– Albuquerque, NM: From “thousands” in 2010 to “dozens” in 2011.
– Boston, MA: From “several thousand” in 2010 to 300 in 2011. While last year’s rally featured Sarah Palin, this year’s featured Tim Pawlenty.
– Chicago, IL: From “at least 1,500” in 2010 to “[s]everal hundred” in 2011.
– Columbia, SC: From “more than 1,000” in 2010 to “a paltry 300” in 2011, even though this year’s rally featured Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) while last year’s featured disgraced former governor Mark Sanford.
– Denver, CO: From 2,000 in 2010 to “hundreds” in 2011. Friday’s rally was “nothing like the thousands who mobbed the Capitol lawn in previous years,” the AP noted.
– Des Moines, IA: From 700 in 2010 to 340 in 2011. 2009′s rally drew3,000.
– Hartford, CT: From 1,200 in 2010 to 700 in 2011, even though Hartford was the only city hosting rallies this year, while there were rallies in three Connecticut cities last year.
– Indianapolis, IN: From 2,000 in 2010 to “hundreds” in 2011.
– Lansing, MI: From “more than 1,000” in 2010 to 300 in 2011 in front of Michigan’s Capitol. In 2009, a rally at the same spot drew 4,000.
– Pittsburgh, PA: From 2,000 in 2010 to 500 in 2011.
– Sacramento, CA: From “2,000 to 3,000” in 2010 to a “light turnout” of several dozen. 2009′s tax day rally at the Capitol brought out 5,000.
– St. Paul, MN: From “more than 500” in 2010 to “dozens” in 2011.
No media reports of Tea Party rallies this year in several cities which hosted large rallies last year, such as Houston, TX and Atlanta, GA, which saw rallies of 6,000 and 3,000, respectively, in 2010. Only a few places in which tea party rallies were larger this year than last, including one in Boca Raton, FL, which saw a large rally this year headlined by potential presidential contender Donald Trump, but witnessed no notable rally last year. But even in places with big headliners, like Madison, WI and Columbia, SC, which featured tea party favorites Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), respectively, turnout was lower than expected.