A CASE STUDY OF THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT AS IT
COMPARES TO AN EXTREMIST GROUP
____________
A Thesis
Presented
to the Faculty of
California State University, Chico
____________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
in
Political Science
____________
by
©Rebecca Sheree Parish Liddell 2011
Fall 2011
A CASE STUDY OF THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT AS IT
COMPARES TO AN EXTREMIST GROUP
A Thesis
by
Rebecca Sheree Parish Liddell
Fall 2011
APPROVED BY THE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
AND VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH:
_________________________________
E. K. Park, Ph.D.
APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
_________________________________
Matthew O. Thomas, Ph.D.
Graduate Coordinator
_________________________________
Mahalley Allen, Ph.D., Chair
_________________________________
Lori Weber, Ph.D.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take a moment to thank the individuals that have been so helpful
throughout the process of writing this thesis. First, I would like to extend my deepest
thanks to my committee chair, Dr. Mahalley Allen, without whom this thesis would not
have been possible. Her guidance and dedication to this thesis have been inspiring. Dr.
Allen’s words of encouragement kept me going when I thought I couldn’t, and for that I
am truly grateful. I would also like to thank committee member Dr. Lori Weber for her
time, advice, and suggestions that helped make this project complete. I would also like to
take this time to thank my friends and family who have supported me through the years
while I worked to complete my graduate degree. First, I have to thank my parents,
Patricia and Nathan Parish, who have always been there for whatever I needed. I would
like to thank my son, Nathan Liddell, for being so understanding about the long hours of
studying and typing this project required. Next, I would like to thank my best friend
Andrea Molarius, who has pushed me to complete my graduate degree when I thought it
wasn’t possible. I would like to thank my very special friend Ty Oliver for allowing me
to take refuge at his house when I just needed to get away and for his words of
encouragement during this stressful year of mine. And finally I would like to thank my
grandfather, Charles Thomas, who passed away this summer. His support will never be
forgotten and even though he is no longer here to witness me finally complete my dream,
I know he is still very proud. This one is for you Grandpa!
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................
iii
Abstract ......................................................................................................................
vi
CHAPTER
I.
Introduction ...............................................................................................
1
II.
A Review of Extremist Groups Characteristics,
Strategies and Tactics ...............................................................................
5
What is Extremism? ............................................................................
Definition of Extremist/Extremist Groups ..........................................
Characteristics of Extremism-Left and Right .....................................
Strategies of Extremists ......................................................................
Tactics of an Extremist .......................................................................
5
6
8
20
22
History of Left-Wing and Right-Wing
Extremist Groups ......................................................................................
25
Early Extremism-Pre 19th Century......................................................
Early Extremism-19th Century and After ............................................
Left-Wing Extremists’ History Prior to the Sixties ............................
Extreme Left in the Sixties and Beyond .............................................
Black Panthers ....................................................................................
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) ...........................................
Right-Wing Extremists’ History Prior to the Sixties ..........................
The Ku Klux Klan (First Klan) ...........................................................
The Second Klan-Reconstruction .......................................................
Church League of America .................................................................
Extreme Right of the Sixties and Beyond ...........................................
John Birch Society ..............................................................................
The KKK of the Sixties to Today .......................................................
25
27
28
30
31
33
35
35
36
37
38
38
40
Tea Party Movement..................................................................................
42
Overview .............................................................................................
iv
42
III.
VI.
CHAPTER
V.
PAGE
The Driving Force Behind the Tea Party ............................................
Tea Party Nation .................................................................................
Americans for Prosperity ....................................................................
Tea Party Patriots ................................................................................
Tea Party Express ...............................................................................
National Tea Party Federation ............................................................
FreedomWorks....................................................................................
Characteristics of the Tea Party Movement ........................................
Tea Party Strategies ............................................................................
Tactics of the Tea Party ......................................................................
44
46
47
48
50
51
52
53
60
62
A Comparative Discussion and Conclusion of
Extremist Groups and the Tea Party Movement .........................................
64
Overview .............................................................................................
Comparison of Similarities between Extremist
Groups and the Tea Party Movement ..........................................
Comparison of Strategies and Tactics
Used by Tea Party ........................................................................
Classification of the Tea Party ............................................................
Future Research ..................................................................................
64
References .............................................................................................................
73
v
65
68
69
70
ABSTRACT
A CASE STUDY OF THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT AS IT
COMPARES TO AN EXTREMIST GROUP
by
Rebecca Sheree Parish Liddell
Master of Arts in Political Science
California State University, Chico
Fall 2011
In this study, I compare the current Tea Party Movement and its characteristics
to those of an extremist group to determine if any parallels between the two exist. I chose
the Tea Party Movement for its relevance of the time, as well as the newness of the
movement and the amount of information about the Tea Party that is still unknown. In
order to provide the information necessary for this comparison, I began by investigating
the history of extremist groups in the United States. I identified the characteristics,
strategies, and tactics most commonly used by extremist groups. Once those were
established, I chose some specific extremist groups from the left-wing and right-wing of
the political view to discuss. I gave a brief history of the groups I focused on and then
explained what characteristics they possessed to classify them as extreme.
vi
After the history was completed, I began to outline the beginning of the Tea
Party Movement and compared what I found to the characteristics, strategies, and tactics
of extremist groups. I then used some examples of events involving the Tea Party to
support my findings. I found that although the Tea Party has some extremist tendencies,
the group is too new to be considered a fully developed extremist group.
vii
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Extremism is not a new concept in the United States. As a matter of fact some
form of extremism, extremists, and extremist groups has been around for several decades.
Behaviors that are considered extreme are all around us (George and Wilcox 1996, 9).
Whether it is the sports fans that go to extremes in support of their favorite teams or the
paparazzi that hunt down the perfect picture of a celebrity, there is extreme behavior
everywhere. In political circles, extremism is much more organized and often times
much more dangerous.
Due to the lack of prior research on the topic of extremist groups in general, I
will be referring to the two most common books on this topic to analyze these groups.
The two sources most commonly referenced for this topic are: American Extremists, by
John George and Laird Wilcox and Extremism Left or Right, by Elmer West Jr. In this
study, I will first look at past research done on the topic of extremists groups specifically.
I will examine the history of extremists groups; the general arguments that helped frame
the views of extremists, and what tactics and strategies these groups have used to try to
accomplish the goals set forth by them. I will also examine the motivations behind these
extremists. Once that information has been gathered, I will pick some of the key points
that define extremism and that all extremist groups have in common and compare these
1
2
points to a group of today in an attempt to determine whether the group could be
considered extreme or possibly on the way to becoming extreme. Specifically, I will be
taking a close look at the current Tea Party Movement and determining whether this
group has crossed the line to becoming an extremist group.
In Chapter Two, I will provide a detailed scholarly review of the history of
extremist groups. Chapter Two will define extremism for the purpose of this thesis. I
will discuss the characteristics that are most commonly found in extremist groups. This
list consists of 22 different characteristics that can aid in the determination of whether a
group falls into the definition of an extremist group (George and Wilcox 1996, 55). I will
give a definition for each of the 22 characteristics and examples for some to aid in our
understanding of the definitions.
Next I will explore the most common strategies used by all extremist groups.
There are five main strategies commonly used by extremist groups, and whether they are
on the left or the right, the strategies remain the same. The five strategies I will research
are: attrition, intimidation, provocation, spoiling, and outbidding. I will briefly define
each of these strategies.
The final section of Chapter Two will explore the most commonly used tactics
by extremists. The five I will focus on for the purpose of this thesis are: fear, distrust in
leadership, intimidation, propaganda, and violence. I will give a definition of each tactic
and also provide an example of each tactic that has been used in the past.
In Chapter Three, I will discuss the strategies of various extremist groups. I
will look at extremist groups that are considered left-wing extremists as well as groups
3
that are right-wing extremists, and I will give examples of some of these groups from the
time of the settlers of America to the 21st century. The groups I have chosen to focus on
for this portion of the thesis are: the Black Panthers, the Students for a Democratic
Society, and the Weathered Underground, which are all examples of left-wing extremists.
For the right-wing examples, I have chosen to focus on the Ku Klux Klan, the Church
League of America, and the John Birch Society. I will also show how and when these
groups began, how long they were involved in whatever movement they were attached to,
and what happened to them once the movements ended.
In Chapter Four, I examine the current Tea Party movement. There are six main
organized Tea Party organizations throughout the country. I will give a brief description
of each group and what their specific focus is within the movement. Once that has been
completed, I will compare the events of the Tea Party to the characteristics listed in
Chapter Two and discuss if there are any similarities between the two. I will then
research the events that have taken place within the Tea Party movement and compare
them to the strategies and tactics listed for extremists in Chapter Two to determine if any
of their actions are paralleled to these traits.
In Chapter Five, I will conclude my research with a discussion of what my
findings were. I examine whether a significant amount of similarities are present
between extremist groups of the past and the current Tea Party movement. If several
similarities exist, then my research will support my initial hypothesis that the Tea Party is
in danger of becoming an extremist group. If no similarities or parallels can be found,
then my research had disproved my initial hypothesis. Once this determination had been
4
decided, I will discuss the possible future of the Tea Party Movement and whether any of
its past actions could possibly be moving even further in the direction of an extreme
nature.
CHAPTER II
A REVIEW OF EXTREMIST GROUPS CHARACTERISTICS,
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
In this chapter I will be defining extremism and will be showing the similarities
between the left and right wing extremist groups. I will be referencing the two sources
mentioned in Chapter One for the analysis of what constitutes extreme political behavior.
Due to the lack of prior research on this topic, I will use the information from these two
sources to formulate the criteria for measuring what is considered extreme behavior in the
political context. I will examine the main characteristics and motivations for what
classifies a group as extreme. Once the characteristics and motivations are explained, I
will discuss the main tactics used by extremists to accomplish these motivations.
What is Extremism?
Extremism has more than one dimension. There is the psychological
dimension that refers to the way one is raised and the beliefs instilled in an individual
from childhood to adulthood. There is also a social aspect of extremism, which is the
reaction by individuals or groups to threats to their beliefs (West Jr. 1972, 11). If those
two dimensions are combined, then the proper definition of extremism as we have come
to understand it today is “a style of life characterized by an irrational response to reality
5
6
motivated by frustration, fear, and hate” (West Jr. 1972, 12). There are other emotions
that can provoke extreme behavior, such as love and faith, but this thesis will focus only
on the emotions of frustration, fear, and hate as they pertain to political matters.
Some forms of extremism are seeded so deep within individuals’ emotions that
it can cause these individuals to do the unthinkable. Suicide bombers are a perfect
example of such a deep emotional belief (Violence- The Story So Far 2008). These
individuals believe so deeply in their cause that they would rather die than give in, and
their death is meant to prove the depth in which they believe their way is the right way
and the only way of thinking (Violence- The Story So Far 2008). These individuals are
extremists. In the next section of this chapter, I will examine extremist groups and the
motivating factors behind their behaviors.
Definition of Extremist/Extremist Group
For the purpose of this thesis, an extremist “is a person who favors or resorts to
immoderate, uncompromising, or fanatical methods or behavior, especially in being
politically radical” (Farlex, Inc. 2011). This definition simply means that an individual
who displays over-the-top behavior to convey a political ideal is an extremist. If several
of these like minded individuals come together and work together in order to widen their
scope and push their ideals, then this can constitute an extremist group (Farlex, Inc.
2011). Whether this extremist group lies on the left of the political sector or the right
does not matter. The reasons for the formation of the groups are the same (George and
Wilcox 1996, 16). The most common reason for groups of extremists to come together is
7
in opposition of a political view or ideal that is currently uprising. The individuals who
strongly oppose what is happening will slowly come together and the beginnings of a
group are born. From this point the individuals who strongly believe that their ideals are
the right ideals and the only ideals will begin to act out in extreme manners (West Jr.
1972, 29).
