WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: The Tea Party Movement As Major Historical Landmark. “My guess would be that the Tea Party movement is part of a very big wave. . . . For now at least, many Tea Partiers seem to want a populist coalition that focuses on economic and government reform while moving more slowly on social issues. Perhaps the movement is pulling itself together more quickly than past populist upsurges have done because the combination of higher education levels and better communications make today’s populists a little more ready for prime time than some of their predecessors.”