the

early
adopters
reading the tea leaves
Activist Insights Report:
Market Research on the Tea
Party Movement, its Leaders
and their Motivations

alliance

400 West Erie Street, Suite 407 Chicago, Illinois 60654 312.920.0080

03/01/2010

Our enemies must acknowledge that these people have

acted upon pure and upright principle you cannot
imagine the height of joy that sparkles in the eyes and

animates the countenances as well as the hearts of all we

meet on this occasion .

Sam Adams on the original Tea Party

Table of Contents
Reading the Tea Leaves ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Research and Analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 4

Methodology ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Insight Areas ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Conclusions & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 8

The Early Adopters ................................................................................................................................ 8

Tea Party Leaders Are Self Aware .................................................................................................... 8

The Leadership Question ..................................................................................................................... 8

Appendices .............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Appendix 1: Hierarchical Value Map ................................................................................................. 11

Appendix 2: Selected Ladders .......................................................................................................... 12

My own son called me a stupid rightwinger.

alliance

March 1, 2010
Dear Friend,
Americas tea parties last year triggered a sea change in the political climate. They pointed at the
deep discontent with the bipartisan binge of bailouts and spending pouring from Washington over
two presidencies, and presaged last summers Town Hall meetings which proved even to Congress
that millions of people were very unhappy with their management.
Many ridiculed the tea parties; even those sympathetic with the sentiments questioned whether
mere protests make any difference. But by December the tea party leaders in Massachusetts
had moved from protest to politics, and they created the base from which voters used a special
election to put Scott Brown into the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.
Now political observers of all stripes are offering punditry about the significance of the tea parties
why they arose, and what their leaders want. Some have even gone so far as to interview some
tea party folks; even then the media bias often is more prominent than the motives of the tea party
leaders.
The Sam Adams Alliance decided to learn what the tea party leaders are up to in the old fashioned
way: We asked them. We met in person with tea party leaders from thirty-eight states; we
collected survey data from forty-nine leaders; we conducted in-depth interviews with ten leaders
from ten states.
What we have learned is very promising for the American republic. We consistently found serious
citizens standing up for the Constitution and the basic principles of Americas founding. We found
a deep distrust of current political leaders and both political parties, but strong understanding that
practical considerations argue against a third party. We found that the tea party label is a good
fit for these citizens who stepped away from their private lives to speak up for their principles.
They have much in common with the leaders in Boston two hundred years ago.
The road to the American Revolution became one-way with a single defiant protest by patriotic
citizens: the Boston Tea Party. The violent retaliation of the British proved that Sam Adams had
been correct all along, and that British rulers viewed Americans as mere subjects on plantations
and colonies, born to follow whatever orders the King and Parliament imposed.
We live at another historic juncture. The country is embroiled in a great debate about the role of
government, and the place of the individual in society. Please review our study and learn why tea
party leaders have felt compelled to take a leading role in this debate. They have proven that they
play an important role in American politics, and they just might be the earlier adopters of a new
approach to citizen engagement in our political system.
Best Wishes,

Eric OKeefe, Chairman, Sam Adams Alliance

400 West Erie, Suite 407

Chicago, Illinois 60654
P 312.920.0080
www.samadamsalliance.org

I have a burning desire to protect freedom.

Reading the Tea Leaves

Attempts to define the Tea Party
movementits motivations, values, beliefs,
and goalscontinue to miss the mark and
yet to date there have been no in-depth
conversations with the people who actually
make up the movement themselves.
Market research through data collection
has focused on the opinions others hold
of the movement; this report examines the
motivations of the individuals themselves.

Due to continued participation and

activity, the Tea Parties are emerging
as a movement that is both longterm
and critical for political strategists and
participants to understand.

The people involved with these

movements are not political junkies or
crusty rightwing extremists; 46.9%
were uninvolved or rarely involved with
politics prior to 2009.

They arent in it to express anger

alone. An overwhelming majority
characterized the goal of their initial
involvement as to stand up for my
beliefs.

They are self aware. Theyre arent

About one third remains unabashedly

loyal to Sarah Palins presidential
candidacy, yet the field splits from there.
DeMint, Romney, and Huckabee each
garnered at least 10% of their support.

