GOP vs Tea Party

I'll admit, before I began actually paying attention to the political news and really reading articles online, I had no idea that GOP was the nickname for the Republican party, or that it stood for "Grand Old Party." I also did not even know that the Tea Party existed! These discoveries made me feel a bit behind politically, and inspired me to pay closer attention to the news!

The article I chose to summarize comes from the New York Times, and if, like me, you had no idea what those terms were, it would definitely be worth reading. There are other reasons, as well, though. For one, it details what is going on right now with the Republican party and the primaries (another political item to which I could only assign a vague definition). I'm ashamed to admit that I had previously not taken thought as to how the many other leaders of our government besides the president are elected; I had completely disregarded the entire House and Senate and the time and process by which their members are nominated, campaign, and are elected. How silly of me!

Anyway: In her news analysis, Kate Zernike discusses the current and possible future relationship between the Republican party and the Tea Party, as well as the Democratic view of the situation. The Tea Party is relatively new, and is generally considered to represent more strictly conservative ideas than the Republican party. Despite its newness and apparent radical nature, the party has pushed more than one candidate through the primaries, including Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. These victories have ultimately forced the Republican party to recognize the Tea Party as its partner if it is to win control of the Senate from the Democrats, which is the goal. The question, though, is how much the larger and established party should let this new but essential 'upstart' influence their current ideals; and whether they can control it, or falter and let it control them. Some, such as Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, believe the two can neatly coexist and adopt each others sentiments. Others, such as Senator John Cornyn of Texas, worry that the Tea Party will push the Republican party too far right, limiting the range of voter support for the GOP. This is exactly what the Democrats are hoping for, though, as the division will ensure that they keep their majority in the Senate. Most agree, however, that not everything is settled yet and there is still much debate to come.

Testing...123

Just making sure I understand how this whole thing works! I hope it's as easy as it seems...!