Tea Party round-up

The US media is in a frenzy at the moment over the meaning and potential long term impact of the Tea Party movement. The UK papers this weekend have reacted to this as well and this is a development well worth discussing in a review of the latest news from the US in lesson time this week.

The Sunday Times reports on losing VP candidate and darling of the Republican right Sarah Palin and the clearest indication yet that she intends to run for the Republican ticket in 2012.

As I have said Andrew Sullivan’s column is always well worth a read, and this commentator has been writing for some time that a Sarah Palin nomination looks inevitable. Here’s his latest.

The Guardian/Observer has run a number of features on the Tea Party and have created a special webpage devoted to the movement.

Even if as a student you are not covering US parties at the moment it is well worth pausing to consider the Tea Party effect now. What spillover will it have?

1) Issues which may affect the outcome of the 2010 midterms.

2) The success or otherwise of the Obama presidency and how a possible change of control in the House (the Senate looks less likely to change hands) may entrench the sepration of powers and therefore the efficacy of the US constitution and checks and balances—gridlock post 2010 is likely in a ramped up replay of 1995.

3) What the respective US parties stand for and discussion of how US parties have now become more ideological—an interesting comparison can be made with the post-ideological nature of the main UK parties.

4) The impact of third parties.

As a final aside, if you are lucky enough to be going to Washington DC this half term, note that Jon Stewart (he of the Daily Show) plans to stage a rally on the Mall on October 30th—be there, or be somewhere else!! See here.