Why is the Tea Party Losing Popularity?
A recent poll suggests the Tea Party’s kettle may be losing some steam, and it begs the question of what exactly about the movement is turning off some voters?
There are all kinds of potential answers, but let’s explore one in particular: Is the movement’s essential message wearing thin with people who are hungry for a more constructive discussion of national and local issues?
It was, after all, born as a protest movement, coalescing around concerns over the government’s bail out of banks and other businesses during the financial crisis of 2008. As such, the Tea Party message has been inherently antagonistic. Phrases like “Don’t tread on me” and “Let’s take our country back” are rhetorically combative and confrontational.
By nature, such is the vocabulary of protest movements. “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?” is an example of 1960s anti-war sloganeering that even those sympathetic to the movement found over-the-top.