Rise of the Tea Party

Political Discontent and Corporate Media in the age of Obama

Anthony DiMaggio

What to make of the Tea Party? To some, it is a grassroots movement aiming to reclaim an out-of-touch government for the people. To others, it is a proto-fascist organization of the misinformed and manipulated lower middle class. Either way, it is surely one of the most significant forms of reaction in the age of Obama.

In this definitive socio-political analysis of the Tea Party, Anthony DiMaggio examines the Tea Party phenomenon, using a vast array of primary and secondary sources as well as first-hand observation. He traces the history of the Tea Party and analyzes its organizational structure, membership, ideological coherence, and relationship to the mass media. And, perhaps most importantly, he asks: is it really a movement or just a form of “manufactured dissent” engineered by capital? DiMaggio’s conclusions are thoroughly documented, surprising, and bring much needed clarity to a highly controversial subject.

Contents

·      Acknowledgements

·      Introduction: Manufacturing Dissent in a Time of Public Distrust

·      1. Don’t Call it a Movement: The Tea Party as a Mass Uprising

·      2. The Tea Party Does Not Exist: Observations on the Ground in Chicago

·      3. The Counter-Revolution Will Be Televised: The Tea Party as a Mediated Rebellion

·      4. Mediated Populism: The Tea Party Captivates Public Opinion

·      5. The Plot to Kill Grandma: The Tea Party, Mass Media, and Health Care Reform

·      6. Manufacturing Dissent: Fostering Resistance to Health Care From the Top Down

·      Conclusion: The Post-Midterm Tea Party and the Wisconsin Revolt

·      Notes

·      Index

About the Author

Anthony DiMaggio teaches in the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University. He is the author of  When Media Goes to War: Hegemonic Discourse, Public Opinion, and the Limits of Dissent , as well as dozens of articles on U.S. and global politics for Z Magazine, Monthly Review, Truthout, Common Dreams, Alternet, Seminal Firedoglake, and Counterpunch. His primary scholarly emphasis is on the study of interest groups, mass media, and public opinion.