Rise of the New Right

Calling for change in an election is the norm it seems — and that's what the emerging Tea Party is all about.

The conservative movement — some might even call it radical — is challenging not just Democrats but the GOP establishment as well.

The Tea Party, which takes its name from the 1773 Boston Tea Party, a protest  that signaled the arrival of the American revolution against the British, arose after the  2008 presidential election and consists of "grassroots," organizations that aim to reduce government spending and regulation among other ideas.

But what does this national movement mean for N.C. Central University?

"The Tea Party is very important," said Jarvis Hall, NCCU associate professor of political science. Hall's research includes African American politics, electoral behavior and social movements.

"It's the expression of anger, discontent and alienation," said Hall.

"For some it's the delayed reaction to the election of an African American president. Others are attaching to some sentiment that the government is overreaching."

Hall said he's not sure if the Tea Party is here to stay. He said he doesn't think the movement is as strong as the media makes it out to be.

"Alaska and Delaware don't represent the whole country," he said, referring to recent Tea Party wins in those two states. "But it's not to be taken lightly."

Tea Party candidates have been known for endorsing some controversial issues such as repealing the constitution to prevent immigrant children born on American soil from becoming citizens.

Some Tea Party members and Republican senate candidates, including Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sharron Angle in Nevada, support the idea of eliminating or shrinking the  US Department of Education.

A slogan of the Tea Party has been to return government to its pre-New Deal status.

The Durham Tea Party's website cites "lower taxes, less government, more liberty."

"As a political scientist, I like that people are getting involved in the electorate and being energized," said Artemesia Stanberry, assistant professor of political science. "There's an element that people want something different."

"The tone of the rhetoric is concerning though, like the President being called "the other" and people carrying guns to rallies," she said. "It's hard not to notice that there's some racist element."

Stanberry called the Tea Party a "co-opted group" and said that there are people in the movement that really care about smaller government. She said that in American politics there have always been ebbs and flows such as the biracial populist and progressive movement of the 1920s.

Stanberry said she is watching the movement closely.

"They're going to be co-opted with the Republicans," she said. "They will either move the GOP to the right or the tea party candidates will eventually fall into the normal GOP establishment."

Hall also said it will be interesting to watch how the Tea Party morphs out of a movement and into an organization.

"They're supposed to be grass roots but they are getting funded by powerful people with money," said Hall.

"The money comes from elite organizations and it could cause tension later on.

You got the funders that are clearly elites and you have the blue collars doing all of the work."

Because many Tea Party groups are listed as 501 groups under the tax code they do not have to publicly disclose donors.

One backer of the Tea Party includes a group called The Americans for Prosperity Foundation whose founder is conservative philanthropist David Koch.

Koch and his brother Charles are the owners of Koch Industries, a private company that includes Georgia Pacific lumber and oil pipelines. Forbes magazine ranks Koch Industries as the second largest private company in the nation.

A recent article in The New Yorker magazine by Jane Mayer revealed that the Kochs were instrumental in funding start-up money for the Tea Party.

Another deep-pocketed donor that has been linked to tea party organizations is Dick Armey's FreedomWorks, which receives funding support from Verizon and AT&T.

Although African Americans traditionally vote Democratic, a number of black Republicans are running for seats this midterm.

Some of them, including Bill Randall in N.C. and Tim Scott of S.C., stand a good chance of winning House of Representative.

But according to Hall, blacks are unlikely to play a key role in the Tea Party even though there is a strong conservative strain in the black community.

"African Americans are conservative on social and some fiscal issues," said Hall.

"I'm surprised that we haven't had more black Republicans."

Hall said it's easy for little known candidates like Tea Partiers to criticize the government on certain issues.

"It's easy to stand on the outside and throw darts," he said.

"But when you're sitting across from world leaders you have to think life and death. You want someone who is not a zealot but can compromise."

Stanberry agrees that blacks are unlikely to play a role in the Tea Party.

"African Americans tend to support conservative social issues but tend to vote on a social justice platform," said Stanberry.

"African Americans aren't going to look at GOP blacks to push their agenda."

Stanberry said that she doesn't think the Tea Party and the GOP will have the landslide election they are hoping for.

She said there are many X factors that can decide the election outcome such as upcoming Democratic supported rallies and their strategy to inspire their base.

"When you see efforts to roll back federal student aid you have to be engaged," said Stanberry.