They are more likely than the general public, and Republicans, to say that too much has been made of the problems facing black people.
The New York Times/CBS poll has delved into the character and attitudes of the Tea Party. There are some unexpected findings.
Tea Party supporters are wealthier and more well-educated than the general public, and are no more or less afraid of falling into a lower socioeconomic class.
I'd like to know more about that "well-educated" part -- doesn't ring true. What it may be is that they have had more access to education. But what may play in here is disagreement about what "educated" has come to mean.
They identify as Republicans but are generally farther to the right.
They hold more conservative views on a range of issues than Republicans generally. They are also more likely to describe themselves as “very conservative” and President Obama as “very liberal.”
That identification of Obama as "very liberal" calls into question the extent of the education -- how much do they know about history and politics? Another example:
Tea Party supporters’ fierce animosity toward Washington, and the president in particular, is rooted in deep pessimism about the direction of the country and the conviction that the policies of the Obama administration are disproportionately directed at helping the poor rather than the middle class or the rich.
Or this sample from Fox 101:
“I just feel he’s getting away from what America is,” said Kathy Mayhugh, 67, a retired medical transcriber in Jacksonville. “He’s a socialist. And to tell you the truth, I think he’s a Muslim and trying to head us in that direction, I don’t care what he says. He’s been in office over a year and can’t find a church to go to. That doesn’t say much for him.”
Sorry. The bottom line seems to be the same smug selfishness we've already seen in the movement, combined with ignorance and a surprising naivete.
The poll establishes that they are mostly "white, male, married and older than 45." And angry and pessimistic. Obama they don't like, but they hate Congress. November is beginning to look like a rat's nest.
Nearly three-quarters of those who favor smaller government said they would prefer it even if it meant spending on domestic programs would be cut. But in follow-up interviews, Tea Party supporters said they did not want to cut Medicare or Social Security — the biggest domestic programs, suggesting instead a focus on “waste.”
Some defended being on Social Security while fighting big government by saying that since they had paid into the system, they deserved the benefits.
Others could not explain the contradiction.
“That’s a conundrum, isn’t it?” asked Jodine White, 62, of Rocklin, Calif. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe I don’t want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security.” She added, “I didn’t look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think I’ve changed my mind.”
Combine that narcissistic, muddled view of the world with politicians and corporations jumping in to manipulate it and you have the Tea Party and what it's doing to America.
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Note: Mark Fiore, whose take on Tea-Party speak can be seen in the video, above, won a Pulitzer prize this week. He's really one of the best cartoonists around.
