An interesting piece by Tom Edsall on the demographics of the Obama coalition sheds some light on both the Tea Party phenomenon and on the frantic fear-mongering by the Republicans.
The combination of persistent, prolonged unemployment, record deficits, the refusal of Republicans to raise taxes, the underfunded Social Security Trust Fund, and a demographic transition moving the nation closer to a non-white voting majority have, together, revived, enlarged, and intensified the battle for limited government resources—pitting those seeking to protect what they have against those seeking more.
The ranks of those who identify with either the "haves" or the "have-nots" are swollen, while the number of those seeing themselves as in the middle, centrally positioned, has declined...
These developments are functioning to aggravate fear among the "haves" that the competition for resources cannot be resolved by traditional means – that is, by economic growth....
Read More