If they were smart they’d polish some of the TEA Party candidates and chalk up some wins. But they’re not smart at least not in that way. They crave power and like DC, the heavy center of it.
Agreed. Where they started blowing it was trying to scuttle Sarah Palin as soon as they realized she wasn't going to be a quiet token on the ticket, and began to outclass McCain in popularity among Conservatives. Her staff had more "leaks" than a screen door on a submarine, tailored for the MSM to dive on.
They've doubled down on that stupidity since, repeatedly, kicking Conservatives to the curb and throwing them under the bus, and underfunding campaigns to let TEA party candidates come up short whenever they can.