The visual that is portrayed by classifying groups as far left or far right is meant
to have one think of these groups as being on opposite ends of a straight line. However, a
more accurate visual that may demonstrate how close these two groups lie in their ways
of handling themselves might be a broken circle with one group as either end of the break
(West Jr. 1972, 30). This visual portrays how far from each other they are in their beliefs
while also showing how closely their actions resemble one another. An extremist group
has four main beliefs. The first is a complete distrust in the democratic process in the
United States. The second is the tendency to oversimplify the problems they are trying to
fix, the issues behind them, and the solutions to these things. The third is that any person
opposed to their ideals must be part of a conspiracy. And fourth is that when all else fails,
people can be considered to be expendable (West Jr. 1972, 30-31). It is when the fourth
and final belief is reached that the group can become violent (West Jr. 1972, 31). The
next section will look at the many characteristics that define an extremist and what
motivates them.
8
Characteristics of Extremism-Left and Right
Whether a person is an extremist on the left side of the political argument or the
right side of the same argument, the basic characteristics of extremism and of an
extremist are the same for both. The definitions of these two terms are the same no
matter what side of the argument is being supported or what group is supporting it. There
have been several different characteristics and motivations found to be consistent in both
sides of the extremist view. For the purpose of this study, I will be choosing the most
commonly found characteristics that both seem to have; although not every extremist
group displays all characteristics, they do display a great number of them. The most
commonly used list of these extremist characteristics contains 22 characteristics and can
be found in the book American Extremists by John George and Laird Wilcox, which I
will now define and examine in the order they are presented in the book.
Character Assassinations (1)
This is a personal attack on the extremist’s opposition instead of dealing with
the issues or facts that have been raised. All things past and present will come into
question. Things such as “motives, qualifications, past associations, alleged values,
personality, looks, and mental health” become fair game in an attempt to steer focus away
from the actual issue (George and Wilcox 1996, 56). An example of such a tactic is the
presidential primaries held by each party and the debates that are scheduled surrounding
them. Here are individuals running for a bid to the presidency, all members of the same
political party, and destroying each other on a personal level rather than focusing on the
9
issues that they want to address if the bid becomes theirs (GOP Debate Signals Race to
the White House is Heating Up. 2011).
Name Calling and Labeling (2)
An extremist will quickly resort to name calling to divert attention away from
the issues. Derogatory things like Nazi, kook, bigot, un-American, commie, etc. are
meant to bring attention to the individual opposing the group, not the issue they are
fighting against (George and Wilcox 1996, 57). This tactic has been around for many
decades and can be quite successful in certain situations when used by the right groups.
An example of name calling being utilized can be found in the presidential
election of 1828, which was between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Adams
and Jackson ran against each other in 1824, and Adams was elected president through the
electoral votes but not the popular vote (American Political History/ Jacksonian
Democracy 1995-2009). This angered the Jackson supporters. In the 1828 election, the
Jackson supporters were determined to do whatever it took to make sure that Adams was
not reelected. The Jackson campaign began to accuse Adams of procuring women for the
czar of Russia as a “gift” during talks among the countries, which is why the Jackson
supporters claimed that Adams was such a great president at peace talks (American
Political History/ Jacksonian Democracy 1995-2009). The Jackson campaign also
accused Adams of turning the White House into a “gambling den” because Adams had a
pool table brought to the White House during his presidency (American Political History/
Jacksonian Democracy 1995-2009).
10
Irresponsible Sweeping Generalizations (3)
Extremists tend to confuse similarities for sameness. They make sweeping
claims based on little or no evidence. Just because two or more persons or events are
similar does not mean they are alike in every detail. It is this type of over generalizing
that can lead to false conclusions (George and Wilcox 1996, 57).
An example of a sweeping generalization that has continued to occur since 9/11
is that all Muslims are terrorists (Thomas 2010). This type of generalizing is meant to
invoke a sense of rage and fear. Logically it should be known that these statements are
not true, but the fear of the times has heightened suspensions in some people and that
type of general statement can cause violent reactions (George and Wilcox 1996, 57).
Inadequate Proof for Assertions (4)
Extremists have a fuzzy notion of what exactly constitutes proof and have a
habit of getting caught up in logical fallacies. One such fallacy is that previous events
can explain current occurrences just because they may have some before-and-after
relationship (George and Wilcox 1996, 57). This is the wishful thinking and fearful think
aspect of extremists. The wished-for conclusions take front seat to facts that may prove
them wrong. They are definitely motivated by feelings and not facts and what should be
instead of what is (George and Wilcox 1996, 57).
Advocacy of Double Standard (5)
Extremists tend to judge their interests in terms of their intentions, which they
view in a generous fashion (George and Wilcox 1996, 57). They also tend to view their
opposition by the acts they use and are very critical. They would like everyone to
11
welcome their beliefs of faith but require proof from their opponents about their beliefs
(George and Wilcox 1996, 57). An extremist will also partake in special forms of
pleading their case on behalf of their interests, usually due to some present disadvantage
or past circumstances (George and Wilcox 1996, 57).
Tendency to View Opponents and Critics
as Essentially Evil (6)
Extremists view the opposing view as bad or evil. The opposing view is bad to
an extremist because the people that support it are “bad, immoral, dishonest,
unscrupulous, mean-spirited, hateful, cruel, prejudiced, or whatever” and not merely
because of a matter of personal opinion (George and Wilcox 1996, 57). To criticize
extremists’ beliefs is to be evil in nature because they are right and their opponents are
wrong.
Manichean World View (7)
The Manichean view of the world is very black and white, good or evil, right or
wrong. The Manichean world view is the idea that their beliefs are the good beliefs,
therefore the right beliefs, and all other beliefs are evil and, therefore, wrong (Skinner
2011). The extremist view does not allow for a middle ground; someone is either with
them or against them. The right and good view always coincides with their views and the
slogan often used by them is “those who are not with me are against me.” All issues to
them are moral issues of right or wrong (George and Wilcox 1996, 57).
The beliefs of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) would definitely fit this way of
thinking. The KKK believes that the white race is the right race and all other races of
12
people are inadequate or wrong (McCormack 2008). Those who opposed their beliefs
were their enemies, even other white Americans who disagreed with them. This view has
not changed over the years. It has just grown to incorporate more races of people and the
mixing of races by marrying outside the white race (McCormack 2008).
Advocacy of Some Degree of Censorship or
Repression of Their Opponents and/or Critics (8)
Extremists become very defensive if their views are challenged and they feel
threatened. This can cause them to try and create some form of censorship towards the
opposing viewpoint. They may attempt to keep opponents from having access to media
coverage or public hearings (George and Wilcox 1996, 58). They would prefer that no
one else be listened to except them so their goal is to somehow control access to opposing
information. They can even go as far as blacklisting certain reporters, newspapers,
television channels, books, etc (George and Wilcox 1996, 58).
Tendency to Identify Themselves in Terms
of Who Their Enemies Are (9)
Extremists may become emotionally bound to their opponents who are likely
extremists themselves on the other side of the issue. This is due to them viewing their
opponents as evil, but powerful. They may adopt some of the same tactics as their
opponents in some degree (George and Wilcox 1996, 58).
A KKK rally, for example, will see similar characteristics and actions from
both sides of the argument. There will be emotion on both sides, bullying of their rivals,
and possibly acts of violence from both sides (McCormack 2008). The same holds true
for any rally or gathering where extreme opposites come to argue their points of view.
13
Tendency to Use Argument by Intimidation (10)
Intimidation of others in order to convey the extremist ideals and arguments is
commonplace in the extremist practice. This is done to bolster their premise and
conclusion and make any disagreement with them seem as though that individual or
group had just partnered with the devil or is now aiding the group’s enemies in some way
(George and Wilcox 1996, 58). The reasoning behind this is that intimidation tends to
keep their opponents on the defensive and helps them to define the debate limits. They
also tend to be very judgmental, which also aids in the opponents remaining on the
defense (George and Wilcox 1996, 58).
Use of Slogans, Buzzwords, and
Thought-Stopping Clichés (11)
This behavior of extremists usually helps reinforce their prejudices and aids in
the bolstering of their “false confidence and sense of self-righteousness” (George and
Wilcox 1996, 58). The Pro-Life movement, for example, definitely uses slogans that are
meant to stir up an emotional response. Examples of such slogans are “partial birth
abortion” and “baby killer” (Project of the SCV Pregnancy Center 2011). These phrases
are meant to stir up emotional support for the Pro-Life movement and discourage anyone
from supporting abortion of any kind.
Assumption of Moral Superiority Over Others (12)
The most obvious claim extremists can make is the belief that they are part of a
superior ethical class of race of people, the master race argument (George and Wilcox
1996, 58). They have the feeling that it is beneath them to deal with common individuals
14
and their less important concerns when they themselves are attempting to save the world.
Extremists can get quite defensive when anyone is “insensitive” enough to dare challenge
their claim of excellence (George and Wilcox 1996, 58).
The idea of a master race is definitely the premise used by Hitler in Germany
during WWII. Hitler believed that Germans, who he called the “Aryan Race,” were the
superior race of humans (Hitler: Biography 2009). He targeted Jews and Marxists
because he believed they were the reason behind German’s land lost during WWI. This is
the rationale he used to gain support for the execution of all Jews and Marxists (Hitler:
Biography 2009).
Doomsday Thinking (13)
There is a tendency for extremists to always expect the worst. They have a fear
of severe consequences if a specific course is not followed (George and Wilcox 1996,
59). A major disaster is always looming around the corner and if their ideals aren’t
followed or a setback takes place, the extremist believes that it is “the beginning of the
end!” (George and Wilcox 1996, 59) Whether it’s the belief of a Communist takeover or
a nuclear war, these actions will be what results if they lose.
Belief That It’s Okay To Do Bad Things
in the Service of a “Good” Cause (14)
Defeat of the extremists’ enemies is the ultimate goal, and these extremists do
not care what has to be done for that to be accomplished. “Extremists may deliberately
lie, distort, misquote, slander, defame, or libel their opponents and/or critics, engage in
censorship or repression, or undertake violence in special cases” (George and Wilcox
15
1996, 59). To them, the end result of a victory justifies the means used to accomplish
their goal. Often times, there are no remorseful feelings as long as success was reached
and victory was claimed (George and Wilcox 1996, 59).
One good example of this extremist characteristic can be seen in the case of
Timothy McVeigh. He believed the United States government was waging a war on its
citizens. He felt that something drastic needed to be done in order to stop this outrage
(Special Forces 2001). After years of drifting from job to job following his discharge
from the Army, his animosity towards the government grew to disgust of the system. On
the two year anniversary of the siege of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians,
McVeigh drove a Ryder rental truck to the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City
filled with 4,000 pounds of explosives and walked away from the truck at 9 am. At 9:02
am the bomb detonated, killing 168 people, of which 19 were children from a daycare
center inside the building located directly above where the truck had been parked. He
and his friend, Terry Nichols, planned and plotted this attack for months with the belief
that this act against the government would halt the “war on American citizens” (Special
Forces 2001).
Emphasis on Emotional Responses and,
Correspondingly, a De-Emphasis on Reasoning
and Logical Analysis (15)
Extremists tend to think in the metaphorical sense. They are great
propagandists. But they don’t consider their literature to be propaganda; they prefer to
call it “education” or “sensitivity-training” (George and Wilcox 1996, 59). Propaganda
is meant to invoke an emotional reaction by using fear, rage, hate, love, or any other
16
reactive concept. Using a picture of someone burning an American flag is meant to
reinforce patriotism in our country by directing anger towards the person burning the flag
and uniting Americans in the fight against this type of action (Foner 2002). War posters
are meant to use fear to convey the ideas behind the war and why it should be supported.
Political cartoons are supposed to undermine opponents and bolster the position of the
person responsible for the cartoon (Foner 2002). Extremists take this farther and use
their propaganda to teach someone what to think instead of how to rationalize the topic
clearly.
