The march of Tea Party Nationalism

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 15 September 2010, 12:08

Christine O'Donnell

The Tea Party movement gained another scalp yesterday when Christine O'Donnell beat veteran Congressman Mike Castle for the Senate nomination in Delaware. This is the seventh major victory it has had in defeating more moderate Republicans in key primaries.

Much attention is given to the movement's anti-tax and small government agenda but let's be absolutely clear that the Tea Parties represent a really dangerous development in US politics. It brings together hardline racists, christian fundamentalists and nazis. It is backed by Sarah Palin, it has an active membership of hundreds of thousands and, according to some polls, the support of up to 17% of all Americans.

I'm currently reading a draft report into the Tea Party Movement which will soon be published by our sister organisation, the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights for the NAACP, America's oldest civil rights organisation. It is a brillant study that profiles their supporters and leadership.

With the Tea Party movement gaining such ground over in the US it is not surprising that people over in the UK, from the Taxpayers Alliance to the christian fundamentalists behind the EDL, are looking to develop something similar.