They have a sophisticated, well-informed

understanding of the U.S. Constitution
and American history in general

The conclusion of this report is that the

Tea Party activists are not the other,
and they cannot be defined through a
single statement, document, or definition.
They are the early adopters of a new
empowerment. As early adopters, they
are paving the road they believe our
country must proceed down in order to
regain control over its government, and
they are modeling the type of paradigm
shiftthe reawakening of the "people"
component of a democracythat they
believe is necessary to our survival as a
representative deomocracy.
The recommendation from this report is
the time has come to better understand
and attend to the Tea Parties. They are
powerful, both in their political sway and in
their passion.

falling for a Third Party trap, including

social issues on their docket, nor
are they content to be labeled as
protesting for the sake of protesting.
70.3% are hopeful that they are having
a positive impact on their country.

Introduction
The Tea Party movement started with a
bang when on February 17, 2009, Rick
Santelli, a reporter for CNBC, shouted
from the floor of the Chicago Board of
Trade that heand the traders
surrounding himhad had enough.
Enough government bailouts, taxation,
and general amateurish attempts at fiscal
policy that were leading our country down
the road toward massive nationalization
of business. His furor was mirrored by the
men and women surrounding him on the
floor of the exchange.

The key claims:

The movement is insincere, orchestrated

The movement is full of right-wing
extremists

The people involved are hicks, poorly

educated, or violent

There is no underlying pointofview,

or sophisticated understanding

They operate on the fringes of

But it wasnt just the financial industry
that was furious; every day Americans
seize upon this lightning rod and Santellis
call for a Chicago Tea Party to hold their
own Tea Parties. The movement began
in an instant, and all across small towns
and big cities of America, groups came
together to hold protests against their
own government.
And so began the attacks: that the
movement was astroturf, talking
heads referred to the People involved
as tea-baggers, and condescension
and conspiracy theories abounded. The
attacks continue, more virulent, more
subtle, more varied, and from a wider
audience than in the first days. The
election of Scott Brown in January 2010,
almost one year later, prove that this
movement has staying power and has in
this way placed it in the crosshairs of
both Republican and Democrat operatives,
desperate either to malign or claim this
movement as their own.

political thought, embracing ideas

such as conspiracy theories and
secessionist ideologies

It is a shortterm movement, comprised

entirely of protest and nothing else
In order to support or refute these claims
and to gain clear insights about the Tea
Party movement, the Sam Adams Alliance
undertook a market research plan. This
analysis applies fact to this discussion and
helps paint a picture of the varied people
and motivations behind the movement. The
goal for this report is to provide accurate
information, from the source, about this
movement, and to equip organizations and
individuals who interact with Tea Party
organizations to engage with them to
move beyond protest, to action.
Providing real information can be the
difference between a movement defined
by others and a movement defined by the
participants; a movement defined by its
participants can continue to grow, and it
can recruit others to join its mission.

We surveyed fifty of the top Tea Party

leaders from across the country, in states
from Alaska and Hawaii to Texas, Rhode
Island, and Florida. We conducted ten
hour-long, indepth laddering interviews
to determine the core connections to the
movement and to understand exactly
what their hopes and fears were about the
direction of the United States and the Tea
Parties themselves. We learned how varied
the people were, from level of education to
the candidate theyd select for president.
We also learned what they have in
common, and from this data, we are able to
present a deeply insightful report.
The market research was designed solely
to report on the facts, including the
following research questions:
(1) What are the core motivating principles
behind these activists involvement in the
Tea Party movement.

My father fought in the

second World Warwhen
you look back at those

troops, they were loved.

(2)What are the challenges facing their
organizations at this juncture.
(3) What will the future hold for the Tea
Party movement?

What happened to that?

Moreover, does the Tea Party

movement operate on the fringes
of mainstream political discourse
or are the Tea Party activists
more vehement proponents of an
inherently relevant and moderate
conservative message?

(4)

The next section presents our research and

analysis followed by the conclusions and
recommendations this analysis suggests.

Research and Analysis

Key activities of the study included:

finally, value, (or the deepest values that

drive their involvement).

