Reanalyzing the Tea Party

Could it possibly be that I was wrong about the Tea Party? A new poll shows that Tea Partiers are both wealthier and more educated than the average American. HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO WRONG?!?

I wasn't. If you really examine the poll, you will find that not only are Tea Partiers "well-educated," they are also paranoid, hypocritical, out of touch with the average American and, in fact, not so well-educated.

Let's analyze. First of all, most Tea Partiers, and by most I mean almost all, are old white men. Is it any wonder they're uber-conservative? They're also much more likely to think that the president favors African-Americans over white Americans. So much for being well-educated. I'm not sure how anyone who could possibly come to that conclusion is well-educated. I guess education and intelligence aren't synonymous. Without analyzing the president's policies, both the stimulus package and health care are for the benefit of all Americans. Furthermore, the hypocrites want smaller government and less spending but they're ok with medicare and social security so long as it benefits them. So they deserve government benefits but the black people that President Obama cares about don't? I see how that works. White people are better than black people.

Six in ten of these guys say America's best years are behind us, but all that really means is that their best years are behind them. They're old guys clinging to old values, values that clearly do not represent equality and progress. Affordable health care in old age means our country's best days are behind us? I'd hate to think what might happen if these lunatics had control. We'd return to the 1960's, an idyllic time when African-Americans had few rights and the country waged war on Communism, a foe that, although defeated, the Tea Party has reincarnated in President Obama.

How about this revealing quote from the well-educated Tea Party: “He’s a socialist. And to tell you the truth, I think he’s a Muslim and trying to head us in that direction, I don’t care what he says. He’s been in office over a year and can’t find a church to go to. That doesn’t say much for him.”

What a conclusion our scholar has drawn! I wonder if that person even knows what socialism is. And what if Obama, like many other Americans just doesn't go to church. I don't go to church and I'm neither a socialist nor a Muslim. Of course, in a country that is becoming more secular, not going to church is a sure sign of socialism. Just ask all the old white Tea Party folks.

There is actually a lot of good news to be gleaned from this poll. Tea Partiers are old. Right now the country is getting older, but only temporarily. By 2050, only a quarter of the population will be over 60. With any luck, the paranoia and out-dated values of the Tea Party will be replaced by the values that my generation espouses: equality and social justice. Perhaps the notion that social justice and fiscal responsibility are incompatible will fade into the past as well.

Of course, perhaps I'm not giving the Tea Party enough credit, when faced with their hypocrisy...

"Some defended being on Social Security while fighting big government by saying that since they had paid into the system, they deserved the benefits.

Others could not explain the contradiction

“That’s a conundrum, isn’t it?” asked Jodine White, 62, of Rocklin, Calif. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe I don’t want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security.” She added, “I didn’t look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think I’ve changed my mind.”"

See, at least a few of them are educated!