New poll shows 87% of Tea Party activists support Republicans, which contradicts their own claims of being independents

According to a national poll conducted in February by CNN/Opinion Research Corp, a significant majority of Americans think that government is broken.  The pollsters interviewed 1023 adult Americans by telephone, 954 were registered voters. The poll showed that 86% of people questioned said that the system of government was broken, an 8% increase from 2006; with 14 percent saying no.

Of the 86% who believed it’s broken, 81% of those say that the government can be fixed; only 5% say was beyond repair.

The poll indicated that the increase in those who believe government was broken is highest among higher-income Americans and people who live in rural areas, a bulk of those are groups that make up a large part of the Tea Party activists.

The Poll revealed that 64% of all Americans say they like the idea of a third party to run against the Democrats and Republicans. 124 of the poll respondents said they had donated money or attended rallies in support of the so called “Tea Party”.

Respondents were asked who they would support if the elections for Congress were being held today. 45% would support a Democrat, 47% would support a Republican. When asked the same question in a poll conducted in October 2009, 50% favored a Democrat and 44% favored a Republican.

Of those who identified with the so called “Tea Party” 4% identified themselves as Democrats, 52% as independents, and 44% as Republicans.

When asked who they would support for congress, 5% would support a Democrat, and 87% would support a Republican.           

The overwhelming support for Republicans by those affiliated with the “Tea Party” indicated in this poll appears to contradict the independent affiliation that the majority identified themselves with.