>Scott Rasmussen and Douglas Schoen: One nation under revolt
By: Scott Rasmussen and Douglas Schoen
Op-Ed Contributors
September 14, 2010
Pollster Scott Rasmussen and political consultant Douglas Schoen argue in their book released Tuesday that the Tea Party movement will elect senators, representatives, governors, and maybe even someday a president.
First of a three-part series, excerpted from “Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System”
The Tea Party movement has become one of the most powerful and extraordinary movements in recent American political history.
It is as popular as both the Democratic and Republican parties. It is potentially strong enough to elect senators, governors and congressmen. It may even be strong enough to elect the next president of the United States — time will tell.
But the Tea Party movement has been one of the most derided and minimized and, frankly, most disrespected movements in American history. Yet, despite being systematically ignored, belittled, marginalized, and ostracized by political, academic, and media elites, the Tea Party movement has grown stronger and stronger.
The extraordinary turnout on April 15, 2010, at rallies across the country speaks volumes to the strength, power, and influence of the Tea Party movement, with more than 750 protests held across the country, demonstrating a level of activism and enthusiasm that is both unprecedented and arguably unique in recent American political history.
Survey data collected at about this time bears out the same point. In mid-April 2010, a Rasmussen Reports survey in which nearly one quarter (24 percent) of the electorate self-identified as being members in the Tea Party movement — up from 16 percent a month earlier.
And a mid-April 2010 CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey showed that 10 percent of Americans say they have actively supported the Tea Party movement: Gone to a rally, contributed money, or taken specific steps to support the movement.
Even a New York Times/CBS News poll showed that close to one in five Americans call themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/One-nation-under-revolt-859047-102901454.html#ixzz0zglFUDl1
