The Tea Party is doing a good job in pushing the Republican Party farther to the right.
It has forced the party to no longer say one thing and do another--errrr, at least has made it harder to do so.
It also helps explain the disconnect between what Republicans in office do and what Republican leadership says should be done--a disconnect that has been created by misinformation, poor articulation, or possibly in some cases, literally lying to constituents about big vs. small government preferences (why do you think the Bush administration didn't reduce the size of government?). This disconnect will hopefully be reduced as grassroots pressure will force Republicans into adhering to a narrower, more ideologically driven spectrum of policies.
The consequences aren't without true human costs--citizens in the state of GA are suffering through Republican Party leadership decisions and our state will be feeling the costs of their poor judgment for years.
Citizens are asking what has happened to our nation--the look back fondly to the days when taxes were higher, unions were stronger, and there was more government intervention in the economy. They are unhappy with what has happened as the cut taxes, cut government, agenda that began with Reagan have taken control of the policy agenda over the past 30 years. There frustration is leading to a more engaged citizenry--just look at Obama's grassroots efforts last year, or the tea party movement this year.
There are people in this country who truly don't believe that government should be in the business of providing services like health care, transit, and other forms of public infrastructure investment required of a modern industrialised nation and that taxes higher taxes (which are too low as it stands) will cause our nation to further decline.
While the proof is in the pudding--one needs only travel to Europe to see the appalling quality of life among those less fortunates across the Atlantic--the ability of our nation to create a more transparent, responsive, political class is positive.
Just look at the stronger health care systems, or more vibrant small business sectors, in Europe--I personally want to have a debate about those issues...
For too long the lines have been blurry between those who think government should represent everyone if we want to have a strong, productive, industrialized economy; and those that think governments job is to stick to what it did best during the agrarian era of our founding fathers. We get a chance to have that debate over the next few elections cycles.
This will help clarify fundamental questions about what the government is in the business of doing. Some of us believe governments job is to protect and empower its citizens. There is another school of thought that says it is every man for themselves--best seen in the words of Utopian thinkers like ayn rand.
Over the next few years its going to be up to citizens in this nation to decide where they stand on that question.
There are some people like myself who hope to bring systemic changes to the political process so that third parties and independents can't help influence the debate. But until that happen the debates dividing line will be Republican/Democrat.
While there will be leaders on both side that will be exceptions to this rule until we have systemic changes, like it or not, R vs. D will be where this ideological difference lies.
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