The "Tea Party" is Composed of Morons

OK, I know that isn't exactly a news flash but a recent NBC/WSJ poll shows just how far out of sync the Tea Party is with the rest of the country and even the rest of the Republican Party.

Here are the poll question and results, with the occasional commentary (you just knew I couldn't resist).

Does immigration help or hurt the United States?
Tea Party: 68% Hurts, 19% Helps
Other Republicans: 47% Hurts, 40% Helps
Country at Large: 47% Helps, 42% Hurts

If you consider immigration across the board clearly it helps. However, some immigration is negative in nature. Illegal immigration generally hurts as does allowing people in with a radical agendas such as Ken Ham (from Australia) and Ray Comfort (from New Zealand). We have enough home grown crazies.

Support or Oppose Common Core?
Tea Party: 53% Oppose, 38% Support
Other Republicans: 49% Support, 42% Oppose
Country at Large: 59% Support, 31% Oppose

This one baffles me. I've looked at Common Core and it strikes me as fairly innocuous. Is it perfect? Undoubtedly not but most of the right wing nut case objections I've heard are based upon paranoid fantasy rather than thoughtful criticism.

Approve or disapprove of proposal to reduce greenhouse gases?
Tea Party: 74% Disapprove, 23% Approve
Other Republicans: 50% Approve, 47% Disapprove
Country at Large: 57% Approve, 39% Disapprove

This is an engineering problem. How to reduce greenhouse emissions without raising energy costs or causing other unintended grief? There will be an engineering solution and we'll all breathe better.

What to do about Climate Change?
Tea Party: 39% Concern is Unwarranted, 38% Don't Know, 16% Some Action, 6% Serious/Immediate Action.
Other Republicans: 7% Concern is Unwarranted, 31% Don't Know, 43% Some Action, 17% Serious/Immediate Action.
Country at Large: 13% Concern is Unwarranted, 24% Don't Know, 30% Some Action, 31% Serious/Immediate Action.

I'm off the fence on this one and I'm convinced that serious action is required.