Although it sounds like it, the Tea Party is not a national, political party. It is, in fact, an ideology or a movement with its roots traceable to the Boston Tea Party which was a resistance movement throughout the British America against the tea tax. In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act which was severely objected to by the colonists. They considered the British Parliament had stepped over their rights as Englishmen for ‘No taxation without representation.’ To counter the reaction of colonists who refused to unload the ships of tea or even to return it, the British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts in 1774. Thirteen colonies, in turn, convened the First Continental Congress which petitioned the British Monarch to repeal the acts. This laid the foundation for the American Revolutionary War in 1775, which ultimately brought freedom to America. The Tea Party in its current form was prompted in 2009 by the protests against bank bailouts and economic stimulus packages. The Tea Party is practically a politically motivated movement which emphasizes a strict compliance to the U.S. Constitution, reducing taxes and government expenditures. It is a loose-knit network comprised of many umbrella groups like the Tea Party Express, Freedom Works, and the Tea Party Patriots.
1. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, U.S. on February 11, 1964. She is a famous American politician and an author. She was the first Alaskan, Republican woman to be nominated for the vice presidency in the 2008 elections. Her book Going Rogue is a hot seller, and its 2 million copies have been sold. She has also appeared on Fox News for political commentary for the television show Sarah Palin’s Alaska. She was the youngest, elected woman governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009. After resigning in July, 2009, she associated herself with the Tea Party and campaigned for it as one of the founding members. She was considered a potential candidate for the 2012 presidential election. According to Rasmussen and Schoen, ‘She is the symbolic leader of the movement, and more than anyone else has helped to shape it.’ After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 20 children, 6 adults, plus the shooter on December 14, 2012, Sarah Palin said, ‘My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy in Connecticut today. Words can’t express the horror everyone feels in seeing such evil manifested against innocent children. Nothing could be worse than the murder of innocent children. Let’s all pray for the victims, their families, and the whole nation.’
2. Glenn Edward Lee Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck was born in Everett, Washington, U.S. on February 10, 1954. He is an American conservative, political commentator, author, and television personality. From January, 2006 to October, 2008, he hosted the Glenn Beck television program. After 9/11, even he prompted a campaign named ‘9-12’ after 9 principles and 12 values that, according to him, embody the spirit of the American people. A patriot camp for kids hosted by 9-12 Colorado featured ‘our Constitution, the Founding Fathers, and the values and principles that are the cornerstones of our nation.’
3. Ronald Ernest Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1935. He is an American politician, physician, and an author. Paul is considered the intellectual godfather of the Tea Party movement. He contested thrice for the presidency of the United States. He is a member of the Libertarian party and the Republican Party. He has criticized America’s domestic, foreign, and monetary policies particularly the military industrial complex, War on Drugs, and the Federal Reserve. His notable books include: Pillars of Propensity, The Revolution: A Manifesto, Liberty Defined, and A Policy of Freedom.
4. David Hamilton Koch
David Hamilton Koch was born to Fred Chase Koch and Mary in Wichita, Kansas on May 3, 1940. Along with his elder brother Charles, he owns Koch Industries which is the second-largest private company in the U.S. He was the richest New Yorker in 2010, and he is the fourth richest American in 2012. He is a famous philanthropist and has contributed to several charities. The American Museum of Natural History has a David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing named in his honor. The New York State Theater, Home of the New York City ballet was renamed after him as the David H. Koch Theater after his 100-million-dollar gift for its renovation. Charles and David Koch were included in Time magazine’s list of ‘100 Most Influential People of 2011.’ On account of his indirect support of the Tea Party through his group Americans for Prosperity, he was called the ‘Tea Party’s Wallet’ by New York magazine in July, 2010.
5. Michele Marie Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann was born to David John Amble and Arlene Jean in Waterloo, Iowa, U.S. on April 6, 1956. She attended Anoka High School and received her B.A. from Winona State University. She received her LLM degree in law from the William and Mary School of Law. She is a founder of the House Tea Party Caucus and a well-known supporter of the Tea Party Movement. She was a candidate for the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election’s Republican nomination.
6. Amy Kremer
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Amy Kremer was educated at Auburn University. She worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines but had to quit the job on medical grounds. She said, ‘I was extremely depressed that I was no longer flying… It was difficult for me. I was trying to fill a void.” To fill this void, she became politically active in 2009 and became one of the original founders of the Atlanta Tea Party. In August 2009, she joined the Tea Party Express. Currently, she is the chairperson of the Tea Party Express and has taken four nationwide Tea Party Express bus tours. She has appeared on Fox News, CNN, NBC and many other TV Channels.
7. Sandy Adams
Sandra “Sandy” Adams was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S. on December 14, 1956. She graduated from Columbia College, Orlando. She was a member of the Republican Party and Tea Party Caucus. She was an investigator of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. As a law enforcement professional, she represented District 33 in the Florida House of Representatives. Supported by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, she defeated the Democratic incumbent Suzanne Kosmas with a 20 percent lead. She was defeated by Congressman John Mica on August 14, 2012 in the Republican primary election.
8. Rand Paul
Randal Howard Paul was born to Carol Paul and Ron Paul in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. on January 7, 1963. He is a member of the Tea Party Movement and proclaims himself as a Constitutional conservative and a libertarian. He is a junior U.S. senator for Kentucky. He came into prominence for the first time in 2008 while he delivered speeches on behalf of his father, Congressman and 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul of Texas. Rand Paul is the first senator in U.S. history to serve simultaneously with a parent.
9. Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint was born to Betty W. and Thomas Eugene DeMint in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. on September 2, 1951. He was educated at Christ Church Episcopal School and Wade Hampton High School in Greenville. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the Crimson University. He is a leading member of the Tea Party Movement and a well-known Republican. His appreciation of the Tea Party has won him the nationwide support from its members, but it cost him the alienation from colleagues of his own GOP, Grand Old Party, the Republicans.
10. Michael Leahy
Michael Leahy belongs to the Nashville area, Tennessee, U.S. and is the co-founder of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition. He is the author of ‘The Ideological Origins of the Tea Party.’ He is a well-known blogger, and his notable blogs include: Tax Day Tea Party, What Does Sarah Palin Believe? and What Does Barack Obama Believe? He is the Managing Editor of the TCOT Report which publishes breaking news by conservatives from a list named by him as Top Conservatives on Twitter.
Usually movements like the Tea Party have a central command, but this is not the case with the Tea Party. Some people consider it as a collection of undisciplined but passionate conservatives and wonder how a headless body can be still alive? In reply to this question, one is invited to answer ‘who is in charge of the social media networks on the Web like Facebook or Twitter? The effectiveness of such forums, even while they are not centrally controlled, is undeniable.