Hypersensitivity and Vigilance (16)
An extremist can find violent or hostile notions in any conversation or
comment. Even the most innocent or casual conversation can be perceived in a hostile
manner or be said to have underlying meanings (George and Wilcox 1996, 59). Paranoia
also seems to be a chosen reaction taken on by extremist groups, as well as distrust.
Innocent gestures can be received as ambiguous, which an extremist will assume as
having a negative connotation rather than no meaning at all (George and Wilcox 1996,
59).
Use of Supernatural Rationales for
Beliefs and Actions (17)
Certain extremists will attempt to claim a type of “supernatural rationale” to
explain their actions and their beliefs. This is especially true with religious extremists
and cults (George and Wilcox 1996, 59). Religious extremists tend to believe that their
beliefs and/or movements are ordained by God in some way and, therefore, their actions
17
are justified. Most are reluctant to challenge their views when presented with religious
beliefs due to the status that religion holds in this country (George and Wilcox 1996, 60).
In 1997, the religious California based cult Heaven’s Gate committed a mass
suicide in southern California. This event was performed over three consecutive days
and totaled 39 people (Heaven's Gate: Christian/UFO Believers 1997-2009). This was
done to propel them to the “next level,” as they called heaven, where it was gender and
sex free. These people dressed in unisex clothing and some volunteered for castration as
preparation for the sex free eternity (Heaven's Gate: Christian/UFO Believers 19972009). The Heaven’s Gate members believed their actions were the solution to the
crossover and, therefore, suicide was not a sin (Heaven's Gate: Christian/UFO Believers
1997-2009). This is just one example of how powerful some beliefs can be and how
they can be used to justify any action, no matter how extreme.
Problems Tolerating Ambiguity
and Uncertainty (18)
Extremists thrive on control. They tend to exhibit manipulative behavior in
their political lives as well as their personal lives (George and Wilcox 1996, 60). If laws
and rules must be passed or enforced, the extremist wants these things to help control
their enemies, which results in secure feelings on behalf of the extremist (George and
Wilcox 1996, 60). This is done to protect them from the unknown and the unforeseen.
Inclination Toward “Groupthink” (19)
“Groupthink involves a tendency to conform to group norms and to preserve
solidarity and concurrence at the expense of distorting members’ observations of facts,
18
conflicting evidence, and disquieting observations that would call into question the
shared assumptions and beliefs of the group” (George and Wilcox 1996, 60). The
group’s delusions become shared by all members. They have a tendency to only
associate with members of the group, only read group propaganda, and only view their
enemy’s propaganda in a phobic manner (George and Wilcox 1996, 60). Irving Janis, a
social psychologist, coined the term groupthink in 1972. He stated that a close-knit group
can sometimes make inferior decisions due to the need for some group members to
conform to the rest of the group’s ideals (A First Look at Communication Theory 1995).
Tendency to Personalize Hostility (20)
Extremists have a tendency to look forward to the bad personal fortune of their
enemies and are celebratory when it occurs. They view this event as if the person who
came upon this bad fortune or tragedy deserved it in some way (George and Wilcox
1996, 60). This philosophy is used for any misfortune to the opposing side, no matter
how severe. That includes illness, accidents, and even death (George and Wilcox 1996,
60).
Right wing extremists, for example, rejoiced when Martin Luther King was
assassinated. They viewed his killing as something that was inevitable because he
deserved to die (McCormack 2008). His outspoken nature and beliefs that blacks and
white should be equal was enough in the right wing extremist’s eyes to justify his death
(What Was the Black Panther Party? 2000). These extremists showed no remorse for this
event at all and were actually happier about their position in the fight for civil rights once
this catastrophic event took place (McCormack 2008).
19
Extremists Often Feel That the System is
No Good Unless They Win (21)
Extremists believe that the system that allows them to lose is flawed in some
way because otherwise they would never lose. If a law fails to pass or a candidate does
not win an election, then the vote was “rigged” (George and Wilcox 1996, 60). If for
some reason public opinion begins to turn on them, then those individuals are being
“brainwashed” by the enemy. And if for some reason followers leave the group or begin
to waiver from the group’s beliefs, then it’s because of some type of sabotage being
forced on them (George and Wilcox 1996, 60).
Extremists Tend to Believe in Far-Reaching
Conspiracy Theories (22)
Both left wing and right wing extremists believe to a certain degree that there is
some sort of conspiracy by the upper echelon of society to secretly control the world.
Extremists tend to be prone to over-exaggeration and jumping to conclusions and often
have a total disregard of any evidence to the contrary (George and Wilcox 1996, 61).
While some of the claims made by extremists may hold a little truth in them, they must
still be judged on a basis of supportive evidence (George and Wilcox 1996, 61).
Conspiracy theories have been around for many years. The top five political
conspiracy theories in the United States all revolve around major events in our country’s
history (Samuelson 2009). Although within these conspiracies may be a few true facts,
the majority of them are fabricated in create emotional reactions in people. The
assassination of John F. Kennedy still tops the conspiracy list. Many believe that Lee
Harvey Oswald was not the actual killer of the president. They believe that right wing
20
extremists in the FBI or CIA were behind the assassination and that Oswald was just a
fall guy for the crime (Samuelson 2009).
To summarize the meaning behind this list, there are three general topics that
extremists have in common. They all have some distortion of reality and have an
unwavering belief that their view is the right view and the only view (George and Wilcox
1996, 61). Extremists seem to discourage in depth examinations into their beliefs and
demonize those who do not agree with them (Lurie 2010). Lastly they can hold personal
grudges to rationalize their pursuits and hold a hidden desire for the “final battle” or
“holy war” (Lurie 2010). The following section of this chapter will explore some of the
strategies behind extremists groups and what tactics might be used.
Strategies of Extremists
Extremists groups seem to have five main strategies that they use to try to
persuade people to join their campaign. These five strategies are: attrition, intimidation,
provocation, spoiling, and outbidding (Kydd and Walter 2006, 51). By using attrition,
the extremists try to force their enemies to give up or surrender by eventually wearing the
other side down (Barwick and Kayo 2003-2011). The side that can last the longest in this
is the winner after “forcing continuous losses of people, equipment, weapons, or food”
(Barwick and Kayo 2003-2011).
The use of the intimidation strategy by extremists is meant to convince their
enemies that their group is strong enough to lay down punishment and the government is
weak and powerless to stop them (Kydd and Walter 2006, 51). This will cause the
21
enemies to act in a manner that the extremists want them to act. Violence, attacking
property, and bomb threats are common acts of intimidation. These acts are a desperate
attempt to force people into certain behaviors or away from their normal behaviors so that
they conform to the extremists’ ideals (Sargent 1995).
The provocation strategy is meant “to induce the enemy to respond to terrorism
with indiscriminate violence, which radicalizes the population and moves them to support
the extremists” (Kydd and Walter 2006). By provoking someone into violence, the
extremists can use that as a reason to join their side of the argument. Violence from the
opposition is a good way to bolster the ideals of the extremists as the correct way of
thinking due to the fact that the other side is resorting to violence (Sargent 1995).
Spoilers try to undermine any attempts at peace by convincing the enemy that
moderates on the extremist’s side are not trustworthy and are weak (Kydd and Walter
2006). They use extreme measures and tactics in hopes of interrupting the process of
peace that may do harm to their cause. These measures will increase in hostility until the
desired result is reached (Sargent 1995). As the hostility increases, there is a chance of
more issues arising that require even more complex solutions, which in turn causes the
two sides to be less agreeable to any compromises (Maiese and Burgess 2003).
Outbidding is the practice of using violence in order to convince people that
they are willing to fight for their beliefs more than the opposition, which makes them
more worthy of their support (Kydd and Walter 2006). Once this begins, the two sides
will attempt to outdo the other side. Violence will increase after each subsequent
22
retaliation until one side finally gives in and a winner is declared (Kydd and Walter
2009). Next I will examine some of the most commonly used tactics by extremists.
Tactics of an Extremist
There are several tactics that have been used by various extremist groups on the
right and the left. Although the reasoning behind why each side uses them differs, the
methods used are very similar (West Jr. 1972, 90). For the purpose of this thesis, I will
be focusing on a few of the most widely used tactics of extremists. The tactics I have
chosen to focus on are: fear, distrust in leadership, intimidation, propaganda, and
violence.
Fear is used to shake an individual’s sense of safety and security. The KKK
used burning crosses to instill fear (McCormack 2008). The Klan believed that burning a
cross was a declaration of their devout Christianity. Most other Christians believe it to be
blasphemous but may fear repercussions if the wishes of the Klan are not followed
(McCormack 2008). The Black Panthers of the 1960’s walked the streets with automatic
weapons to promote fear in white Americans and white police officers (What Was the
Black Panther Party? 2000). Both fear tactics used by these groups were meant to make
individuals feel unsafe, which would hopefully persuade them to join the fight of
whatever group they feared the most.
Instilling distrust in the current government leadership is a regularly used tactic
by both the right and the left. During the 2008 presidential campaign, McCain and Palin
made the claim that Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, was linked to
23
terrorists, Al Qaeda to be exact. They also made it known that Obama was a member of
the Muslim religion (Associated Press 2008). Palin also claimed that Obama “paled
around” with Weather Underground founder Bill Ayers (Associated Press 2008). These
statements were meant to cause distrust in Obama’s ability to lead this country and
persuade voters to vote for McCain.
Intimidation can come in many forms. Name-calling and economic boycotting
are two very effective forms of intimidation. The Montgomery Bus boycott is one of the
more famous boycotts of the United States. It took place in 1956 when Rosa Park, a
black woman, was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man on a city bus
(Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956) 2011). This event helped lead to a bus boycott
by almost all blacks in Montgomery, Alabama, for over a year. This boycott was an
attempt to desegregate the bus system. The boycott eventually worked because of the
lost revenue to the city transportation system (Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
2011). Name-calling is another tactic used by both sides to run down their opponents.
The right wing extremists consider anyone who opposes their views as communists or
communist sympathizers (West Jr. 1972, 96).
Propaganda placement is very important for the recruitment efforts of extremist
groups. Any place where people spend time or have to wait for something is considered
a great place for extremists to place their propaganda material (West Jr. 1972, 99). When
placed in the hands of experts, propaganda can be a very effect tool. Germany used
propaganda as a weapon to mobilize German citizens around a leader and to aid in
aggression, mass murder, and genocide of a particular race of people (Nazi Propoganda
24
2011). During the Cold War much of the propaganda being delivered was aimed at
scaring Americans away from communism and making communists the enemy.
Propaganda was also hidden in several movies during the Cold War where the
communists were always portrayed as evil, mean, and dangerous and had to be destroyed
(Examples of American Cold War Propaganda 2009).
Occasionally when all of the previously stated tactics have failed, an extremist
group may resort to violence. Fear, intimidation, and violence are very closely related
and are usually used in conjunction with one another (West Jr. 1972, 100). The Klan
would often resort to violence to instill fear in black Americans and to prove the strength
of their group to supporters, while hopefully intimidating the undecided population to
join their way of thinking (McCormack 2008). The Klan members would hang black
Americans from trees in public places to scare other black people as well as gain support
from the white community. In the next chapter, I will discuss extremist groups from the
left-wing and right-wing sides of the political fence. I will begin with a brief history of
each group covered.
CHAPTER III
HISTORY OF LEFT-WING AND RIGHT-WING
EXTREMIST GROUPS
Early Extremism-Pre 19th Century
Forms of extremism have existed since the moment the earth was populated by
humans. Here in North America rivalries between Native American tribes and the
altercations that ensued from those rivalries certainly had characteristics of extremism
within them, such as violence and intimidation (George and Wilcox 1996, 15). A mass
grave of Native Americans discovered in 1980 by Professor of Anthropology, Larry
Zimmerman, of the University of South Dakota, contained skeletal remains of
approximately 486 people. These bodies were a combination of men, women, and
children and were located near the Missouri River by the Elm Creek and Crow Creek
Crossing (George and Wilcox 1996, 15).
