The Tea Party

After the Debt Limit talks last week came to an agreement much talk has been made in regards to the Tea Party and how successful they were in the debate. Some feel anger of the power they have held. Certainly as difficult as they have made life for Democrats they have made life tougher still for Majority Leader John Boehner.

Last November's elections made clear that for some Americans the Tea Party is the voice they want speaking for them. We can argue about how much of the vote they actually received and if those voting for them knew how extreme their agenda was but in the end they succeeded far beyond their original visions.

For me personally the Tea Party is wrong headed. However I believe that most people in the Tea Party have a strong belief in their country, want to see it strong and healthy and perhaps more than most are ready to sacrifice some benefits in their own lifetime to make these goals happen. Their message however is clouded with much finger pointing at others. This makes the tone of their message less than well received by Independents and certainly Democrats.

The larger concern however for me is that most of the efforts of the Tea Party is being financed by those that are using them to pursue their own agenda which is decidedly not in America's best interest.

Talking about cutting entitlement programs in the aim of improving the economic health of the country is a valid thought, but not when it is being financed by the Koch brothers who have one goal, that is cutting their taxes and government regulation of their actions.

In a move more deft with sleight of hand than Houdini the right wing agenda of no new taxes has been adopted by the tea party, a move that does not benefit them. This of course is no new thing for Republicans who have made a habit of using cultural issues to get people to vote against there own economic self interest.

Still one thing is clear. These folks are not going away and they are involved in the process, more involved than most. Only voter turnout can nullify the enthusiasm of the Tea Party folks and that would be turnout like we saw in 2008 with the election of Obama. With the way Obama has treated his base there is no reason to think that he will gain turnout like that again.

It is not a national election it is a series of fifty state elections. Obama needs to figure out what states in the Midwest he can get an energetic vote from or he will have a significant problem getting reelected.