The tea party in DC ended up with things being thrown at the White House and the secret service being forced to request the party disperse. Not exactly civil.
I'd also say people are not that enamored with the tea parties because of the hypocrisy of it - where were these people during Bush? It just comes off as partisan.
But I prefer tea parties to the other ways Republicans have vented their anger as of late, gunning down doctors and shooting up the Holocaust museum.