An Excellent Analysis of The Tea Party versus the Front National

I was going to take the day off since the sun finally came out after a week of gloomy weather but I just checked the blog Arun with a View and saw that he has an excellent post up about the Front National and  the Tea Party.  A really fine analysis and I strongly recommend you give Le Pen and America a read.

I confess that I was a little started by his conclusions at the end.  But, after a cup of coffee and some time in the garden, I concluded that he is basically correct.  It's a pattern of political participation (American party affiliation and political orientation translated to the French context) that I have seen among the long-term resident Americans I know here.

Regardless of the similarities and differences between the FN and Tea Party GOP—and I argue that there are more of the former than the latter—, I am quite sure that hardcore FN supporters, were they to move to the US, would find their natural home in the Tea Party GOP. And vice-versa. American Democrats living in France invariably end up supporting the Socialists and other currents on the moderate left (EELV, PRG), leftist Americans look to the left of the Socialists (PG, MRC, NPA), and mainstream, moderate Republicans the UMP or MoDem. I will wager that Tea Partiers who live in France and acculturate into French society will, in their majority, find an affinity with the FN...