[lbo-talk] Demographic composition of the Tea Party

[brad bauerly]

SA wrote:
>The fact that Gallup reports 40% of the total sample as independents
>shows they didn't probe further. Now look at the distribution of
>partisan affiliation within the "Tea Party" subsample, and compare it to
>the total sample: In the total sample, Democrats outnumber Republicans.
>But among "Tea Party" types, it's Republicans who outnumber Democrats,
>by a *6 to 1* ratio. Now, with that kind of skew, how likely do you
>think it is that the remaining 43% of supposedly independent TP-folk
>whom Gallup labels as "independents" are actually independents and not
>Republican leaners - i.e., Republicans? Especially when one of the TP's
>major themes is that it's supposedly a revolt against both parties?
>
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/the_myth_of_independents.html
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Yes, if pushed people will identify with one of the two parties.  If forced
to choose most here would probably identify as Democrats.  So what?  I
understand why establishment types (Washington post) would want the idea out
there that independents are just Republicans or Democrats. I just don't
understand why we should shoehorn people into one of the two capitalist
parties.  I actually take seriously the idea that the tea party folks have
grievances with the Republicans (one reason that the Republicans have been
courting them so).  And I completely accepting your idea that if pushed to
choose they will choose Republicans, because I do think that they are
conservative; as almost all individual responses to crises are, and the
Republicans are the conservative brand of capitalist parties in the US.  It
is pretty sad that even our political imagination is limited by this binary.

Brad