Mark Meckler, national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots, wears a Tea Party pin at a July 21 news conference on Capitol Hill. After the elections, Meckler says, the movement with "really find its stride." Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
The Tea Party In America The Tea Party is energizing a segment of conservative Americans. But at least until the midterm elections are over, it's uncertain how the movement will influence American politics.
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The Tea Party In America
Voters and politicians look for the lasting influence of a grassroots movement.
Darriel and Shelby Burnett. Shelby says she was unaware of what was going on in the country until she began watching Fox News. Now the government has "awakened a sleeping giant" in the Tea Party, she says. Tom Bullock/NPR hide caption
Fox News host Glenn Beck addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 20. Historian Sean Wilentz says "there are polls that Tea Party members respect Beck more so than anyone else, even Sarah Palin, and that they consider [Beck] not as an entertainer — as they describe Rush Limbaugh — but as an educator. ... People are believing that he is really trustworthy." Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption
Activists gather near the Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital to participate in the "One Nation Working Together" rally to promote job creation, diversity and tolerance, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010, in Washington. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
People gather at a rally in Washington, D.C., organized by conservative Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, one of the de facto leaders of the Tea Party movement. While the Tea Party says it doesn't take a stance on religious and social issues, many of its supporters are conservative Christians. Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Now: Tea Party supporters at a march in Washington on Sept. 12. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption
Ken Buck accepts the Republican nomination for Senate on Aug. 10 in Loveland, Colo. Buck, the Weld County district attorney, defeated former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton in the primary. Eric Bellamy/The Daily Tribune/AP hide caption