I saw only the preview (c. 430-530 pm) of the Portland Tea Party. Most of the placard messages here were at least acceptable. The Republican Party of Oregon sanctioned the event, with a lit table, even though the RPO is part of the problem.

Based on signs and overhead conversations before the formal speaking began, I would say most participants here appeared to be conservative “againsters,” not advocates of rational egoism and capitalism.

Based on that narrow sample, I would say they are potential ad hoc allies, but not suitable for collaboration without making one’s principles fully explicit (as Professor Adam Reed has pointed out on his weblog, Born to Identify).

However, I note that there seems to be a very wide difference from one local demonstration to another. In the long-run, the nature of the national movement’s organization might be the better place to consider.

Robert Tracinski says protests are important because they send politicians a message that is not being heard. If that is true, then given the liberal bias of the MSM, the Tea Party protests are the most important demonstrations of our time. They are far more important (and more moral) than the idiotic, nihilist violence of the anarchists who want to destroy capitalism.