Tag Archives: tea party

Defectors and dissident elites: rifts in the campaign against gay marriage

Posted on June 24, 2012 by David S. Meyer

When David Blankenhorn changed his mind about same sex marriage, the New York Times was eager to give him space on its op-ed page to explain why.  Blankenhorn has been a stalwart in the battle against gay marriage, testifying as … Continue reading →

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Still not the dream

Posted on June 18, 2012 by David S. Meyer

President Obama’s announcement of an immigrant daydream dramatically changes the landscape for both the immigrants rights movement and its anti-immigrant counterpart. Obama’s new policy, to forgo deportation proceedings for young people (under 31) who came to the United States before … Continue reading →

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After Wisconsin and the electoral trap

Posted on June 7, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s victory in Tuesday’s recall election isn’t a happy outcome for the activists who have spent nearly a year and a half going after him.  It’s particularly troubling for labor organizers, who will face subsequent challenges with … Continue reading →

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The Tea Party versus the Republican Party

Posted on May 17, 2012 by David S. Meyer

The Tea Party and the Republican Party have been forced into a marriage of inconvenience.  Republican candidates need Tea Party support to win many contested elections.  And Tea Partiers, to their dismay, know that the Republican Party, which has disappointed … Continue reading →

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Tea Party and Occupy paths to invisibility

Posted on April 22, 2012 by David S. Meyer

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll asked 1,000 adults about their thoughts on the usual political stuff, including Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.  (Most coverage focused on President Obama’s current 6 point advantage over Governor Romney.) But the poll also … Continue reading →

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Tax day protests, 2012

Posted on April 16, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Watch who takes to the streets tomorrow, the day federal taxes are due.    Tax day is a predictable occasion for protest.  Indeed, the Tea Party protests in April 2009 were the first visible signs of that powerful movement emerging. In … Continue reading →

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When the Snowe flies: Tea Party overreach?

Posted on March 1, 2012 by David S. Meyer

When Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican, announced that she would not run for reelection, she demonstrated another of the difficult challenges that movement activists face when they engage electoral politics.  Senator Snowe would cut deals with the Democratic majority, … Continue reading →

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Do movements own their crazies?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Meredith Lowell, a self-styled animal rights activist, was arrested Tuesday in Cleveland for contracting the murder of someone (almost anyone!) wearing fur. Ms. Lowell made the initial solicitation on Facebook, offering somewhat less than $1,000 for a murder that would … Continue reading →

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How the Tea Party produced candidate Romney

Posted on February 2, 2012 by David S. Meyer

This essay is part of a larger dialogue at Mobilizing Ideas, which also includes pieces by Neal Caren, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Tina Fetner, McMaster University Richard Lloyd and Steven Tepper, Vanderbilt University Chris Parker, University of Washington … Continue reading →

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New Hampshire, the Tea Party, and movement capture

Posted on January 10, 2012 by David S. Meyer

As New Hampshire voters and others try to sift through the mess of small differences among the Republican hopefuls (and as everyone in the rest of the country overinterprets the results) it’s good to take a step back to think … Continue reading →

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