Who Are the Tea Partiers?

The tea party movement is still a bit enigmatic, and journalists are still in the process of mapping it and figuring out who, exactly, it is comprised of.

Adding to the collective body of knowledge about tea-partyism, Gallup released a poll today on the leanings and democraphics of poll respondents who say they support the tea party movement. Marc discussed tea party supporters' political identifications earlier, but I'm more concerned with their demographics.

According to Gallup, tea partiers are no different from the rest of the country. In terms of age, employment status, and educational background, the tea partiers are virtually the same as a cross-section of all U.S. adults. 5% fewer are black; 4% more are white. 6% fewer make under $30,000 per year; 5% more make over $50,000. Tea partiers are more likely to be men than women.


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