Who is tea party nation

Most of the original members met using Twitter. Their low-budget nationwide organising was unthinkable in the days before Facebook, e-mail and free conference-calling. This historic capacity to be networked with like-minded people has been a profound experience for many Americans. Because of that, Ms Zernike characterises the Tea Party as a cause rather than a movement. It's given them community and a cause - the social bonds are very strong, and in many cases they're a motivating factor.

But perhaps the most interesting aspects of the Tea Party have yet to be seen. What will it do with any electoral success it has? And will those social bonds be sustainable when the economic stress gripping America eventually abates?

The Tea Party has become an umbrella group for many different causes and angry protesters, making it hard to pin down. Birth of a movement. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. John McCain is set for a rough ride from the Tea Party movement. Focus on the economy. Sarah Palin is popular within the Tea Party, but she is not its leader.

Tea Party members are angry at Washington and many believe Barack Obama's policies are socialist. Phillips derides what he describes as non-profits' "begging for money" with fundraising letters and e-mail solicitations. Smith has a Web site on which he has posted screen-shots from PayPal that support this allegation. On January 13, , Eric Odom one of the organizers of the American Liberty Alliance ALA announced that that the group, which had agreed to co-sponsor the National Tea Party Convention, was withdrawing its support from the Convention in protest over the infrastructure of the Tea Party Nation and the way its finances "are channeled through private bank accounts and Paypal accounts.

On January 25, , the New York Times reported that Philip Glass , the national director of the National Precinct Alliance , announced that "amid growing controversy" around the convention, his organization would no longer participate. Glass had been scheduled to lead workshops on his group's strategy to take over the Republican party from the bottom by "filling the ranks of local and state parties with grassroots conservatives.

Glass also expressed concerned about the role of groups like Tea Party Express in the convention. Tea Party Express has held rallies across the country and two bus tours, and is associated with FreedomWorks , which is known to have corporate backing.

Phillips has until Sept. The suspension will remain in effect until the Tennessee Supreme Court lifts the order. Reach Emily West at erwest tennessean. Facebook Twitter Email.

Tea Party Nation founder's law license suspended. Emily R.