Ten years ago today, CNBC correspondent Rick Santelli gave an on-air commentary that some called the “rant of the year” and that many believe launched the tea party movement.
The public anger leading to Santelli’s rant had been building since the fall when President George W. Bush’s administration bailed out the nation’s big banks. Initially, the tea party was a bipartisan effort composed of people upset by what they considered excessive government spending and deficits.
It later became associated with conservative Republicans and opposition to Obamacare.
In 2010, the tea party helped Republicans pick up more than 60 seats and win control of the U.S. House of Representatives. However, it created severe tensions between tea partyers and establishment Republicans.
Some believe that the Democrats are now facing similar tensions between progressives and establishment Democrats.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.
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