Candidates' positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found. Candidates who have changed their positions are listed as Now their most recent position. Candidates are listed by party and in alphabetical order by last name. Black & white photos indicate candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria for inclusion.
Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico, said the following in an Aug. 19, 2011 speech at the National Press Club according to Michael Coleman's Aug. 21, 2011 Albuquerque Journal article titled "Johnson Forges Ahead Sticking to ‘Pocketbook’ Issues":
"The tea party is a mixed bag. If the tea party stands for the federal checkbook, great. But I have seen tea party events that don’t have that as a basis but have a social agenda as its basis. I don’t see that as addressing the problems this country faces.” Aug. 19, 2011 Gary Johnson
President Obama's 2012 campaign Press Secretary, Ben LaBolt, stated the following in an Oct. 3, 2011 memo available at www.barackobama.com:
"From economics to immigration, Governor Perry, Governor Romney, and the Republican field have embraced policies that the American people oppose. The campaign to win the Republican nomination has become a campaign to win the hearts and minds of the Tea Party. They would return to policies that have been tried before and done nothing to improve economic security for the middle class, rewarding special interests who can afford to pay for lobbyists instead of looking out for working families." Oct. 3, 2011 Barack Obama
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated the following during the NBC News/Politico Republican presidential debate held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA on Sep. 7, 2011, available at NYTimes.com:
“I believe in a lot of what the Tea Party believes in. The Tea Party believes that government's too big, taxing too much, and that we ought to get -- get to the work of getting Americans to work. So I put together a plan with a whole series of points of how we can get America's economy going again. Tea Party people like that. So if the Tea Party is for keeping government small and spending down, and helping us create jobs, then, hey, I'm for the Tea Party.” Sep. 7, 2011 Mitt Romney
Michele Bachmann, US Representative (R-MN), stated the following in a Jan. 26, 2011 speech response to President Obama's State of the Union address, available at "Transcript: Tea Party Response from Rep. Bachmann" at npr.org:
“The Tea Party is a dynamic force for good in our national conversation.” Jan. 26, 2011 Michele Bachmann
Herman Cain stated the following during an Apr. 15, 2010 speech at a Tea Party Patriots rally in Atlanta, GA, available at YouTube.com:
"Two million people were attending tea parties across this country today... and you all have made Atlanta look good, and I am very proud of it...
The reason that I hang out with Tea Party people, intelligent thinkers, Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform... I hang out with them for one simple reason. We are all crazy, crazy about the constitution, crazy about the Declaration of Independence, crazy about the United States of America... We the people are still in charge of this country." Apr. 15, 2010 Herman Cain
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, stated the following in a July 29, 2010 interview with Newsmax.tv:
"First of all, I think the Republican Tea Party will beat the Democratic Socialist Party... Second, I like the Tea Party movement... I think the Tea Partiers I meet with around the country... are serious people studying the Constitution, trying to find a way to get back to balanced, limited government with balanced budgets and with much less power in Washington, and I approve of their general direction." July 29, 2010 Newt Gingrich
Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated the following during an Oct. 9, 2010 speech to the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Convention, available at YouTube.com:
"I like the fact that you include the word patriot with this tea party convention... A patriot is an individual who is willing to stand up against ones own government when the government is wrong. Unfortunately, these days that's quite frequent, and maybe that's why we have so many people in the tea party movement... you deserve congratulations, this is a grand meeting were having here today, and also, the [tea party] movement is great...
When the majority of the people change their sentiment, governments will change... I am convinced the people are waking up, and they've said, enough is enough...
What you have to do is you cut government back to its constitutional size, thats what you need, I believe that's what the tea party movement is all about." Oct. 9, 2010 Ron Paul
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, wrote the following in his 2010 bookFed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington:
"The good news is that people are taking action. The Tea Party movement began in earnest as the result of boiling frustration among Americans, triggered by the dramatic expansion of government into their private affairs through bailouts and so-called stimulus plans. Hundreds of thousands of people around the country – ordinary folks- gathered at Tea Parties and organized protests and marches in towns across American and in Washington. While most Democrats have been dismissive of the Tea Parties – just witness the vulgar terminology used by MSNBC pundits whose sophomoric zealotry has no match on modern-day cable news – the Republican Party has been a hotbed of political activity in primaries, where Tea Party activists and other frustrated Americans are having a real impact." 2010 Rick Perry
Buddy Roemer, former Governor of Louisiana, stated the following in a Sep. 3, 2011 Examiner interview titled "Interview with Republican Presidential Candidate Buddy Roemer," available at examiner.com:
"Robert Elliott - What are your thoughts on the Tea Party movement?
Buddy Roemer - They have done a great service to America by being in the thick of November's election last year when they gave the Republicans some backbone and the Dems some warning: Controlling federal spending is the battle. And it is essential that this battle be won now or the nature of our country will change to a European-style welfare state controlled by state bureaucrats. By the way, how are those Euros doing? Shrinking from excessive debt! Thanks, Tea Party." Sep. 3, 2011 Buddy Roemer
Rick Santorum, former US Senator (R-PA), stated the following during the June 13, 2011 CNN Republican presidential debate in Manchester, NH, available on CNN.com:
"I think the Tea Party is a great backstop for America. I love it when people hold up this Constitution and say we have to live by what our founders laid out for this country. It is absolutely essential that we have that backbone to the Republican Party going into this election." June 13, 2011 Rick Santorum