A new Bloomberg survey finds that more than 90 percent of Tea Party backers say the U.S. is verging toward socialism, but 70 percent want a federal government that fosters job creation, but 90 percent say the country is on the wrong track and Washington can’t find solutions, but more than 80 percent say expansion of the government’s role in the economy is a high threat, but almost half say the government should do something about executive bonuses on Wall Street.
Further, tea-baggers are conflicted over whether private-enterprise elements should be introduced into government programs like Social Security and Medicare.
I’m not sensing anything like a platform or even coherence here …
“The ideas that find nearly universal agreement among Tea Party supporters are rather vague,” says J. Ann Selzer, the pollster who created the survey. “You would think any idea that involves more government action would be anathema, and that is just not the case.”
Overall, 26 percent of respondents in the poll identified themselves as Tea Party backers, while 53 percent said they weren’t and 21 percent said they weren’t sure. I can grok that — how do you know whether you support the Tea Party when you don’t know what it stands for, besides the right to protest — anything.
According to the survey, Tea Party supporters are likely to be older, white and male. Forty percent are age 55 and over, compared with 32 percent of all poll respondents; just 22 percent are under 35, 79 percent are white and 61 percent are men. Many are Christian fundamentalists, with 44 percent identifying themselves as “born-again,” compared with 33 percent of all respondents.
Here’s a closing quote from a guy who could be the Tea Party’s poster child:
“It’s just the fundamental right of people to protest,” says Victor Mondello, a 79-year-old retiree from Andover, Massachusetts.
‘Nuff said.
I’d like to mention that I haven’t heard of any TP protesters being herded into makeshift “Free Speech Zones” like the last admin. did. One was even allowed to arm himself in close proximity to avenue President Obama was visiting. And they have the audacity toclaim their liberties are being eroded. What never seems to erode is their level of hypocrisy & delusion.
I haven’t seen one Tea Bagger sign or heard one slogan uttered by any of them that is truthful in any way. The sad thing is that most of these people are not wealthy and would benefit from health care reform and more government help but seem incapable of recognizing that.