Tea Party Appeal to GOP Might Fade by November

(CBS)  There's no question that the Tea Party has become a potent political force in a little over a year. A CBS News poll says one in five Americans support the movement now.

Republican Scott Brown's victory in the January senate election in the Democratic stronghold of Massachusetts symbolized tea party clout.

"Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken," Brown said the night he was elected to fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

But while Republicans initially welcomed the Tea Party, in recent weeks the embrace may be a bit too close for comfort, CBS News Correspondent Dean Reynolds reports.

"The passion that was so important in primaries for Tea Party candidates doesn't play often so well in a general election where you're trying to go after moderate and independent voters," CBS News Political Analyst John Dickerson said.

Take Nevada, where Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is considered vulnerable.

Establishment Republican Sue Lowden is in a close race against Tea Party hopeful Sharron Angle to run against Reid.

"When socialism takes over, all they need to do is look here," Angle said.

Angle wants to end the federal income tax and social security. Reid wants to run against her.

Tea Party candidates have already expelled prominent Republicans from races in Florida and Utah. And the primary race in Arizona involving Sen. John McCain and Tea Party opponent J.D. Hayworth has dismayed Republican officials.

"They're not sure that these untested candidates over the long haul are politically savvy and astute enough to win tough general elections," said Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report.

In North Carolina's 8th District, the Tea Party's Tim d'Annunzio has a shot at the Republican nomination even though divorce papers called him a messianic drug user who worries that a gigantic pyramid will descend on Greenland one day.

He recently held what he called a machine gun social.

"We talked about issues and let people shoot fully automatic uzi submachine guns," d'Annunzio said.

In Kentucky, Tea Party favorite Rand Paul defeated the Republican Party establishment's choice for a Senate nomination, and then Paul's views on the Constitution and civil rights quickly raised Republican doubts about the Tea Partiers' electability.

More on Rand Paul
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Rand Paul: I Support the Civil Rights Act
Rand Paul Under Fire for Comments on Race

Republicans know that passion and energy are terrific, but they also know that without electability you don't win elections.

[tsigili]

The GOP, and the Tea Party, are NOT one and the same.

[newerdeal]

Google "tea party RV" to see what the tea party is all about.

Our troops are fighting 2 wars to help keep our oil supply flowing and the drill baby drill, burn baby burn tea party people are burning it driving their houses to their freedom meetings ! ! !

How can they care about the USA and drive those things ?

We are spending billions fighting these wars.

Where do people think the other side gets their money ?

From the sale of oil ! ! !

The tea party has no problem helping fund the people that are killing our troops ! ! !

[MerrellObrian]

Tea Party people claim they are only interested in lowering taxes, smaller government and blah blah blah... T.E.A. = "Taxed Enough Already". You can't even hide racism with a white sheet. The suit and tie routine doesn't work either! Tea Party people HATE racial equality. They HATE equal marriage. They're ALL religious rightwing nutjobs, and they are death to the Republican Party. On both sides fo the political spectrum, there is a less than a third on each which are radical, basically anti-Democracy. The Tea Party is the name given to this organization on the Red side. It is in the best interest of America to 1) establish true civil equality for ALL US Citizens 2) Fight government corruption and waste 3) Insist on accountability from elected officials 4) Protect religious freedom while protecting citizens from the religious. Until America embraces THESE goals, we are nothing but a bitter collection of States. We are not "The United States" anymore.

[shedhouserob]

When the republican party moves toward the middle of the road and they tell Rush Limbaugh to go to hell, they will never be the majority. The republican party is afraid of Rush! To hell with the far right and far left. Islam is the religion of Satan.

[user000049586849302948602]

Whatever you say, Church Lady.

[LIBERALS-lie]

the LIBERALS HOPE HOPE HOPE...

[user000049586849302948602]

The right wing nut jobs: blame Obama, blame Obama, blame Obama.

