According to three Winston Group telephone surveys, 57% of Tea Party supporters are Republicans, while 41% are Democrats and Independents. Winston Group, a Republican leaning firm, utilized three surveys, each consisting of 1,000 registered voters, between December and February to accumulate the relevant data on the burgeoning grassroots movement.
Here are some of the other pertinent highlights:
Most Tea Party supporters believe cutting both spending and taxes are the keys to creating jobs and reviving the economy
61% believe infrastructure spending creates jobs
By a wide margin, they support focusing more on unemployment than balancing the budget at this time
57% view congressional Republicans in a favorable light, while 75% view congressional Democrats in an unfavorable light
Over 80% disapprove of President Obama and the recently-passed healthcare reform bill
Almost 50% reported getting their news from Fox, and 10% cited talk radio as one of their top two news sources
While many pundits will likely criticize the surveys' accuracy due to the Winston Group's conservative slant, the surprising numbers may reveal a more balanced composition of the Tea Party than has been portrayed in various media outlets.
Perhaps a left-leaning poll firm would be willing to conduct a similar round of exhaustive surveys to confirm or falsify the Winston Group's latest findings.