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Benchmark Study: America & the Tea Party November, 2010 N = 1190 General Population / 306 Tea Party Member Oversample Margin of error: +/- 3.5% 1 The following are key findings from a national survey containing a general population sample of 1190 and an oversample of 306 self-identified Tea Party Members conducted by The Word Doctors on behalf of Freedom Works from October 28, 2010 to October 31, 2010. The Sample is subject to a margin of error of +/- 3.5%. 1. If the election was held today for UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and you had to choose between the Republican and the Democrat in your district, which party would you vote for? TOTAL TEA PARTY 44% 83% NET REPUBLICAN 28% 64% DEFINITELY REPUBLICAN 16% 20% LEANING REPUBLICAN 14% 4% LEANING DEMOCRAT 29% 4% DEFINITELY DEMOCRAT 42% 8% NET DEMOCRAT 10% 6% TRULY AND TOTALLY UNDECIDED 4% 2% NONE OF THESE 2. Now imagine the election for the House of Representatives were today, but that it was a three-way race between a Republican, a Democrat, and a Tea Party candidate. Knowing NOTHING ELSE about the candidates except their party affiliation, which party would you vote for? TOTAL TEA PARTY 38% 60% NET REPUBLICAN 20% 41% DEFINITELY REPUBLICAN 18% 19% LEANING REPUBLICAN 40% 8% NET DEMOCRAT 25% 4% DEFINITELY DEMOCRAT 15% 4% LEANING DEMOCRAT 9% 28% NET TEA PARTY 4% 13% DEFINITELY TEA PARTY 5% 15% LEANING TEA PARTY 10% 5% TRULY AND TOTALLY UNDECIDED 3% - NONE OF THESE 3-7. Below is a list of political figures, parties, and organizations. Please rate each on a scale of zero to ten, with ZERO meaning extremely UNFAVORABLE … TEN meaning extremely FAVORABLE … and FIVE meaning completely NEUTRAL. If you’ve never heard of them, just select that option. MEAN SCORE % NEVER HEARD OF 5 1% The Democratic Party 5 1% The Republican Party 5 29% Congressman John Boehner 4 - President Barack Obama 4 4% Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi 2 3. President Barack Obama TOTALTEA PARTY 49% 87% UNFAVORABLE 31% 67% 0 6% 10% 1 6% 6% 2 4% 3% 3 2% 1% 4 7% 3% 5 TOTALLY NEUTRAL 4% 1% 6 5% 1% 7 9% 2% 8 7% 3% 9 17% 4% 10 42% 11% FAVORABLE - - NEVER HEARD OF THEM 4 2 MEAN VALUE 4. Speaker Nancy Pelosi TOTALTEA PARTY 51% 83% UNFAVORABLE 35% 72% 0 6% 5% 1 3% 3% 2 4% 2% 3 3% 1% 4 18% 6% 5 TOTALLY NEUTRAL 6% 2% 6 4% - 7 5% 3% 8 5% 3% 9 7% 3% 10 27% 11% FAVORABLE 4% 1% NEVER HEARD OF THEM 4 1 MEAN VALUE 3 5. The Democratic Party TEA TOTAL PARTY 45% 83% UNFAVORABLE 24% 55% 0 5% 10% 1 6% 10% 2 5% 5% 3 5% 3% 4 12% 6% 5 TOTALLY NEUTRAL 5% 1% 6 8% 2% 7 8% 3% 8 6% 3% 9 15% 4% 10 42% 13% FAVORABLE 1% - NEVER HEARD OF THEM 5 2 MEAN VALUE 6. The Republican Party TEA TOTAL PARTY 42% 12% UNFAVORABLE 17% 3% 0 6% 2% 1 8% 2% 2 6% 2% 3 5% 3% 4 15% 12% 5 TOTALLY NEUTRAL 6% 9% 6 8% 10% 7 10% 19% 8 7% 14% 9 12% 24% 10 43% 76% FAVORABLE 1% 1% NEVER HEARD OF THEM 5 7 MEAN VALUE 4 7. Congressman John Boehner TOTAL TEA PARTY 23% 13% UNFAVORABLE 11% 5% 0 3% 2% 1 3% 1% 2 3% 2% 3 3% 3% 4 30% 24% 5 TOTALLY NEUTRAL 4% 5% 6 3% 8% 7 4% 10% 8 3% 10% 9 4% 13% 10 18% 46% FAVORABLE 29% 19% NEVER HEARD OF THEM 5 6 MEAN VALUE PUBLIC SENTIMENT FOR THE CONTRACT FROM AMERICA 8. Below is a list of issues and policy proposals. Which do you support MOST? TOTAL TEA PARTY REPEAL AND REPLACE THE HEALTH CARE 17% 31% REFORM BILL 12% 8% ELIMINATE ALL PORK BARREL SPENDING RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY LIMITED GOVERNMENT IN 11% 15% WASHINGTON BY ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS PERMANENTLY REPEAL THE TAX INCREASES 9% 10% THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR END RUNAWAY GOVERNMENT SPENDING BY 8% 6% IMPOSING A CAP ON SPENDING GROWTH ENACT FUNDAMENTAL TAX REFORM THAT 8% 6% SIMPLIFIES THE INCOME TAX TO A SINGLE RATE AND ELIMINATES THE IRS AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE