# What is the difference between traditional Republicans and Tea Partiers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 12, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884 "2010-04-12T21:18:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/21 "2010-04-14T10:32:08Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m not sure any of the above encapsulate what I’ve read of the TPers. It seems to me that whereas the Republican party is socially conservative and fiscally liberal, the TPers are socially conservative and fiscally conservative. Oh, nonsense. It’s not fiscal conservatism to rant “keep the government off my Medicare” while you try to keep other people from getting medical insurance. That’s a combination of greed and incoherence, not fiscal conservatism. And as has often been pointed out, if these people really cared about fiscal conservatism, they’d speak up when Republicans are running the country. The difference between traditional Republicans and Tea Partiers is that the TPers are the even dumber, crazier, more extreme fringe of the right. They are the most ignorant, the most thuggish, the worst educated, the most racist that the Right has to offer. They are an incoherent mass of quite stupid right wing angry people with no real plan or idea what they are doing or what they actually want. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/22 "2010-04-14T10:48:59Z")
Present-day Republican thinking can be summarized as not liking taxes, and agreeing that Obama is “not one of us.” Fiscal conservatives and libertarians are simply Republican-like thinkers who’ve learned some long words. There are some otherwise-intelligent right-wingers in this forum who would consider this an absurd oversimplification, but it basically isn’t. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Essentially, the Republican party has always theoretically been about smaller, cheaper government. In one recent thread a Tea-bagger said he/she wanted to return to the ideals of Teddy Roosevelt. I posted a summary of the Bull Moose Party platform. Never heard back from the Tea-bagger. Face it friends. To speak of “Teabagger ideas” or even “Republican ideas” is to confront an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/23 "2010-04-14T11:58:17Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Unimportant? The party that formed around the issue stopping the spread of slavery, and was in opposition to the Democrats who supported states’ rights? > > The two parties basically exchanged ideology in the 60s following Nixon’s southern strategy. As regards to hippies, I think the better analogy is to the Yippies who were more overtly political or to the Weathermen who were as scary as the extreme tea baggers. No, it happened a lot earlier. FDR brought Blacks into the Democratic party at least 30 years before Nixon’s “Southern Strategy,” and Republicans became the party of banks and big business at least as long ago as Reconstruction; they stopped being social progressives around the time Teddy Roosevelt left the party. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/24 "2010-04-14T12:02:14Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > In one recent thread a Tea-bagger said he/she wanted to return to the ideals of Teddy Roosevelt. I posted a summary of the Bull Moose Party platform. Never heard back from the Tea-bagger. > > Face it friends. To speak of “Teabagger ideas” or even “Republican ideas” is to confront an oxymoron. I never said that the Tea Partyists were bright or had any understanding of anything. Who knows what the person thought Roosevelt was all about? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/25 "2010-04-14T13:59:41Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Who knows what the person thought Roosevelt was all about? Probably the only thing they knew about Teddy was the Big Stick thing. Lord knows that seems to be a favorite concept for them. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/26 "2010-04-14T14:24:43Z")
That, and having things shoved down their throats. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/27 "2010-04-14T16:44:33Z")
My two cents to the OP. Traditional Republicans are a part of the political system. They’re looking to change things by getting elected to office and passing legislation. Tea partiers are outside of the political system. They’re seeking changes in how the system itself works not just in the outcomes it produces. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/28 "2010-04-14T17:03:29Z")
Not even that. They can’t even \*articulate \*the “changes” they want beyond Lower Taxes!, Cut Government Waste!, and Obama’s A Fillintheblank! ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/29 "2010-04-14T17:08:27Z")
They’re the same except the Tea Partiers are brand new so they don’t the inconvenient track record of hypocrisy. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/30 "2010-04-14T17:12:45Z")
Incoherence, yes. Fantasization, certainly. Hypocrisy, no. True. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/31 "2010-04-14T17:37:59Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > They’re the same except the Tea Partiers are brand new so they don’t the inconvenient track record of hypocrisy. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Incoherence, yes. Fantasization, certainly. Hypocrisy, no. True. The sentiment behind statements such as “Keep the government’s hands off my Medicare” could be classified as either ignorant or hypocritical. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/32 "2010-04-14T18:10:00Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Obama’s A Fillintheblank! What?!?! First he was a Socialist, then a Muslim, then a Kenyan, then a fascist/Nazi/communist, and now he’s also a Fillintheblank! Well, that just tears it. He’s lost my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/33 "2010-04-14T18:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > What?!?! First he was a Socialist, then a Muslim, then a Kenyan, then a fascist/Nazi/communist, and now he’s also a Fillintheblank! The man’s half white. He won’t even commit to being black. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/34 "2010-04-14T19:41:45Z")
They aren’t even behind the concept of “Lower Taxes!”, given that they’re up in arms against someone doing just that. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/35 "2010-04-14T19:57:37Z")
If Obama had tackled immigration reform before health care Tea Partiers would be anti immigration. If he had gone for gay rights first Tea Partiers would call themselves protectors of marriage. They are angry stupid old white people pissed about not being in charge, that and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/36 "2010-04-14T19:58:19Z")
Except that they don’t know that, about lowering taxes. They’ve been told the opposite, or at least not the part where it’s the taxes on those making over a quarter million (i.e. not most of them) that are going up, and that it’s Bush’s estate tax law that’s expiring under its own terms without the traitor or his traitor party doing anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/37 "2010-04-14T20:26:30Z")
At the risk of counter-hijacking this thread back to the OP, I’m a center-leaning conservative who can actually tell you what the Bull Moose platform was and approves wholeheartedly. In terms of the descriptions upthread, I’m an Eisenhower conservative. Admittedly, I voted for Obama because the Republican party has no grounds to call itself “conservative” on any subject any more. In my opinion, the Tea Party types represent the type of people who feel they’re disenfranchised and the country is going to hell basically any time there’s not a movement conservative (_spits_) in charge. The extra energy this time around seems, from a point of view inside the conservative side, to be coming ENTIRELY from “holy shit, he’s black TOO? This is infinity times worse than Clinton!” ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/38 "2010-04-14T20:42:07Z")
About 20 IQ points? I keeed, I keeed. 😃 That said, I think the tea-partiers are the uneducated, unthinking and easily rabble-roused part of the GOP. All the sane folks on the right are floating in the middle trying to distance themselves from the hooples. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/39 "2010-04-14T22:23:38Z")
They’re mad as hell and aren’t going to take it any more! Not that they’re generally coherent enough to tell you what “it” even is. My dad’s about as conservative as you can get, but even _he’s_ not prepared to throw in his lot with those folks. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884/40 "2010-04-15T00:31:42Z")
I’ll be very surprised if we’ll be hearing much about the Tea Partiers 2 years from now. They’re just too fragmented, and with the major “leaders” seeming to be Palin and Bachman… well, that leadership will lead them into oblivion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-traditional-republicans-and-tea-partiers/535884.md?page=3)