O ye gurus of DU: Is there a relationship between Perot, Paul, and the Tea Party?

[XemaSab]

If so, what does this relationship mean for the future of the Tea Party, and what beliefs do these groups hold in common?

[AndrewP]

1. I kind of think so.

When reading a book recently about the 1992 Presidential campaign, I immediately thought of the Tea Baggers when reading about Perot and his campaign.

I'm no expert, so I don't want to opine about something I'm not certain about. But it seemed that the Perot campaign had a kind of "I'm pissed at everyone" vibe...which is very familiar.

It didn't seem to me that the Perot crowd was off the rails nuts though. But the template was there.

[XemaSab]

2. What book were you reading?

Thanks for the post. :)

[AndrewP]

7. Bill Clinton: An American Journey by Nigel Hamilton

A very good book.

He does a really good job capturing the vibe of 1991-1992 and everything that went into President Clinton's upset win. The Ross Perot crowd does remind me a lot of the Tea Party crowd.

But as has been stated here as well, you could probably trace it back even further. Hamilton wrote about Clinton's involvement in George McGovern's 1972 Presidential campaign, and of the many issues that went wrong one was a general apathy of voters towards civil rights and a desire to "kick back" against "liberalism".

Of course, those notions are so vague but at the same time stunningly effective for the right wing. As someone else wrote here, it's actually amazing when you think about how non-liberal most mainstream Democratic leaders are.

[Mimosa]

3. NO.

Perot has long been out of it. As for Rand Paul, yes.

[bemildred]

4. "A Necessary Evil" -- Gary Wills

Provides a nice discussion of this subject. The short answer is yes, they are related, they represent one of the persistent strains in US politics.

[XemaSab]

5. Thanks!

:)

And on edit: does this strain start with an F and end with a U? :P

[joshcryer]

6. Yes, some grand deluded concept of "the market" vs some disappointing ignorance of "socialism."

No Democrat comes close to being "socialist."

[DrToast]

8. I don't see it

Perot stole voters from Bush and Clinton equally. The Tea Party is just the far right wing of the Republican party.