Conducted research related to the

motivations, patterns of behavior, type
and quantity of involvement, outlook,
issue prioritization, and general
demographics of the Tea Party leaders.

Together, these analyses provide a broad

and indepth portrait of the individuals
who are leading this new wave of citizen
activism.

Carried out ten in-depth market

research interviews relative to their
emotional connection to the Tea Party
movement, including an investigation
into their key boiling point moment.

Collected and analyzed eighty business

cards of the Tea Party leaders to
investigate their use of color, choice of
words, and self-described role.

Methodology
Nearly fifty Tea Party leaders participated
in our survey, which was distributed both
in-person as well as via the Internet.
The survey participants were chosen
because of leadership of a local Tea
Party organization in the United States.
There was a sample size of forty-nine
respondents.

Insight Areas
The firsthand research uncovers the finding
that the Tea Party leaders are authentic
grassroots activists, due to the sincerity
and deeply held beliefs we uncovered
through our laddering interviews. Far
from holding radical or illinformed views,
they are well educated and understand
the delicacy of their relationship to
the Republican Party. Moreover, they
demonstrate a commitment to their
country and the cause that is of such deep
import to them that it would suggest that
their involvement is both longterm and
extremely personal.
The most salient details from the research
fall into three key insight areas:

Unpracticed but not Impractical

In order to develop a deeper
understanding of what motivates and fuels
the Tea Party organizers, we interviewed
individuals across a broad spectrum of
demographics, from which we developed
eight distinct ladders. These ladders chart
the progression of connection to the Tea
Parties from attribute level, (or the most
tangible aspects they appreciate), to
consequence, (or the resulting feeling
they get from each consequence), to

The Tea Party activists were new to the

political scene in 2009. A combined total
of 46.9 percent of the activists were
uninvolved or rarely involved in politics
prior to the Tea Parties of 2009, suggesting
a wholly distinct group of people who were
engaging with their representation actively
for the first time.

They have also embraced new and social

media adeptly.

91.5 percent are on Facebook, 80.9

percent of the organizers have a

website for their organization, and 59.6
percent are on Twitter.
63 percent communicate daily with
other Tea Party members.

Clearly, this is an active community,

thriving online.

If they had been inactive prior to this

engagement, what were they doing and
who are they? Many polled by us were
entrepreneurs, stayathome moms, and/or
teachers. Others had Masters degrees
and/or had written books.

As for being impractical? A striking 85.7

percent said No when asked if they were
in favor of moving in the direction of a
Third Party.

53.3 percent of respondents have

graduated from high school, and
additional 46.7 percent graduated from
college, and a further 15.6 percent have
a graduate degree.

This number dropped off when asked with

which political party they were affiliated:

61.7 percent Republican, 27.7 percent

Independent, and 10.6 percent Tea Party.

The Boiling Point

Dont mess with my kids, buster.

Dont mess with my country,
buster Tea Party Activist
But what was the click, the Boiling Point
moment at which they transitioned from
uninvolved American to fully engaged
activist? Remarkably, this was such a
strong experience for many of them
that they were able to recount the exact
moment this transition occurred.
The implication here is that while they do
not endorse the Tea Party as a political
party, they do remain somewhat divided
as to where to apply the Tea Party energy.
The Tea Party brand remains a strong
affiliation, although not for its evolution
into a political party.
Even more definite, zero percent selected
social issues as the most important
direction for the Tea Partie; instead their
focus began and remained on fiscal issues:

91.7 percent said budget is very

important, followed by the economy
at 85.4 percent, and defense at
79.6 percent.

For one woman, it was while she was

manning the phones at a campaign office
for John McCain, surrounded by political
hacks doing everything but work. She knew
she had to apply herself in a different way,
one that allowed her to see immediate
results and be amongst others who felt the
same urgency.
Another woman, who grew up in the
Northeast, had always been a conservative,
but started being concerned with the
direction of government during the latter
half of the Bush administration. She started
a blog to get her angst out, and when
the Tea Party momentum started to build,
she realized such a group did not exist in
her state yet. I thought it would be just
twenty-five people showing up, she said.
I was shocked at the sheer numbers of
people who came out. They felt like they
had no voice. One man had a similar
experience: I expected there to be seven
hundred. Four thousand people came to
our first rally.
And what did they strive to accomplish?
Overall, 89.6 percent characterized

their most important initial reason for

involvement as to stand up for my
beliefs. This somewhat general statement
gained more color in the laddering
interviews, the compilation of which is
seen in Appendix 4. The laddering analysis
indicates the five primary values that
underlie their involvement.