[JayAdlerMusic]

I am a life long Republican and when the Tea Party experienced its inception into the political arena and media evaluation I sensed that maybe our party and theirs could eventually achieve a meeting of the minds through polite treatment and discussion and become a unified force versus a ballot line that would ultimately extend the malaise this country is already mired in.It was noticeable that the Left was worried and Tea Party events were attracting the usual crowd of clairvoyant naysayers who deemed them to be racist and coordinated despisers of Obama.Most people can agree that these attacks lacked any evidence. The problem is that the movement nets the oddballs and quirky comments that the Republicans can do without. Rand Paul said something that any seasoned politician would never say no matter what his philosophy is.It is just one of those politics 101 regs that you never go racial context misinterpreted or not. I see a problem with him as a novice on the stump of having to continue in a race where more misspeaks will be intolerable.He probably had no malice of forethought but this is still a problem even though he was disciplined by Mr. Steele. On the other hand a third party election has the possibility of creating no hope and no change both globally and at home. GE recently delivered some big parts boxes to my home in error, just like the Tea Party, I got to find a place for them, there is not enough room in my house.

[bradkt1]

A very thoughtful comment. The Tea Party Movement has a lot of sincere and angry people in it, but it also has some loons, bigots and nuts. Because sensible people don't make for good news sound bites, the ones who get covered by the news media are the more colorful and extreme elements...usually the ones who give the Movement a bad name or cast it in a bad light.

My problem with the Tea Party is that it does not distance itself from the more extreme and wacky elements.

For the GOP, getting the Tea Party's support is a little like porcupines mating...it must be done carefully or someone is going to draw blood! The GOP likes the Tea Party's energy and involvement in the political process BUT it is finding out that it can't harness and control what the Tea Party Movement does and who they will support. The Tea Party Movement has a mind of its own and has shown that it can cost the GOP some races if they don't like the GOP's chosen candidates.

There is going to be bllod on the floor (politically speaking) if the Tea Party Movement attempts to take over the GOP, which I believe that they will ultimately try to do. It will be kind of like when the Reagan wing took over the GOP from the Ford-Rockefeller wing...it wasn't pretty.

[Cuda-Driver]

Clinton Administration between 1998-2000, the national debt was reduced by $363 billion ? the largest three-year debt pay-down in American history. We are now on track to pay off the entire debt by 2009. What happened?

[1renegade]

The dot-com bubble burst!

[Cuda-Driver]

When Bush was sworn in on January 20, 2001, the national dept was $5,725,776,738,304.64.
When W. left office on January 20, 2009, the national dept was $10,626,877,048,913.08. The growth in the national debt during Bush's presidency: $5,101,100,310,508.44

During much of Bush's tenure, he had a Republican majority in both the House and Senate.

The continuing debt committed to by Bush for Tarps, Iraq (the SOFA treaty), the housing bubble, bank bail outs and Afghanistan all committed to on Bush's watch.

Then we have the recession that occurred during the Bush administration. Economists will tell you the government has to spend during a recession. Case in point President Truman and the great depression.

Then we have the auto industry. Maybe you would be happy if all the people they work for GM and Chrysler lost there jobs. Tell me how that would have effected the economy. The list go on.

If you think President Obama could fix all the damage the Bush administration caused in 8 years in a year or so your crazy. And if you think a republican or a teabagger can fix things by saying no and giving tax breaks to the rich then your also crazy.

[Cuda-Driver]

Fox news poll on foxnews.com right now.

What Do You Think Tea Party Movement Is About?
By you decide.

Small government and fiscal responsibility 7% (31,930 votes)

Exposing Democrats' socialist agenda 1% (2,594 votes)

Voicing outrage at out-of-touch politicians 3% (11,970 votes)

Fruitless mix of racism, conspiracy theories 89% (389,584 votes)

Other (add your comment) <1% (1,751 votes)

Total Votes: 437,829

Thank you for voting!

For those who don't think that even Fox viewers are dumb enough to shoot their own party in the foot, feast your eyes directly at the source:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/02/09/think-tea-party-movement/

[nolieshere]

I pointed this poll out before and the right wingers' typical response is that 'liberals' voted numerous times to corrupt the polling. (sounds like a conspiracy theory)

[robert1321]

It's a good thing then that the tea party holds no loyalty to the republican leadership. They should all be scared of the people , R or D. The media tries thier best to make this a partisian issue, but the fact is that it's not. It's an American issue, if it happens that most of the common sense americans have a R after thier name not a D so be it.

[nolieshere]

Your right!! Only a 'common sense American' would take an automatic weapon to a presidential function and scream, "Keep your government hands off my medicare."