In wake of Cantor defeat, Tea Party sets sights on Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander

wptv.com ^ | 6/12/14 | Alex Wong

[cotton1706]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Steve Osborn thinks there are a lot of messages to be found in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning defeat by a tea party challenger in Virginia’s primary election on Tuesday, but the most jarring one for politicians just might be this:

“The grass-roots can actually swing an election, regardless of the money the GOP throws at them,” said Osborn, chairman of the Sevier County Tea Party in East Tennessee.

Cantor’s loss to political novice David Brat confounded the nation’s campaign cognoscenti and left many wondering whether it should be interpreted as a warning sign to other establishment Republicans facing their own re-election battles.

Cantor’s downfall, coupled with U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran being forced into a primary run-off against a tea party challenger in Mississippi, could energize Tennessee’s tea party movement, which has set its sights on another high-profile target, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.

Alexander’s campaign said Wednesday that Brat’s David-vs.-Goliath victory over Cantor won’t change his own campaign strategy.

“Sen. Alexander is doing what he’s always done: staying connected with Tennessee and being the best senator he could possibly be,” said his campaign spokesman, Brian Reisinger.

While Alexander’s team has been watching other races around the country, “every race runs on its own two legs,” said Tom Ingram, the senator’s former chief of staff and a general consultant to his campaign.

“Our race is a guy who has been serving Tennessee in the same hard-working, loyal fashion for years as governor and as a senator and staying connected, listening to and representing the interests of his constituents and trusting them to make the right decision on Election Day,” Ingram said.

[mazda77]

“Sen. Alexander is doing what he’s always done: staying connected with Tennessee and being the best senator he could possibly be,”

Obviously can’t see the forest for the trees. Being the best you can be without striving for excellence is exactly why all junior colleges have full time remedial programs fr those who just graduated from high school.

[ncalburt]

Lamar us a DC elite and intensely disliked in Franklin Tn which is the home of the Tn conservative base.

[nathanbedford]

Sen. Alexander is doing what he’s always done

Lamarr's opponent should simply agree.

[kabar]

None of national tea party organizations had anything to do with the Brat victory. They didn’t give a dime to his campaign nor did they show up to support him. Now they are trying to fund raise off of him.

[mazda77]

Oh, I know. I was poking at the abject idiocy of the statement of his PR flunkie. Cantor’s flunkies didn’t understand the problem and these clones are incapable of it as well.

[Linda Frances]

“From Virginia to Mississippi, a transformational change is underway that is being led by a true grassroots movement,” Carr said in a statement shortly after Brat’s victory over Cantor.

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When I hear “transformational”, all I think about is obamas words. I've hear the tea party mimic leftist words. How about saying something like “back to the heart of the constitution” or “we've had enough of the lefts transformational change that is destroying our nation”. They shouldn't use the lefts words.

[kabar]

Alexander was one of 14 turncoat Rep senators that voted for the Gang of 8 bill. That alone, should guarantee his defeat. This bill will triple legal permanent immigration to 33 million over the next decade and double the guest worker programs to 1.3 million a year. We will bring in one immigrant/guest worker for each of the 4 million Americans who graduate high school annually. It will take jobs from Americans and depress wages even further.

Carr should take a page from Brat's book and go after Alexander on his betrayal of the American worker. We have 21 million Americans unemployed or underemployed. If we had a shortage of labor wages would be going up, not down. Carr should attack the Chamber of Commerce and the corporate class like Brat did. America jobs for American workers.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I gave my money directly to the Carr campaign.

[kabar]

Carr statement on his immigration policy needs work. From his website:

I fully support immigration. America is the most generous country on earth when it comes to granting immigrants access to the American dream. However, illegal immigration is turning that dream into a nightmare as illegals stream over our southern border in search of both jobs and free benefits that are paid for by hard-working Americans. The Constitution requires the federal government to secure our borders, and too many of our leaders in Washington have not upheld their oath and funded border security. I will advocate funding border security, rejecting amnesty proposals and strengthening interior enforcement such as e-verify. For years Tennessee families have shouldered the costs of illegal immigration. I will take the experience and passion I have for protecting Tennesseans from illegal immigration to Washington as your Senator. We also must reform our immigration policy to ensure we are attracting the best and brightest minds around the world and protecting our citizens from individuals who want to harm us. A successful immigration policy begins with enforcement of existing laws and respect for the rule of law.

Carr has filled out the questionnaire from NumbersUSA. He has been designated a true reformer, the highest grade. Now he needs to start articulating his immigration policy, which includes reducing legal immigration. Brat did it and won.

[FreeAtlanta]

Yeah, the "organizations" have done more to hurt the TEA party movement than anything. Conservative fiscal policy is the only organization we need. Give directly to the candidate of your choice, and ignore the blow hards that just want to capitalize on a theme. Really, FreeRepublic is the only "TEA 🍵 Party" organizing we need.

[kabar]

Someone close to the Carr campaign should have him read Jeff Sessions article, Becoming the Party of Work --How the GOP can help struggling Americans, and itself.

Carr has taken the FAIR pledge. He needs to hit the immigration issue hard and link it to American jobs and depressed wages. I worked with the Brat campaign on the immigration issue. It is a winner if used the right way.

[randita]

When I hear “transformational”, all I think about is obamas words. I've hear the tea party mimic leftist words. How about saying something like “back to the heart of the constitution” or “we've had enough of the lefts transformational change that is destroying our nation”. They shouldn't use the lefts words.

Well put. Brat had the winning message. The National Tea Party chair didn't even return his phone calls and now they want to take credit for and fund raise off Brat's effort.

The tea party (small t, small p) is a mindset, not an organization.

It's about reining in the size and scope of government, a free market economy, and the rule of law.

If you agree with Brat's agenda, then you have the "tea party" mindset. You don't need to be a card carrying member of any formal tea party group.

This is one of those rare cases where the aggregate parts are much, much larger than the whole.

[ExTexasRedhead]

Boehner needs to be voted out as Speaker!!!

[Blogatron]

ping for later

[Coldwater Creek]

Then they had better understand that the state of Tennessee actually extends South of Nashville.