The Tea Party: authoritarian followers?

[swineflu]

Recognized psychologist Bob Altermeyer (Professor of Psychology at the University of Manitoba awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Science Prize for Behavioral Science Research in 1986) wrote a report on the conspicuous authoritarian traits of Tea Party followers summarized as follows:

(1) they are more submissive than most to their leaders, and they take direction without question;
(2) they are easily frightened and their leaders keep them that way;
(3) they wear their self-righteousness on their sleeves, e.g., with their assertion that they are “the true Americans;”
(4) they are highly aggressive, so they lash out at those with whom they do not agree;
(5) critical thinking and logic escapes them, and they rely upon simplistic slogans to answer complex questions;
(6) they inflate problems, and they find an endless supply of our “biggest problems”;
(7) they hold conflicting and contradictory beliefs, which does not trouble them, because their thinking is compartmentalized;
(8) double standards are totally acceptable to them, so they can be highly critical of others who do exactly what they do, or have done;
(9) they feel empowered when in groups, and gain strength by remaining together with like-minded others;
(10) they are highly dogmatic, since they do not know why they believe what they do, and they do not question themselves;
(11) they are ethnocentric and constantly judge others and events from an “us versus them” point of view; and
(12) they are prejudiced, and often racist, although some do not realize it or believe it when confronted.

Do you agree or disagree with this characterization? Why or why not? I am particularly interested in hearing from Tea Party supporters.

[Rukh]

So they're you're average person huh.

[Wells]

Color me shocked.

[Darsithis]

It's not going to go well to start a thread that more or less bashes a political party. This isn't any different than starting up a thread asking if all liberals are bleeding hearts and if all conservatives are religious and intolerant. The end result would be the same.

Closing.