It has an element of absurdity to it, yes, but your comment had a phrasing that could be viewed as a loose accusation, I wanted to give you a chance to yes/no it, or say something evasive and put your foot in



Its not really all that fringe, being a bit more involved with it I tend to roll my eyes at public perception on it, not because I disagree (though I do) but because it sounds like people describing anything else they don't really get and know only by loose stereotyping, most tea party groups I've attended (and I'm betting that's way in hell more than anyone else here, except maybe Cannoli, maybe) are just a bunch of middle-aged and elderly people who have suddenly picked up a big interest in politics and didn't use to have one, and tend to lean rural and conservative and very non-radical. But its so disorganized and different then its better compared to things like "Protestant Christian" or "Environmentalist" then to any organized affair, the fringe nutters are vocal and active, and about as descriptive of the majority as the Westboro Baptist Church or the Animal Liberation Front are.