Tea Party Takes Measure of Mitt

The tea party movement is starting to mobilize against Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney. But that move carries as much danger for the tea partyers as for the former Massachusetts governor, Politico reports.

If Romney indeed takes the nomination, the tea party movement could be doomed to irrelevance in the election as obstructionists. But then again, the movement could back a third-party candidate, making it very difficult for Romney to win the general election.

“I honestly don’t know whether the movement will perform well” in the presidential election, said Mark Meckler, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, a national coalition of local groups. “I don’t think anybody is looking for a third party candidate, but anybody who would count out that possibility, I just think is ignorant.”