Thoughtful, Deeply Felt Connections

to the Movement
Being Responsible: Without fail, every
Tea Party leader referred to the future
generations of Americans whose
prospects, they feel, weigh heavily on
their shoulders. The ability to act on this
feeling of responsibility to fight for and
preserve freedom can be fulfilled through
the proactive, on-the-offensive nature
of the Tea Parties. The flip side of living
responsibly is the even more crippling
fear of regret. Many candidly expressed
their fear of looking into their
grandchildrens eyes and thinking they
could have done more.
Living without Regret: While they
reiterated time and again their disavowal
of all social issues, there was an
undercurrent of an unspecific but
omnipresent spirituality. Given what they
defined as extraordinarily trying times for
our country, they expressed a need to take
a stand to defend freedom. This action
translates directly into their concept of
having lived a worthwhile life.
Hope: Once surrounded by others with the
same commitment to transparency, fiscal
responsibility, and a greater appreciation

for American exceptionalism, the Tea

Party people felt something they hadnt
up till then: hope. This is reinforced by the
strong community Tea Parties provide.
Some wrote that the most rewarding
aspect of their involvement was above
all, the friendships. Others wrote of the
great people, fellowship, and how they
appreciated realizing many others share
my beliefs.
Empowered: A taste of the empowerment
that comes with a political voice left its
impact on all of the interviewees. The
barriers to entry to involvement, even
in a leadership position, were much
less pronounced within the nascent Tea
Party structure than in the traditional
bureaucracy of the Republican Party.
Because of this, the Tea Party newcomers
were able to take action swiftlyand see
the results of their activism. One Tea Party
leader described her empowerment with
glee as an emotional high. Imagine,
she said, I had never put it together that
THEY work for ME. This connection to the
movement was one of the most strongly
felt by all, something they all said would
be truly wrenching for them to give up,
once attained.
Proud; Living Unashamed: The Tea Party
activists are unabashedly patriotic, with
a deep love for their country as well as a
nuanced understanding of its Founding
principles and structure of government.
That pride in their country also imbues
them with a feeling of duty to protect its
values and principles. The Tea Party people
spoke of how, when they actively defended
their country, they felt proud of themselves
and of their sacrifice.

Conclusions & Recommendations

The Early Adopters
Tea Party activists are for the most part
new to this role. They are neither practiced
nor polished in activism; but having
experienced a taste of the empowerment
that comes with action, they feel more than
ever that this is their time to act. Above all,
they are motivated by a fear of NOT acting.
They believe deeply in the American
experiment and are willing to sacrifice time,
money, security, all for the future.
Their diversity is their strength, and they
are not a movement that can easily be
defined by those jumping up to lead them.
They are powerful and, in this sense,
they are the early adopters of a new type
of political involvement. The leaders refer
to their position within the local tea parties
as being at the head of an onslaught. They
have an organic, real grassroots fervor that
runs deep.

Tea Party Leaders Are Self Aware

They are also motivated to take this to
the next leveland are actively preparing
for a phase two. When asked what they
would suggest to improve their movement,
one activist wrote: Brand better to show
that we are regular Americans, not right
wing extremists. By a margin of 56 to 22,
they dont want to be the Party of "No."
Offer solutions, positive alternatives was
another recommendation. While they are
aware of these criticisms, they are also
equipping themselves for the next stage in
their organizational development.
Suggestions for improving their movement
included corporate speak: better/more

polished brand and media messaging as

well as tactical maneuvers.
They understand their position as a target,
and yet they remain committed to their
values. Their sometimes beleaguered
candidate, Sarah Palin, rose to the top
of the poll once again as their pick for
president in 2012, with 36.4 percent
of respondents choosing her as their
preferred candidate. The new activists like
the maverick candidate.