The massacre happened sometime between the years 1325 and 1400 according
to forensic testing. There was a severe drought during that time that was depleting the
food supply, which brought on extreme competition for survival. One group of Native
Americans attacked another and slaughtered them one by one (George and Wilcox 1996,
15). Many of the skulls showed signs of being bashed in, and knife marks proved that
almost all were scalped. Not all bodies could be assigned a sex or age due to years of
decomposition, but of the bodies that could be, there were 152 children under the age of
25
26
fourteen, who were obviously of no military threat. Originally, researchers thought the
mass grave related to a military threat, but the sheer number of children seemed to lead to
a different conclusion (George and Wilcox 1996, 16). Of the adult bodies that could be
aged and sexed, 28 were women and 78 were men. It is believed that the mass difference
in the numbers of men and women could be attributed to the practice of tribes taking
women from concurred tribes and forcing them to become slaves (George and Wilcox
1996, 16). This is but one example of early extremist behavior in this country.
Extremism can be seen in the European settlers as well as in the American
colonies. The majority of the settlers were religious extremists who were escaping
religious persecution in their homeland. The pilgrims were seeking religious freedom to
be able to practice their own forms of religions, beliefs, and ideals that would not be
allowed to them by England and Holland. The Jamestown Massacre in 1622 that wiped
out a large number of colony settlers was brought on by resentment toward the
foreigners. What made this such an extreme attack is the manner by which the Native
Americans conducted themselves in the days before. The Powhatans, which was the tribe
involved, had been subjected to smallpox and other diseases from the settlers
(Jamestown:Legacy of the Massacre of 1622 2001-2006). The killing of the tribe’s
leading warrior, named Nemattanew, was the final fuel to the tension between the Native
Americans and the settlers. The attack was well planned and was executed as a surprise
attack. The settlers considered it a massacre because it was the first attack of this
magnitude by the Native Americans, and because the word “massacre” would help
bolster the support needed for retaliation (Jamestown:Legacy of the Massacre of 1622
27
2001-2006). The European settlers retaliated with some extremism of their own by
random killings of Native Americans and massacres of entire tribes (George and Wilcox
1996, 17).
Early Extremism-19th Century
and After
It is hard to talk about the history of extremism without talking about some of
the groups organized in the beginning of our country’s history. Extremism by today’s
definition began to show up in the first part of the nineteenth century. This is where we
begin to see the first organizations of extremists on the right and extremists on the left.
During this time the Masons, or Freemasons as they were also called, were the
denominating force of the New World politics (George and Wilcox 1996, 18). The group
was complete with passwords, secret handshakes, ceremonies and oaths, and only
allowed the elite of society membership and access. This was strictly a fraternal
organization that did not allow women to become members (George and Wilcox 1996,
17). The exclusivity and secrecy of the group caused the Masons to be regarded as a
secret society with power beyond their numbers (George and Wilcox 1996, 19). The
Masons could be regarded as America’s first example of a left-wing group due to the fact
that they were considered liberalists, although they were not viewed as extremists of the
times.
The elite status and lack of access to the Masons lead to the rise of a group that
called themselves the Anti-Masonic Movement in 1826 (George and Wilcox 1996, 17).
This movement gained ignition after the mysterious disappearance of a Mason member
28
named William Morgan (George and Wilcox 1996, 18). He was a brick-layer from New
York and was said to have broken the Masonic oath of secrecy by writing a book about
the private group. The book was to be called Illustrations of Masonry by One of the
Fraternity Who Has Devoted Thirty Years to the Subject, which portrayed the elite
fraternity in a very negative light. Rumors of his disappearance and possible murder at
the hands of Masons flooded the New York and New England areas. By 1930 the AntiMasonic Party was formed, which was the first third political party in America. They
were also the first political party to hold a national convention (Proceedings of the Anti
Masonic Convention 2009).
The 20th century brought on a much more distinctive difference between right
wing and left wing politics. The right wing supporters became more interested in racism,
nationalism, conservativism, and patriotism. The left wing supporters were more
interested in collectivism, egalitarianism, internationalism, and liberalism (George and
Wilcox 1996, 21). “They are twin brothers whose mother is frustration and whose father
is fear” (West Jr. 1972, 12).
Left-Wing Extremists’ History
Prior to the Sixties
The early 1900’s is where the United States really began to see much more
distinctive signs of extremism and extremist groups. This time in history, now referred to
as the “Old Left,” saw the beginning of what we know today as the far left extremists
groups. The far left of the early 1900’s saw the rise of groups such as the Communist
Party USA, which is noted as the largest, most well known, and most funded of the far-
29
left extremist groups in the United States (West Jr. 1972, 17). The members of
Communist Party USA were the left-wing members of the Socialist Party. The
Communist Party USA was founded in 1919, first called the Communist Party of
America (renamed in 1940). The Communist Party USA advocated the MarxismLeninism view and supported the communist society (West Jr. 1972, 45). The MarxismLeninism view is: “A label of Lenin's approach to Marxism at the beginning of the 20thcentury, in a capitalist Russia emerging from feudalism. Marxism-Leninism was the
official political theory of the former Soviet state and was enforced throughout most of
the former Eastern European socialist governments of the 20th-century” (Political
Definitions/ Marxism-Leninism 2011). Simply defined, Marxism-Leninism is a
combination of the Marxist view and Lenin’s view, which is that all societies would be
classless and all productions would be commonly owned. That is what communism
enforces; however Lenin also called for revolutionary actions and insisted that a strong
Communist party was needed to aid in the direction of the workers (Political Definitions/
Marxism-Leninism 2011).
Another prominent far left-wing extremist group of the early 1900’s was the
Socialist Workers Party. This group was formed in the 1930’s after Leon Trotsky and his
followers were expelled from other communist groups here in the United States (George
and Wilcox 1996, 108). The Socialist Workers Party members were commonly referred
to as the Trotskyists, and they did not agree with the reformist nature of the Socialist
Party, which is why they broke from there and followed Trotsky. The Socialist Workers
30
Party was also responsible for publishing a newspaper called The Militant in November
of 1928 (History of the Minnesota Section of the Socialist Workers Party 2009).
The members of both the Communist Party USA and the Socialist Workers
Party were previously members of already established left-wing groups of the time, but
their extreme views on certain aspects of what the groups represented seemed to force the
split into new, much more extreme groups, which caused conflicts that often times turned
violent in nature. This is a constant pattern that will be seen through this study.
Extreme Left in the Sixties
and Beyond
In the Sixties, we see a change in the left-wing beliefs and political concerns.
Referred to as the “New Left,” this new era was “born out of Moral Shock” (West Jr.
1972, 17). The shock of hypocrisy and injustice of life in America is what brought forth
the change. Even though the Socialist Workers Party became part of this “New Left,” the
main pushers for these new views were the radical youth of America, numbering
approximately 250,000 in the Sixties; “The New Left itself is more a mood than an
organization” (West Jr. 1972, 18). The New Leftists, as they were called, rejected the
past and loathed the present. Their way of dealing with the present was reckless and
violent at times. They are very impatient of the democratic process, demanded instant
reforms, and broadly rejected middle-class Americans as slobs. They were defiant
against authority and often called police officers “pigs” (West Jr. 1972, 22). Two of the
more prominent far left extremist groups of this time would have to be the Black Panthers
and The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). To get a full understanding of the
31
“New Left” and the groups involved, their beliefs, and their behaviors, I will give a brief
history on these two groups.
Black Panthers
The Black Panthers were founded in 1966 by Huey Newton, Bobby Seal, and
David Hilliard, who were all students at Merritt College in Oakland, California (George
and Wilcox 1996, 114). The Black Panthers were the sole black American organization
to arise during the Civil Rights Movement that promoted self arming and violence. J.
Edgar Hoover, FBI Chief, considered the Panthers “the greatest threat to the internal
security of the United States" (What Was the Black Panther Party? 2000). Along with
the stand for equality and the promotion of violence, Panther members were very against
violence toward black Americans. They began many programs to help black
communities, such as health clinics where blacks could get free medical attention, and
free breakfast programs (Murch 2010).
Despite the positive things done by the Black Panthers, they are remembered
mostly for the violence their group promoted. The first program began by the Panthers
was to patrol black neighborhoods armed, with the weapons in plain view, to “keep an
eye on the cops” (George and Wilcox 1996, 114). In June of 1967, a man named Stokely
Carmichael, who headed a group called the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC), was the individual who made the term “Black Power.” This became a popular
term among blacks in the United States, which was part of his now famous “Black Power
Speech,” which took place in Seattle, Washington also in June of 1967 (Brunner 2000-
32
2011). The SNCC at this time was a multi-racial activist organization, which Carmichael
was trying to push to become a totally black organization that was to fight for social
change (Farlex, Inc. 2011). Carmichael joined the Black Panthers sometime during 1967,
and the SNCC briefly merged with the Panthers, although the actual date is uncertain.
Carmichael was quickly made Prime Minister of the Black Panthers in February 1968
(Simkin 1997).
In October of 1967, members of the Panthers were involved in a shootout with
the Oakland Police. Huey Newton was wounded and hospitalized. While still recovering
in the hospital, he was arrested for shooting and killing Officer John Frey (Murch 2010,
147-149). He was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter a year later. In 1970, a
California Appellate Court reversed his conviction. After two more unsuccessful trials,
both ending in hung juries, the prosecution decided to drop the case against Newton
(Pearson 1994, 218-25). Another significant incident happened in 1968; Bobby Hutton
and Eldridge Cleaver were riding in cars in Oakland, California, when they were
ambushed by local police officers (University of Southern Mississippi 2000). Cleaver
and Hutton ran to a basement in a nearby building for cover where they found themselves
surrounded. Cleaver was wounded in the leg so when the two decided to surrender,
Hutton agreed to go first (Pearson 1994, 154-60). As he exited the basement with his
hands above his head, he was shot 12 times, falling instantly to his death. He was 19
years old at the time (Pearson 1994, 154-60).
It was these types of violent incidents toward members of the Panthers that
continued to fuel the negativity of the Panthers’ views for authority and white America.
33
The violence toward the members of the Black Panthers was retaliated with more
violence from the members directed at the law enforcement. Contrary to popular belief,
the Black Panthers were not actually racists, black nationalists, or separatists as a whole
(George and Wilcox 1996, 119). That is not to say that some individuals of the group
may have been. They did self-proclaim themselves as “communists,” (note the little “c”)
adopting common communist values but not affiliating with any specific communist
group (George and Wilcox 1996, 119). The Black Panthers were around until the mid
1980’s, but after membership numbers continued to decline and the tactics used by the
group were denounced by black leaders, the Panthers dissolved.
Students for a Democratic
Society (SDS)
The SDS was founded in Michigan by a group of about five dozen students
from eleven different colleges in 1962. This group was started to hopefully “open a
dialogue with the liberals, to organize the grassroots, and to aid in bringing about social
change” (West Jr. 1972, 48). The members of SDS became instrumental in campus riots,
rebellions, and campus take-over. The students were frustrated by the slow progress on
topics such as quality of life in America, civil rights, and foreign policy, which is what
prompted the meeting of the students in 1962 that was held at a lake near Port Huron,
Michigan. The meeting lasted for four days and four nights, and the end result was a
manifesto that was to be known as the Port Huron Statement, where the students laid out
their desires and agreed on what political platform they would use to convey their
sentiments (West Jr. 1972, 49). The Port Huron Statement was meant to create a radical
34
new political movement that denounced bureaucracy and hierarchy in the United States
(The New Left 2011).
The SDS held an anti-war rally, their first, in 1965, which was to support those
students who were emphatically opposed to the Vietnam War. This rally attracted a
crowd of protestors that numbered in the thousands to Washington D.C., where they
commanded mass media attention (The New Left 2011). In 1968, Tom Haydon, who
was one of the original members and writers of the Port Huron Statement, flew to
Vietnam to help protest the war. He gained even more notoriety the following year as
one of the Chicago Seven defendants who were charged with conspiring to disrupt the
Democratic National Convention. The seven were eventually acquitted (The New Left
2011).
