> All of which makes me wonder if this astroturf/authentic movement
> question is really best thought of as an either/or thing.
I don't see the point of this line of inquiry when it comes to the TP. There are tens of millions of Americans who wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night and genuinely think of themselves as strong supporters of the TP. That should be the end of the inquiry, as far as I can see. The fact that these millions of people have corporate agitators and sponsors behind them is unsurprising; who first registered the trademark or used the TP label when calling a demonstration is footnote stuff.
SA