In Which Zandar Answers Your Burning Questions

Steve Benen ponders the following:

Meanwhile, I suspect one of the problems with the Tea Parties is that it's not altogether clear what they're rallying for. They're conservatives who don't like the Democratic domestic policy agenda; this much is clear. But usually there's some kind of point to organized political events, and the Tea Parties are still a little vague.

I take it they don't like the economic stimulus package, but that's already passed. They don't like budget deficits, unless they're run by Republican presidents. They don't want their taxes to go up, but Obama has already passed a significant middle-class tax cut, which by most measures, is the largest tax cut ever signed by a U.S. president.

So, angry, right-wing activists are going to get together to demand ... what exactly? A 36% top rate instead of a 39.6% top rate? A $3.1 trillion federal budget instead of a $3.5 trillion budget?

Ahh, but the reason it doesn't seem like there's an organized point to the tea party mania (and the reason for all the paranoia from the right about the media and George Soros and the original cast of Rent and Mean Joe Greene and The Smurfs and whoever the hell else is persecuting Malkinvania this week) is the fact that they don't want the bad publicity should they let slip what the real deal is:



Destroy. Obama.

It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Of course, that's the point. These folks have always needed an enemy or a scapegoat to hate. Now that the economy is in the tank, guess who that scapegoat is?

Yes, it really is that simple, folks.

Here endeth the lesson.