Poll: 29% Support Tea Party

No, she's not ruining the GOP, writes Matthew Continetti

(NEWSER) - How well do you know Sarah Palin ? The former governor of Alaska is more than the caricature dreamed up by Saturday Night Live, argues Matthew Continetti for the Washington Post . "The real Sarah Palin is a complex woman who has risen in no time from obscurity to the stratosphere of American politics, fusing celebrity and populism in novel ways." His list of some common Palin myths, debunked:

• Palin cost McCain the 2008 election: Not so. McCain suffered from an "enthusiasm gap" well before Palin was on the scene, Continetti says. "With her by his side, McCain's fundraising and support from conservatives improved."

Grassroots group's favorite son snubs it from Washington

(NEWSER) - Scott Brown is distancing himself from the Tea Party advocates that got him elected, having turned down an invitation to speak with Sarah Palin at the grassroots group's first big Boston rally. Brown is tacking to the center since being elected on a wave of populist fury, and has told conservative groups that he's too busy in Washington to attend any events. More»

Nashville to host ultra-conservative gathering February

(NEWSER) - Conservative heavyweights Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin will speak at the first-ever Tea Party Convention in February. Bachmann will give a breakfast speech, while Palin is scheduled for the keynote address at the Nashville event. Tickets to the weekend convention are $549, and that doesn't include accommodations at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, the MinnPost reports. More»

Voters worried mostly about economy, while 40% are 'moderate, liberal'

(NEWSER) - Perhaps the most interesting of yesterday's primaries was the vote by the relatively moderate electorate in the key swing state of Wisconsin. Analysts are salivating over exit poll results, and the hints they may offer into how voters are likely to lean come November. For one thing, the economy, and not social issues, was a priority for Wisconsin voters, notes the New York Times . As for where they stand on the political spectrum, just over half said they support the Tea Party—and they generally voted for Mitt Romney. More»

It's everybody's call

(NEWSER) - Opposite ends of the political spectrum are claiming the blockbuster Hunger Games as their own. Is it a tale of too much government or of gun-packing capitalists who don't believe in social services? The dystopian story tells of dictatorial President Snow forcing conquered people to offer their children annually for fight-to-the death hunger games that provide "entertainment" to the masses. Protagonist Katniss Everdeen participates to save her family. "Because it’s an allegory, people can read into the movie whatever they please," Entertainment Tonight movie critic Leonard Martin tells the New York Daily News . And that's exactly what's happening. More»