Americans don't want DeMint's austerity.
They want jobs and economic growth.
Given the new numbers showing public support for the tea party at
an all-time low,
this point by Greg Sargent is spot on:
If there’s one thing the debt ceiling battle revealed, it’s that the Tea Party continues to enjoy outsized influence in Washington in general and over the GOP in particular. So it’s interesting to note that according to the internals of today’s New York Times poll, the Tea Party is rapidly shrinking before our very eyes, and is hemorraging supporters at a surprising rate [...] The numbers suggest the Tea Party is rapidly sliding back into fringe status — yet its disproportionate influence over the political conversation is as strong as ever. It’s yet another way that the Congressional debate is way to the right of public opinion.
Only 18 percent of the public now supports the tea party, down from 31 percent and tying an all-time low ... yet they exerted more influence over the debt limit deal than any other political bloc in the country. The public cares about creating jobs, not reducing the deficit. The only question is when Washington politicians will realize their mistake ... and how much damage they've done in the meantime.