The Leadership Question

Their opinions are divided on the need for
leadership. Some fear that jockeying for
leadership will remove the truly grassroots
element from their movement. Many
leaders of tea parties seem to be in
place for the glory rather than for the
overall cause. I make this statement
because it is something I have heard
numerous times. This is the most serious
problem I see that will only iron itself out
over time. Others endorse a coalition, No
national leadership (top down), instead
there should be a coalition of leaders.
What is clear is that people and
organizations are piling on to claim credit
or attach their star to this wagon. The Tea
Partiers understand that true leadership
will emerge not from the attention-seekers
but from those who are willing and able to
get out ahead of the pack, listen, and lead
from a point of authenticity.

"If ever a time should come,

when vain and aspiring men
shall possess the highest
seats in Government, our

country will stand in need

of its experienced patriots to
prevent its ruin.

Samuel Adams

10

I wish I could do it full-time.

Appendices
Appendix 1: Hierarchical Value Map

11

Appendix 2: Selected Ladders

12

Appendix 2: Selected Ladders (Continued)

13

Appendix 2: Selected Ladders (Continued)

14

Appendix 2: Selected Ladders (Continued)

15

Involvement

How long have you been associated

with the Tea Party movement?

Less than
3 months

3 to 6
months

More than 6
months

Other

0.0
0.0

2.0
4.1

45.0
91.8

1.0
2.0

Raw Responses
Percent
With what type of Tea
Party activities are
you involved?

Raw Responses
Percent

Attending
Events
39.0
79.6

How many Tea Parties have you

attended?
Raw Responses
Percent
How many Tea Parties have you
organized or helped organize?
Raw Responses
Percent

0
1.0
2.1

Organizing
Media/
Events Marketing Fundraising Lobbying Outreach
41.0
32.0
28.0
15.0
33.0
83.7
65.3
57.1
30.6
67.3

1-3 4-6
10.0 19.0
20.0 39.6

0 1-3 4-6
6.0 22.0 9.0
12.5 45.8 18.8

How often do you engage in the following?

(percents)
Communicate with fellow Tea Party activists
Attend Tea Party events
Attend political events
Socialize with other Tea Party activists outside of
organized gatherings

16

7-10
6.0
12.5

7-10
1.0
2.1

More
than 10
12.0
25.0
more
than 10
10.0
20.8

Never
2.0
2.1
2.0

1-2
Times
per Year
0.0
8.3
22.4

1-2
Times
per
Month
10.2
50.0
36.7

4.3

12.8

36.2

1-2
Times
per
Week Daily
26.5 63.3
33.3
6.3
38.8
0.0
31.3

17.0

Movement Needs
Please select the channels that you currently use
Facebook
Webpage
Twitter
LinkedIn
Snail Mail
Blog

Use
43
38
28
15
7
19

Percent
91.5
80.9
59.6
31.9
14.9
40.4

Motivation
How would you rank your political
involvement prior to becoming a Tea Party
activist
Uninvolved
Rarely Involved
Somewhat Involved
Involved
Very Involved
Please Characterize your primary
reason(s) for getting involved with the
Tea Parties
To become politically involved
To express my anger/frustration
To be part of a community
To stand up for my beliefs
To learn about current events
to influence elections
To influence policy
What do you find most rewarding
about being part of the Tea Parties
Networking locally and nationally
Positive contribution to my country
Education opportunities
Other (most used to reply "all")

Raw
Responses Percent
15.0
30.6
8.0
16.3
14.0
28.6
4.0
8.2
8.0
16.3

Very
Important
44.9
46.9
31.3
89.6
30.4
83.7
79.2

Average
rating
(1-4)
2.8
3.0
2.3
3.9
2.6
3.8
3.7

Raw
Responses Percent
7.0
14.3
20.0
40.8
3.0
6.1
19.0
38.8

17

On a scale of 1-7, please indicate agreement with the

following statement (1 being strongly agree, 7 being
strongly disagree, answer in percents)
I am proud to be involved with the Tea Parties
It is very important to me to be part of the Tea Party
movement
I expect to be an active member of the Tea Party
movement for a long time
I feel hopeful about the impact the Tea Party movement
has had on our country
I feel hopeful that the Tea Party movement will continue
to have a positive effect on our country

