here's an interesting piece. i know you want it to turn out that tea party types are merely racists, that their opinions are entirely manipulated by the chamber of commerce, and so on. but at its heart this debate is a genuine debate about the scope of government power. you might not like the fact that these folks keep tossing around 'socialist.' but i tell you they have a point. it might seem ironic that three quarters of the people here are receiving government checks, and that to a large extent they oppose the programs that are sending them the checks. but you know, your own dependence can be a source of resentment. and when you're stuck in a situation where dependence is constantly encouraged, in which there are no other viable options because government has absorbed whole sectors of the economy, of social life, of education, of media, and so on, both the dependency and the fact that you can't escape it can be sources of shame. one thing these people resent is their own dependency, in other words, and they try to imagine a life with less of it, a life that gives them more dignity. they yearn for more autonomy, more self-reliance. but they also need the checks, in the context that has been created around them. perhaps that takes the form of a kind of nostalgia, "conservatism." how about this:

"We used to take pride in what we done in Eastern Kentucky around here," said James Barrett, 56, who owns McKee S&T, a hardware store on Main Street. "But now, everybody just wants checks. It's very sad. There is no pride anymore."

i think if you can't understand this, you've gone way too far down the golden path of progress.