Why Slam Tea Party Protesters

I know why the media does this, but am sad that people buy into it. Why does everyone insist that tea party people are racist, militia nuts who just hate a black man in office? Most of them I know don't care anything about Obama's color; it's the overspending and government takeover of our lives they have a problem with. Many of them didn't like it when the GOP did things like that, either. Shouldn't most people be worried about these issues? Did you ever stop to think that the media and politicians are slamming the protesters because they don't want any dissent?