Has the TPM taken America hostage?

[LWW]

Apparently a substantial plurality hope that it would:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Tuesday, April 05, 2011

In the ongoing budget-cutting debate in Washington, some congressional Democrats have accused their Republican opponents of being held captive by the Tea Party movement, but voters like the Tea Party more than Congress.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that <span style='font-size: 14pt'>48% of Likely U.S. Voters say when it comes to the major issues facing the country, their views are closer to the average Tea Party member as opposed to the average member of Congress. Just 22% say their views are closest to those of the average congressman.</span> Even more (30%) aren’t sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.) <span style="color: #3366FF">Notice that unlike spoon feeding polls, they reveal their methodology.</span>

This shows little change from a survey in late March of last year.

<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters think the Tea Party movement is good for the country, consistent with findings since May 2010.</span> <span style='font-size: 11pt'>Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree and say the grassroots, small government movement is bad for America.</span> <span style="color: #3366FF">Dear leader knows he can always count on what Gee calls "the nutty 25%" to be in his corner</span> <span style='font-size: 8pt'>Sixteen percent (16%) say neither.</span>

Forty-five percent (45%) say the average Tea Party member has a better understanding of the problems America faces today than the average member of Congress does.</div></div>
Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth begin! (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2011/48_say_their_views_closer_to_tea_party_than_congre ss)

[cushioncrawler]

I am hoping theusofa halts. What with the tsunami story dieing. Alltho the reaktor story might explode yet.
When theusofa iz killed, what will the date be.
9eleven. Would be funny.
7ohseven.
7twoseven.
mac.

[Soflasnapper]

Which again only shows the fatal flaw of Rasmussen's methodology.

Show me ANY poll that agrees with these findings from any normal pollster. The Tea Party has lost the majority support if it ever had it, and has been down in approval and support and reputation, to the exact nutty 25% you rightly cite but at the wrong end of the spectrum.

When Nixon resigned in disgrace, he still had 25% support. That is the base of the Tea Party, a rump caucus of the far right, which certainly does NOT garner true plurality support, unless you use Rasmussen's tendentious sampling method.

[pooltchr]

The poll does NOT say that 49% agree with the TP. What is says is that 49% feel closer to the TP than they do to either of the two major parties.

Whad does that mean? To me, it means that Americans are tired of the same old crap from the Dems and Reps. They feel like the TPM is an alternative to the major parties.

The sentiment in this country is decidedly anti big government, and both the Reps and Dems have proved over and over again that they both want bigger government. So it would be natural that a large percentage would feel more closely aligned to a group that reflects their anti big government feelings.

Steve