A Gallup poll among registered Republicans shows that party members supportive of the Tea Party has declined by roughly 33% from the movement’s peak in the 2010 mid-term trouncing of the Democrat Party. The poll suggests that 11% of Republicans are fighting against the movement which Tea Party detractors view as being homophobic and Christian fascist. It should be noted that before, during, and after the rise of the Tea Party those derisive comments have been leveled at Republicans regardless of the Tea Party.
The poll may help encourage the otherwise dispirited Democrat Party after the North Carolina GOP primary which saw GOP establishment incumbent handily defeat his Tea Party challenger.
The media has been quick to jump on that primary race as proof of the weakness of the party. However, in the North Carolina congressional primary for Republican Walter Jones Jr., a 20-year GOP incumbent and Tea Party supporter, easily defeated his GOP challenger despite the party pouring in one million dollars to unseat him. Congresman Jones’ victory against a well-funded challenger is noteworthy precisely because of the Tea Party support he receives.
It may be that polls coming out now have an “ad hominem” tilt to them as they seem designed to attack the Tea Party and perhaps slow down the GOP momentum heading into the mid-term elections. It was only five weeks ago that NPR’s own poll indicated that the mid-terms were shaping up to be a GOP landslide. More interesting is the fact that Democrat candidates continue to run from Obamacare.