Tea party loses favor with Americans

The tea party is losing luster in Americans' eyes.

A new poll released Monday finds a growing gap between the Taxed Enough Already activist movement and average America, with only 17 percent of the country backing the tea-party group and roughly half either opposing or maintaining a neutral view.

Gallup reported: "Americans' support for the Tea Party has dropped to its lowest level since the movement emerged on the national political scene prior to the 2010 midterm elections. Seventeen percent of Americans now consider themselves Tea Party supporters, and a record 54 percent say they are neither supporters nor opponents."

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In 2010, the same polling agency found 32 percent of Americans supported the activist movement, which was focused on lowering taxes and achieving other freedom-advancing policy reforms.

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Gallup went on: "As support gradually eroded over the next year, opponents of the Tea Party gained the upper hand and have led supporters in all 10 Gallup polls measuring views of the movement since the start of 2012. Since August 2012, support has failed to reach 25 percent, and it has fallen below 20 percent in each of the last two polls. Meanwhile, opposition peaked at 31 percent just ahead of last year's midterm elections, but has dropped to 24 percent."

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The drop was recorded in Gallup's poll, conducted between October 7 and 11.

At the same time, Gallup didn't find the tea party was dead.

"Several Republicans elected to the House and Senate with Tea Party support have become major players on the national stage, including presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz," the polling place reported. "The Tea Party movement has also been tied to the Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republican members of the House who have played a key role in the current battle to select a new speaker."

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And the conclusion?

"If more Americans begin taking sides on the Tea Party over the next several months as the political campaigns heat up, there's more room for a return to support among Republicans than for an increase in opposition among Democrats," Gallup said.