A 6% 5% BALANCED BUDGET AND TWO-THIRDS VOTES FOR ANY TAX HIKES PASS AN “ALL OF THE ABOVE” ENERGY BILL 6% 3% THAT EXPANDS DOMESTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION REQUIRE EVERY BILL TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC PROVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT GIVES 4% 6% CONGRESS THE POWER TO DO WHAT THE BILL DOES REJECT THE CAP AND TRADE BILL THAT WOULD 4% 6% INCREASE ENERGY COSTS TO LIMIT CARBON EMISSIONS 15% 3% NONE OF THESE 5 9. And what is your second choice? TEA TOTAL PARTY 16% 9% ELIMINATE ALL PORK BARREL SPENDING END RUNAWAY GOVERNMENT SPENDING BY IMPOSING A CAP ON 12% 11% SPENDING GROWTH RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY 11% 14% LIMITED GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON BY ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ENACT FUNDAMENTAL TAX REFORM THAT SIMPLIFIES THE 11% 16% INCOME TAX TO A SINGLE RATE AND ELIMINATES THE IRS PERMANENTLY REPEAL THE TAX INCREASES THAT ARE 10% 12% SCHEDULED TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR PASS AN “ALL OF THE ABOVE” ENERGY BILL THAT EXPANDS 9% 6% DOMESTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE A BALANCED BUDGET 8% 6% AND TWO-THIRDS VOTES FOR ANY TAX HIKES REQUIRE EVERY BILL TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC PROVISION OF 7% 8% THE CONSTITUTION THAT GIVES CONGRESS THE POWER TO DO WHAT THE BILL DOES 6% 15% REPEAL AND REPLACE THE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL REJECT THE CAP AND TRADE BILL THAT WOULD INCREASE 3% 1% ENERGY COSTS TO LIMIT CARBON EMISSIONS 8% - NONE OF THESE 8/9. Below is a list of issues and policy proposals. Which do you support MOST? And what is your second choice? (COMBINED) TEA TOTAL PARTY 21% 35% REPEAL AND REPLACE THE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL 21% 10% ELIMINATE ALL PORK BARREL SPENDING RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSTITUTIONALLY 18% 19% LIMITED GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON BY ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS END RUNAWAY GOVERNMENT SPENDING BY IMPOSING A CAP ON 16% 9% SPENDING GROWTH PERMANENTLY REPEAL THE TAX INCREASES THAT ARE 15% 13% SCHEDULED TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR ENACT FUNDAMENTAL TAX REFORM THAT SIMPLIFIES THE 15% 11% INCOME TAX TO A SINGLE RATE AND ELIMINATES THE IRS AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE A BALANCED BUDGET 11% 7% AND TWO-THIRDS VOTES FOR ANY TAX HIKES PASS AN “ALL OF THE ABOVE” ENERGY BILL THAT EXPANDS 11% 5% DOMESTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION REQUIRE EVERY BILL TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC PROVISION OF 8% 8% THE CONSTITUTION THAT GIVES CONGRESS THE POWER TO DO WHAT THE BILL DOES REJECT THE CAP AND TRADE BILL THAT WOULD INCREASE 5% 7% ENERGY COSTS TO LIMIT CARBON EMISSIONS 20% 3% NONE OF THESE 6 THE CONTRACT FROM AMERICA, POINT-BY-POINT 10. “Protect the Constitution: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 60% 87% NET SUPPORT 33% 63% STRONGLY SUPPORT 27% 24% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 30% 10% NOR OPPOSE 5% 2% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 5% 1% STRONGLY OPPOSE 10% 3% NET OPPOSE 11. “Reject Cap & Trade: Stop costly new regulations that would increase unemployment, raise consumer prices, and weaken the nation’s global competitiveness with virtually no impact on global temperatures.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 63% 87% NET SUPPORT 42% 72% STRONGLY SUPPORT 21% 15% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 22% 9% NOR OPPOSE 6% 1% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 8% 3% STRONGLY OPPOSE 14% 4% NET OPPOSE 12. “Demand a Balanced Budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax hike.