by Bill Stone

Created on: April 26, 2010

This phenomenon occurs every time a political party gains/loses power in this country.  For example, when our previous president was in office, the organization was the "MoveOn" organization, primarily centered around the group running the website "MoveOn.org."  The party in power accused the MoveOn folks of using underhanded tactics to coerce people into joining their cause.  They were called "unpatriotic" and their presence was deemed to be "bad for the political process."  In truth, there were a few bad MoveOn folks, but for the most part, MoveOn.org is simply a group of people who believe very strongly in an ideology or a political platform.

Any time you have a group of people who is wholly on one side of the political spectrum, be it a MoveOn.org, or the TEA party movement (yes, TEA is an acronym; it stands for Taxed Enough Already), they are automatically vilified by the opposite side, considered "outside the mainstream," and marginalized. 

This poll is no different.  It is very much the same tactic: an attempt to marginalize and vilify the opposing viewpoint.  How can I say that?  Doesn't this sound like an honest question?  "Is the TEA party movement good for America?"  That's not politically one-sided...is it?

Unfortunately, anyone who has any understanding of the Constitution, the reasons this country was founded and the Bill of Rights knows that anyone has the right to say whatever they want, and any group has the right to peaceably assemble (ignore the MoveOn.org plants at TEA party rallies trying to incite violence).  By definition, therefore, any time someone has an opinion, or decides to get together with others who share their opinion, it is good for the country.  It shows that our political process works.  It shows that this country has the ability to have more than one political viewpoint, and survive.  That's the way this country was built.  It allows for "healthy debate" to exist, and allows people to have more than one opinion.  

You will always have those who take things too far and tend to make the spotlight.  And the opposition will tend to use the few to represent the whole, in yet another attempt to marginalize the group as "radical" and "not representing the mainstream of America."  However, for the most part, political organizations which represent a single political view are not ever "bad for America."

In this case, more than in the MoveOn case, you have a mainstream media which is largely liberal in their thinking.  Their thinking, therefore, tends to marginalize and ignore groups like the TEA party, so their message is not as widely broadcast as is the view of the party in power.  Groups like the TEA party organization get their viewpoint across, which is largely ignored by the mainstream media.  In this specific case, therefore, the TEA party does play an important role in getting the word out about their viewpoint and why it might be important.

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