Can someone here please explain to me what the appeal of the tea party and its leadership (Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck/etc) is? In particular, I don't seem understand the following:

1. Calls for "smaller government" and "cutting government waste"

This is the number one thing I don't understand about the tea party or its leadership. Every time they hold a rally or go on air to voice their opinions, you hear them talk about how badly we need "smaller government" and how we need to cut down on "government waste". However, they never explain provide a clear explanation of how they plan to go about reducing government expenditures or what they mean by "waste". Consider the numbers given below:

Total US expenditures for 2010 (in billions)
Defense: 844
Discretionary spending: 553
Social Security: 703
Medicare: 451
Medicaid: 275
Mandated Programs: 701*
TARP: -73
Mandated Programs: 703

Total expenditures: 3.6 trillion
Total Income: 2.2 trillion

* Programs that require funding by law such as food stamps, student loans, Unemployment Compensation, Child Nutrition and Tax Credits, Supplemental Security for the Disabled, Veterans Retirement programs, etc)

It took me all of a minute to obtain those budgetary numbers, yet tea party leaders never explain how they'd change the budget nor do they ever explain how they'd close the budget deficit. Do people not understand that the very thing they are complaining about that current politicians do (make empty promises, promote change while failing to quantify it, etc) is the exact same thing current tea party leaders are doing? Saying you are for small government is a great way to gain political points, but without hard financial data, it isn't much more than political fluff.


2. Cut taxes, cut taxes, cut taxes.

No one likes paying taxes and I understand that. I also understand it is popular and political expedient to say that we need to cut taxes. What I don't understand is that the same people who are screaming about the deficient are also the same people screaming that we need to cut taxes. Reducing current tax rates may or may not stimulate the economy - i.e. the wealthy are not obligated to spend saved tax revenues on American goods (they could save it or use it to by imported goods) and there is no guarantee that they will invest it in this country where labor costs are much higher than 3rd world countries. However, cutting taxes does have one known effect in that it will most certainly reduce federal income and increase the deficient.


3. We need to bring god and traditional social values back to America

We have freedom of and from religion thanks to the 1st (Federal) and 14th amendment (States). In fact, one of the reasons why America is such a great nation is that we have a secular government that does not force religion on individual citizens. Also, I find it ironic that the same people who complain about the "nanny state" are the same people who want to regulate public morality and individual behavior. Nothing more nanyish in my opinion.


4. The "Constitution says" and the "Obama is a socialist" mantra,

Every time I read or watch the news about a tea party rally, I am struck by the overwhelming ignorance most people seem to have about the Constitution and socialism. It seems like most people who reference the Constitution don't seem to have a clear understanding of the document or how it is interpreted. For example, how many times have you heard Palin or Beck says something like:"Judicial activism has once again unconstitutionally overturned the will of the people". Unfortunately, most people simply accept these claims and either out of ignorance or out of laziness don't go back to see what the Constitution or the writings of the Founding Father said about the judicial branch of government (e.g that it was to be a safeground of the people's rights, that it purposely was meant to serve as a check and balance to the legislative and executive branch and that its ability to overturn laws is central to its existence, that the founders actually disliked direct democracy because of the tyranny of the majority, etc).

The same can be said of the "Obama is a socialist" mantra that you hear Glenn Beck spew night after night. Unfortunately, most citizens are so uneducated when it comes to what socialism is that they can't distinguish between what is an what is not socialism (one of the reasons why McArthy was so successful with his Red Scare during the 1960s). It is as dumb as the left wing nutjobs that called Bush a nazi and fascist.

I actually liked the Tea Party movement for varioius reasons until Beck and Palin got involved. I'll breakdown my explanations later. I really don't understand the socialism cry's myself when this country had some form of socialism since the 20's and probably earlier.

It's just the latest flavor of the month. They will change nothing...

Thanks UofL, I like this post and think it makes a lot of sense. Also, I think every one of us making less that $200k had their taxes cut by Obama, and I'd assume most Tea Party would fall in this category.

I know some of you are going to hate me for this post and I could elaborate on it later. But here are the programs i'd like to see cut by 1/2-3/4 of the current budget;

Defense, Medicare, Welfare,

Programs/Agencies i'd like to see totally cut from the budget;

IRS, CIA, Homeland Security, TARP

I'd like to see the nation end its war on drugs. Think of the money we could save. Nearly half the people in prison today are there on drug related charges. Legalization would make it easier to regulate, and would eliminate illegal drugs as a source of income for organized crime and corrupt government officials...

Totally agree Bit.