This Tea Party movement is getting under the skin of lots of folks. It should. In theory it should.

The theory has to do with representative government. In such government, voters elect others to represent their views. If those they elect fail to do so, voters take action.

That is what is happening now. And the theory says it is pretty much what should happen. Countless polls tell us a lot of office holders are doing the opposite of what a majority of voters want. Repeatedly. On issues voters feel are important. 

And so, millions of voters are disenchanted with both parties. They feel their views are ignored. The Tea Party says, basically, join the crowd. And millions have.

But Sarah Palin spoke at the Tea Party convention. Doesn’t this show it is a Republican movement?  No. It shows Sarah Palin has good ears. She heard a parade. She has rushed to get in front of it. Shrewd politicians do this when they hear parades of voters.

Politicians see voters in blocs. FDR cobbled together several blocs. Democrats have relied on those blocs, more or less, ever since. Reagan saw a bloc of voters who Democrats took for granted.