The tea party continues to polarize the public, according to a new national poll conducted by Saint Leo University Polling Institute. The tea party is popular among Republicans and conservatives, but is very unpopular among both liberals, moderates, Democrats, and independent voters. Among conservative voters, the tea party’s favorability rating is 61 percent favorable, 22 percent unfavorable. Among moderates, it’s 19 favorable/62 unfavorable. Among liberals it’s 14 favorable /74 unfavorable.
“The messaging for the tea party has been hijacked by moderates and liberals,” said Frank Orlando, instructor of political science at Saint Leo University. “Few people know what the tea party stands for anymore. It’s a term that gets thrown around for things that Republicans do that people don’t like.”
The online survey of 1002 adults was conducted December 1-6 and has a margin of error of about three percent.
To view poll results click here.