the dark ages.

The article looks at right-wing politics in the U.S. as of November 2013, focusing on the Tea Party political movement. Topics include the 2013 U.S. government shutdown caused by Tea Partiers, who opposed the U.S. Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare legislation; how the shutdown and other extremist tactics have caused U.S. businesses to withdraw support for the Tea Party; and how the decline in U.S. government spending since 2009 could ultimately strengthen the Republican party.