Tea Party movement

Yesterday was, of course, Tax Day, the deadline for us to settle up our taxes with the government. But it's also the day on which the new Tea Party movement has chosen to hold rallies and protests against having our president having high taxes, government spending, and healthcare reform. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it was a long Island Ice Tea party. I'll drink to that! there were people in patriotic during this protest and there were reflections of simmering frustration.
Nearly three-quarters of those who identify with the tea party movement say they are Republicans while just 16 percent describe themselves as Democrats and five percent call themselves independents.

Tea party types are also far more favorably inclined to the Republican party with 60 percent viewing the GOP in a favorable light as compared to just 20 percent who view the party unfavorably. Just eight percent of tea parties regard the Democratic party favorably while 82 percent view it unfavorably.
On the role of government, too, the views of the tea party movement and the GOP closely jibe. Fifteen percent of Republicans said that the "government should do more to solve problems" while only 11 percent of tea party activists said the same.

The similarities between tea party activists and Republicans reinforce the idea that this latest grassroots movement could be either an opportunity or an onus for the GOP. While many tea party supporters share much in common with Republicans -- and many even think of themselves as members of the GOP -- there is also a significant number (40 percent) who said that they would vote for a tea party candidate if he/she was on the ballot while 31 percent said they would choose the Republican candidate.