The Tea Party Movement Is a Middle Class Revolt (Somebody gets it)

US News and World Report ^ | October 7, 2010 | Peter Roff

[2ndDivisionVet]

Richard Nixon popularized the idea that there existed in America a “silent majority” at odds with the values and vision of the leftist radicals who put the nation through a period of prolonged social upheaval back in the 1960s.

Today the “silent majority” is silent no more. As seen in the Tea Party movement the middle class, on whose shoulders the heavy burden of the nation’s economic health and well-being fall, are beginning to rise up.

They are not social outliers. They are leaders in their communities. They are the kind of people de Tocqueville would have seen as the glue keeping the country from breaking apart. After decades of being taxed and regulated and spent into hard times, seeing their futures and their childrens’ futures put out to sea on an ocean of red ink, watching their economic liberty and their ability to pursue happiness erode, they are fighting back.

The people who form the elite political and media culture laugh at the idea. In a major disconnect, they see the Tea Party movement as just a network of nuts, flakes, and right-wing anarchists that foolishly fails to realize just how good the government has made for them. They are to be tolerated, coddled, perhaps even feared but it is hard to believe they form a lasting threat to the establishment.

The signs that things are changing are everywhere, even though some people will only be able to see them clearly in the rear view mirror. Typically the pool of people seeking federal office, for example, has been the province of local elected officials, the very wealthy, lawyers, the sons and daughters of those holding other offices and union activists. Now, for many of the same reasons that the Tea Party movement came to be, that’s changing.

Call it the revolt of the middle class.

According to the National Federation of Independent Business--the nation’s leading organization of small business owners--32 of its own members are running for Congress this cycle, more in a single year than ever before.

Why? NFIB’s Lisa Goeas puts it well when she says, “Our members feel that the over-reach of government is putting their ability to own and operate there businesses in jeopardy. That level of alarm is what has spurred them to take matters into their own hands and run for office.”

“Independent business owners can only be pushed so far” Goeas says, “before they get involved in a serious way.”

It’s not just small business either. The consistent push toward a “government-first, patients last” national healthcare system like Obamacare sent more than one physician into the political arena. According to one source, 47 doctors sought a seat in Congress in this election cycle, more than three times the number currently serving there. Auto-dealers too have responded, now that the Obama administration decided it could, as part of the partial nationalization of General Motors and Chrysler, abrogate contracts and force dealers to close their doors.

All across America the people derided by the likes of Sinclair Lewis as “Babbitts” are awakening. They are beginning to reassert themselves, pushing back, saying “No” for the first time in a long while. It may not last--the politicians may find a way to mollify them or they may give up and go home. Or they may change the country. Either way they are a more serious, more substantive movement--even in what the smart set patronizingly likes to point out are its inconsistencies and innocence--then what the columnists and commentators who deride them are willing to acknowledge.

[2ndDivisionVet]

The derision, scorn and patronizing aren't working, as they'll soon learn.

[JRandomFreeper]

They are beginning to reassert themselves, pushing back, saying “No” for the first time in a long while.

Since Dec 7, 1941, probably.

This screed would be better if the author knew the difference between "there" and "their".

But that's an editorial comment.

/johnny

[gov_bean_ counter]

The smart middle class realize that an assault on the wealthy is also an attack on them...

[Tzimisce]

Nov 2 is coming.

[Minipax]

In a major disconnect, they see the Tea Party movement as just a network of nuts, flakes, and right-wing anarchists that foolishly fails to realize just how good the government has made for them.

He also doesn't understand the difference between "who" and "that." Also, the end of the sentence is poorly written.

[GeronL]

Nixon wasn’t exactly a right-winger

[JRandomFreeper]

I gave that a pass. I've seen some hard-core leftists. It's not a who, it's a what. And I understand leaving words and thoughts out when writing emotionally. The author correctly identified leftists as potential he, she, or it, and then left out a word or phrase at the end of the sentence.

I'll amplify my earlier comment. This screed is great for a chat post, but no so good for public consumption.

/johnny

[2ndDivisionVet]

Peter Roff is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. A former senior political writer for United Press International, he is currently a senior fellow at the Institute for Liberty and at Let Freedom Ring, a non-partisan public policy organization. His writing has also appeared on Fox News’ Fox Forum.

[Inyo-Mono]

Typically the pool of people seeking federal office, for example, has been the province of local elected officials, the very wealthy, lawyers, the sons and daughters of those holding other offices and union activists.

And that Ladies and Gentlemen is the problem.

[BobP]

The smart middle class realize that an assault on the wealthy is also an attack on them...

----------------------------

Millions of people are saying: 'I didn't vote for bailouts, I didn't vote for amnesty, I didn't vote for union kickbacks, I didn't vote to muck up my employer sponsored healthcare, I didn't vote for unelected judges to smack down voters who want to protect their state from illegals or the fraud of same-sex 'marriage'.

The foreign occupier is a menace to our nation and damn near everyone living here.

Time to end the experiment brought on by the piss-steam media and the Bush derangement crowd.

[Deagle]

Ah, so true, but only a small part of the problem!

We have 50% of America wanting to be subsidized by other taxpayers. We have politicians who pander to these non-productive parts of society. We have those same politicians pandering to immigration and want to subsidize their offspring with other peoples money.

We have police and law enforcement bodies thinking that they can do whatever they want - laws are only for the little people (including Congress that exempts themselves from most laws).

Is this America or is it Cuba? Time for a major change - if not this year, it will happen! America was NOT founded on any of these Liberal principals and it must resort to past beliefs or perish!

[oldbrowser]

According to the National Federation of Independent Business--the nation’s leading organization of small business owners--32 of its own members are running for Congress this cycle, more in a single year than ever before.

Unfortunately, I don't believe it can last.

It is the nature of businesspeople to take risks and start up a business. They like the independence, they don't want to run anyone's life and they don't want anybody running theirs.

Conversely, liberals like to worm their way into an organization or government agency where they are protected from the consequences of their mistakes and slowly move up to a management position where they can use their position to force their half baked ideas onto the general public.

basically liberals are parasites ideally suited for working in government, nonprofits or large foundations which they can subvert.

Conservatives will soon revert to their natural state and liberals will again begin the process of subverting the government.

[Sergio]

Bookmark.

[rrrod]

note to the media: We’re just getting warmed up!

[Eye of Unk]

The dirty fingernail, non diploma redneck, waitress, truck driver, mechanic and secretary persons of America are giving the liberal elites the finger.

We ARE America, and we can make our own changes, we don’t need no stinkin patronizing help from those that have been wealthy all their lives and don’t know nothin about living week to week their whole life.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yeh, whats left of the middle class. Once more term with Barry and we will be an extinct species.

[ConservativeWarrior]

In a major disconnect, they see the Tea Party movement as just a network of nuts, flakes, and right-wing anarchists that foolishly fails to realize just how good the government has made for them.

"He also doesn't understand the difference between "who" and "that." Also, the end of the sentence is poorly written."

Actually, I think he has it right. He's using "that" in reference to "network."