Tea Party Demographics

I’ll believe that the Tea Party represents a political movement when they start doing the things that politicians do – make workable deals with other politicians. The Tea Party people get out on a warm Spring day with signs supporting causes that conflict with each other.
Don’t want government making personal decisions for you? Sounds like you’re pro-choice. Want strong defense and lower taxes? Ask Bush how he did it – by running up big debts on the national credit card.
If the Tea Party were led by real politicians, they might have to be taken seriously as an actual movement. But they’re led by entertainers, people who don’t care about political feasibility. Sarah Palin once had a real job, but she quit because there was too much money to be made on the speaking tour. Now she talks in glittering generalities, knowing that there’s no chance she’ll have to pay for government services when there’s no money coming in.
It’s all wishful thinking, coming from people who denounce liberal gatherings as Kumbaya songfests.

I’ve been catching glimpses of that demographic in other shots … enough to make me cautious about who I assumed the “Tea Party” represented. I’d agree that this shot seems to capture the demographics quite well. But, I wonder… If we went back and looked at some of those earlier photos, knowing what we know now, if we might not suspect that we had seen what we wanted to see.
I struggle to characterize this phenomena as a movement. Some of its characteristics are more consistent with a flash mob. There are disconnects that leave those of us on the outside, as well as some on the inside, terribly confused. From Digby:

And nearly three-quarters of those who favor smaller government said they would prefer it even if it meant spending on domestic programs would be cut.
But in follow-up interviews, Tea Party supporters said they did not want to cut Medicare or Social Security …
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.”

What I do get is this is an angry group of people. Digby has argued that this is the Republican Party, and has been all along. The libertarian elements that have been injected “freshens” it a bit, maybe making it seem new to some, but its essence has always been the GOP.

I have found the phrase “teabonics” sort of offensive since it sounds like “ebonics” which is the word that most people use to describe African American Vernacular English. AAVE is a beautiful dialect and it has always been conflated with “misspellings” and “stupidity” so, even as liberals insult the tea party movement by saying they write in teabonics, there is also that implicit assumption that the way I speak at home, and the way my grandma speaks and the way my pastor speaks is some kind of language of lesser intellect. I dislike “teabagger, please” for the same reason.

On to the image. I have no idea why so many liberals have it in their heads the teabaggers are simply “rednecks” or “white trash” (to use two more problematic labels.) This old, just above middle class, white male conservative demographic is one I’m familiar with. It’s the base of the Republican party. The “core” if you will. I think when people witness the absurdity, the bigotry, the racism, homophobia etc. the thought is to assume it must be from uneducated people. The idea that educated people can’t be racist is one of the great lies we have in this country. It is very comfortable to point a finger at a poor uneducated racist– less easy to realize that you may have gone to college with some of these folks (I know I did)
I have a theory about these folks. Most of them have worked pretty hard, and they are doing “ok” becuase of it, they are also doing “ok” because of white privilege, male privilege- but I would not wait around for them to recognize *that* –the point is, they did pay their dues, to some extent, and they believe in the American dream (you see those flags) but what they can’t understand is why they aren’t millionaires yet– A upper-middle class liberal like myself can recognize the vast divide– the classism that makes it very difficult for me to go from “well off” to millionaire. I don’t take “the American dream” at face value. I work hard, but I’m under no illusions that through hard work alone the sky is the limit– I recognize my luck, my privilege, and I don’t really think I’m fundamntally dfferent or better than most poor people.
These people *know* they are better than the poor. They think their work should have limitless rewards. They have started to hit the ceiling– since even for a straight white male from a middle class background there are *still* ceilings– you are not the child of warren buffet. He won’t ever ask you over for diner. But, I think they assume that what’s holding them back are the successes of “undeserving” minorities like myself. These are the folks who *assume* I’m getting help from Affirmative Action– when, in fact, I had to work harder than they did to get to the same goddamed place.
OK. that’s enough of a rant.

With all due respect, Future: You eloquently bring up an interesting point. I hadn’t thought of this. Nevertheless, I’ll go with “Teabonics”. It works for me. Anything that effective pillories the Weimar Republicans is worth it. If there is collateral damage in the way of ‘ebonics’, so be it. Take it to heart.

No Future, that’s not enough. That is so insightful and true and eloquent, I need more. I’m looking for your blog right now!

you are a liberal racist. get you head our to your arse.

Deb, I don’t understand why you say this to Dennis?

“My house costs millions of dollars… in my neighborhood there are four black people…. mary j blige, jay z, and eddie murphy. Only black people in the whole neighborhood. Mary J Blige… one of the greatest rnb singers to ever live. Jay Z… one of the greatest rappers to ever walk the earth… Eddie Murphy? One of the greatest comedians to ever live. The white guy next door to me? He’s a dentist! He’s not even the greatest dentist to ever live. He didn’t invent TEETH!”
– Chris Rock
I clipped this a little bit, but his message was an interesting one that my mom has always insisted on with me. My mom has always told me that the price of being black is having to work 10 times as hard to be successful. And even when you do make it (AHEM Barack Obama AHEM) there’s always someone waiting to tear you down.

Wonderful discussion and insights! I went to a Tea Party in my district and my Congressperson had quite a line up of experts on healthcare to answer any questions the audience asked. But who came? Folks from Orange County with girls in slinky dresses and Obama Nazi signs. They even dressed their little girls in the same outfits! UGH! Then I met someone who eventually spoke for the group… He came from Ventura County (my Congressperson is from LA County) and had a lot to say about healthcare. Then I learned that many in the crowd were employees of Blue Cross from an article in the paper. Then again… the headquarters of Blue Cross is in Ventura County, Thousand Oaks.
Now, I am not saying that all of the crowds that populate Tea Parties are employees of healthcare insurance companies… but that day they were. With a few crazy Republicans thrown in for good measure. My point is that to be a progressive you have to embrace an ideology. To be a Cracker you also have an ideology. But the Tea Baggers seem to be a one or two item group which does not co-mingle well with their other ideals. It is as if they are just following orders and not thinking. So WHO are they doing this for?

…Motorcycle Dude’s Righteous Rant…
…”Who are you better than?” pretty much nails it.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7n3_h8qyW8

Makes sense the country is predominatly center right. Of course another generation through the public school system should fix that

I have to borrow this!!

I would also like to know who the source is for this study. No personal offense meant to anyone but from what I have seen and heard, they are by far pretty uneducated people.

Is this an independant source?