What is the Tea Party?

As with many seemingly surprising movements throughout history, the Tea Party is one that has its roots far back in time, and has emerged in response to the realization government is out of control, and its policies, along with those of the Federal Reserve, are leading us to destruction.

That destruction will be the inevitable result of those of liberals, or progressives, which is just another name for the socialists Americans and much of the former free world all opposed in the past.

So while the Tea Party appeared to explode out of nowhere, in reality it has been building up for years, and soared onto the public scene in light of the Obama Administration, emboldened by the Carte Blanche offered it by the press, brought past socialists policies to entire new levels, even taking the healthcare bill and ramming it down the throats of the majority of Americans who opposed it.

Obama didn't start the policies leading to the emergence of the Tea Party, but his arrogance and dictator-like actions brought what has been boiling under the surface for decades to the top.

Even though it's true the Tea Party has largely backed Republican candidates, it's not because they are necessarily apologists for the Republican Party, but rather it's because Democrats have refused to listen to and heed the underlying concerns of the Party.

As to the Tea Party, it's not a political party, but is identified as that from a reference to dissent long ago when Americans opposed taxation without representation from the British. It is in fact a loose conglomeration of locally focused people.

Along with the disastrous healthcare bill forced upon the people, other laws generating and producing the resultant political dissent included, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Some see the bailing out of the banks as the major catalyst which brought people to the streets. But the refusal of Obama and the Democrats, especially, to listen their voices, was also an important part of the political uprising.

Republicans in general don't get off the hook either, as 87 percent of those organizing local tea parties say they aren't satisfied with the mainstream leaders of the Party.

At this time the Tea Party is made up of libertarian and conservative people, with a strong emphasis on lowering taxes, slashing the national debt, cutting the federal budget and reducing government spending. All of this is under the auspices of adhering to the United States Constitution, and not, as Obama has contended, interpreting it as a "moving" document. In other words, making it say whatever you want it to say to justify your policies.

On the social side, supporters of the Tea Party, according to a University of Washington poll, are very conservative, with 88 percent approving of the law put into effect by Arizona, 82 percent opposing homosexual marriage, and another 52 percent saying homosexuals have far too much political power. Obama's policy with foreign countries is also opposed by 73 percent of those identifying with the Tea Party.

From these disparities, you can see the Tea Party, in fact, is made up of libertarians and conservatives.

Contrary to media reports, a sizable percentage of those supporting Tea Party principles aren't white, with 21 percent saying they're of another race. The idea it's also a bunch of older people isn't true either, as 60 percent say they're younger than 55, according to a Bloomberg National Poll of adults 18 and over. As for Christians, 44 percent identify themselves as being born again.

On the libertarian side, and for conservatives emphasizing fiscal responsibility and smaller government, Ron Paul is largely the figurehead of the movement. Michele Bachmann is another powerful force in the movement, embracing the social issues important to conservatives, something that has always been perceived as a weakness for Ron Paul. Bachmann struggles with her signing of the Patriot Act, something many in the Tea Party movement oppose, as it granted even more power to an already too powerful government.

Even so, when asked about who best represents the local Tea Party groups, 34 percent responded with "no one," suggesting the resistance to someone co-opting the movement with a personal or national agenda.

Others identified on the national level as having influence, along with Paul and Bachmann, are Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint and Glenn Beck, although as time goes on, it seems the latter three are diminishing in importance, rather than gaining strength among Tea Partiers.

Having said all this, it appears at this time there is no real leader of the Tea Party, and hopefully that will remain the case; at least on the national level. Even Ron Paul, who as far as fiscal issues and big government go, has always adhered to these beliefs, and with or without the Tea Party, will continue to, has offered advice for which direction the Tea Party should go on certain issues, but hasn't attempted to step in and lead it. And I don't think he could. Neither will Michelle Bachmann, or any other visible leader; now or in the future. If they are able to, the essence of the Tea Party will disappear, and it'll be relegated to an interesting side note in the march of history, but nothing that had sustainable impact. Hopefully that won't happen.

We'll talk a lot about and follow the Tea Party as the events of our day unfold. Those who are considered as having an impact, like some of those mentioned above, we'll look more closes at, but also, and more importantly, what is happening on the local and regional levels with the movement.