Research has revealed a very, very sick nation.
There it is. But the tea party isn't the only carrier of this pathology. It marches in Fourth of July; it keeps the Christ in Christmas; it publicizes itself in everything from bumper stickers to outrages in Florida, Texas and Missouri. It is present in every state. Its latest focus has been the White House from the first days of Obama's tenure to today. And now there's Donald Trump, a candidate looking for votes from what he may think of as "real Americans" among people who believe that the darker the skin, the less "real American" you are.
"A lot of analysts have been shocked to see a major party candidate receive so much popular support despite a track record of controversial statements toward multiple ethnic groups," Willer said. "It's less surprising if you think of the tea party as a sort of historical bridge to the Trump candidacy."
The movement, he explained, might have made using the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that Trump has employed more socially acceptable, and past research suggests that the movement could have created a new sense of racial identity among its supporters. ...Wonkblog,WaPo
