Question of the week: What is the future of the Tea Party? What does the Tea Party need to do in order to remain influential and effective?
Drew Johnson
Editor of the Free Press opinion page
The tea party movement’s roots are simple and unambiguous: In February 2009, CNBC talking head Rick Santelli, in an outburst of frustration, called for a modern day version of the Boston Tea Party in response to the “government promoting bad behavior” by passing out taxpayer-funded bailouts. He was concerned that working Americans would end up carrying the load for bad decisions and bad policies. As it turns out, of course, Santelli was right.
When Santelli’s rant went viral, it prompted millions of Americans to join together in tea party groups in every state to protest bailouts and the growth of the federal government.