Ever wondered where the Tea Partiers actually live? The PBS NewsHour website has now helpfully mapped it out as part of their "Patchwork Nation" project (in partnership with the Christian Science Monitor), for anyone interested to see. This map isn't exactly surprising, as it shows Tea Partiers are more concentrated in traditional Republican areas. But it is interesting to see such a level of detail, measured as concentration of Tea Party members for every county across America.
The map is only as good as the data, though, and their data collection includes only actual Tea Party members (67,000 of them), from online membership databases. Meaning it doesn't capture anyone who hasn't actually signed up with an online Tea Party site -- which, due to the decentralized nature of the movement, might include a lot of folks who show up to rallies and wave signs, or even offer quiet support from home. The PBS story accompanying the map admits this freely: "That list of members does not include people who say they sympathize with the tea parties or their goals. Adding in those people would swell the group's ranks and possibly change its geographic distribution."
[Click on the tiny map below, to see the full map. You may have to, once it loads, select "Elections" and "Tea Party members (per 10K residents)" to see it. Or click the link in the previous paragraph to see a static (non-Flash) version of the map. Also, on the Flash version, click at the bottom on "Tea Party members (total) to see an accompanying map which shows total membership by county.]
The article (and the interactive map, when you roll your mouse over any county) divides the country up into different types of county and provides them with odd names (Tractor Country, Mormon Outpost, Minority Central, etc.) depending on their general makeup.
The highest concentration of Tea Partiers, they found, were in "Boom Towns" -- places which enjoyed economic success in the run up to the financial crash, but have been hard-hit since (especially in the housing market). Second and third on the list were "Military Bastions" and "Tractor Country." The lowest concentration was in "Industrial Metropolis" and "Minority Central" -- again, no surprise there.
But beyond the Patchwork Nation labels, the map does show a few interesting things. When taken together with the accompanying map which shows just the total number of Tea Party members, there are a few interesting holes in the maps, which may further define the struggle currently taking place for the control of the Republican Party.
For instance, the High Plains states have almost no Tea Party members, even though a lot of conservative Republican farmers live there. Likewise, Appalachian regions seem to be less represented than you'd think, in places like Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. There are concentrations of Tea Partiers throughout the Mountain West, reaching down to Arizona and New Mexico -- but then, you'd expect this, since conservatism in these parts has always had a serious libertarian streak to it. The rural parts of the West Coast are also represented well, which might come as a surprise to some, but not to anyone who knows rural California and Oregon, for instance.
The heaviest concentrations appear to be in Texas and Florida, on both maps. This is one reason the Tea Partiers are taken so seriously by the Republican Party, because their electoral map back to the White House pretty much has to include winning both states, or else they're not going to win the Electoral College. Both Texas and Florida are states with very different types of Republicans, since a lot of folks retire to both from other places (giving politics there a more interesting mix than elsewhere).
But the most interesting thing about the map to me is the relatively low numbers for Tea Partiers in certain areas of the country. The first one spreads from a wide swath of the Bible Belt states in the South, up throughout the Midwest. From Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, you can pretty much follow the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys without finding significant numbers of Tea Partiers, all the way to the Canadian border. This may show a big wedge in the Republican Party itself, between social conservatives who vote based on hot-button issues such as abortion and gay marriage, and the fiscal conservatives as represented by the Tea Partiers. It's hard to believe, seeing some of the Tea Party signs, but the Tea Partiers may not be acceptably focused on social conservatism for a lot of people across this region.
Likewise, the scarcity of Tea Partiers in New England is rather surprising. New England Republicans seem like natural recruits for the Tea Partiers, since Republicans up there have been beating the "fiscal responsibility" drum for a long time -- long before it was considered cool even by fellow Republicans. So it would seem the flinty, bottom-line, balance-the-budget conservatives the New England region is known for would welcome the Tea Party message -- but, strangely, they do not. One can only speculate that the Tea Partiers may come across as too unseemly for the very down-to-Earth Republicanism practiced in New England. I fully admit, though, I have nothing whatsoever to base such a speculation upon, it's just a sheer guess.
Again, the maps should only be seen as partial data. The Tea Party movement is constantly in flux, and measuring just those who sign up online can miss huge demographics -- like people who are not computer-savvy, or have no local Tea Party to sign up for (the map does not differentiate between "No Tea Partiers" and "No data"). This could miss quite a few older folks, or rural folks -- in exactly the areas where they're missing from the map. So, while it shouldn't be seen as the definitive map of Tea Partiers, from the data available to them, it is indeed an interesting snapshot of the movement's actual current membership.
