General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: OWS has meant just as much - if not more- than the teabagger movement to politics... [View all]RZM
(8,556 posts)As has been pointed out, the tea party has people in Congress. Even when they've lost their races, they have made their will known by winning primaries or challenging sitting congresspeople who were supposedly 'safe.' You could even argue they've had effects that benefit Democrats. Without Sharon Angle and Christine O'Donnell, you'd probably have two less Democratic senators right now.
They jumped into electoral politics immediately, while OWS has stayed aloof from electoral politics. OWS probably has had some effect on discourse and the way certain issues are framed. But some effect on discourse isn't the same as tangible things like what bills are proposed or make it through Congress. Besides, the tea party has had its own effect on discourse too. I don't know whether they've had as much as OWS has, but they've had some.
Plus, the tea party had a head start. They've been around for a few years, while OWS isn't even a year old yet.