Tea Parties

On April 15 there is a movement that may be a first test of the ambitious agenda of President Obama - the map shows the number of Tea Party protests scheduled around the country. What is unclear at this point is a) how many people will show up at these events and b) whether the message is a unified one. On the Tea Party site the rationale for this program is stated thusly "America is on the brink of another revolution. In a new American Tea Party, citizens across the USA are beginning to protest giant government programs that reach deep into their pockets. These programs create huge economic burdens on American families and threaten their livelihood now and into the future." That could encompass traditional conservatives who would be opposed to any increase in taxes to populists who object to bailing out companies that have failed. From looking at the various sites, it is unclear whether an attempt will be made to reconcile these divergences.

Regardless, there is some information that suggests that the support for bailouts is declining rapidly. Less rapid but still declining is support for the entire Administration package on stimulus. Ditto for the proposals to add taxes. Ditto for the all encompassing view of the role of government. It will be interesting to see whether this movement can coalesce around a uniform set of priorities. But the underlying level of grumpiness with the political class is now palpable.