My liberal friends have picked up the idea that the Tea Party is a conservative front organization, "astroturf" designed to fool the media into thinking that ri

My liberal friends have picked up the idea that the Tea Party is a conservative front organization, "astroturf" designed to fool the media into thinking that right-wing ideas have a popular following. But this narrative is straight-up BS. Dozens of GOP candidates with establishment backing, endorsements, and money have been defeated by Tea Party insurgents in primary races as high up as the senate. It's a bona-fide populist movement that traces its roots to a Ron Paul "Tea Party" moneybomb in 2007. Tea Party activists contributed to the historic landslide in the 2010 elections. And it is still alive and kicking. A GOP insider candidate for the Senate in Texas, endorsed by Rick Perry no less, was defeated by a Tea Partier a few days ago. There is chaos in the GOP because the people are revolting and not voting like they're told, and it is the tea party that is doing it. Maybe you don't know any Tea Partiers where you live, but they are a true grass-roots force.