Posted on 05/09/2012 6:32:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Not only did Tea Party-backed Richard Mourdock just put an end to Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar's 35-year U.S. Senate career, but it wasn't even close. NBC projected Mourdock, the Indiana state treasurer, the winner of the Republican primary shortly after polls closed, as he was trouncing Lugar by over 20 points. In and of itself, the crushing defeat of such a long-time veteran of the Senate would be a big story, but the importance of this development will be felt way beyond Indiana.
As I wrote earlier this week, a lot of pundits have been prematurely writing the obituary to the Tea Party, but Mourdock's victory demonstrates that the movement still has a lot of power. Tea Party activists will be tested again in Texas, where they hope to nominate Ted Cruz and Utah, where they hope to dump veteran Sen. Orrin Hatch in favor of conservative Dan Liljenquist.
Mourdock's victory not only means that this particular Senate seat is likely to be more conservative (assuming he goes on to win the general election in this traditionally red state), but it also puts Republican Senators everywhere on notice that no seat is safe anywhere in the country. Any elected Republican that doesn't pursue a small government agenda once in office risks suffering the same fate as Lugar. Had Lugar hung on, then a lot of people would have dismissed the Tea Party as a passing fad from 2010. But now it's clear that the movement has been underestimated once again. Tea Partiers have a lot more staying power than skeptics expected.
With the Republican presidential nomination going to the ideologically malleable Mitt Romney, supporters of limited government have recognized that their best hope for advancing the conservative agenda rests on the ability to elect as many principled conservatives to Congress as possible. That is, lawmakers who will be willing to fight for smaller government even if it means standing up to a president of their own party. The more victories the Tea Party racks up, the greater the chance that Romney will be forced to govern as a limited government conservative if elected, even if his natural inclination is to migrate to the left.
Exactly.
Luger, R.I.P. you damned old, liberal pandering, Democrat loving career seial criminal office holder. I hope Orrin Hatch, ANOTHER lib lover like you and ALSO a serial office holding career politician criminal follows you along with all the OTHER serial office holding old fossils in Congress.
As Ethan Allen would have said “Get OUT you damned RAT”!!
or something like that.
That bothers me a lot ~ the implications of that are not at all favorable to the TEA Party, nor to Conservatism.
It does mean too many Democrats were allowed to vote in the Republican primary.
This should scare the living bejeezus out of the libs and lamestreamers (the L&L crowd for short).
“ideologically malleable Mitt Romney”
Understatement of the day.
Lugar said that with his defeat, he now has time to do the things he had always wanted to do.. Like travel to places he’s never been to.
I suggest he start with Indiana...
Or, conversely, did Lugar go all Lisa Murkowski and announce he will run as an independent?
OOHRAH!
Ba da boom. But, seriesly, folks....
IN FReepers have been posting that IN has a “sore loser” law in place, so apparently, no he can’t.
That was my first thought though.
RINO hunting season is upon us.
Lugar should have tried running as Virginia Senator instead. He would have had a better chance. After all, he lives there.
>> did Lugar go all Lisa Murkowski and announce he will run as an independent? <<
Would not be allowed under Indiana law.
Principles are timeless, whereas fads and fancies like electing the first prez to actually be made of dog feces fade away...just as they should.
This is exactly what I’ve been saying for months.
Focus on Congress. Focus on Congress. Focus on Congress.
Get good conservatives in Congress and Romney won’t be able to do as much damage as he otherwise would be able to do.
Did he call to congratulate Mourdock and offer his support in the general?
Will we win every battle? Probably not. We already lost the big one. But over time conservatism will trump all other philosophies.It just may not be pretty.
You’re welcome.
“Did he call to congratulate Mourdock and offer his support in the general?”
Not sure about that, but this is a good take on Lugar’s actions immediately afterwards:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2881479/posts?page=83#83
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