They are not typical Tea Party activists: A woman who voted for President Obama and believes he’s a “phenomenal speaker.” Another who said she was a “knee-jerk, bleeding heart liberal.”
These two women are not alone.
Some Americans who say they have been sympathetic to Democratic causes in the past — some even voted for Democratic candidates — are angry with President Obama and his party. They say they are now supporting the Tea Party — a movement that champions less government, lower taxes and the defeat of Democrats even though it’s not formally aligned with the Republican Party.
Naturally, the number of Democrats in the TEA Party movement is small – but it is telling, all the same.
This is supposed to be the grand time for Democrats – holding the White House and very strong Congressional majorities, this should be the best time of a Democrat’s life. It isn’t. The promise of Obama has proven a bit hollow – while the promise of the Democrat Congress has turned in to a nightmare.
In the end, the vast majority of Democrats will fall in behind their party – but “vast majority” can mean a lot of things. The vast majority of Republicans swung in behind McCain in 2008…unfortunately, a very large number of them also stayed home, and a small percentage actually cast their votes for Obama. Its not that Democrats won’t get 90% of Democratic voters…but if the number of Democrats drops three or four million from the 2008 level, then even a 99% vote by Democrats for Democrats will be a crushing defeat.
Outside of the possible effects on November’s vote, it is encouraging to see some Democrats join the TEA Party. After all, any true American will always be wary of government power – you can want a trillion dollars spent on welfare without necessarily wanting Uncle Sam in charge of it.
The more the TEA Party diversifies, the stronger it becomes. What I saw in Searchlight last week was a large cross-section of Americans from different areas of the political spectrum, all united in their dismay over the course of government. The more of this, the better for America.
Blogs For Victory 