If Rove actually did some research instead of just shaping the way he wants the tea party narrative to be written, then he'd find out where the spark for the tea party came from as well as a place where thousands of Americans read Hayek, Mises, and of course Paul on a daily basis.
This is as early as I can go back to find the spark behind the most recent revival of a 21st century tea party (October 24th 2007)
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?p=310818
Those forums are as anti-establishment Tea Party as it gets. They are a portion of the tea party heart that Rove either neglects or is unaware of. I choose to believe it's the first.
The establishment came out against the tea party early on in the Kentucky GOP primary and those who were watching have not simply forgotten.
Where do you think Rand got the resources to fight McConnell, Giuiliani, Dick Cheney, and the 17 bailout voting Senators throwing Grayson fundraisers?
RPF members beat their string pulling attempts back with KentuckyFight.com, TreyGrayson.info, as well as a large number of other grassroots fundraisers that ranged from $100k to over $400k.
He wants to you to spit out the tea party. Karl Rove realizes at the core there really are principles not paper or party. That's his problem and he will tell you the opposite. He wants to shape your opinion on the tea party. Why else would he take the time to bad mouth a supposed failing movement?
I don't like to go around beating my chest, but Rove is wrong about how sophisticated the lemmings are.