The press, both alarmed and delighted by this political force that sprang from nowhere, is eager to prove its lack of elitism and left-wing bias by treating the Tea Party activists with respect.
Michael, the home planet is calling. Your saucer is double-parked. Now let me see, where did that term "Tea-bagger" come from and why did it achieve such popularity that is only now beginning to wane for those few journalists mature enough not to want to be mistaken for drunken 19-year-old frat boys? I do believe - work with me here, Michael - I do believe that was this "respectful" press. And if it appears to the delusional to be showing a distaste for the very legitimate accusation of elitism, what can we say about a Michael Kinsley quoting a David Brooks about a populist movement whose members neither wants admitted to the better bistros in The City?
Nevertheless, the good Doctor understands us better than we understand ourselves, or so we are admonished to believe. One is struck by the consistent and unanimous disbelief on the part of Leftists that anyone could or should be so silly as to vote outside one's class interests...unless, of course, one happens to be of the Left and possessed of a transcendent understanding of Advanced Political Thought. It is left unremarked that that is itself a class identification and its owners tend to vote, well, for their class interests.
Be that as it may, the Tea Party enthusiasts become, in this rather jaded view, merely a bunch of old people with their - our - hands out to a benevolent Mommy Government and jealous of any other hands belonging to - need I say it? - minorities or other underprivileged unfortunates that might be extended in the identical direction. Given the premise that we are a bunch of uninformed rubes the purposes for our actions could scarcely be other than, well, uninformed, now could they? The good Doctor has just performed a miracle of circular reasoning for a breathless crowd of presumably informed East Coast liberals. We lesser ones can only stand gaping.
Nevertheless, I shall step forward, tugging my forelock, with the humble proposition that I believe in my country as she is and was and am hence a Patriot, and that Kinsley despises her for what she was and is, placing his heart and soul on what she might become given sufficiently enlightened guidance by You Know Who. And is hence not a Patriot in any sense. See you at the polls, Michael.