Teabaggers Can't Draw A Crowd In South Carolina

It seems that as often as not a teabagger rally these days is more of an embarrassment than a demonstration of power. This was true again last week in South Carolina -- a state that some might think would be full of teabaggers. The organizers of last Thursday's teabagger rally in Columbia had expected to top 2,000 people -- but only about 30 people showed up.

The rally was supposed to be headlined by Donald Trump and Governor Nikki Haley (a teabagger favorite). But Trump cancelled his appearance after dropping out of the presidential race, and Haley was left to address a "crowd" of only about 30 people (see picture above). Organizers blamed Trump's cancellation for the lack of attendance, but shouldn't the appearance of teabagger Governor Haley draw more than 30 people?

The fact is that in this year so far the teabaggers are having trouble drawing a crowd anywhere -- even in states where their numbers are reported to be large. Teabaggers have taken over the Republican Party in Florida, but that didn't help them when they tried to hold a convention in Tampa last March. They had 25 right-wing speakers lined up to speak to several thousand conventioneers. But only about 300 showed up -- making the convention hall look like a ghost town.

Then teabagger leaders put out a call for people to come to Washington early in April to put pressure on Congress to cut the deficit. Again, quite a few right-wing politicians came to speak to the "crowd", but more reporters showed up than teabaggers (who numbered slightly more than 100 attendees). It was nowhere near the thousands that had been hoped for.

Then we had the tax day rallies -- an event normally considered very important by teabaggers (who hate taxes). In 2010 there were 638 separate events held on or near tax day. But in 2011 that figure had dropped to only 145 events -- and attendance was way down for those events. Here is how Think Progress reported the attendance:

– Albuquerque, NM: From “thousands” in 2010 to “dozens” in 2011.

– Boston, MA: From “several thousand” in 2010 to 300 in 2011. While last year’s rally featured Sarah Palin, this year’s featured Tim Pawlenty.

– Chicago, IL: From “at least 1,500” in 2010 to “[s]everal hundred” in 2011.

– Columbia, SC: From “more than 1,000” in 2010 to “a paltry 300” in 2011, even though this year’s rally featured Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) while last year’s featured disgraced former governor Mark Sanford.

– Denver, CO: From 2,000 in 2010 to “hundreds” in 2011. Friday’s rally was “nothing like the thousands who mobbed the Capitol lawn in previous years,” the AP noted.

– Des Moines, IA: From 700 in 2010 to 340 in 2011. 2009′s rally drew 3,000.

– Hartford, CT: From 1,200 in 2010 to 700 in 2011, even though Hartford was the only city hosting rallies this year, while there were rallies in three Connecticut cities last year.

– Indianapolis, IN: From 2,000 in 2010 to “hundreds” in 2011.

– Lansing, MI: From “more than 1,000” in 2010 to 300 in 2011 in front of Michigan’s Capitol. In 2009, a rally at the same spot drew 4,000.

– Pittsburgh, PA: From 2,000 in 2010 to 500 in 2011.

– Sacramento, CA: From “2,000 to 3,000” in 2010 to a “light turnout” of several dozen. 2009′s tax day rally at the Capitol brought out 5,000.

– St. Paul, MN: From “more than 500” in 2010 to “dozens” in 2011.

– Tulsa, OK: From “several thousand” in 2010 to “less than 30” in 2011. “The turnout was a far cry from the 5,000 who showed up to a similar event on April 15 two years ago outside the Capitol,” the Tulsa World notes.

I'm not sure why the teabagger "movement" seems to be waning. Have many of them finally realized that they were never part of a grassroots movement, but a top-down movement organized and funded by corporate and right-wing organizations? Have they finally realized they were fooled into supporting and electing candidates that are voting against their interests (like trying to cut Social Security and unemployment benefits, abolishing Medicare, and cutting taxes for the rich)?

Whatever the reason, it seems that the teabaggers are only appealing now to the most die-hard of their number. They are showing the earmarks of a dying "movement".

Some of you may think this is something I would celebrate. I don't really. While I vehemently disagree with the teabagger goals and candidates, I was hoping they could exert enough power in the Republican primaries, caucuses, and convention to nominate a far-right fringe candidate like Palin, Bachmann, Gingrich, Cain, or Santorum -- a candidate that would stand no chance in the general election.

I still think they will, but their dwindling numbers at the demonstrations and conventions called by their leaders makes that a little more doubtful.