Is Romney Really a Tea Party Favorite?

I am sure I am not the only one who shares Jim Antle's skepticism about the Pew Research poll which has Mitt Romney as the favorite potential GOP presidential contender amongst Tea Partiers.

Take note of the wording in the poll. It reads, "Among those who say they agree with Tea Party movement, 24% say Romney would be their first choice, 19% say Huckabee, 15% say Gingrich, 13% say Paul and 12% say Palin." One should also take note of the Tea Party question itself. It asks, "From what you know, do you agree or disagree with the Tea Party movement, or don't you have an opinion either way?"

So what exactly does it mean when someone says they agree with the Tea Party movement? It could mean that they like the Tea Party's positions on certain issues or that they like the fact that they are making their voices heard in the public square. But just because someone agrees with the Tea Party doesn't necessarily make that person a Tea Party activist. I think there's a world of difference between someone who admires the Tea Party from afar and someone who is intimately involved with the Tea Party.

There are few things that Tea Party activists hold in higher disdain than Obamacare. The idea that the architect of Romneycare has any resonance with Tea Party activists just doesn't pass the laugh test.

It is also curious that Michele Bachmann, a big Tea Party favorite who now appears to be forming an exploratory committee for a White House bid, did not appear on the Pew list of possible Republican presidential candidates.