Last August, we watched the young Tea Parties live on full screen television. It was dramatic and shocking to witness Tea Party members shout down United States Senators and Representatives at town hall meetings. Certain tumultuous scenes were run over and over again on Cable. The news is always slow in August and this made for colorful riveting viewing. Outdoor rallies and marches gave us a close-up look at angry men and women carrying homemade signs of President Obama portrayed as Adolph Hitler or in white-face, labeled the “Lyin Kenyan.”

Other signs warned, “Keep your hands off my Medicare!” or “Obama is a Socialist!”

Far less attention was paid by the media to Tea Party groups during the year as Health Care Reform was finally passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama. The current news about the Tea Parties is the charge by the NAACP that the Tea Parties include members who make racist attacks upon President Obama. The NAACP, at their l0lst annual convention in Kansas City, accused the movement of “harboring racist elements that are a threat to our democracy.” Different Tea Party spokespeople denied the charge of racism. However, it is hard to forget the virulent signs displayed last August or the results of significant polls of members taken this past year.

A comprehensive CBS/New York Times poll was reported on April 14, 2010. The findings tell us who the tea party members are and what they believe. There is no single umbrella Tea Party; it is made up of separate “grass-roots” groups in different parts of the country. 18 percent of Americans say they support the movement. Most describe themselves as Republicans. Some as Independents. Almost none as Democrats. Although TEA stands for “Taxed enough already,” other strong beliefs were revealed in the CBS/New York Times poll. Here are some demographic findings of who the members are: 59 percent are men (49 percent in total population); 89 percent are white (77 percent in total population); 75 percent are 45 years or older (50 percent in total population); 39 percent describe selves as very conservative ( 12 percent in total population); 20 percent report household income over $100,000 (14 percent in total population); 37 percent have college or post-college degree (25 percent in total population).

Here are some of their beliefs: 84 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Barack Obama; 96 percent disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job; 93 percent rate the economy as bad or very bad; 93 percent believe Obama is moving the country towards socialism; 57 percent believe Obama favors the poor; 32 percent believe Obama was born in another country; 26 percent believe the Obama administration favors blacks over whites; 76 percent believe providing benefits to poor people encourages them to remain poor; 82 percent believe immigration is a very serious problem; 52 percent believe too much has been made of the problems facing black people.

Some of these beliefs have been present in Republican far-right conservative politics for decades. Others are increased or heightened by the fact that the country has a black president for the first time. An ABC News/Washington Post poll taken in May addressed the racism issue directly. It found that 57 percent of people who opposed the Tea Parties, and 28 percent of people who felt neutral toward the movement saw racial prejudice in the ranks. With Tea Party supporters, the poll found 58 percent saw racism as a major problem in the country, compared to 75 percent of all Americans who saw racism as a major problem.

Sarah Palin, who does not consider herself a member of the Tea Parties, was invited to speak at their national convention – for a hefty fee –- and galvanized the members with her mix of gotcha patriotism and anti-Obama jabs. She has been endorsing candidates for office in the 2010 mid-term primaries and elections at a record rate, hitting 50 at last count and chalking up some victories with her support for women running for office. Her latest pitch is exhorting her women followers to be “mama grizzlies” – fighting hard to protect their cubs against the encroachments of Obama’s “big government programs.” Once she had to abandon “death panels” as the scourge of Health Care Reform, she found other catch phrases to rev up the crowds. At present, she appears to be the frontrunner among Republicans for the nomination to be president in 2012.

Her politics are based on sloganeering with no policy solutions beyond the conservative drumbeat of No Taxes. Sometimes what she says in an interview makes no sense, as when she argued that Jewish settlements should be expanded on the West Bank because, “more and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead.” On her book tour, crowds lined up for hours, sometimes in the bitter cold to meet her personally and gain her signature on their copy of the book. They were not interested in policy solutions to the nation’s domestic and international problems. They have latched onto her as has happened with demagogues in the past – as the person who will assuage their anger and resentment, and lead them to better times.

Sherry Haner, 54, stood in the bitter cold outside a mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last winter during Palin’s book tour. She was one of thousands who camped out overnight in 39 degree weather. She told a reporter, “It may not be this year. It may not be next year, but we’re going to take our country back.” This cryptic statement was heard many times at Tea Party rallies. Chris Schwartz, waiting inside with her daughter and friends, said, “My goal is to make Obama a half-term president. We need to get enough people in Congress to stop him in his tracks. One term is too long.” Cheryl Geraty, waiting in the rain, was thinking about the future when she added, “I’m looking forward to her giving me hope.”

If Sarah Palin decides to run for president in 2012, the Tea Parties will make up the core of her support. Who ever becomes the nominee for president on the Republican ticket, the Tea Parties will continue to voice the far right conservative doctrine that fuels the movement.

Joyce S. Anderson is the author of “Courage in High Heels,” “Flaw in the Tapestry,” “If Winter Comes” and “The Mermaids Singing.” She can be reached at JSAWrite@aol.com.