Jimmuh Carter: I Was The Original Tea Party Candidate

He didn't quite say it that way, but he clearly feels he was the beneficiary of an upset electorate...and he was:

Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday he sees parallels between today's tea party and his own campaign for the White House in 1976. But he doesn't think the movement will be much of a factor beyond this fall's elections.

The Georgia Democrat told The Associated Press he rode a wave of voter discontent to the presidency on the heels of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that felled President Richard Nixon, much like tea party conservatives are now earning support by voicing anger at the nation's economic woes.

"I was a candidate that was in some ways like the tea party candidate," Carter said in an interview. "I was a complete outsider. I capitalized legitimately on the dissatisfaction that was permeating our society."

He said the tea party's momentum will likely wear off and they will be co-opted by the Republican Party.

"I think they're going to be quite a major factor in November," he said. "I think there's already a process of absorbing them into the Republican Party. I think they will be much less of a factor in 2012 and in future years."

Jimmuh Carter became president because America decided to punish the GOP for Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, the loss in Vietnam, and a floundering economy. After electing Jimmuh the voters realized they were only punishing themselves and Reagan swept him out of office.

As far as Jimmuh's predictions about the Tea Party movement, it's clear he still doesn't really understand it. The Tea Party got its start without the help of the GOP, seems quite content to run on its own without GOP approval (just look at the Tea Party candidates who defeated those favored by the GOP establishment), and will not be co-opted into the GOP. If anything the GOP is going to have to adopt those principles espoused by the Tea Party or it will quickly find itself out of power once again.