How do you spell tendentious? Sociologists Robert Putnam and David Campbell on religion and politics. Without evidence they assert that the Tea Party is controversial not because of its strident fiscal conservatism, but rather because Tea Party activists are religious.
In a recent op-ed in the New York Times, the duo held forth on the nature, influence, and significance of the Tea Party, which they say has become a toxic brand. In 2010, polling found that 18 percent of Americans viewed the then-new Tea Party movement unfavorably. Today 40 percent have a negative view. Meanwhile, only 20 percent approve of the Tea Party.
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