Simple answer- because the lamestream media successfully was able to label the Tea party as something that it is not.
Perception is everything in modern America today. Unfortunately.
Resist We Much !
Dumbing Down of the Populace.
Perception - rather than reality - is more important to democrats because a small liberal elite is propped up by a mass of stupid somewhat gullible losers...
Dems are banana republic - and fooling their voters is part of the democrat handbook.
Republicans can’t play that game...
That's it. The MSM propaganda machine is very powerful. And they will never let anyone or anything on the right gain any traction at all.
It's not like the Reagan years. Back then there were at least some journalists who were really journalists. Today journalism is simply an arm of the liberal wing of the Democratic party. Just look at who the moderators were in the last Presidential debate.
And throw in all the anti-right comments made by TV talk show hosts, entertainers, etc. People WILL start to believe anything they hear often enough.