“I'll show you politics in America. Here it is, right here. 'I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs.' 'I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking.' 'Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding out both puppets!'” ~ Bill Hicks

The Tea Party movement, although not an official organized party has sent the political establishment scurrying around wondering what to do about the evil people who dare to enact their rights. The most recent tantrum is that of Karl Rove who was taken back in his Delaware loss to the Tea Party backed candidate. Katy Abram in her statement “You have awakened a sleeping giant” was right on the mark and the establishment did not head her warning. This was not a warning to democrats but all politicians who fail to stand up for the American people. There has been a lot of talk as to who the Tea Party is. Many encourage that it is part of the vast Right Wing extremists. Others assert that it is a re-branded republican party. Now that the Tea Party has affected the Right [Republicans] we again assess; who is the Tea Party?
Has it occurred to anyone that the people who make up the Tea Party are average everyday Americans, like Katy Abram, who are sick and tired of the political elitist ruling class? In my opinion that is exactly who they are. They are everyday people who are tired of being ignored, tired of politicians favoring the special interest over the people, and tired of runaway government that is threatening their normal way of living. It is not left or right but comprised of many people with one issue in mind – “We the People!”
Even though there is a movement afoot to shake up politics as usual, the establishment and the media continue to paint Tea Partiers as “angry voters.” Joshua Spivak, in an AOL News Op Ed, dismissed the Tea Party movement by stating that “Any possible third party has the same nonexistent chance of success as all the ones that went before” and he equates the movement to [perceived] voter anger and goes on to state that “The tea party movement and the increasing anger [there’s that word again] with the political process makes a third party look like an appealing option to many. But it is simply a mirage.”
Spivak seems to be right about one thing – what stifles the emergence of any third party is its ability to break into the entrenched two party system establishment, however a recent Gallop Poll has indicated that “The desire for a third party is fairly similar across ideological groups, with 61% of liberals, 60% of moderates, and 54% of conservatives believing a third major party is needed.”¹ Is a third party movement taking hold? I am not sure but what seems to be obvious is that voters are disenchanted with the political establishment and seem to be sending a message. The poll results also seem to re-enforce my belief that the Tea Party is not left or right but comprised of many people with one issue in mind – “We the People!”
Those who say, "it cannot be done" should not interrupt the person doing it! ~ Chinese proverb
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¹ September 17, 2010 Americans Renew Call for Third Party
http://www.gallup.com/poll/143051/americans-renew-call-third-party.aspx
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