Is the tea party serious or is it a gimmick?

this tea party thing is getting kinda big but most republicans dont even agree with them. Most people i know think they are all crazy. i mean repealing the 14th amendment. all these fake border horror storys, bashing obama on the border in a time where border issues are better then they have been in a while? i just dont get it is this just a gimmick to scare and they know they are being dumb?