Iowa: The End of the Tea Party?

Published in Le Monde
(France) on 4 January 2012
by Corine Lesnes (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Rhianna White. Edited by Katya Abazajian  .
The results in Iowa weren't particularly good for the tea party. The anti-tax and anti-big government movement had no formal candidate, but it must be noted that their champions started out in pole position.

The founder of the Tea Party Caucus, Michele Bachmann, arrived last in the Iowa caucus. Rick Perry, the promoter of the Texan model of “low taxes, low services” was fourth. Although Ron Paul the libertarian took third place, he is too independent to have ever been a tea party favorite.

Neither of the top two finishers identify with the Tea Party. Rick Santorum has been a steadfast conservative for a long time, and his positions have always been centered more on values than on deficits.

And just weeks ago, Mitt Romney, the bête noire of the tea party, got an unfavorable rating.

However, to declare the end of the tea party would be premature. Specialists advise us to wait for the competition in South Carolina, a state that is very representative of the diversity of Republican factions.

Cerrtain parts of the tea party have also preferred to focus their efforts on the elections in Congress. They predict that the president, who might end up being the "moderate" Romney, will have to be kept on the straight and narrow by a Congress that is ready to fight.


Les résultats de l'Iowa ne sont pas particulièrement bons pour le Tea Party. La mouvance anti-taxes, anti-big government, n'avait pas de candidat déclaré mais il faut bien constater que ses champions ne sont pas en pole position.
Michèle Bachmann arrive dernière des caucus. Elle était la fondatrice du groupe Tea Party au Congrès. Rick Perry, le promoteur du modèle texan ("low taxes, low services), est quatrième. Ron Paul, le libertarien, prend la troisième place mais il est trop indépendant pour avoir jamais été le favori du Tea Party.
Les deux premiers ne sont pas non plus identifiés Tea Party. Rick Santorum est un conservateur grand teint depuis longtemps et son discours a toujours été plus centré sur les "valeurs" que sur les déficits.
Et Mitt Romney, la bête noire du Tea Party, fait un score inespéré il y a encore quelques semaines.

Décréter la fin du Tea Party serait néanmoins prématuré. Les spécialistes conseillent d'attendre la compétition en Caroline du sud, Etat très représentatif de la diversité des factions républicaines.
Certains groupes Tea Party ont aussi préféré centrer leurs efforts sur les élections au Congrès. Ils estiment qu'un président, et notamment le "modéré" Romney, devra être maintenu dans le droit chemin par un congrès prêt à se bagarrer.

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