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 69% 90% NET SUPPORT 41% 62% STRONGLY SUPPORT 28% 28% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 22% 8% NOR OPPOSE 5% 1% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 5% 1% STRONGLY OPPOSE 10% 2% NET OPPOSE 7 13. “Enact Fundamental Tax Reform: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words—the length of the original Constitution.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 60% 79% NET SUPPORT 35% 53% STRONGLY SUPPORT 25% 26% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 27% 18% NOR OPPOSE 8% 2% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 5% 1% STRONGLY OPPOSE 13% 3% NET OPPOSE 14. “Restore Fiscal Responsibility & Constitutionally Limited Government in Washington: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in a complete audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities, or ripe for wholesale reform or elimination due to our efforts to restore limited government consistent with the US Constitution’s meaning.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 66% 88% NET SUPPORT 41% 67% STRONGLY SUPPORT 25% 21% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 23% 10% NOR OPPOSE 6% 2% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 5% 1% STRONGLY OPPOSE 11% 3% NET OPPOSE 15. “End Runaway Government Spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 70% 87% NET SUPPORT 43% 67% STRONGLY SUPPORT 27% 20% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 22% 12% NOR OPPOSE 4% 1% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 5% 1% STRONGLY OPPOSE 9% 2% NET OPPOSE 8 16. “Defund, repeal and replace the recently passed government-run health care with a system that actually makes health care and insurance more affordable by enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system that isn’t restricted by state boundaries.” TOTAL TEA PARTY 54% 88% NET SUPPORT 39% 73% STRONGLY SUPPORT 15% 15% SOMEWHAT SUPPORT TOTALLY NEUTRAL – NEITHER SUPPORT 21% 9% NOR OPPOSE 10% 2% SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 14% 1% STRONGLY OPPOSE 24% 3% NET SUPPORT 17.
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  • The Tea Party Movement

    The Tea Party Movement

    The Tea Party Movement: Grassroots Advocacy at its Finest, or Highly-Disguised Astroturfing? by Kassandra Zukowski A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Approved November 2011 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Majia Holmer Nadesan Lindsey Mean Ramsey Eric Ramsey ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY December 2011 ABSTRACT Using models identified by communications scholars Herbert W. Simons and Charles J. Stewart, a rhetorical analysis was conducted on contemporary Tea Party Movement (TPM) artifacts in an attempt to gauge the movement's authenticity as it relates to grassroots advocacy versus astroturfing. The models provided a theoretical framework in which the functions of social movement leaders were analyzed, as well as the rhetorical phases of a movement. Additionally, the notions of advocacy and astroturfing were defined and the concepts compared and contrasted. Used in conjunction with one another the models provided a framework in which TPM artifacts could be analyzed. Analysis was conducted on the websites for the Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party Express, a one-month sample of Sarah Palin FaceBook posts, two speeches delivered by Michelle Bachmann, and finally one speech given by Palin. Examples for each of the necessary rhetorical components identified were found within TPM sources, thus leading to the conclusion that the TPM operates primarily as a grassroots advocacy movement. i TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page 1 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................