When the Tea Party erupted in the spring of 2009, both US political parties were quick to define it. Democrats depicted the anti-tax agitation as “AstroTurf” – faux populism staged by conservative millionaires. Republicans saw it as an authentic backlash against Washington’s bail-outs. Both were partly right. Neither could have forecast the damage the “take America back” crowd would inflict on Barack Obama – in last year’s midterm elections and since.
當(dāng)茶黨(Tea Party)運(yùn)動(dòng)在2009年春天突然興起時(shí)，美國(guó)兩黨都迅速為其定性。民主黨(Democrats)將這場(chǎng)反對(duì)稅收的騷動(dòng)形容為“人工草皮”——由保守派百萬(wàn)富翁們一手導(dǎo)演的偽草根運(yùn)動(dòng)。而在共和黨看來，茶黨運(yùn)動(dòng)是針對(duì)華盛頓的紓困行動(dòng)發(fā)起的真實(shí)可信的反擊。兩黨在一定程度上都是正確的。它們同樣都無法預(yù)見到呼喊著“還我美國(guó)”(take America back)口號(hào)的人群會(huì)在去年的中期選舉期間以及選舉之后、給巴拉克?奧巴馬(Barack Obama)造成多大的傷害。