By "increasingly sophisticated", does that mean they spell check the racist slurs on their signs now?

Someone's still calling the Tea Party a "grassroots" movement?

Depends on the grass, I suppose. TFA is a pretty good article though. Looks like a lot of it is modeled on Dean's 50 state plan.

Dems had better pay attention, as should OWS-sympathizers.

Gotta admit, that was not the picture I was expecting.

In most states, though, the Tea Parties' activism is aimed squarely at opposing mainstream Republicans such as U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is up for reelection in 2014.

Yes, a purge of moderates sounds like a great long-term strategy.

They're teabaggers because they like the taste of Koch

Sybarite: In most states, though, the Tea Parties' activism is aimed squarely at opposing mainstream Republicans such as U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is up for reelection in 2014.

Yes, a purge of moderates sounds like a great long-term strategy.

To be fair, fark Lindsey Graham.

Teabaggers don't evolve.

Diogenes: Teabaggers don't evolve.

They don't have much to do with intelligent design, either.

FTFA: Interviews with activists across 20 U.S. states indicate that Tea Party groups, far from fading, have evolved into an increasingly sophisticated and effective network of activists. They are working to unseat establishment Republicans who they believe have betrayed the principles of lower taxes, limited government, and free markets.

If only that's all that got the tea partiers' panties in a bunch.

lysdexic: as should OWS-sympathizers.

Indeed. I think OWS and the tea party should trade notes, honestly. But, then they might find a lot in common, and our Corporate Overlords wouldn't want that.

Interviews with activists across 20 U.S. states indicate that Tea Party groups, far from fading, have evolved into an increasingly sophisticated and effective network of activists. They are working to unseat establishment Republicans who they believe have betrayed the principles of lower taxes, limited government^*, and free markets.

* Does not apply to women or homosexuals

OWS, on the other hand, has evolved into a group of protesters that tries to shut down US ports.

FTA: Dugan, 66, a retired manufacturing executive and chairman of the Myrtle Beach Tea Party, is particularly proud of the scoring system he's devised for South Carolina legislators

Great job guys, you've turned into the political equivalent of the metric-loving HR department the rest of us have made an art of bypassing during job searches.

Philip Francis Queeg: The Tea Party would never support attacks on the shipping of goods by sea to make a political statement.

LMAO

Totally true, too. Their chosen nickname is even more ill-fitted than previously though.

Arkanaut: To be fair, the Tea Party has gotten their candidates elected. OWS has yet to produce anything other than headlines. Of course elections are not for another year, but so far OWS doesn't sound like they're in the nominatin' business.

The Tea Party is a fundraising wing of the Republican party. They host rallies and prop up candidates for election. It's been a political movement from the start.

OWS is a protest. They spread awareness about social and economic injustice. It is, and has always been, a populace movement.

I don't think the two are even comparable.

I would take the tea party seriously if it was an actual party. All it seems to be is a channel of right-wing rage that the current field of GOP candidates has spent a lot of time pandering to, and that special business interests on the right have lent money and credibility to. If the tea parties were actually libertarians instead of a mouthpiece of the GOP right wing, I could accept as a true party. But the reality is that the tea party is just a reflection of right wing sour grapes that the GOP is trying to energize for 2012. The tea partiers may elect some dipshiat into office, but it won't actually change anything.

The bottom line is, if the GOP got into power and did more than just pay lip service to tea party ideas (drastically cutting medicare, privatizing SS, etc.) they'd get thrown out of office so fast that it would make their head spin. So instead, they'll just keep on spending irresponsibly without raising any taxes to pay for it. It'll just be GWB all over again.

Right now the Tea Party / GOP thing sort of works, but that's only because the GOP isn't "in charge." That these idiots would actually believe that any of the GOP candidates (save RON PAUL) is serious about actually shrinking the huge portions of the budget dedicated to popular programs - medicare, social security, defense -- is mind-boggling.