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The 1948 Dixiecrats were about nothing but hatred and fear of blacks and a fervent, almost hysterical effort to take back "their" country from those who upset the racial and social status quo. Unlike most political third parties, they offered no ideas, strategies or philosophies beyond their obsession with subjugating African Americans (often under the euphemism of "States' Rights").
Their standard bearer, Strom Thurmond cared nothing about policy, governance or progress. He advanced himself by riding the wave of fears of ignorant, bigoted white people he so skillfully and cynically manipulated and exploited.
Like the Dixiecrats, the Tea Party does not, as serious, viable third parties do, present any ideas or coherent policies. Instead, they define themselves by whom they hate. The Dixiecrats hated black people and other minorities and anyone else who didn't hate them. So do the Tea Partyers. The big difference between the Dixecrats and the Tea Partyers is that, unlike the Dixiecrats, the Tea Partyers have a "representative" black person, a big, scary, real life personification of the very essence of all they hate and fear about blacks, immigrants, gays, etc. - President Obama - and have made HIM the focused target of their attacks. Otherwise, they're virtually indistinguishable.
That, by the way, is the giveaway. No REAL political party intending to have any long-term or meaningful viability makes one individual - especially a political figure - the centerpiece of its mission, its raison d'etre.
Sarah Palin's failure and/or inability to develop any coherent message or philosophy other than snarky yet potentially dangerous attacks on President Obama makes her the perfect fit for the Tea Party - and reveals her to be much closer to Strom Thurmond than Ross Perot.
Be very clear: The Tea Party is not a "party" at all. It is a 21st Century States' Rights, Massive-Resistance, hate-filled, last-gasp effort to return the nation to the "correct" balance of racial superiority/inferiority whose patron saint is a modern-day Strom Thurmond in a skirt.
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