Dave Brat effect? How the Virginia primary could affect other races

It’s the win that launched a thousand fundraising letters — call it the Brat effect.

When Randolph-Macon College economics professor Dave Brat defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in what might be this century's most-gobsmacking American political upset, people noticed. And other candidates challenging strong incumbents hope that they can tap into the wave of optimism that surged through Tea Partiers this week.

One Republican pollster said that Cantor's loss -- and any ensuing grassroots energy -- is unlikely to change the results of any primary contests. In the primary contest with the highest profile, state Sen. Chris McDaniel's contest against incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, the terms of engagement have very much been defined, he continued -- that race is about Mississippi, Cochran's record, and the comparative merits of the two candidates.

“Brat/Cantor doesn’t hurt from a tactic point,” said the pollster, arguing any impact on the race would be in McDaniel’s favor. “Momentum begets momentum. It’s something you can talk about, but I don’t know that it alters the structure of that race, which already favors McDaniel.”

The Tennessee contest might be more interesting, but that remains to be seen. State Rep. Joe Carr, who is challenging Sen. Lamar Alexander, has struggled to raise money, boost his name I.D., and increase his standing in polls. He also failed to file his personal financial disclosure forms on time, and his campaign's financial disclosure forms have drawn questions from the Federal Election Commission. One Tennessee political observer suggested these factors could have played a role in Carr's struggle to win endorsements from the prominent, deep-pocketed outside groups that lined up behind McDaniel, Matt Bevin (the Kentucky businessman who challenged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and lost to him), and others.

HOW CANTOR LOST Cantor in 2013: "One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children and who know no other home."

Cantor later offered a new explanation for why he supports granting amnesty to individuals brought into the country illegally as minors. It's “Biblical,” he said in a local radio interview.

Wadda ya wanna bet that tidbit offed the sucker but good. So much for Cantor's high-sounding words (endorsing a measure intended to dismantle US ntl scurity).

Cantor stupidly believed the rest of us just fell of turnip truck---that we know nothing about the Dream Act except what he makes up.

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THE FACTS ARE THESE---The Senate amnesty bill is dangerously flawed, and its glaring omissions WRT protecting US ntl security, cannot ever serve as the basis for useful legislation.

By legalizing illegal aliens w/out shoring up law enforcement, we hand an engraved invitation to global Third Worlders----all of 'em salivating to ride the US gravy train.....each seperatist group conniving to achieve its hidden agenda.

Amnesty recklessly opens the door wide for illiterate, low-skilled aliens, born and bred in savage cultures, here to suck up US benefits and take jobs away from Americans.

Third Worlders may, in fact, contribute their labor to the US, but their loyalties are elsewhere----they have no intention of becoming Americanized....of participating as equals in American culture, revering our vast history, or preserving American values.

The Senate amnesty bill is a blueprint----it amply demonstrates that illegal separatist populations intend to usurp the US political system to advance their own hidden agenda.

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Immigration “reform” includes two “slush funds” amounting to $150,000,000 that may be supplemented with additional taxpayer dollars for years to come, earmarked for "Dreamers"----like the blood-thirsty La Raza.

LA RAZA TEACHING HATE-AMERICA WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS La Raza Studies do not even try to sugar-coat its anti-America agenda and its bloodthirsty plans to kill off Americans: Raza Studies textbook “Occupied America,” by Rodolfo Acuña, includes a violent and blood-curdling speech given by university professor Jose Angel Gutierrez: “We have got to eliminate the gringo, and what I mean by that is, if the worst comes to the worst, we have got to kill him,” (pg. 323).

The following is taken directly from La Raza's Occupied America (pg. 167): “.......execute all white males over age 16,” (AKA the Plan of San Diego).

America-hating Raza Studies teach (1) violence, (2) undermining US ntl security, and, (3) the need for Mexico to "re- take seven states in the Southwest...in order to make the SW a Chicano nation. "

SCHOOL BOARD NUT CASES Adelita Grijalva is the woman on the Arizona school board pimping La Raza indoctrination programs in Tuscon schools. Adelita is all up in arms about Raza Studies getting tossed via the AZ state legislature's action...she is the daughter of Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7).

Cong Raul Grijalva is one of Mexico’s most productive and loyal Fifth Column in the US Congress....aiding and abetting the latino criminal underworld, colluding to take back the SW, and loot and pillage the US treasury.

Raul and friend.

Cantor and friend.

“The electorate is fickle.” So true. While it would be great to think this is a big turning point, it probably was more of a “perfect storm” in Cantor’s particular race. Cantor had been too focused on his national aspirations and was seen as ignoring his district, taking them for granted. That was not enough - the stories finally hitting that the illegal invasion was real, that people were sending their children in such large numbers it was overwhelming the system - that finally got enough voters attention they showed up and showed their anger at Cantor’s position on immigration reform. And finally it appears Cantor only had one opponent - there was a single “other” that voters could choose and they recognized it could make a difference.

I live in Boehner’s district. Plenty of people are angry with him, but he paid enough attention to his district and campaign here to not be seen as ignoring it. There were three other candidates, only one of which who would have been viable in November -and he finished in third place. Conservatives have to coalesce to make a viable challenge, and make sure their candidate is not going to be unelectable as we learned from the last election when the Republicans should have taken several Senate seats but had flawed candidates. Let’s hope any challengers that are successful will also be electable in November.

I’m in Cantor’s district and there are a lot of reasons why he lost .... they all came together in a “perfect storm” scenario and it also mattered that Brat was a good opponent (articulate, policy vs politics, etc.). The big takeaway in general, I believe, is that grassroots types, those that want to change the status quo, have been beat down by incumbents with big money support, GOPe support, polling data, and being told that we CAN’T unseat somebody like an Eric Cantor. It’s been psychological warfare - if they can keep you from even trying, then of course they win every time - kill any opposition momentum before it gets started. The Brat defeat of Cantor put the lie to all of WHAT WE’RE BEING TOLD. The reality on the ground is something different and if folks ignore the ‘powers that be’ when they’re told their efforts will be in vain and actually DO something ... like going to the people and knocking on doors (one example),we can vote the bums/dirtbags out.

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