The upcoming fratricidal battle within the Republican Party seems inevitable, at this point. The Tea Partiers themselves (or a goodly chunk of them, at least) have not shown any interest in attempting to form a true national third political party. Which leaves open whether this may happen rather organically at the state or regional level. The situation in Florida may be the most interesting and most-watched this year, especially if Charlie Crist decides in the next few weeks whether he's going to "pull a Lieberman" and run as an independent candidate in the general election (rather than badly lose to a Tea Party-style candidate in the Republican primary). But if the map is not in fact misleading, the Republican Party is going to find itself pulled in two directions by two different groups -- the Bible Belt social conservatives, and the Tea Party fiscal conservatives. And since both of these groups are rather famous for kicking those out who don't agree with their priorities and agenda, this could lead to a sort of mutual excommunication in some election races, or in some geographical areas. Which side wins this struggle could shape the Republican Party for years to come, one way or another.
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PLEASE STOP perpetuating the myth that conservatives are balance the budget types. Maybe Libertarians are, but with conservatives, its just talk -- a means to an end of trying to accumulate more wealth.
I have a few friends like that and all are conservatives. Yep, for years I listened to them rail against the unemployed and listened too their rants about handouts, bootstraps, etc. Oh, and none of these guys ever started from the bottom but god they were the first in line for unemployment when they got layed off.
I couldn't believe it. One schemed out of work for over a year. Why? He did not want to work for all the minumum wage jobs he was offered. Of course, he lost his home and declared bankruptcy along the way. And, all the while, he bought all kinds of crap (more hunting gear, fishing stuff, a car) against his house. But he is happy to take the crap with him even after the bankruptcy. And what job did he finally get through a crony? A Union job. Yes the very unions I listened to him too rant and rave against out on our hunting trips. Needless to say, I give him a hard time routinely.
These guys always remind me of the most pious and self-righteous guys in church who turn out being the biggest scammers in town.â€
The Americans fed up with the bloated government and its "INTENDED" consequences are as diverse as America itself. This is not a white republican movement, nor a Christian movement, it is an American movement. Folks across the nation are evaluating their lives, their ambitions, and asking "hey wait a minute - isn't this supposed to be MY dream???" People who continue to portray these protesters as ignorant...racist...moochers... are losing credibility as quickly as Obama.
Are you saying I don't have a right to MY dreams? The government is doing OK in fulfilling them now following the nightmares I had for the 14 years I had to live under Bush Jr's administration. (Governor and President)
It definitely is a white,right Republican, Christian movement no matter what you say.
The Tea Partiers are totalitarians with smudges of fascism thrown in.
If recent polls give Black Tea Party membership at about 1% , this cannot even be remotely accurate.
Perhaps not the same people, perhaps with different priorities, but the dynamics seem to have a similarity.
Without a clear leader as Perot was, where will the energy be directed? Who will be swept along, and who will be swept out of the way?
You have identified the exact power vacuum which the GOPers (from Palin to Armey to Gingrich) are trying to shoehorn their way in to.
Without a charismatic (identifiable) leader, it's totally up in the air as to what the end result will be. That's one of the things I find interesting, personally. Unless a clear leader does emerge... Ron Paul could "re-emerge" as this leader, or it could be someone else entirely.
-CW
Rhode Island is 1,053,209, Providence County is 626,150. Yet overall if you add up and average the number per 10K you arrive at 1.7 in RI, for a total of about 185 or so Tea Baggers.
Rio Blanco is interesting. If my math is right, it's just 16 people that are Tea Baggers.
If you can get the Flash link to load properly (some have had problems), go down to the bottom and find the item "total membership" and click on it -- a different graph will load which shows actual totals, with the same mouse-over by-county ability, so you can see totals for each county.
Whenever reading any of these county demographic maps, remember that (1) counties are a LOT bigger in the West, and (2) there are a LOT fewer people, outside the big cities out here. The county I grew up in had more people in it than Wyoming.
[Side note to everyone: I can't believe we're approaching 400 comments here -- I really thought this wasn't all that controversial an article, truth be told...]
-CW
lying to the public and that money is his only objective in it all..... If I were you guys I would seriously read it and see for yourself who you are believing about all the views you have about things...
It may be online at their web site I havent checked....
Good luck all of you teabaggers ..... you have been douped ...
"He has refused his assent to laws, most wholesome and necessary for the public good,"
"He has made judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices,"
"...for depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury,"
"...for transporting us beyond the seas to be tried for pretended offenses,"
"...for abolishing the free System of English Laws...establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule..."
