American Spectator Presents Tea Party Straw Poll

Being a liberal blogger, I've managed to get on quite a few unusual mailing lists, some on purpose, some not. One of them is The American Spectator, which I'd classify as an "establishment" Republican periodical. But to show what a fine line there is (if there is any distinction at all) between that group and "Tea Party conservatives," I'm not sure what it could be. Because this arrived co-branded.

Click to embiggen.

It's a 2016 presidential straw poll. And the list contains a mixture of boring conservatives, and absolutely batshit crazy tea baggers. I voted for the craziest one, Jan Brewer. Just because, y'know. . .what is that insane woman doing on a list like this?

I think by now it is clear that while "true" tea partiers might consider themselves separate and apart for the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove and Frank Luntz--who pull the strings from behind the scenes, and mold the conversation--the Tea Party is just the branded face of conservatism. There is no real distinction. Though I'm sure Rove et. al., would dearly love to cut the crazy out of the public face, they need them for their crazy base!

We liberals and progressives thought that the rogues gallery that emerged on the stage of the 2008 and 2012 Republican primaries was simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. Check out this list.

Click to embiggen. Be afraid, be very afraid!