I tend to put a class interpretation on this all. The Top 2% divided between Obama and Romney, with the majority going to Romney. The Tea Party are those up and coming people below the truly rich in this country, and the competition to them. These elites have not bothered to ally themselves with the Tea Party because they don’t weant to share power. They think they can by dominating the Republican Party still win elections or at least have enough power in Congress to share in the spoils of office.
Where else would you have a farm hand making minimum wage being asked by his party to argue that shielding the upper crust from tax cuts is a good thing, while taking more from his own pay check in payroll and social security taxes is so inconsequential and without comment that it comes as a complete surprise.
Where else would the party cave on the debt ceiling and spending cuts to reduce the debt, knowing full well that the Social Security Trust Fund is the biggest purchaser of U.S. debt and that the Treasury buying its own debt is highly inflationary, both disproportionately affecting older Americans, a large Republican constituency.
They don’t call it the stupid party for nothing. However, its mascot should be the sheep, not the elephant considering how much middle class party members are being fleeced by the country club Repub. RINOs.