New Poll: Tea Party Going Nowhere Fast

[Joanne98]

There are many interesting things to be found in a new ABC News-Washington Post poll on the Tea Party "movement", but this may be the most enlightening of all:

The new movement is also relatively small, with 8 percent of supporters claiming to be "active participants" -- about 2 percent of the total population.

That massive "grass roots" movement you've been hearing about? The one covered 24/7 by Fox "News"? That enormous groundswell of disaffected Americans?

Two percent.

MeMeMeMeMe's diary :: ::
2%.

A higher percentage of Americans are currently in jail. A higher percentage of Americans are millionaires. A higher percentage of Americans carries at least ten credit cards. But I digress.

Not only is almost nobody bothering to attend these relentlessly promoted tea parties, but the more people hear about them, the less they care:

That conclusion, backed by numbers from a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, also suggests that the tea party may have little room for growth. Most Americans -- including large majorities of those who don't already count themselves as supporters -- say they're not interested in learning more about the movement. A sizable share of those not already sympathetic to the tea party also say that the more they hear, the less they like the movement.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/5/863753/-New-Poll:-Tea-Party-Going-Nowhere-Fast

[tridim]

1. They have been silenced by reality

Irony at its finest.

[frazzled]

2. 2% is not necessarily an insignificant number

For example, fewer than 2% of the electorate is Jewish, yet the Jewish vote remains important, especially in states or municipalities in which this population is numerous. It's also important because Jews tend to turn out to vote in high numbers, and they also support candidates financially.

So, that 2% of the electorate who self-identify as Tea Partiers may not make a difference in New York City or L.A., but they can help elect a senator in Utah or Montana--whose vote will count just as much as a senator from New York State.

[Exultant Democracy]

6. 2% of the population can make for a considerable swing in the midterms, especially if they are new

voters. I honestly hope that this article is wrong, what we need is a strong teabagger movement pushing the republicans so far to the right in this years elections that they become unpalatable to the general public.

Considering the SCOTUS ruling on corporate spending in elections and the natural tendency for the party of the president to lose seats during the midterm, the teabagers may be our only hope.

[Journeyman]

7. And actually, votes from smaller areas can have greater influence. . .

when you factor in that it doesn't take near as much money or effort to influence or even buy the vote of someone in a sparsely populated area, and that such a vote can then be used to leverage wide-ranging concessions from the other, more populated areas, you begin to see how controlling a "small state" vote is both easier and more profitable than wasting money and effort trying to gain the upper hand in a diverse, money-rich area such as California or New York.


edited for typo

[fasttense]

10. Perhaps but tea-baggers are concentrated in states and districts

that would vote for RepubliCONS anyway. It's not like these tea-baggers are adding numbers to the wing nuts and RepubliCONS, they are the wing nuts. So, it really is only an indications of how many wing nuts there are.

The Jewish population can swing from conservative to liberal. They add or subtract from a party's vote. Tea-baggers are the party.

[frazzled]

12. Not really, because they are pushing Republicans to the right

So once-moderate Republicans (even like Snow and Collins in Maine, McCain in Arizona, etc.) are voting all kinds of crazy ways and never coming over to support Democratic-led legislation, unlike in the past.

Also, Jews tend to vote more Democratic than any other group in the nation, ethnic, racial, or otherwise. So no, they don't tend to swing conservative. Or not in ways that would elect Republicans.

[roseBudd]

20. Tea baggers live in white flight suburbs & exurbs, where incumbents like Boehner

won't be dislodged.

So they end up with more of the same, or as in Arizona & Utah, trading a Republican like McCain or Bennet a Repub more crazy

[Dawgs]

11. Only if those are new voters; which we know isn't true.

Almost all vote Republican every chance they get.

[yellowcanine]

18. Not only that but they might swing Republican primaries to wacko candidates.

Actually making it easier to elect Democrats in the general election.

[Journeyman]

3. Unfortunately, the "movement" accomplished its primary goal early on. . .

when it helped derail all hope of single payer health insurance and made certain that Medicare for all would not become a reality under this Congress.

We just can't discount the power of an extremely vocal and opportunistic minority, especially one supported by the power and influence of the corporate media.

[Exultant Democracy]

9. Single payer and medicare for all were never on the table. That was all barganed away

long before the tea party or even the angry town hall people emerged.

[Enthusiast]

14. The point is the faux outrage

reinforced the insurance industry position and allowed the bill to be weakened.

Instead of constructive dialog all we got was shrillness and insanity. This is why Democrats and the Obama Administration could get away with not supporting a public option. It gave them cover - so the purpose of the Teabaggers was served.

[Enthusiast]

13. That is right.

The town hall meeting were stacked with astro turf Teabaggers. The media pretended the outrage was real and unrehearsed. The Insurance and pharmaceutical industries got what they wanted. So the baggers served a mighty purpose. Useful Brown Shirts.

[robinblue]

24. Wimpy Dems and the WH pushed it off the table.

[OHdem10]

4. Over-Exposed by GOP and Fox. The American People learned

too much about them. Three out of Ten Americans believe
they are racists. Too negative.

[Bert]

16. Only 3 out of 10?

They would call themselves the kkk if it was around 50 years ago. I wonder how many of these teabaggers have white hoods in their closets.

[callous taoboy]

5. A higher percentage believe that beating your child in public is acceptable.

[TEXASYANKEE]

8. Our media sucks!

"Poll: Tea party platform fares best among GOP conservatives" is the headline of the original poll. But it should read "Poll: Tea party platform is a dud"

[Enthusiast]

15. Our media truly sucks!

Yesireebob.

[emulatorloo]

17. Great diary, I read the whole thing. THANKS FOR POSTING n/t

[Lint Head]

19. That's Tea Baggers. The new 'N' word.

[khawkings09]

21. tea baggers = pathetic

[applegrove]

22. That is great news.

[classysassy]

23. If the old tea bags and hags feel they are pay too much

let them relocate to Costa Rica with their leaders( Rush and Sarah) good by sorry you stayed so long.