It's About the Role of Government in a Free Society

There seems to be a lot of confusion on the part of the intelligensia in the media about the Tea Party.

I would like to clear a lot of that up here.

The Tea Party is about the role of government in a free society.

Different Tea Partiers have different beliefs.   It is not a monlithic crowd.  A lot of people in the Tea Party support offshore drilling. But the Tea party is not about offshore drilling. Most people in the Tea Party are not happpy about illegal immigration. But the Tea Party is not about immigration. A majority of people in the Tea Party probably supported Republican candidates in the last election. But the Tea Party is not about the Republican party. A large portion of Tea Partiers probably support or at least admire Sarah Palin. But the Tea Party is not about Sarah Palin. Most Tea Partiers happen to be white. But the Tea Party is not about race. Yes, some Tea Partiers are "birthers". But the Tea Party is not about Obama's birth certificate. Practically all Tea Partiers are opposed to Barack Obama's vision for the United States. But the Tea Party is not about Barack Obama. A lot of Tea Partiers oppose gay marriage, but the Tea Party is not about gay marriage. I'd wager most Tea Partiers are Christian, but the Tea Party is not about Christianity. Republicans are in a position to benefit greatly from the Tea Partiers. But the Tea Party is not about Republicans. Democrats have a lot to fear politically from the Tea Party at this time. But the Tea Party is not about Democrats. Most Tea Partiers probably supported the Iraq war, and most were probably against TARP under the Bush Administration. But the Tea Party is not about George W. Bush.

The Tea Party is about the role of government in a free society.

It is about our Founders' vision and how far we have strayed from it. It is the one thing that ties us all together. We can argue among ourselves about our beliefs and how they fit in to the common vision, but the common vision remains. It is what sparked the movement and it is what brings all of these disparate groups together.

Every day I see attacks on the Tea Party movement over one or more of the issues above, trying to paint the whole thing with a broad brush as something it isn't at its core.

One last time, the Tea Party is about the role of government in a free society.

It's high time we had that conversation.