[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/02/04/tea.party.march.gi.art.jpg caption="Protesters march to Capitol Hill during the Tea Party Express rally on September 12, 2009 in Washington, DC."]
By John Avlon
From The Daily Beast
It’s Super Bowl weekend, but the big event in politics is the first national Tea Party Convention in Nashville.
As with all pre-game press, there’s plenty of hype that offers more heat than light. There have been last minute injuries and substitutions—wingnut Rep. Michele Bachmann dropped out from her long promised speaking role, while Sarah Palin has stuck with her $100,000 speaking fee and been rewarded with prime-time speech coverage from cable outlets during the Saturday night banquet.
There is plenty of second guessing and insider scandals—the convention’s for-profit status has rubbed many grassroots activists the wrong way. They see themselves as defenders of the American Revolution, and this twist has some asking whether John Hancock would have rented out Independence Hall and tried to make money off the concessions.
But the big game, the “Thrilla in Vanilla,” goes on. If you’re keeping score at home on cable news or via The Daily Beast, here are the top five key Tea Party players to keep an eye out for.