permit me to express my opinion: this is based on my personal experience with the various Tea Parties here in the bay area. I have no idea if my experiences are indicative of Tea Parties in other parts of the country.

Are They A Front Group For Someone Else?
Certainly not. The nature of my contacts with them are profoundly different than the contacts I have with established political groups. They are clearly informal, amateur neighborhood groups.

Are They Secretly Financed By Powerful Forces?
Hah, hah: I wish. I just recently found out that I am a great favorite of several Tea Parties. If they were well financed, they would have found a way to contribute to my campaign fund. This has emphatically not happened.

Are They Weirdoes, Potheads, And Nazis?
Truthfully, these are spontaneous, grass root organizations. Ragtag collection of people would not be unfair. So, yes there are a few nutballs. Since they seem to be quite egalitarian, this is kinda unavoidable, I guess.

They Are Republicans, But Are They Conservative?
This is also a difficult subject. They are certainly fiscal conservatives, but they are not always social conservatives. I suspect that this is the main reason why some Republicans are, behind closed doors, rather skeptical.

Are They Republican Sock Puppets?
This is another charge that keeps popping up. To see the answer, just consider O’Donnell (Delaware), Angle (Nevada), and Miller (Alaska). Are these candidates being welcomed and hugged by establishment Republicans, or are they being pilloried?
Hmmm?

Why Don’t Libs Believe Any Of This?
This one was a puzzle to me for a quite a while; surely the evidence is clearly on display for anyone who wishes to examine it. I suspect that Libs find it impossible to believe that a grassroots political organization could ever be conservative and totally opposite to their political beliefs, so there must be more to it that is below the surface. It must be shear disbelief.

Hey, Are You A Tea Partier?
Well, umm, err: no. I have great respect for them, and, as a candidate, they make me very happy. I have been to a few events, but as an invited guest or speaker, not as a member. Sorry about that.