Many young students in the Sixties became politically aware and politically
active. They were frustrated with rules of college campuses across the country that
limited everything from admittance to time that could be spent socializing with the
opposite sex. Campuses even limited the ability for students to pass out political
information on campus, which started a flurry of demonstrations across the country
beginning with the first one at the University of California, Berkley (George and Wilcox
1996, 128).
As frustration grew with the slowness of change, many SDS members began to
think that violence might be a faster means to an end. Several of the members broke
from SDS and formed a group known as The Weatherman, who used vigilante violence
and intimidation to get their points across (George and Wilcox 1996, 133). Their
35
ideology was to denounce all ties to American culture, relinquish all possessions, limit all
contact with people outside the Weatherman, and give up all monogamous relationships
(Freeman and Johnson 1999, 317). This was far from the ideals of the SDS, which is
what caused the split by the late Sixties.
Right-Wing Extremists’ History
Prior to the Sixties
The history of right-wing extremists and the groups in which they belong had
much of the same start as its converse. However, right-wing views have been around for
much longer in our country’s history, which allowed the right to be much more organized
in the early 1900’s as well as significantly more funded then their opposition from the left
(West Jr. 1972, 52). Many of the prominent “radical right” groups began before the 20th
century, and several are still present today. As with the “Old Left,” the opposite side will
be referred to as the “Old Right.” I will be taking a brief look at two rightist groups that
began prior to the 1960’s, their main focus, and their reasons for being.
The Ku Klux Klan (First Klan)
Early rightist extremism cannot be discussed without the mention of the Ku
Klux Klan (KKK or The Klan). This is one of the most famous extremist groups in our
country’s history, which has survived through several generations and evolving radical
views. The Klan has officially been around since 1865 (West Jr. 1972, 57). The original
purpose of the Klan was to aid in the restoring of white supremacy in the South after the
36
slaves were freed and to intimidate blacks and their white supporters. This wave of the
Klan was only around until 1877 (McCormack 2008).
The Second Klan-Reconstruction
The second wave of Klansmen, as they are known, was founded in 1915. It
was started by a man named William J. Simmons, who was an ex-minister (McCormack
2008). The New Klan, while still keeping the white supremacy aspect of the original
Klan, also widened its spectrum to include extreme nativism and anti-Catholicism. These
Klansmen were just as intimidating as the prior group with a slightly increased threat of
violence (McCormack 2008). This set of Klansmen had professional promoters, who
helped grow its popularity not only in the South but in the North as well. Edward Clarke
and Elizabeth Tyler emphasized this New Klan as an outlet for militant patriotism, which
was on the rise due to World War I (McCormack 2008).
Even though this group claimed to be of a non-political nature, its presence in
the political arena was definitely felt in the 1920’s as it had some success electing
political officials at the state level and even a few members of Congress. States like
Maine, Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Oregon were partially under control of the Klan
(McCormack 2008). By the end of the 1920’s, the Klan was in decline. With the onset
of the Great Depression, many members could no longer pay the dues to the Klan so the
official membership dropped from between 3 and 4 million to under 30,000 active
members. Not only did the Great Depression help with the decline of membership, but
the arrest of David C. Stephenson in the Midwest began the break of power the Klan had
37
in that part of the country. Stephenson was a major Klan leader in Indiana and was
convicted of second-degree murder. His conviction brought to the forefront some
corruption, which eventually led to the indictment of the mayor of Indianapolis and also
the governor of Indiana, who were both Klan supporters (McCormack 2008). The KKK
of the Sixties will be discussed further on in this chapter.
Church League of America
This group was originally founded in 1937 and was formed to protest the
nomination of Hugo Black to the United States Supreme Court. The group’s most
famous leader didn’t arise on the scene until the 1950’s and 60’s (West Jr. 1972). Baptist
Minister, Major Edgar C. Bundy, took the reins of the Church League and promoted the
outing of all government acts and individuals whose actions he deemed “subversive”
(Proceedings of the Anti Masonic Convention 2009).
Bundy was born in 1915 in Connecticut. He attended Wheaton College and
spent some time serving for the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, Bundy
became ordained but never officially served as a pastor (West Jr. 1972, 56). Bundy and
his supporters eventually collected the largest “pro-freedom and anti-subversive” archive
collection in the United States (Proceedings of the Anti Masonic Convention 2009). “As
a sign of the Church League's prominence amidst anti-communist conspiracy
propagators, this archive ultimately included many of the files used by Senator Joseph
McCarthy to support his celebrated Congressional hearings during the 1950s”
(Proceedings of the Anti Masonic Convention 2009). The headquarters for the Church
38
League of America was in Wheaton, Illinois, and throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s the
group would arrange events, such as movie screenings, where then actor Ronald Regan
would come and speak before the screening. The Church league officially dissolved in
1985 (Proceedings of the Anti Masonic Convention 2009). The Church League of
America was considered extreme for its use of tape recorders and mini video cameras to
acquire information from “subversive” elements outside of the government (Proceedings
of the Anti Masonic Convention 2009).
Extreme Right of the Sixties
and Beyond
Unlike the leftist groups of the sixties, the right-wing groups and their ideals
seem to have remained much more constant over the decades. With that said, even
though the ideals, motivations, and characteristics remained the same, the way each
group handled conflict seems to have become much more intense as the decades passed.
Two groups where this is noticeable are the KKK after a third reconstruction and the
John Birch Society (JBS).
John Birch Society
Named for a murdered Baptist missionary, the John Birch Society (JBS) was
founded in 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The actual John Birch was never involved in
this group. He was murdered by Chinese Communists in 1945 (West Jr. 1972, 52). The
actual person responsible for founding this group was named Robert Welch, who
believed that liberals and their supporters were secretly communist traitors whose desire
39
was to have the world run by a “one-world socialist government” (Political Research
Associates 2010). Welch invited 11 like-minded colleagues to Indianapolis for a
conference where his address to them lasted almost two full days. The speech he gave
eventually became known as “The Blue Book” (West Jr. 1972, 52). His basic argument
was that the JBS was against communists only; however he defined communists as
anyone he could not trust, with liberals at the top of that list. With this broad definition
of who was a communist, it is easy to see how the JBS could easily discriminate against
whoever it deemed necessary (Political Research Associates 2010).
Welch made sure that the JBS was organized into cells across the country.
These cells were set up to help keep communists from infiltrating the group, according to
Welch (Political Research Associates 2010). The JBS was also instrumental in the views
that lead to the formation of the Minutemen of America, a group of radical rightists who
were trained to use guerilla warfare tactics to achieve its goals in the event that
communists took over. And, according to Welch and the JBS, that included anyone who
was not a JBS member or supporter (West Jr. 1972, 53).
In 1961, Welch published the “Black Book.” The book accused Franklin D.
Roosevelt of encouraging Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor (West Jr. 1972, 54). He also made
the claim that Dwight D. Eisenhower "knowingly received and abided by Communist
orders, and consciously served the Communist conspiracy, for all his adult life” (West Jr.
1972, 54). The JBS is still an active group today and has recently seen a rise in
membership with the new Tea Party Movement (Tea Party Movement 2011).
40
The KKK of the Sixties to Today
White supremacy once again reigned prevalent in the Sixties as an answer to
the Civil Rights Movement and the push for minority advancement (McCormack 2008).
This wave of Klansmen was much more violent than the past members. Robert Sheldon,
who was close friends with the leader of the Minutemen, Robert B. DePugh, began a
KKK group called the Alabama Knights (George and Wilcox 1996, 365). This group
was responsible for several violent murders of black Americans and the bombing of black
establishments and churches. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham,
Alabama, which killed four young black girls and wounded several others, was attributed
to three white men, two of which were affiliated with the KKK (George and Wilcox
1996, 366). During 1964, eighteen bombs were used in McComb, Mississippi, alone on
black churches and homes. Four Klansmen were found responsible for these bombings
(George and Wilcox 1996, 366).
These types of violent outbreaks by the Klan continued until 1967 when the
FBI began to crack down on the Klan and its activities (McCormack 2008). The FBI,
who had for many years been known to harass groups on the left, began to shift its focus
to the right as the radical right groups were displaying much more large scale violent acts
(George and Wilcox 1996, 367).
As in the extremist groups of the “Old Left,” we see no change in the dynamics
of how these groups are formed in the “New Left.” They seem to start as groups with
leftist ideals and become more radical as views change and progress remains slow. The
group splits and the new group formed begins to use violence to speed up the change
41
process, hoping for successes where there haven’t been any in the past. The same seems
to also hold true for the “Old Right” and how the “New Right” groups are formed.
In the next chapter I will look at the Current Tea Party Movement and compare
the components of the movement to the motivations, strategies, and tactics of extremists
groups to see if any parallels can be found. I will begin with a brief history of the Tea
Party movement to date, outline the six main organized Tea Party groups, and then look
at the motivations, strategies, and tactics.
CHAPTER IV
TEA PARTY MOVEMENT
Overview
According to the book Boiling Mad by Kate Zernike, one of the official
beginnings of the Tea Party Movement began at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on
February 19, 2009. Rick Santelli, a financial news reporter, said on CNBC that the
proposal for mortgage assistance by President Obama’s administration was “promoting
bad behavior” and rewarding “the losers” at the expense of hard working Americans who
had managed to play by the rules and not need this assistance (Zernike 2010, 13). Some
of the excerpts of what is known as the “Rant heard round the world,” are as follows:
The government is promoting bad behavior! How this, president and new
administration, why didn't you put up a website to have people vote on the Internet
as a referendum to see if we really want to subsidize the losers' mortgages or would
we like to at least buy cars and buy houses in foreclosure and give 'em to people that
might have a chance to actually prosper down the road and reward people that could
carry the water instead of drink the water. (Sher 2009)
He then went on to say, "This is America! How many of you people want to pay for your
neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? Raise their hand.
President Obama, are you listening?" (Sher 2009). Santelli proposed to have a modern
day Boston Tea Party at Lake Michigan and invited all capitalists who shared his views
to join him for this protest, and this is what he
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43
said, “Cuba used to have mansions and a relatively decent economy. They moved from
the individual to the collective. Now they're driving '54 Chevys, may be the last great car
to come out of Detroit. We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July. All you
capitalists that want to show up at Lake Michigan, I'm going to start organizing” (Sher
2009). Within days of his remarks, Americans by the millions sprang from their office
chairs and couches and hit the street, thus the movement was born and this is one of the
first slogans used, “We the People, come to Take Back America” (Zernike 2010, 13).
Another possible official start to the current Tea Party Movement, according to
Zernike, took place three days prior to Santelli’s statements in Seattle, Washington. Keli
Carender, a 29 year old Seattle resident, organized a rally and gave a speech against the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was signed in Denver on February 16,
2009, to approximately a hundred supporters. Her reasons for arranging this protest were
outlined in her speech:
Make no mistake, the President will be signing that bill tomorrow, I have no illusions
that he will actually listen to us. BUT, maybe, just maybe we can start a movement
that will snowball across the nation and get people out of their homes, meeting each
other and working together to redirect this country towards its truly radical founding
principles of individual liberty and freedom. Maybe people will wake up slowly at
first, and then quickly when they realize the urgency needed. (Liberty Bell 2009)
As a person of half Hispanic descent, her conservative views were a surprise to
the audience and, to her amazement, the greatest number of her supporters were older
white men. Her parents, once Democrats, met in the 1970s while working on Capitol Hill
and left the party in the early 1990s due to feelings that they no longer fit into the liberal
views the party had on abortion, which they were against. Carender created a blog to
44
voice her concerns and called herself “Liberty Bell,” which was the bolstering factor in
her support (Zernike 2010, 17). After her speech was completed, she gathered names
from the people in attendance to create a database. She named the group Seattle Sons
and Daughters of Liberty and had around two thousand members within a year’s time.
This rally became known as the Seattle Stimulus Bill Protest 2009 (Zernike 2010, 18).
