Tea Party more popular than Republicans?

From Rasmussen Reports:

Running under the Tea Party brand may be better in congressional races than being a Republican.
In a three-way Generic Ballot test, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds Democrats attracting 36% of the vote. The Tea Party candidate picks up 23%, and Republicans finish third at 18%. Another 22% are undecided. . . .

Read the rest. I think what we're seeing here is a good measure of the "brand damage" problem for the GOP, a legacy of the Bush era. This does not mean that an actual third-party movement would be a viable option for disaffected conservatives. It merely points out how important it is that the Republican Party take seriously the limited-government sensibilities of the Tea Party movement.

On an unrelated note, a friend has asked me to address his concerns raised by Dennis Wheeler's collection, "The Great Southern League Race Debate."

Wheeler was -- and, so far as I know, still is -- a white separatist or white nationalist, call it what you will. In the 1996 e-mail list-server messages he collected, you will see that I argue against Wheeler's insistence that the Southern League (which subsequently became the League of the South) should adopt his own racial views. Others on my side in that debate included George Kalas and Gary Waltrip.

Wheeler's arguments did not prevail; he left the list-server and subsequently posted lengthy excerpts of the colloquy on his own site, without permission of the participants. Wheeler obviously believes himself correct, and considers the 1996 debate a vindication of his own views. It's a free country, and I can't tell him what to think.

However, by republishing the debate, Wheeler has furnished materials for me to be once again acccused of being a "white supremacist" -- and materials to disprove the accusation. Later today, I will publish a more thorough discussion of this, which will take time to write. I felt it incumbent to append this brief note, just to let my friends know that I am now aware of Patterico's post yesterday, having been informed this morning by a commenter.

P.S.: Remember to hit the tip jar to fund my trip next month to Pasadena to cover Alabama vs. Texas in the BCS championship game.

UPDATE: Fear and Loathing at Patterico.