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Froma Harrop: Tea party fueled its own defeat in Mississippi
The Spokesman-Review ^ | June 28, 2014 | Froma Harrop

Posted on 06/28/2014 6:20:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The tea partyers made a serious blunder in Mississippi, costing them a runoff win: They carelessly slipped their magic passion potion to the opposition.

The hard right’s strength comes from the nearly religious fervor that propels its small numbers to the polls at times when the larger numbers are snoozing. In Mississippi, the right woke up the larger numbers.

Hold that thought, will you?

What had been a race between an old Southern pork-master Republican and an insurgent small-government firebrand was turned into something bigger, much bigger.

One sensed Chris McDaniel might be in trouble when Sen. Thad Cochran asked Democrats, black voters especially, to support him. (Such crossover voting is allowed under the rules.) But when the right-wingers went into rage mode, vowing to patrol the balloting, you knew it was all over. They had handed the opposition a crusade to march in.

Just the hint of possible intimidation of black voters sent people to the polls – even though such fears did not seem to materialize. Ballots cast at some predominantly black precincts jumped 500 percent or more in the runoff over the June 3 primary.

The tea party delights in targeting less ideological Republicans, but it does so fair and square. Its people show up for primaries in midterm elections – again, when other voters are scarce.

The secret to right-wing turnout is social. The movement offers members community and a sense of belonging. Fox News offers nonstop entertainment, a daily parade of photogenic celebrities from the right. The soft-spoken Cochran was not made for the dramatics of political TV.

Politics as national spectacle do not linger on local concerns. Note how McDaniel offered his voters not road projects funded by Washington but reflected glory.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a campaign stop, “next time Ted Cruz stands on that floor, next time Mike Lee stands on that floor, next time Rand Paul stands on that floor to fight for you, a son of Mississippi will stand next to them.”

Those on the left who try to copy this model on MSNBC and elsewhere fail. These shows tend to be wonky, and yes, lefty big thinkers can take on an air of superiority and exclusion.

Moderates are less likely to vote than partisans of either the right or the left, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. And when it comes to primary elections, far more reliably conservative adults say they always vote than do consistent liberals.

Meanwhile, moderate voters tend to be younger and therefore more distracted by family and work than many on the right. Similar low participation is seen among Hispanics (itself a generally younger group) and single women.

So let’s go back to the thought we were holding. We can discuss the reasons moderates and many liberals don’t bother voting in lower-profile races. But those reasons cannot be excuses.

It’s exasperating to read headlines such as “Hopes Frustrated, Many Latinos Reject the Ballot Box Altogether.” In this New York Times story, an immigrant advocate trying to register 18-year-olds to vote could not get a single positive response.

The activist told the reporter, “They were like, ‘Why? Why would I bother to vote?’ ” The apparent reason was disappointment with both parties over immigration reform.

Thing is, the other side never gives up. The tea partyers lose, and then they’re back. They circle the dates of every upcoming primary on their calendars.

Moderates, by temperament, are generally unsuited to emotion-packed ideological campaigns. Thus, those seeking their votes must make voting itself their great cause.

They were lucky this time in Mississippi. The tea party won’t always be so helpful.


TOPICS: Mississippi; Campaign News; Parties; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: cochran; mcdaniel; mississippi; teaparty
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What’s a froma harrop? Do they have these instead of Conservatives in Spokane. I’ll not vote for cochran, I’ll write in a NO VOTE. I’m really POd at the national & Mississippi GOP, the RNC, the RNSC, senator wicker, most of our elected officials, cochran’s handlers, and all the barbours except Jeppie. democrats just do what they do, lie, cheat, steal, subvert, etc, but it’s getting so I can’t distingush them from the republicans.

Is this enough comments for now or do you want more?


21 posted on 06/28/2014 8:06:17 PM PDT by duffee (NO poll tax, NO tax on firearms, ammunition or gun safes. NO gun free zones.)
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To: duffee

This is one election which will be long remembered; played out yearly and remembered again. We as a nation will not stand when we cannot stand together. The GOP feels they can go it alone, we give them that chance. Good luck with that you fickle two faced (f)onies

And, not that I care for Rand Paul, the GOP just put a hole in his balloon according to POLITICO. Looks as though they will take NO prisoners.


22 posted on 06/28/2014 8:51:28 PM PDT by V K Lee
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To: duffee
Froma Harrop is the "professional" name of Frumpy Harrumph (which ought to be her real name) who writes leftist drivel for the Providence, RI, newspaper.