Both of these beginnings, the Santelli example and the Carender example have
the current Tea Party movement starting in 2009 and it has been a relevant force since.
Still in its infant stages as a movement, the Tea Partiers have gained support and
popularity over the last two years and have seen some success in elections. Now I will
explore some of the motivating factors behind the Tea Party Movement.
The Driving Force Behind the Tea Party
The motivation behind the members of the Tea Party movement seems to lead
back to colonial times and the Founding Fathers of the United States. Tea Party
supporters worry that government involvement in an individual’s personal life is
becoming too great and too intrusive. They strive for a country where government
involvement is not as prevalent as today, and they use the Constitution and the Founding
Fathers as their motivators. The Tea Party organization called FreedomWorks, which I
will discuss later in this chapter, has organized a committee called the Tea Party Debt
Commission (About FreedomWorks 2010). This commission has come up with a list of
the top ten cuts they would like to see happen to limit government involvement in the
45
personal lives of Americans, as well as reducing government spending. The list of the
ten is as follows:
1. Repeal “Obamacare” (H.R. 3962)
2. Reduce duplicative purchases of Pentagon supplies
3. Eliminate the Department of Education
4. Privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
5. Reduce discretionary spending to 2008 level
6. Block grant Medicaid
7. End ethanol tax credits
8. Sell needless federal buildings
9. Eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development
10. Reduce Medicare teaching subsidies
(Pye 2011)
Some Tea Partiers seem to draw inspiration from attending the historical Civil War
reenactments in Williamsburg, VA, believing that they can actually get to know the
Founding Fathers this way and determine by the reenactments exactly what the Fathers of
our country were thinking (Barlow 2010).
Although each state has its own local groups of Tea Party supporters, overall
the group is still unorganized as a whole. However, six distinct groups have taken the
forefront in the movement (Good 2010). They are: The Tea Party Nation, Americans for
Prosperity, Tea Party Patriots, Tea Party Express, FreedomWorks, and the National Tea
Party Federation (Good 2010). Each group has a different approach to how they
distribute their message and where they receive the funds to do so. As a collective group,
they have seemed to found success, especially with Tea Party supported candidates
during the 2010 midterm elections (Good 2010). I will now look at each of these main
Tea Party groups independently.
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Tea Party Nation
The first official event of this group was held in Nashville, Tennessee, in
February 2010. This event was funded by sponsors and ticket fees. Tea Party Nation
received some criticism for the price charged to attend this event with critics arguing the
cost of attendance was far from its “grassroots” ideals because the tickets were $549 a
person for the weekend convention (Good 2010). Another controversy surrounding this
group is a result of the Tea Party Nation being a for-profit organization. However, the
convention was a success for it brought some smaller groups together and was the
marking point for Sarah Palin to make her support of the Tea Party way of thinking
known (Good 2010). Along with Palin’s speech came a flood of negative media
coverage once it was known that Palin required a hefty speaking fee of $100,000, another
example of the not so “grassroots” nature of the group, according to the media (Good
2010). The mission statement for this group is very prevalent when visiting the website.
It states that: “Tea Party Nation is a user-driven group of like-minded people who desire
our God-given individual freedoms written out by the Founding Fathers. We believe in
Limited Government, Free Speech, the 2nd Amendment, our Military, Secure Borders
and our Country” (Phillips 2011).
The founder of this group and the creator of its webpage, Judson Phillips, as
well as the group itself, have steadily been at the forefront of the media frenzy. Phillips
sent out an email in October 2010 to his supporters calling for them to help “retire” Rep.
Keith Ellison of Minnesota (Lach 2010). Tea Party Nation wants him retired on the sole
point that he is the only Muslim in Congress, according to Phillips, who sent this email in
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support of Lynne Torgerson. Torgerson was running against Ellison in Minnesota (Lach
2010). Phillips’s facts are incorrect; Ellison is not the only Muslim in congress. Rep.
Andre` Carson from Indiana is also a Muslim (Lach 2010).
Most recently, the Tea Party Nation has jumped to the support of Hank
Williams Jr. for his remarks comparing President Obama to Hitler on the morning of
October 3, 2011. Hank’s song, “Are You Ready For Some Football,” has been the
anthem for Monday Night Football for several years, but after his remarks ESPN decided
not to use the song in its opener that same evening (Seitz-Wald 2005-2011). Phillips is
calling for all Tea Party Nation supporters to boycott ESPN until it returns the song as
part of the Monday Night Football program (Seitz-Wald 2005-2011).
Americans for Prosperity
The Americans for Prosperity (AFP) was founded by billionaire David Koch
and has aided in organizing rallies, training activists for the cause in multiple states, and
has spent millions on television ads. The AFP was a major contributor to the 2010
midterm elections in support of the Tea Party backed candidates (Good 2010). This
group receives scrutiny for its reluctance to share its contributors and its undisclosed
funding, which has led to secrecy accusations. The secrecy of this group goes against the
“grassroots” nature of the movement, which is why critics have scrutinized the AFP
(Good 2010).
The mission statement for this group is as follows: “Americans for Prosperity
(AFP) is committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those
48
citizens as advocates in the public policy process. AFP is an organization of grassroots
leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the
local, state, and federal levels. The grassroots activists of AFP advocate for public
policies that champion the principles of entrepreneurship and fiscal and regulatory
restraint” (About AFP 2008). The group’s members believe in limiting taxes, reducing
spending, promoting entrepreneurship, and restoring fairness in the judicial system
(About AFP 2008).
David Koch and his brother, Charles, who are owners of one of the largest
privately owned energy companies in the world, were featured in a profile story in the
Washington Post in 2009, which accused the company of being involved in the illegal
activity of secretly selling weapons to Iran (Flock 1996). Koch Industries deal in several
types of energy products, such as petroleum, chemicals, energy, and fibers. They also are
involved in commodities trading and have subsidiary companies in 59 countries. Koch
Industries in France was proven to have violated bribery laws in 2008 (Flock 1996).
Even though the Koch brothers deny any involvement in Tea Party events and funding,
they seem to constantly come up in conversations surrounding the AFP, but the constant
negative press revolving around the Koch brothers has began to hurt the credibility of the
AFP (Flock 1996).
Tea Party Patriots
The membership of this group is said to be the largest of the six main Tea Party
groups. This group is made up of a large network of leaders who are able to coordinate
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on any front (Good 2010). Although this group is the largest, it is somewhat un-unified
in its actions so it seems to receive less news coverage. The Tea Party Patriots (TPP)
host conference calls on a weekly basis and maintain their website as a place where
supporters can share ideas with each other and learn from other members (Good 2010).
The Tea Party Patriots want to make sure that they have no affiliation with any other
group, especially the National Tea Party Federation, the Tea Party Express, and the Tea
Party Nation, because they have serious doubts about those groups’ “grassroots”
creditability (Good 2010). The Tea Party Patriots also do not endorse specific
candidates; they are completely a virtual group working from the homes of members
(Meckler 2011).
The Tea Party Patriots was founded by Mark Meckler. Its mission statement is
as follows: “The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending
and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens
to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility,
Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Market” (Tea Party Patriots Mission
Statement and Core Values 2011). Simply stated, they support the basic principles that
the other Tea Party groups have already stated. They want to limit government
involvement and taxes, as well as support the free market system. Meckler and the Tea
Party Patriots accused the NAACP of making "more money off of race than any slave
trader, ever" (Meckler 2011). This statement was made in response to the NAACP’s
accusations that some Tea Party members yelled racial slurs at certain Congressmen as
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they walked into the Capitol to cast the final vote for the Healthcare Reform Bill (H.R.
3962) in March of 2010 (Meckler 2011).
Tea Party Express
This group is a political action committee that has sponsored several bus tours,
which has helped raised membership numbers as well as rallies that draw thousands. Tea
Party Express is devoted to what it calls six major principles, which are: No more
bailouts, reduce the size of government, stop raising taxes, repeal “Obamacare” (H.R.
3962), cease out-of-control spending, and bring back American prosperity (Tea Party
Express - History 2009). Again, the basis for this group is the same as the prior groups,
less government and less spending, less taxes and getting back to “grassroots” America
(Tea Party Express - History 2009).
The Tea Party Express’ mission statement is as follows: “We are committed to
identifying and supporting conservative candidates and causes that will champion tea
party values and return our country to the Constitutional principles that have made
America the shining city on a hill” (Tea Party Express - History 2009). This group spent
thousands of dollars on the Senate races in Nevada and Alaska in the midterm elections
of 2010 for their chosen candidates. They were very successful with these races in
Nevada and Alaska and are the only group that has raised and spent a large amount of
money on GOP primaries. This group has also come under criticism. Tea Party Express
former Chairman, Mark Williams, was ridiculed for comparing the NAACP to slave
traders in the summer of 2010 (Good 2010). He went on to say many more racially
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driven remarks that eventually led to him and his Tea Party Express being ousted from
the National Tea Party Federation (Kennedy 2010). Fortunately for the Tea Party
Express, their successes in the political arena overshadowed their Chairman’s actions.
National Tea Party Federation
The National Tea Party Federation is more of an umbrella group that tries to
help all Tea Party groups coordinate with one another for more of a cohesive approach to
the movement and was formed in April of 2010 (Good 2010). This federation is to act as
a “rapid response team” for media misinformation (Formation of National Tea Party
Federation Announced 2011). The Tea Party Federation is meant to aid in the promotion
of the Tea Party objectives, which are: fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited
government, and free market (The National Tea Party Federation - Home Page 2010).
The Tea Party Express and the Tea Party Nation are members of the federation, but the
FreedomWorks, Tea Party Patriots, and Americans for Prosperity groups are not. The
AFP and FreedomWorks groups may not be members of the federation but these groups
still work in conjunction with it. The Tea Party Patriots do not cooperate with the
federation in any way, due to the desire by the Tea Party Patriots to have no affiliation
with any groups or candidates (Formation of National Tea Party Federation Announced
2011). The formation of this federation raised concern from other Tea Party groups that
the federation would try to control the movement and the groups. This fear was realized
when the National Tea Party Federation called for the resignation of Tea Party Express
Chairman after some of his racial remarks. When the Tea Party Express refused to expel
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Chairman Williams, the federation revoked the Express’s membership (Formation of
National Tea Party Federation Announced 2011). No mission statement was given on
the official website for the National Tea Party Federation.
FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks’ main purpose is to direct its members to events and rallies and
to host trainings on how to help organize these rallies. The rallies are held to increase the
number of members by bringing likeminded supporters of the movement together (Good
2010). FreedomWorks was one of the early supporters of the Tea Party Movement and
helped facilitate the Tax Day protest of 2009, which was held across the entire nation by
Tea Party members to protest against government spending (Good 2010). The
FreedomWorks members turned their website into an information site to aid in directing
people to local rallies. This group is also responsible for adding some politically savvy
people to this grassroots movement through its training of grassroots activists (Good
2010). FreedomWorks’ mission is to fight for lower taxes, less government, and more
economic freedom (About FreedomWorks 2010). They support privatizing Social
Security, implementing flat taxes, using school vouchers, and doing away with estate
taxes (About FreedomWorks 2010). FreedomWorks is responsible for forming the Tea
Party Debt Commission, which was discussed previously in this chapter.
To summarize the motivations of these six main Tea Party groups and the
hundreds of smaller supporting groups, this movement is fighting for less involvement
from the government in everyday life of Americans, which includes less taxes and no
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bailouts, greater reliance on the free market, and finally more fiscal responsibility. The
National Tea Party Federation is attempting to bring together all like-minded Tea Party
groups and supporters to hopefully propel the movement far into the future (The National
Tea Party Federation - Home Page 2010). Even though the Tea Party Express is not
officially affiliated with this federation, it is still working towards the same goals (Tea
Party Express - History 2009).
Characteristics of the Tea Party Movement
In Chapter Two, I discussed a list of 22 common characteristics that are found
in both left and right extremist groups. For the purpose of this thesis, I will focus on
some of the most common characteristics that the Tea Party Movement has used. I will
refer to these characteristics with the same corresponding numbers that they were placed
in the list from Chapter Two.
