WSJ: A (pro-life, homeschooled) Star Is Born

This weekend's Tea Party rally in Madison, Wis., drew familiar figures like Sarah Palin and Andrew Breitbart, but perhaps the most interesting speaker was a 14-year-old girl named Tricia Willoughby. Tricia wowed, among others, Rachael Larimore, who writes for Slate.com's ladies blog, XX Factor.

"What's impressive is her strong voice, her confidence, and, let's face it, her youth," Larimore writes. "The Tea Party is often seen as being made up entirely of cranky middle-aged people who don't like paying taxes. But here is a smart, engaging young woman speaking with the poise of someone older."

Showing considerably less poise is the bitter, pudgy middle-aged man featured in a YouTube video of the left-wing counterprotest. "Go home, you little brat!" he shouts at the 14-year-old, struggling to make himself heard over his comrades' boos and noisemakers. "Who the f--- are you to lecture me, you little brat?!"

Something else caught our attention about Tricia Willoughby. Larimore points out that "a quick Google search"--which turns up a post by blogger Stacy McCain--"reveals that her parents are pro-life activists in Madison and that Tricia is in a debate club. Cynics will point out that--gasp!--she is homeschooled, as if that ought to discredit her."

Continue at Wall Street Journal