That movement has done a good job of tapping into widespread anger at President Barack Obama's leftist policies, he said, and at a Democratic Congress that has spent wildly on ineffective economic "stimulus" programs and approved Obama's radical makeover of health care.
That anger will translate into additional millions of people going to the polls this fall compared to the off-year elections of November 2006, when 82 million people voted, he predicted.
"I would not be surprised to see turnout over 90 million in this election," Rove said in Savannah, where he addressed a fundraiser for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "And the difference ... is going to be largely the people who have been motivated by the tea party."
He conceded that a scattering of tea partiers are wing-nut types.
"There are a couple of small groups of cranks and nuts inside this group. Any new political movement draws people like that," Rove said. "It's a little raw and unsophisticated because virtually all of these people have never done politics before."
But you can find such types all across the political spectrum, and their presence does not usually tar the goals of the larger groups with whom they associate.
Moreover, it would be a mistake to assume they are the driving force behind the Republican Party these days, or vice versa, as U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) reminded during an editorial board meeting at the Marietta Daily Journal this week.
"They don't want to be told what to do by the GOP, and I would say the GOP doesn't want to be told what to do by them," he said.
Are the tea partiers here to stay? It's too early to say, obviously. Their main foils at the moment, Obama and the Democratic Congress, will someday be gone from the scene - and hopefully soon. The onus will then be on Republicans to be true to their conservative roots and work to curb spending and government regulation - goals they do a good job of talking about, but did a lousy job of fulfilling the last time they were at the levers of power in Washington.
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When I cannot hire another $50,000 employee because with taxes and healthcare costs, it actually costs me $74,500 to employ them, it affects them. When I decide to close a business (from which I take no salary) because the health care requirements enacted by our government mean the difference between viability or loss, it affects them. When my taxes rise beyond the level of being able to plow money back into those businesses for raises, vacations, insurance, technology, or more employees, it affects them. When the prospect of growing a company to a great level, knowing I will not reap the rewards of our collective efforts because any capital gains will be taken by the government, causes me to keep it and their hopes at a diminished level, it affects them.
Knowing that I can keep what I have earned, figure out how to not lose it to the government, and not risk anymore of it in fear that all rewards will be redistributed to those without any skin in the game, and close the busineses, it affects them.
That's not tea party, republican, or democratic platform speak, that's real, it's here, it's now. To believe anything other than that truth is being considered by every business owner, employing 70% of Americans, is dishonest and ignorant. I miss the days of making my employees wealthy, I hope to see them again my lifetime. I'm not sure that I will.
Capitalism, contrary to the lefts mantra, is not evil. There are some capitalists that are corrupt and greedy but the capitist economic engine has generated more wealth than any marxist, socialist or communist society ever and NO, it's not equally distributed, but neither is communism or whatever brand of "community sharing" you wish to term; there has been and always will be the haves and have nots.....get used to it!. The overwhelming difference is that capitalism provides an opportunity to better ones standard of living, but it takes hard work, lots of hard work. The problem with utophia as defined by well meaning liberals is that its not attainable, its been tried time and time again and it has always failed miserably. I don't understand why the left is hell bent on bringing everyone down to the lowest common demoninator rather than striving to lift everyone up to a higher, better standard of living, accomplished through hard work, long hours, blood, sweat and tears.
Success is hard work! Liberalism is easy.....let someone else take care of you.