Character Assassinations (1)
One characteristic that is easily found within the Tea Party is the use of
character assassinations. During the 2008 presidential race, Vice President hopeful Sarah
Palin constantly attacked the character of the Democratic presidential candidate Barack
Obama. She accused him of “paling around with terrorists,” due to his association with
Bill Ayers, who was a member of the Weathered Underground during the Vietnam War
and was blamed for several bombings during that time (Palin: Obama Pals Around with
Terrorists 2008). Obama publicly denounced Ayers’s political views. She also
questioned his character for being associated with Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., pastor of the
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Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago (Palin: Obama Pals Around with Terrorists
2008). Pastor Wright had made some comments that were very controversial, which
forced Obama to denounce his involvement in that church. The statements were included
in a sermon given in 2003. In this particular sermon he said of the way black Americans
are treated, “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a threestrike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn
America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people” (Ross 2008). He went on to say,
“God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human, God damn America for
as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme” (Ross 2008). Palin still decided to
use that against Obama and made a statement saying, “I don't know why that association
isn't discussed more, and because those were appalling things that that pastor had said
about our great country. To me, that does say something about character” (Palin: Obama
Pals Around with Terrorists 2008). This is but just one example of how the Tea Party
had engaged in character assassinations.
Name Calling and Labeling (2)
Another form of intimidation used by the Tea Party is name-calling. In
Decorah, Iowa, two Tea Party supporters labeled President Obama a “fascist, Nazi,
Muslim, socialist dictator” at a stop along his tour in August 2011 (Ponder 2011). These
comments were in response to the Tea Party Supporters being referred to as “tea baggers”
by President Obama, which they found offensive (The Evolution of the Word "Tea
Bagger" 2010). What these Tea Partiers failed to realize is that it was actually Tea Party
supporters who coined that phrase just 22 days after President Obama took office (Ponder
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2011). A website called the “Tea Bag Congress” was created by Tea Party supporters.
These same supporters would also show up at rallies wearing tea bags stapled to their
hats (Ponder 2011). Once the Tea Party realized that this term had a derogatory
connotation surrounding it, they began to find it offensive and starting comparing the use
of that term to calling a black American a racially derogatory term (Ponder 2011).
Another example of this in the Tea Party is Sarah Palin calling President
Obama “the most pro-abortion president to occupy the White House” (Ertelt 2010).
Normally this statement would not have been a huge deal; however it was said at an
appearance in Texas with Rick Perry, who is very pro-life (Ertelt 2010). In the same
appearance, Palin also called Obama’s healthcare reform bill the “mother of all unfunded
mandates that will allow taxpayer funding of abortions” (Ertelt 2010).
Irresponsible Sweeping Generalization (3)
A sweeping generalization can be seen in the actions of one of the Tea Party
organizations. Mark Williams, Tea Party Express national spokesperson, was quoted as
saying this about the NAACP: “We are dealing with people who are professional racebaiters who make a very good living off this kind of thing. They make more money off of
race than any slave trader, ever. It’s time groups like the NAACP went to the trash heap
of history where they belong along with all the other vile, racist groups that emerged in
our history” (Jost 2010). He then went on to make the comment that all NAACP
members profit from racism. Shortly after these incidences, the Tea Party Express
removed Williams from the organization and denounced his statements.
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Another example of a sweeping generalization was made by a current GOP
presidential candidate. Herman Cain, in September 2011, stated that black Americans
were too “brainwashed” and “not open-minded” enough to embrace a conservative point
of view (Olesczcuk 2011). This statement is meant to assume that all black Americans
are Democrats or Liberals and would not vote for a Republican or a conservative, no
matter what the race of the candidate was (Olesczcuk 2011).
Tendency to View Opponents and
Critics as Essentially Evil (6)
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin’s view of Obama was that
his policies were “downright evil,” and she claimed that he was “leading Americans
down the red road of socialism” (Nichols 2009). In Palin’s book, Going Rogue, she went
further in her claim that Obama is an evil person by saying that with his healthcare
reform he wanted to “do in babies born alive after botched abortions” (Nichols 2009).
These statements had no proof behind them and were actually disproven by Time
magazine (Nichols 2009).
This example would also fit well into characteristic number four of the list,
which is the use of inadequate proof of assertions. During a rally in Jamestown,
Pennsylvania, in October of 2008, Palin again claimed that, “As a state senator, Barack
Obama wouldn't even stand up for the rights of infants born alive during an abortion.
These infants, often babies with special needs, are simply left to die” (Scherer 2008).
This claim was made without proof. The facts are that from 2001 to 2003 Senator
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Obama voted against the Born Alive bill in Illinois due to the definition being used for
these infants (Scherer 2008). Obama went on to explain his votes by saying,
Whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equalprotection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying
is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would
be provided to a child, a 9-month-old child that was delivered to term. That
determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions
to take place. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal-protection
clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would
be an antiabortion statute. (Scherer 2008)
The pro-life supporter in the state of Illinois agreed with Obama’s statement and said that
the way the Born Alive bill was written at the time was “so unclear that it would have
been litigated forever” (Scherer 2008). This statement was made by Pat Sutherland,
President of the State of Illinois Planned Parenthood chapter. Soon after these statements
were made, several other senators joined Obama’s views on the early version of this bill.
Tendency To Use Argument
by Intimidation (10)
Intimidation can be seen in many of the Tea Party’s actions. In Canton, Ohio,
during the 2010 mid-term elections, McDonald’s workers opened their paycheck
envelopes to find a pamphlet placed inside along with their checks. The pamphlet made
some statements that were meant to intimidate the employees to vote a certain way or
face possible financial repercussions (Tavernise 2010). The owner of the McDonald’s,
Paul Siegfried, a Republican and Tea Party supporter, placed the pamphlets into his
employees’ checks to intimidate them into voting for the Republicans on the upcoming
ballot (Tavernise 2010). In doing so, Siegfried clearly intended to intimidate his
employees by linking their finances to support of his political views. The McDonald’s
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corporation made it very clear that they did not share in Siegfried’s views, and Siegfried
refused to comment to the press on his own behalf (Tavernise 2010).
Use of Slogans, Buzzwords, and
Thought-Stopping Clichés (11)
The Tea Party supporters have used several slogans and buzzwords in the
posters at their rallies to portray President Obama in a negative way. Some of the posters
have read: “Obama: Undocumented Socialist,” “Hitler Gave Good Speeches, Too,” and
“What Do You Expect from a Social Worker in the White House? (The 50 Most
Ridiculous Tea Party Slogans 2009). Slogans such as these are meant to drive a larger
separation between Tea Party supporters and President Obama supporters by
undermining the president’s ability to effectively complete his term in the White House.
Some other examples of slogans being used at Tea Party rallies are:
“Obamanomics: Trickle up Poverty” and “Socialism is incorrect change” (Tax Day Battle
of 2009 2009). These slogans are directed at the disgust the Tea Party members feel for
President Obama.
Belief That It’s Okay To Do Bad Things
in the Service of a “Good” Cause (14)
Many Democratic members of congress received threats that were linked to Tea
Party supporters in the early months of 2010. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), who is a high
ranking African American lawmaker, received faxes with pictures of nooses on them
from Tea Party supporters upset at his vote on healthcare reform (Hulse 2010). The
brother of former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) found a severed gas line at his house
shortly after a Tea Party Supporter published his address on an online forum website,
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believing that the address belonged to former Rep. Perriello (Hulse 2010). These acts
were supposedly done to persuade people to join the Tea Party’s way of thinking (Hulse
2010).
Extremists Often Feel That the System
is No Good Unless They Win (21)
Many Tea Party groups have done whatever they can to portray President
Obama as the enemy in an effort to prove that his views for the country are wrong and
that the Tea Party and its supporters are right and can “fix it” (Tea Party Movement
2011). In July of 2010, a billboard was erected in Iowa that showed a picture of Obama
in between pictures of Hitler and Lenin (Billboard Linking Obama, Hitler Draws
Complaints 2010). The heading above the Obama picture read, “Democrat Socialism,”
and under the three pictures, the billboard reads, “Radical leaders prey on the fearful &
naive – Live free or die” (Billboard Linking Obama, Hitler Draws Complaints 2010).
The billboard was paid for by the North Iowa Tea Party and was meant to show that
Obama is wrong for this country and that the Tea Party and its supporters are a better fit
(Billboard Linking Obama, Hitler Draws Complaints 2010). This event is also a good
example of characteristic 2, which deals with name calling and labeling because the
billboard labeled Obama a socialist (George and Wilcox 1996).
Extremists Tend to Believe in Far-Reaching
Conspiracy Theories (22)
One of the conspiracy theories that the Tea Partiers are investing time into
involves the election of Barack Obama. A documentary called The Obama Deception by
Alex Jones, a radio host from Texas, claims that the election of Obama was a “plot by the
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leaders of the New World Order to con the American people into accepting global
slavery” (Jones 2011). This documentary also claims that, “According to this dark
vision, America's 21st-century traumas signal the coming of a great political cataclysm,
in which a false prophet such as Barack Obama will upend American sovereignty and
render the country into a godless, one-world socialist dictatorship run by the United
Nations from its offices in Manhattan” (Jones 2011). Within this conspiracy theory,
more than one characteristic is represented. The inadequate proof for assertion,
characteristic 4, is apparent due to the fact that no proof was provided for these claims
against President Obama (Jones 2011). The third characteristic, which deals with
sweeping generalizations, can also be seen in the assumption of belief in a fake prophet
that will lead this country into a godless state (Jones 2011).
Tea Party Strategies
The sheer amount of Tea Party groups makes it very difficult to pin point one
specific strategy that all Tea Partiers follow. There are a few distinct strategies that seem
to apply to all Tea Party groups. These strategies have aided in the success of many Tea
Party supported groups and individuals.
The first strategy that is present in all Tea Party groups is the building of the
group from the bottom up. Many of these formed groups began with a few citizens
rallying together rather than a leader doing the organizing (Conner 2010). Once
organized, the Tea Partiers put their most charismatic members in the forefront. This
gives the illusion of a leader without actually having to have one. Overall there is no one
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leader of the Tea Party movement; instead there are several key people helping propel the
movement (Conner 2010). I will now look at the five extremist strategies that were
discussed in Chapter Two and examine groups or examples of Tea Party supporters who
have used or attempted to use any of those strategies to accomplish their goals.
The Tea Party is using the attrition strategy with the immigration issue in the
United States. The Tea Party supporters in Arizona continue to push and support the SB
1070 provision, which gives police officers the right to arrest anyone suspected of being
an illegal immigrants without a warrant as long as the officer can prove probable cause
for his/her actions (Arizona Immigration Law 2010 SB1070 2010). This law also allows
immediate deportation upon release of an illegal immigration from jail or prison (Arizona
Immigration Law 2010 SB1070 2010). Other states have begun to adopt similar laws.
Alabama, for example, has an immigration law called the HB 56 provision, which allows
the same rights to officers as the Arizona law, but also allows the schools in Alabama to
verify the birthplaces of all students and parents of students (Horowitz 2010). With this
information the schools do not have to permit illegal immigrants into the schools and can
report their findings to law enforcement for further action (Horowitz 2010). These
actions are an attempt to “bully” the pro-immigration supporters into giving up the fight
and succumbing to deportation (Horowitz 2010). Tea Party backed Alabama Judge,
Sharon Blackburn, claims that this new harsh line taken is working and that several
illegal immigrants have voluntarily chosen to leave the country and return home (Arizona
Immigration Law 2010 SB1070 2010).
62
The intimidation strategy can be found following the vote by Congress
members on the healthcare reform bill H. R. 3962 in 2010. Several Democratic Congress
members received intimidating threats from confirmed Tea Party supporters (Sherman
and Cogan 2010). Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) had a coffin put near his house
following the healthcare vote in March of 2010. This event followed several other
threatening incidents towards other Congress members, which included “Rules
Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) receiving a message saying snipers
were being deployed to kill children of those who voted for health care overhaul”
(Sherman and Cogan 2010).