Strongly
Agree(1)
70.8

On a scale of 1-7, please indicate how much you agree with

the following statements (1- strongly agree, 7- strongly
disagree, answer in percents)
I am motivated to volunteer with the Tea Parties because I feel
good when I do
I believe the work of volunteers is crucial for the Tea Party
movement to succeed
I am motivated to provide financial support to the the Tea Party
movement because I feel good when I do it
I believe financial support is crucial for the Tea Party movement
to succeed

18

57.4
55.3
70.2
65.2

Stongly Agree
(1)
50.0
75.0
29.8
48.9

Issues
How important to you were
these issues when you first
became involved with the Tea
Parties?
Defense
Immigration
Education
Trade
Health Care
Budget
Environment/Climate Change
Economy/Jobs

How important to you are

the following issues today?
Defense
Immigration
Education
Trade
Health Care
Budget
Environment/Climate Change
Economy/Jobs
Please select the most
important direction for
the Tea Party
movement
Social issues
Economic issues
Elections
Candidate recruitment
All of the above
None

Raw
Responses
Percent
Very
Very
Important Important
34.0
69.4
30.0
61.2
18.0
36.7
13.0
26.5
28.0
57.1
37.0
77.1
14.0
28.6
35.0
71.4
Raw
Responses
Percent
Very
Very
Important Important
39.0
79.6
37.0
75.5
25.0
51.0
22.0
44.9
38.0
77.6
44.0
91.7
22.0
44.9
41.0
85.4

Raw
Responses
0.0
6.0
8.0
4.0
27.0
3.0

Percent
0.0
12.5
16.7
8.3
56.3
6.3

19

Current Environment
In your opinion, please rate the effectiveness of
the Tea Party leadership (1-very effective, 5very ineffective)
Meeting activists' needs
Achieving the movement's objectives
providing strong leadership
Collaborating with other leaders
Presenting the Tea Party message to the media
Taking the movement to the next level

Average Rating (1-5,

higher corresponding
to more ineffective)
2.5
2.5
2.8
2.8
3.0
3.1

Are you in favor of a third political

party for Tea Party supporters?
Yes
Maybe
No
Don't know

Percent
2.0
10.2
85.7
2.0

Raw
Responses
1.0
5.0
42.0
1.0

What is your opinion of the Republican

party's current image as "the Party of No?"
I agree with this direction
I am neutral
I disagree with this direction
Which political party do you
affiliate yourself with the most?
Democrat
Republican
Green
Independent
Tea Party

20

Raw
Responses
11.0
10.0
27.0

Raw
Responses
0.0
29.0
0.0
13.0
5.0

Percent
0.0
61.7
0.0
27.7
10.6

Percent
22.9
20.8
56.3

If you had to choose today, who would you

Raw
support for president in 2012?
Responses
Scott Brown
1.0
Mitch Daniels
0.0
Rudy Giuliani
2.0
Mike Huckabee
5.0
Bobby Jindal
4.0
Sarah Palin
12.0
Ron Paul
2.0
Tim Pawlenty
0.0
David Petraeus
0.0
Mitt Romney
9.0
Jim DeMint
4.0
Michele Bachmann
3.0
Rick Perry
1.0
Mike Pence
1.0
Waiting to decide/None of the above
9.0
Total Responses
33.0
**** Note that some selected more than one candidate

Percent
3.0
0.0
6.1
15.2
12.1
36.4
6.1
0.0
0.0
27.3
12.1
9.1
3.0
3.0
27.3
***

Education
Highest level of education completed
Some high school
High school
Some college
College degree
Graduate school degree

Raw
Responses
0.0
6.0
18.0
14.0
7.0

Percent
0.0
13.3
40.0
31.1
15.6

21

Anne Sorock
This market research and the
accompanying report were written by
Anne Sorock, director of marketing at the
Sam Adams Alliance. Anne holds a B.A.
from The Johns Hopkins University and
an M.B.A. from Cornell University's the
Johnson School. Anne has experience in
brand management at ConAgra Foods,
book editing at Regnery Publishing, and
was a member of the legislative staff
of former U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald.
Please direct and questions or comments
to her at asorock@samadamsalliance.org