Yesterday the NYTimes published an article about a poll of the background and views of Tea Party members. The headline stated something to the effect of Tea Party being class based. Today the headling changed to "Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated." When I read yesterdays version I had problems with the headline. Apparently the Times did too, since they changed it online for today. While the reports of the poll do indicate that Tea Party Backers are mostly wealthier middle class white males, their views don't appear to be primarily class based.
The most significant driver for Tea Party members (as reported in the poll) is a view that the current administration is favoring poor people over middle class people. It is also an important view that Obama is still considered a Muslim and not American. Tea Party members consisitently hold on to the view (reported as incorrect by the Times) that Obama has raised taxes on the middle class. According to them, Obama does not share their (Tea Party members') values.
While Tea Party members report that they are better off financially than most Amercans self report, they are profoundly pessimistic about where the current administration is taking our economy. All of this is bound up in not just dissatisfaction but a large degree of anger with Washington.
Here's a reported quote:“He’s a socialist. And to tell you the truth, I think he’s a Muslim and trying to head us in that direction, I don’t care what he says. He’s been in office over a year and can’t find a church to go to. That doesn’t say much for him.”
While there is a class aspect to this view, my own take is that in the end much of this is deeply motivated by personal distrust of Obama, and a significant part of that distrust is due to his being an African American. LIkewise, "the poor" continues to be code for black people.
I'm glad NYTimes removed the "class based" headline. I wish their poll had explored the issue of race.
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