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Story Archives: Poll reveals truth about Tea Party


Poll reveals truth about Tea Party
posted E-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
The results of a survey conducted by one of the most respected firms in the polling business confirmed what we suspected about the Tea Party -- that is the Tea Party is not some fly-by-night third party movement that's simply expressing its opposition to the two dominant parties in American politics, Democrat and Republican.

Rather, a Gallup poll conducted March 26-28 told us that 28 percent of all U.S. adults support the Tea Party, which established itself in the past couple of years as a party opposed to the out-of-control deficit spending that has become the norm in the bowels of the capitol in Washington and elsewhere.

Commissioned by a liberal-leaning newspaper, USA Today, the Gallup poll showed that 49 percent of Tea Party supporters are Republicans, 43 percent are Independents and 8 percent are Democrats. Seventy percent of the respondents who support the Tea Party were identified as conservative, 22 percent were moderate and 7 percent were liberal. Some 55 percent of Tea Party supporters are men while women comprise 45 percent of the party's following.

It certainly came as no surprise to us that a majority (55 percent) of Tea Party supporters make $50,000 or more annually, according to Gallup. It did not surprise us because the Tea Party movement, by and large, represents individuals who have grown tired of seeing elected officials and career government bureaucrats squander their tax dollars.

It is worth noting that, according to Gallup, some 26 percent of Tea Party supporters make anywhere from $30,000-$49,999 annually. That told us the Tea Party can count hard-working, struggling Americans as members, too.

It did not surprise us either, according to the Gallup poll, that 64 percent of Tea Party supporters are individuals ages 30-64, or men and women who are in the midst of the most productive years of their lives. The latter half of that statement can be substantiated by the Gallup poll, which told us that 49 percent of Tea Party supporters are employed full-time, 6 percent are employed part-time while 24 percent are retired.

While many members of the national media and the outlets they work for have tried in vain to paint the Tea Party and its followers as a host of uneducated fools, the Gallup poll reported otherwise. According to Gallup, some 65 percent of Tea Party supporters either completed some college work, obtained an undergraduate degree or earned a master's degree.

We were troubled, though, to learn that 79 percent of Tea Party supporters, according to Gallup, are white people. Six percent were identified as blacks while 15 percent were identified as other. Those figures troubled us because we would like to believe the African-American community in America realizes that the path our government has taken adversely affects their lives as well. Maybe they will catch on in the not-too-distant future.

It goes without saying, though, that Gallup's survey completely dismissed the argument that the Tea Party represents a fringe element that's threatening society as we know it today.

The Tea Party certainly could be viewed as a threat. It's a threat to the tired, old ways of operating government in the United States.

We believe that's a step in the right direction.


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