Is the Tea Party Movement the Start of a New Party?

Our "elite political leaders" in both parties, in my opinion, have completely lost touch with what the base of either party wants...But both the Dem and Repub leadership have been captured by the "inside the beltway" mentality that they just can't see what is going on in the rest of the country. Nor, I think, do they care. After all, they know what's best for us...

The core of the Tea Partiers is made up mostly of moderate Republicans as well as moderate and conservative Democrats. That's why, I believe, the town halls shocked so many politicians in WashDC. They never expected such a movement to spring up all on it's own as a genuine grass roots movement. I think that it will in the end, splinter the GOP with half joining the Tea Party and the other half of the GOP, the social/religious conservatives will remain within the party...not as a regional party, but a much reduced party.

The Democratic Party under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, has moved far, far to the left of where it was even 15 years ago. Mr. Obama ran for president as a pragmatic moderate, but once elected handed voters the most stunning bait and switch in American political history. His massive expansion of government power in which he has taken over much of the banking industry, G(overnment)M & Chrysler, and now is attempting to sieze another 1/6th of the economy, all in the space of 9 months, has scared the hell out of many of that parties more moderate and conservative members.

On the other hand, the Tea Party, will, I believe, capture most moderate independents, as well as many moderate and conservative Democrats, who are becoming disenchanted with the radicalization of their party. Additionally, they will pick up the splintered moderate wing of the GOP who are comfortable with some social spending, as long as government doesn't grow beyond their "acceptable limits". This may in fact be the birth of a new party/movement.

Only time will tell, but I suspect this model may be the one that is in motion. mainly because the Tea Party movement has fiercely resisted being taken over by local & national GOP politicians. Then, we will have basically three parties, on of far left socialists (Democrats), a moderate/centrist party (Tea party) and a conservative party (GOP).