Jeremy Bowen, the BBC correspondent in Tripoli, reported today on the nature of the pro-Gaddafi demonstrations in the capital:

In Green Square the evening’s pro-Gaddafi demonstrations were starting. They’re always noisy, but their numbers are not big for a city like Tripoli, which has a population of more than 2 million. Regular attendance at the demonstrations leaves you with the impression that only one slice of the population is represented. They are people who share the regime’s world-view— seeing the outside world as hostile, condemning the activities of foreign news networks, especially Arabic satellite channels, blaming foreigners allegedly wanting to steal Libya’s oil, and also blaming Al Qaeda for Libya’s troubles. The anti-Gaddaffi protests are now concentrated on Fridays, after the noon pray. They consider it too dangerous for them to assemble at any other time. The protesters tend to be better educated than the regime’s supporters, often speaking foreign languages, and with university degrees from the West. (Six O’Clock News, BBC Radio 4, 7 March 2011)

In what way does that not describe the demographic of the Tea Party? (even down to blaming Al Jazeera for Libya / America’s troubles!)