According to the Washington Post, the tea party is smaller and more disconnected that previously thought:
But a new Washington Post canvass of hundreds of local tea party groups reveals a different sort of organization, one that is not so much a movement as a disparate band of vaguely connected gatherings that do surprisingly little to engage in the political process.
I always felt that the tea party was louder than it was large. Of course the natural loss of Democratic seats next week will be interpreted as a victory for the tea party crowd -- even though that's clearly not the case. I would also argue that the tea party people are actually hurting Republican chances. Delaware, for example.
(I will laugh and laugh if Republican control of the Senate comes down to one seat -- and Palin's kneejerk endorsement of O'Donnell squandered that seat when Castle could have easily held it.)