Well here's a no brainer that was just verified from a Rasmussen poll released this morning; calling someone a 'tea party' candidate has a bigger impact than any other label. Democrats, of course, reacted the harshest to the label. Rasmussen reports:
70% say their opinion of a candidate would be influenced by the Tea Party label. Sixty-one percent (61%) say the same about calling someone a conservative. Fifty-nine percent (59%) respond to calling a candidate liberal; 57% respond to the progressive label, and just 42% respond to calling a candidate politically moderate. Democrats react more to the Tea Party label than to any other. Democrats also react to the Tea Party label more strongly than Republicans or unaffiliated voters. Overall, on a net basis, conservative remains the most positive label, while liberal is the most negative.
That was a given, but how do Republicans and Independents view the label?
Partisan Republicans like the Tea Party label but not as much as the conservative label. Just 54% of the GOP says calling someone a Tea Party member is a good thing.
Among unaffiliated voters, 35% consider the Tea Party label positive, while 34% say it’s a negative for them. That split decision means the Tea Party label is less popular among unaffiliateds than the term conservative. However, among unaffiliated voters, the Tea Party label is more positive than either progressive or liberal. It’s also perceived as a more positive label
If a candidate is described as a “Tea Party member,” 32% see that label as a positive, while 38% hold the opposite view. That’s a net rating of negative six, making it less positive on balance than calling someone a conservative, moderate or progressive.
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised that 'conservative' was viewed as the most positive label. Anytime you read a story from a left of center-left major media outlet it seems they go out of their way to label conservatives and tend to leave out the 'liberal' tag for liberals- specifically when something is negative. The same thing can be said about the 'Tea Party' label. When it's positive, you'll rarely see it. It all comes down to context.