re: #691 filetandrelease

That is kind of my point. It was painted with such a negative brush, but in the end, if your are a Republican, it seems to have had, is having, a positive impact. That is if elections are your barameter.

If you define “positive impact” solely by whether it helps Republicans gain power, then yes, tea parties have a “positive impact.”

If you look at the broader issue of whether the influence of tea partiers is actually GOOD for the GOP, though, the impact is all negative. They greatly encourage the fringe, they drive away moderates, and they force the party as a whole much farther to the extreme edges.

And that’s why I want nothing to do with them. If you’re not bothered by the fact that tea parties are organized by kooks, and attract lots of kooks, I can see why you’d argue they’re a positive phenomenon.