It’s no secret that the Tea Party we all hear so much about isn’t such a grand party after all. Many popular news outlets make the Tea Party seem like a stubborn group of Americans that try to derail the supposed bipartisan support that exists in Washington D.C., and to some extent they’re right. On the other hand, few realize the actual core values that the Tea Party stands for. There is more to the party than simply a bunch of people who are “mad as hell.”
The Tea Party started as a grassroots campaign to restore common sense and small government in America. A simple glance at their mission statement outlines the three core values of the party: fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets. Not surprisingly, these are values that most anyone can identify with. That’s how parties make themselves attractive to voters, by reaching them on levels that most anyone can agree with.
While the Tea Party attempts to align itself with the Boston Tea Party we all learned about in social studies, it seems to miss the point. Somewhere along the way, many of the Tea Partyers began to view the Boston Tea Pary purely as an act of stubbornness as opposed to an act of dissent aimed at a greater good.
It doesn’t help that the key figures of leadership in the party are less than desirable. Often considered the top figurehead of the Tea Party movement, former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin has seen the shortcomings of her career far outweigh her successes. Although she was Alaska’s first female governor and was credited with helping to restructure Alaska’s fiscal policies, she also notoriously butchered the English language and established herself as a vapid Republican vice presidential candidate who flip-flopped stances and had a blatant lack of knowledge on popular issues. Don’t forget that her decision to be a reality TV star did not earn her any political clout either.
Along with Palin, 2012 Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is also creating public image problems for the Tea Party. Like her counterpart, she too has been credited with numerous verbal slip-ups very early in her campaign. Many of her speeches are filled with strong passion, but her delivery has made her an instant turnoff to many. She constantly credits herself with things she has done and often lacks real solutions to the problems we face today.
With the 2012 Republican presidential race starting to pick up the pace, the Tea Party poses an imminent threat to the Republican Party’s election hopes. President Barack Obama won his 2008 election through an upsurge in young voters. Unfortunately, the Tea Party does not appeal to this demographic. To make things worse, many people from all age groups can’t relate and generally disapprove of the party. By rousing so much displeasure, the Tea Party is essentially aiding the re-election chances for President Obama.
The best thing Tea Partyers could do is back away from being the center of attention. The Tea Party is only serving to inadvertently aid the other side and worsen the chances for change in Washington, D.C.
The Tea Party has a great underlying initiative to restore the values of the United States of America. The cold hard truth is that government has grown too large, and we are fiscally irresponsible. While the Tea Party should be commended on their values, it is time that they take a step back from the spotlight. Time has come to part ways with their standoffish and anger-inducing behaviors. They must allow real change to happen.
— Joshua Segall is a management information systems senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
