There's a picture of Sen. Dan Patrick accompanying the article. Looks like he's carrying enough blubber around to be a serious contender for the 2012 nomination. Patrick is apparently a big wheel in the Houston-area tea party operation, meaning he's an elected official without the experience or other qualifications to be a first-rate legislator -- exactly the kind of bozo that today's Texans typically want representing their interests in Austin.
For discussion's sake, let's generously concede that 45 percent of Americans tend to identify themselves as Republicans. The actual number is probably closer to 35 percent, but who's counting ? Then let's assume about 65 percent of Republicans fall into the category of tea party supporters. If my calculations are accurate, the percentage of Americans who could be classified as tea party supporters is around 30 percent. Even if I'm off by ten percent, teapeople are still a minority of around 40 percent. This country has somehow managed to turn a lot of political power over to people who represent an ideological minority.
Most Americans readily say they're in favor of less government spending. Personally, I'd prefer less money pumped into foreign aid, subsidies to agribusiness giants, and overseas engagements like the war in Iraq. My neighbors probably have a different list of cuts they want to see. Politicians who promise less government spending and fewer taxes have an easier time winning elections than those who don't, as Walter Mondale learned the hard way. But American voters have an unfortunate tendency to settle for platitudes and cliches from candidates rather than demanding specific details on the budget slashing they're planning, and therefore always get the government they deserve.
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