More comments! More!

23 posted on 06/28/2014 8:53:44 PM PDT by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline, Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Society: Rack 'em Danno!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This article makes no sense. I wish Roseanne Roseannadanna was still around. She’d say something like ;

Well, you sound like a real attractive guy, Froma Harroo. You belong in New Jersey. But I know exactly what you’re going through, cause once, I, Roseanne Rosannadanna quit smoking. To get back in shape, I had to join one of those fancy shmancy health clubs. You know, the ones where it’s really expensive to join but it’s worth it because you get to see alot of people that you don’t know naked. Like some people got them bulgy, bulgy thighs, the ones that get chafed just ‘cause they’re always scraping together. And there’s other people there that got them funny bellybuttons. Like some go in, and some go out, some are like a ball, or curl around, or it’s like a little knob on it like a door. Some people even got little pieces of their sweater still in it. Some of them even look like a little shell or a clam or something you don’t know what they are. But personally, I, Roseanne Rosanndanna, don’t like to walk around with no clothes on in front of other people. Not that I don’t have a great body, but why should I waste it on a bunch of fat ladies in a health club? Anyway, they got this thing there that’s a little room that’s hot inside and you go in there to sweat like a pig. So I go in there, but before I sit down, I put this clean towel on the bench ‘cause there’s alot of people been there and you don’t know where they been. But who do you think is sitting next to me but Dr. Joyce Brothers. That very smart pixie lady who thinks she knows everything. But what this nude psycologist didn’t know was that she had this little, teeny, tiny ball of sweat right here, hanging off the tip of her nose. It was just hanging there! It wouldn’t fall off! Like if she turned her head, it wouldn’t fall off. If she stood up it didn’t fall off, if she stretched it wouldn’t come off, and when she picked little pieces of her sweater out of her bellybutton it wouldn’t fall off. That little sweat ball just wouldn’t fall off. So I yelled at her, I said, “Hey, Doctor! Flick that sweat ball off your nose! What are you trying to do, make me sick?”


24 posted on 06/28/2014 9:14:03 PM PDT by Linda Frances (Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If you stir up a dishonest elite and they respond by massive violation of the state voting laws its your fault. Rule of law does not matter. Wow! What a powerful thesis. Who needs the rule of law anyway? It just gets in the way.


25 posted on 06/28/2014 9:22:44 PM PDT by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them or they more like we used to be?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The GOPe languish in their castle, frustrated that those “dirty hobbits” won’t facilitate their continued enjoyment of the public teat.

Burn the castle down!


26 posted on 06/28/2014 9:29:39 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"Comments?"

Froma Harrop presents a real problem. Expressing my sincere views about her would get me banned from pretty much any forum. But, to put it in a short, acceptable form, "I detest her".
27 posted on 06/28/2014 9:30:14 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Some of these people who’s opinions get posted here come from such limited venues. Really shouldn’t be given any credence to what they’re espousing. Anything Frumpy might know about the Mississippi election she got from MSM. Her, if it is a she, comments should be considered from that aspect.


28 posted on 06/29/2014 3:31:51 AM PDT by mosesdapoet (Serious contribution pause.Please continue onto meaningless venting no one reads.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
(Such crossover voting is allowed under the rules.)

This is a half truth. Crossover voting is allowed.....but not if you've already voted!

They want to act like McDaniel was politically out-maneuvered or Cochran pulled off some amazing coup, but what it all boils down to is-

they CHEATED.

If they hadn't cheated the GOPe wouldn't have had any objections to allowing the voting rolls to be examined for discrepancies.

29 posted on 06/29/2014 3:59:57 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am a Person as created by the Laws of Nature, not a person as created by the laws of Man)
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To: WKB

I am taking my pinger to the black smith tomorrow to get it sharpened
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Before you do that, WKB, try Viagra.


30 posted on 06/29/2014 10:33:20 AM PDT by Din Maker (Time to insure GOP will NOT get control of Senate. If you don't like revenge, you've never tasted it)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Froma is probably related to Barrie Harrop.
31 posted on 06/29/2014 10:36:01 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: mosesdapoet

Looks like a female.

32 posted on 06/29/2014 11:33:04 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.)
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To: Din Maker

Oh what a shame. Your snarky little post was pulled before the world got to see what an imbecile you are. I am so sorry.
You really need to brush up on sarcasm,tongue in cheek and general southern-ism before you go off on people you know absolutely nothing about. Have a nice day.


33 posted on 06/29/2014 3:50:21 PM PDT by WKB
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