Keep in mind that there is no "Tea Party" as such. There is a large number of people who organize locally in many different groups under the "tea party" label. The common ground is a few simple ideas on how this country ought to be run. Beyond that, there are many issues where people differ.

It's like someone in the 60's assuming the "hippie" movement was a single unified force.

Although Lord knows there are going to be plenty of people trying to run out in front of the crowd and declare themselves Official Leader of the Tea Party. Come to that, didn't a few cultural figures try to do that for the Hippie movement, too?

What is happening in this country is that the average persons, not just the political junkies, are beginning to realize the political ideas make a difference, and that the people who used to hand out pamphlets in University student unions are now in possession of vast political power.

More here.

In particular, check out the links. From the NPR interview with Jonathan Rauch.

At the end is this revealing exchange:

^Mr. RAUCH: It could do both and indeed it already is doing both. That's the paradox of this movement. The people involved are very fiscally conservative. They are not afraid to challenge moderate Republicans and they are not afraid, if necessary, to elect Democrats if that's what they have to do to make their point. But remember, their goal in their mind is not fundamentally about taking power. It's about changing the way Americans think about politics.^

^WERTHEIMER: I still am having difficulty with the idea that you could do that without a leader.^

Italics mine. There is no clearer example of the leftist mindset. Centralized organization is inherent in their thinking. Look at how many people are still trying desperately to locate the "man behind the Tea Party." Human action must be under a leader's control. How else could anything work?

One of my favorite books is L. Neil Smith's ''Probability Broach''. It's light hearted SF about a parallel universe where America never did develop powerful governments. It shows how things might work in such a society.