The tea party has certainly made its mark on the politics. But does it have a future?
It's a question that political observers have been asking ever since the tea party came along -- whether it's here to stay or is simply a flash in the pan.
I've written a few times here that I think the tea party is just the most vocal component of a movement in this country with a lot of depth and staying power. But, hey, I've been wrong before. And there is a tendency among politicians and pundits to look at the latest hot thing and declare it a permanent thing. It was just two years ago that everybody was saying there had been a realignment to the left that would doom Republicans forever. I do think, however, that people like Harry Reid are wrong when they predict the tea party will simply go away when the economy improves. A lot of anti-big government sentiment has bubbled up that has nothing to do with the economy.
