<p>Last Saturday, just a few days after Tax Day, Glenn Beck organized a tea<br />
party rally that attracted an audience of half a million. Surely Obama was<br />
surprised to see such an incredible crowd on his front lawn, not to mention the<br />
fact that this incredible turnout does not bode well for future of the<br />
Democratic Party.</p>
<p>Instead of appealing strictly to Republicans, Beck<br />
reached across party lines and made the emphasis of his rally about &#8220;we the<br />
people,&#8221; speaking about God and country and honoring the military. In a typical<br />
countermove, Al Sharpton organized his own event on the same day, but only a<br />
few hundred showed up.</p>
<p>Then the biggest issue of the day was revealed: the GOP is tired of<br />
being blamed for the nation&#8217;s staggering debt, an amount equal to nearly 10% of<br />
the US economy. But where can we cut spending when millions of Americans depend<br />
on Medicaid, Social Security, and food stamps? Even less likely is the decision<br />
to cut the war and defense budget. </p>
<p>Sarah Palin attended the rally, speaking about the need to restore old America,<br />
drawing a counter to Obama’s campaign of &#8220;change,&#8221; a promise he failed to<br />
fulfill. Maybe this energetic group of millions represented by last Saturday&#8217;s<br />
tea party will be able to accomplish their goals.</p>
<p>Although the Tea Party has experienced defeat as well as victory, the group<br />
has had a dramatic influence on who earns a seat in the House of<br />
Representatives. And now they&#8217;re getting fired up about next year&#8217;s elections.<br />
What does this portend for the tea party&#8217;s future and their role in selecting<br />
the Republican presidential nominee?</p>
<p>Ideally the Tea Party would like to see someone like Ted Cruz win the<br />
primary.  ;In any event, especially in light of recent Tea Party influence in<br />
Congressional elections, 2016 will be a huge year not only for the future of the Tea Party,<br />
but also for the country as a whole.</p>