Many analysts have argued that Romney's pick of Paul
Ryan as his VP candidate is a sop to the tea party. And it may be. But I
wonder if analysts appreciate exactly what part of the tea party.
Last week, Emily Ekins and I published a new Cato Institute study, "Libertarian Roots of Tea Party," along with an op-ed in Politico. We argue:Many people on the left still dismiss the tea party as the same old religious right, but the evidence says they are wrong. The tea party has strong libertarian roots and is a functionally libertarian influence on the Republican Party.
