Teabaggers.
This phenomenon has a long history. The parallel to the American Party or the Know Nothings of the 1850s is striking (and sad). Fomenting a distrust of government and a fear of immigrants and Catholics succeeded in the north (ironically Massachusetts) for an election cycle or two.
In our time, the faux grassroots "tea party" has forced our political discourse to the right. In collaboration with a media that rationalizes the irrational and creates political narratives to attract and hold an audience captive, the ideology of the "tea party" has been mainstreamed. It's a "win-win" for the media, because as the "Know Nothing" party begins to unravel from its racism, xenophobia and self-righteousness, they will inevitably pivot and "objectively" chronicle its passing without ever exploring why it failed. The damage will have been done.
Post-failure, the tea party movement will always be characterized as a grassroots phenomenon that missed its mark. Moving forward it will be a data point used to analyze legitimate political trends. A fabricated and right leaning tug on all political discourse...a phantom, better known as a "Zombie Lie."
Grassroots Movement: angry group of economically insecure white Americans drunk on right-wing PAC money and self-validating talking points.
Enjoy!
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