The Tea Party. The impact of the rise of the Tea Party on the American political landscape - Essay Example

The Tea Party The Tea Party is a political movement of the United s that initiated following the victory of President Obama in the elections of 2008. The Tea Party came into existence soon by the supporters of conservatism and this movement was provided assistance by the rich businessmen of the Republican Party as well as media groups that provided for the publicity of the movement. The initial stimulus for the beginning of the Tea Party was by Rick Santelli who worked in CNBC and he has been labeled by many as the initiator of the Tea Party. This is owing to the fact that he openly opposed the mortgage plan that was signed by the President after taking office in 2009 on air and this fuelled many protesters and groups to gather and initiate this movement. Different support groups of the Tea Party formed and worked throughout the country to present their points (Williamson et al 25, 37). The Tea Party laid a great initial impact on the political landscape of the United States owing to the great support that it received but the affectivity of the movement has greatly reduced over the years owing to the lack of proper leadership and unity as well as the changing manifestos. In the year 2009, the support for the Tea Party greatly increased and polls revealed that up to 300,000 residents of the United States took part in the organized protests. Different organizations registered under the flag of Tea Party to show their support for this movement. These included The Tea Party Nation, Tea Party Patriots, The Tea Party Express and the Tea Party Nation. Such was the success of the Tea Party and its motif that by the end of the year 2009, political candidates who were associated with the Tea Party won 39 out of the total 129 seats of the United States House of Representatives and five seats in the Senate. These victories clearly demonstrated the political effect of the Tea Party on the American political landscape (Williamson et al 37, 38). The motives for which this movement began were mainly to reduce the federal government and at the same fight against the loopholes in the healthcare policies. The Tea Party also lobbied against the high amount of taxes and the mortgage plan and also demanded the resolving of issues including unemployment as well as the lower level of representation of the common public in the government (Gabriel; Williamson et al 32). The groups that formed under the flag of the Tea Party indicate the fact that they are mainly putting forward “the voice of the true owners of the United States” that is of the residents of the country. They indicate that they are following in the footsteps of the people who brought about the revolution known as the Boston Tea Party in the year 1773 and thus they refer to their movement as the Tea Party as well. They indicate the fact that they are fighting for their country and fulfilling the dreams of the founding fathers of the United States and trying to uphold the constitution of the country. They argue that the Constitution is to be truly followed and the freedom of the people is not to be invaded by the governing bodies. They present the fact that the common man should be represented in the governing offices so that their problems are properly solved. Furthermore, they also argue that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to enter the country and proper budgeting schemes should be devised for the benefits of the common man and taxes should be reduced to minimum (The Tea Party). The Tea Party movement has been a center of controversy. It has its own supporters but opposing groups present the fact that the success of the Tea Party is not very high and it has greatly reduced over the years. Furthermore, it is also explained by the oppositionists that the Tea Party does not represent all the people of the country but it rather represents only a few groups and races. This was indicated by a survey that was conducted by the CBS News and the New York Times. This survey was conducted in the year 2010 and it indicated that 18 percent of the residents of the United States presented themselves as followers of the Tea Party movement. Of these, mainly 89 percent of the followers were white and mainly males. Also majority of them belonged to the age group of above 45 years and they were mainly Republicans. Also 73 percent of the supporters were Conservatives. The survey also indicated the fact that many of the supporters of the Tea Party did not share a common belief regarding its main role and very few of them did not know of the role of this movement. The survey results highlight the lack of unified knowledge with regard to the functioning of the Tea Party and thus raise questions as to whether this Party is a true representation of the Americans (Montopoli). Media reports have indicated the fact that the Tea Party has greatly lost its support over the years and is not as power as it was in the year following the elections of 2008. It is also argued that the Tea Party has drifted from its true motives and has started to fight for issues that are not meaningful and important. Supporters of the Tea Party itself believe that goals of the movement have greatly changed. According to Thomas Basile, who was a supporter of the Tea Party movement, the strength of the movement has reduced. He has indicated the fact that Tea Party supporters are no longer devoted to their true cause and this is highlighted by the protest of its supporters against Fox News “as they felt that Fox News should be running more stories exposing the Benghazi cover up, questioning the President’s birth certificate, and railing against immigration reform proposals.” (Basile). Basile indicates that the Tea Party was not a representation of any particular group or party but it was rather a fight for the Americans as a whole. He argues that the movement achieved benefits owing to the support that it received and political impact that it brought with it. But he argues that for the regaining of such effectiveness, it is important the groups of the Tea Party should unify and fight for common causes. They should be more linked and connected (Basile). Despite of this downfall as presented by Basile, there are still staunch supporters of the Tea Party Movement like Jenny Beth Martin who provides for her story during the difficult time of recession in 2009 and how she fought against the economic crisis during that period. She indicates that The Tea Party served to them as a motivation and it functioned without using race and violence for their support. Supporters of the movement still argue that the Tea Party is a permanent movement of the Americans to fight for their rights (Martin). The Tea Party Movement was of significance in the period that it initiated. I believe that the Tea Party could have been more successful had it been more focused and directed. This is because leadership for the guidance of the groups that formed was not present and different groups were operating without any unity. This movement could have been further strengthened with good leadership. I also believe that it did lay an impact on the political landscape of the United States which is clearly indicated by the large number of people who were able to win the elections owing to their support of the Tea Party. Also, this can be understood by the nationwide protests that initiated owing to this movement. But the support has greatly diminished over the years owing to the loss of connection between the people and not understanding a common goal for the running of this movement. Works Cited Basile, Thomas, J. “Once Effective, The Tea Party Has Become Toxic.” Forbes. 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 May. 2013. Gabriel, Trip. “Clout Diminished, Tea Party Turns to Narrower Issues.” The New York Times. 25 Dec. 2012. Web. 29 May. 2013. Martin, Jenny Beth. “Viewpoint: Why the Tea Party Is Here to Stay.” TIME Ideas. 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 29 May 2013. Montopoli, Brian. “Tea Party Supporters: Who They Are and What They Believe.” CBS News. 14 Apr. 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. The Tea Party. About us. TeaParty.org. n.d. Web. 29 May 2013. Williamson, Vanessa, Theda Skocpol, and John Coggin. "The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism." Perspectives on Politics. 9.1 (2011): 25-43. Print. Read More