Tactics of the Tea Party
Fear tactics has been used by Tea Party members, along with the intimidation
strategy in relation to the events previously discussed in this chapter. The threatened
Democrat members of Congress following the vote on the healthcare reform bill are a
perfect example of this tactic (Cooper 2010). Gabriel Gifford (D-AZ) stated that shortly
after her vote on H. R. 3962, her office in Tucson was vandalized (Cooper 2010).
Gifford also showed concern about being a target on Sarah Palin’s “crosshairs ad”
(Cohan 2011). Sarah Palin and her group of supporters, called SarahPac, created a map
online that pointed out 20 different districts across the nation that the Tea Party needed to
focus on. The map had crosshair symbols on each district of concentration, Gifford’s
district was one of them (Cohan 2011). Gifford’s opponent in the 2010 election, Jesse
Kelly, held an event where people could pay $50 to come and shoot M16’s with him.
63
The ad for the event said “Get on target for victory. Help remove Gabrielle Gifford from
office. Shoot a fully a automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly” (Cohan 2011). Gifford voiced
her concerns over the ad several times and definitely considered it a threat of violence
(Cohan 2011).
Propaganda has proved an effective tactic for the Tea Party and its supporters.
The Tea Party has made use of some very powerful slogans. Slogans of the current Tea
Party Movement are definitely meant to help reinforce its position on certain issues by
using thought-stopping clichés that are supposed to help individuals join its fight. One
example of an actual slogan at a Tea Party rally includes: “Obama: Undocumented
Socialist,” which is directed at the question surrounding Obama’s birth certificate
verification (The 50 Most Ridiculous Tea Party Slogans 2009). Another slogan read,
“Taxation: The New Terrorism,” which plays off of Americans’ fear of terrorists after
9/11 and the fear of increased taxes (The 50 Most Ridiculous Tea Party Slogans 2009).
The buzzwords like “Tax” and “Terrorism” are meant to invoke certain gut reactions, not
thought out reactions to these phrases.
In the next chapter, I will review my findings and discuss the similarities of
extremist groups and the Tea Party. I will compare the characteristics, strategies, and
tactics of the Tea Party to those of extremist groups. I will then conclude with some
future research ideas and my predictions of what might happen to the Tea Party in the
future.
CHAPTER V
A COMPARATIVE DISCUSSION AND
CONCLUSION OF EXTREMIST
GROUPS AND THE TEA
PARTY MOVEMENT
Overview
In the body of this thesis, I completed a case study of the Tea Party to examine
whether it exhibits any extremist characteristics. I outlined the specific framework of
what constitutes an extremist group in Chapters Two and Three. In Chapter Four, I
discussed the Tea Party, the beginning of the current movement, and specific events that
have occurred over the past two years.
In this chapter I will review my findings on the characteristics, strategies and
tactics that, when combined, help define an extremist group. I will then review my
findings on the Tea Party Movement and compare it to the characteristics, strategies, and
tactics from Chapter Two. Once this comparison is completed, I will determine if there is
enough evidence in this case study to classify the Tea Party Movement as an extremist
group, a right-wing group with some extremist tendencies, or just a far right-wing group.
I will also give some predictions on the possible future direction of the Tea Party
Movement. The remainder of this chapter is divided into the following three sections: (1)
64
65
Comparison of the similarities between extremist groups and the Tea Party, (2)
Determination of whether the Tea Party can be classified as an extremist group, and (3)
Discussion of possible future research topics. I will now discuss the similarities that the
Tea Party has to other extremist groups.
Comparison of Similarities between Extremist
Groups and the Tea Party Movement
In Chapter Two, I determined extremism has more than one dimension. There
is the psychological dimension that refers to the way a person is raised and the beliefs
instilled in an individual from childhood to adulthood. There is also a social aspect of
extremism, which is the reaction by individuals or groups to threats to their beliefs (West
Jr. 1972, 11). If those two dimensions are combined, then the proper definition of
extremism as we have come to understand it today is “a style of life characterized by an
irrational response to reality motivated by frustration, fear, and hate” (West Jr. 1972, 12).
An extremist defined for this thesis “is a person who favors or resorts to immoderate,
uncompromising, or fanatical methods or behavior, especially in being politically radical”
(Farlex, Inc. 2011).
Of the 22 characteristics that can be displayed by extremist groups, the actions
of the Tea Party can be paralleled to several of these characteristics. The Tea Party has
partaken in at least nine of the 22 characteristics listed. It has committed character
assassinations of its opponents, as stated in the example of Sarah Palin accusing President
Obama of “paling around with terrorists,” which is the number one characteristic on the
previous list (Palin: Obama Pals Around with Terrorists 2008). The Tea Party has
66
engaged in labeling and name calling, which was displayed in the example of the Iowa
Tea Party supporters calling President Obama a “fascist, Nazi, Muslim, socialist dictator”
during a stop along the president’s bus tour (Ponder 2011), which is the number two
characteristic.
When the Tea Party Express spokesman, Mark Williams, claimed that all
NAACP members profit from racism, he was displaying the number three characteristic
on the list, which is irresponsible sweeping generalizations. During the 2008 presidential
campaign when Sarah Palin called President Obama’s policies “downright evil,” she was
attempting to portray Obama in an evil light, which is number six on the characteristics
list. Extremists often have a tendency to view opponents and critics as evil (George and
Wilcox 1996, 57). The number ten characteristic, which deals with intimidation, is
apparent in the example of the McDonald’s owner in Ohio placing a pamphlet meant to
persuade his employees to vote a certain way inside their paycheck envelopes. The
pamphlet claimed financial repercussions if these employees did not vote the way the
manager wanted (Tavernise 2010).
Of all the characteristics in the list of 22, the Tea Party has made great use of
the number eleven characteristic, which has to do with slogans and buzzwords. In the
examples given in Chapter Four, it is obvious that these actions are an attempt to
persuade Americans to support the Tea Party’s ideals and not the ideals of anyone else.
Slogans such as “Hitler Gave Good Speeches, Too” are used to cause a specific reaction
(The 50 Most Ridiculous Tea Party Slogans 2009).
67
Following the vote for H. R. 3962 in 2010, the Healthcare Reform Bill, several
Democratic members of Congress were victimized by acts of violence and physical
threats from Tea Party supporters. This is an example of characteristic number fourteen,
which states that extremists feel it is acceptable to do bad things for a good cause. The
Tea Party has displayed behavior that is suggestive of the number twenty-one
characteristic, believing that the system will fail unless it wins. The billboard, where a
picture of Obama was placed in between pictures of Hitler and Lenin in the example in
Chapter Four, was meant to show how wrong Obama is for America, which in turn would
help prove that the Tea Party is right (Billboard Linking Obama, Hitler Draws
Complaints 2010). And when the conspiracy theory about the 2008 presidential election
began to be discussed, the Tea Party was guilty of characteristic number twenty-two. The
theory claims that the election of the first African-American president was a “plot by the
leaders of the New World Order to con the American people into accepting global
slavery” (Jones 2011).
Even though not every characteristic was represented, the Tea Party seems to be
following the guidelines of historical precedence of extreme activity. Not all extremist
groups embody every characteristic; however these are not the only determining factors
in the classification of what constitutes an extremist group. There are also common
strategies and tactics used by extremists that can help define which groups are extreme
and which are not. I will now compare the Tea Party’s actions and some of the examples
used in Chapter Four to these strategies and tactics of past extremist groups. I will begin
with the five most common strategies used by extremists, and then I will look at the five
68
most common tactics and attempt to find parallels between the Tea Party and other
extremist groups.
Comparison of Strategies and Tactics
Used by Tea Party
The five strategies that I discussed in Chapter Two are: attrition, intimidation,
provocation, spoiling, and outbidding. Attrition has been present in the way that the Tea
Party is dealing with the immigration problem in the United States. Examples in the
previous chapters show an attempt by Tea Party supporters to “bully” pro-immigration
supporters into giving up the fight and succumbing to deportation (Horowitz 2010). That
is what attrition is, the attempt to win by bullying. As explained in the discussion of
strategies in Chapter Two, the intimidation strategy, which is also one of the previous
characteristics, is an important factor in the determination of what constitutes extremist
actions (West Jr. 1972, 96).
The tactics of fear and the use of propaganda can be seen in many of the actions
taken by Tea Party supporters. The abuse the Democratic members of Congress faced
after voting for H. R. 3962 was not only intimidation, but was also used to instill fear in
the individual targets, as well as those who would consider going against the Tea Party.
Propaganda was also used by the Tea Party and its supporters. A saying like, “Taxation:
The New Terrorism,” has a certain connotation that is meant to cause a reaction in
whoever reads it. The reaction expected is to reject Obama’s policies and accept the Tea
Party point of view (The 50 Most Ridiculous Tea Party Slogans 2009).
69
Classification of the Tea Party
The goal of this thesis was to look at the history of extremist groups in America
and determine whether parallels could be established between these groups and the
current Tea Party Movement. The lack of past scholarly research on the topic of
extremist groups in general posed some difficulty. However, I combined the most
commonly used determinants to arrive at my conclusion. It is important that further
research be done on this topic to help in understanding extremist groups today and the
motivations that drive them and how these motivations changed from the original
research.
With the findings of the research in this thesis, I have determined that although
the Tea Party is very similar to extremist groups of the past, it is not quite yet an
extremist group. The Tea Party is still new and in its infancy. Even though the Tea Party
has demonstrated already a significant number of examples of extremist type behavior,
there are not enough events in the history of this group to make a certain and definite
determination of fully fledged extremism. Also, even with the few examples of violent
behavior that have been discussed, the number of violent acts is not at the level of what
the definition of extremism would expect. Therefore, it is my determination that the
current Tea Party movement is on its way to becoming a new extremist group of the 21st
century, but has yet to reach it. If things continue along the current path, the Tea Party
will be considered an extremist group in a very short amount of time. The Tea Party
definitely has extremist tendencies in place and has used several extremist strategies and
tactics, but I would be hesitant to call the Tea Party extremist until a few more
70
characteristics begin to show up in their rallies, supporters, and Tea Party organizations.
If a classification for the Tea Party had to be made today, I would feel comfortable with
the classification of a far-right wing group with extremist tendencies.
Future Research
With another presidential election coming up in a year, the actions of the Tea
Party should begin to be more apparent in the media again. Once the election is
complete, more research could be done on how the Tea Party reacts to the outcome.
Memberships of the Tea Party organizations can be tracked to determine if there is a
surge in membership or a trailing off of support. A political opinion poll could be given
to the supporters and opponents of the Tea Party to gauge its future success. Within the
poll, questions about the respondents’ attitudes and psychological motivations could be
asked, as well as whether support for the Tea Party was formed out of economic
desperation. The current GOP race for the next Republican presidential candidate has
begun to show signs of Tea Party elevation. The future of the Tea Party will depend on
its success in the next election. If the Tea Party backed candidates are successful, then I
predict a surge in membership to the six previously stated Tea Party organizations. If the
Tea Party backed candidates do not have great success in this next election, I predict that
there will be a great number of extreme events, tactics, and characteristics present within
the Tea Party, which would change its classification from far-right wing group to an
extremist group.
71
Since I began this thesis, a new movement has begun. The Occupy Wall Street
Movement has emerged to “fight back against the corrosive power of major banks and
multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in
creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations”
(About Occupy Wall Street 2011). This movement began on September 17, 2011 to
show how the top 1% financially secured in America control the economy. Although the
two movements have no affiliation with one another, the tactics being used by these
groups are very similar. The Occupy Wall Street Movement has participated in rallies
and demonstrations across the country in similar fashion to the beginning of the Tea Party
Movement. Now with the emergence of these two movements, the need for further
research on the classifications of what defines extremism is even more relevant.
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