Posted on 05/23/2014 9:06:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Here’s a familiar-seeming political tale. An incumbent Republican senator, from a famous political family and with a long history of moderation, is challenged by an upstart candidate in the GOP primary. The upstart is a successful entrepreneur turned talk-radio host and small-town mayor with a reputation for slashing spending and fighting unions; the Club for Growth endorses him. The Republican establishment rallies to the incumbent’s side. Karl Rove works for the incumbent; Mitch McConnell and John McCain stump for the incumbent. In the end, the incumbent wins, but barely. Then the incumbent goes on to lose to the Democrat in November in a race that may have tipped the balance in the Senate.
You might assume that this story refers to something from the 2010 or 2012 election cycles, when — so the narrative goes — tea party candidates caused all sorts of grief for the Republican establishment and potentially cost the GOP control of the Senate. But the details don’t quite fit any election in those years. Instead, this is the story of the 2006 Republican primary in Rhode Island. Lincoln Chafee was the incumbent; Steve Laffey was the upstart; Sheldon Whitehouse was the Democrat who beat Chafee that November, when Democrats took control of the Senate, 51-49.
With McConnell having defeated his challenger, Matt Bevin, in the Republican primary in Kentucky this week, there’s been a lot of talk about whether the influence of the tea party is waning. According to a series of mainstream media accounts, McConnell “crushed” the tea party in “the latest big beat” for the movement, which is “losing steam” as the economy improves.
(Excerpt) Read more at fivethirtyeight.com ...
Tea Party is hot and heavy in an all important race in Mississippi.
this is what we call transparent, int the way that it is supposed to deflect but looks so contrived it’s transparent, like a little kid, dragging a chair across the kitchen floor expecting to not be found foraging for forbidden food.
Nate, though, is an adult, and a well respected, in some circles, journalist and essayist.
It’s crazy.
He’s right. It’s time to move into the next phase of securing a decent country for our kids.
What’s the next phase? Outright rebellion?
The TEA party is anybody who has come to the conclusion that the feral government is out of control to the point that it has become evil, and needs to be reined in and pruned back.
Basically, if our Republican Senator acts like a conservative, he will never have to worry about the Democrat. Problem is once the Senator becomes a democrat, he gets what he deserves.
Bunk.
The Tea Party is the future.
Nate Silver has no idea of what the ‘Tea Party’ is.
No, it’s the Republican Party that has outlived its usefulness.
“Nate Silver has no idea of what the ‘Tea Party’ is.”
Actually, after reading the article (which is relatively fair), I get the sense that Nate Silver knows more about the Tea Party than politicians like Mitch McConnell do.
“Nate Silver: ‘Tea Party’ Has Outlived Its Usefulness”
Nate’s got to say something to get back in the good graces of the RATS since he predicted losses for them in Nov.
Actually, Silver agrees with that assessment. In reading the article he is saying that the “Tea party” is really a part of the GOP and that calling it a separate Party is pretty meaningless now. He is not saying that conservative influence is meaningless.
HA...he WISHES....
the “TEA party” is a set of convictions to certain principles and values that transcends politics as usual-
like liberty, personal freedom, respect for Constitutionally based law, individual responsibility and distrust of bureaucracy that has demonstrated its contempt or fear of all of the above
It is never going away.
It may change names
Give it a strong leader to build a national voice and look out
a politician who doesn’t “get it” does not share those convictions and values
nuff said
The tea party is a freaking state of mind you moron.
My, my. People are falling all over themselves lately to declare the death of the Tea Party.
To paraphrase Mr. Clemens, the reports of its death are greatly exaggerated.
There was, and remains, a broad, deepening grassroots resentment of the politics currently being inflicted on the American public by a self-proclaimed elite that has arrogated to itself the ideological direction of the country and will brook no opposition. That was annoying when it consisted merely of sneering within the media; now in power it is far more than that, it is totalitarian and deadly.
The gaps in the wall aren't going to be papered over by reassurance that establishment, elitist Republicans are in any sense a counterweight to establishment, elitist Democrats. They have proven to be co-conspirators.
And so the "Tea Party is dead!" triumphalism has a very hollow ring to it. It was never really alive as they define political life, but that doesn't mean it has gone away.
The failure of the Republicans in that election was that they failed to raise the alarm on all the election fraud that occurred. Not that Atty General Holder would have done anything about it, anyway.
Actually, Nate's pretty spot-on here. The Tea Party isn't a proper noun "Party" but rather a collection of ideas represented by many smaller organizations and individuals who may or may not agree on candidates and policies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.