"...declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever,"
"He is at this time transporting Large Armies...to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation."
It is certainly a marvel of the democratic process and the maturation of the United States under the guidance of former President Bush and Vice President Cheney that such outrages did not exist in their administration.
Leave it to the right wing to live for today - as long as there's a Republican in office and to get awfully concerned about tomorrow when a Democrat gets elected instead. This country is only now pulling ourselves out of the pile of paper that the Republicans tried to bury us under. But....I guess we imagined it all. Yes. That must be it.
Even among the factions, the self described libertarian branch ( though in Appalachia, which I'm very familiar with, they wouldn't refer to it that way - they'd think you were calling them a librarian) they'd use the faux words of a Palin referring to "common sense" etc in a newer version of the time old "get off a mah land!" But it didn't occur to them to say that until they felt it was a black man stepping in their clover.
Don't get me wrong. There are people within this thing (I refuse to call it a "movement". It is no more a "movement" than it is "grassroots'. The Tea Party is nothing more than a churning up, a carefully organized manipulation, by the GOP in the hands of it's Fox propaganda outlet and it's paid operatives like Dick Armey) who are concerned about ....well whatever it is they claim to be concerned about (but weren't concerned about during the debauchery of the Republican run White House and the congress) but the bottom line is that Obama's election is what bothers them. It's pretty much there in "black and white".
Where was the tea party 'movement' when spending WAS rampant and legislation WAS largely irresponsible during the last 8 years? Where was the 'movement' when freedoms and civil rights and liberties were being eroded by the most hurried and impetuous piece of legislation in my lifetime in the Partiot Act.....Yet NOW the concern for rights being infringed upon... NOW the 'concern' for spending and taxation..... Please... A black man and his black family now inhabit the white house and the 'world' of most of the people who have signed on to this 'movement' have been rocked. Now, the America THEY knew is somehow threatened. Now, the 'tea partiers' are concerned about the explosion in their tax rates (the same rates that are at their lowest in nearly 60 years)?....
What will happen when the economy really begins to rebound? Will they find a way to give credit to THIS President and THIS administration? Or will history once again be warped to fit the story they need to tell themselves?....
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking about CA, OR, and WA, as "blue" coastal states, therefore monolithic. They actually have a whole gamut of political opinions within them, mostly in different geographical areas. In OR, especially, the farmer-v-fish thing that boiled over a few years back shows this isn't true. CA has its own water wars, as well.
-CW
“I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic and we should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration.â€
Many of us still have jobs and can't attend a weekday protest, but we can and will vote! We disagree with this administration and will make every effort to vote them all out of office. Keep deriding us and calling us names, it just intensifies our resolve!
observed from the Tea Party rallies has been an overriding belief that Obama has some “socialist agenda†wherein he’s taxing hard working Americans and giving the money to crack heads and illegal Mexicans … Or am I missing something here?
I have to wonder at the recent poll that showed most within the movement are upper middle class and collage educated. I mean how can anyone with more than an eighth grade education be this out of touch with reality.
These are the people that Congressman Boehner read to from the Declaration of Independence and said that it was the Constitution (of which he claims to keep a copy of in his pocket).
These are the people who decry taxes and government spending but know nothing of the Bob Rubin wannabees in Obama’s cabinet who are anything but "Socialist". These are the people who couldn’t name a single spending bill passed by Congress, who don’t have a clue as to the actual functioning of their own government, who would rather dress up in period costumes and wave flags than actually take the time to find out what is going on …
And these people are collage educated?
Frankly, it makes one wonder at the validity of polls.
In all other respects? Great comment (and a neat typo!).
I very much appreciate the "collage educated" quip!
Home Economists and the Civil War ?? They sure didn't study anything that requires the use of common sense.....
Regardless of how far the ideals are between Thomas Paine and the Baggers
Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections. Candidates would need to care about voters across the nation..
The bill would take effect only when enacted, in identical form, by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes--that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). When the bill comes into effect, all the electoral votes from those states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
The bill uses the power given to each state by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution to change how they award their electoral votes for president.
The bill is currently endorsed by over 1,707 state legislators (in 48 states) who have sponsored and/or cast recorded votes in favor of the bill.
The National Popular Vote bill has passed 29 state legislative chambers, in 19 states, including one house in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon, and both houses in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The bill has been enacted by Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington. These five states possess 61 electoral votes -- 23% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
See http://www.NationalPopularVote.com