The New York Times has rounded up five talking -- well, writing -- heads to "debate" the future of the Tea Party.
Though there's support for the idea that "no" movement will help Republicans in the polls in November, more than one thinks the movement may wind up damaging the Republican party. Micah Sifry looks at past right wing movement and explains how, once again, this one could scare off voters.
I doubt very much that the Tea Party will turn into a political party (though splinters may try). Without a strong leader and a message that can appeal to drop-outs from both major parties, any third-party effort by Tea Partyites is likely to just divide the anti-Democratic vote.
Instead, I think the Tea Party movement presents a difficult challenge for the Republican party. This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen a flowering on the right of nativism, hyper-patriotism, anti-rationalism, racism and wishful thinking about going back to a happy America that never really existed — and it’s not surprising that it occurs at a low point for the G.O.P., when it is searching for renewal.
Last time around, William F. Buckley, a Republican intellectual, led his party out of the fever swamps by decisively drawing the line against John Birchers and other haters in its ranks, and the modern Republican renewal was underway.
Can anyone play a similar role this time? If not, I suspect today’s Republican party will find that its alliance with the Tea Party movement will provide it with new energy and troops, while repelling far more Americans than it attracts.
The way it looks from here in Texas, a Tea Party stronghold, Republicans will suffer no less than Democrats from a movement which is fractious, diverse, defensive and mad at everyone.
Andrew Kohut points out that, for many voters, shoutin' and yellin' are off-putting.
The Tea Party needs a strong voice to make a big impact. News reports of strong divisions within the movement as it gathers for a national convention are not a good sign. Secondly, independents, and swing voters generally, are for the most part centrists, who typically are not attracted to political extremes, their discontents notwithstanding. That may be a significant problem for the Tea Party movement.
