Teabagger Support Has Sharply Declined In Last Five Years

This is a bit of good news for this country. A new poll shows that the teabagger support has significantly declined in the United States. That support was at its height in 2010, when about 28% of the general population said they supported the teabagger movement. But in 2015, that support has dropped to only 17% -- a drop of 11 points.

And it isn't just in the general population that the support has dropped. Among Republicans the support has dropped from 52% to 38% (a 14 point drop) and among those leaning Republican the support has dropped from 52% to 23% (a 19 point drop). There has also been a 21 point drop among conservative Republicans, and a 15 point drop among moderate Republicans.

However, don't take that to mean the teabaggers no longer have any power. They do -- especially within the Republican Party. About 38% of Republicans consider themselves teabaggers, and that's a big enough percentage to have an effect on who the Republicans nominate for president. And that 38% is enthusiastic. They will show up at the polls in large numbers (even if the moderate or establishment Republicans do not). They may or may not be able to elect a teabagger nominee (like Trump or Cruz), but they will surely move the eventual nominee far to the right.

This could be good for the United States -- that the teabaggers are still strong in the Republican Party. Because if they push the GOP nominee too far to the right, it will make it easier for the Democratic nominee to win. That's because the American electorate is pretty moderate (like that or not), and they don't like extremist candidates from the left or the right.

The numbers in the chart above are from a new Gallup Poll -- done between October 7th and 11th of a random national sample of 1,014 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.