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The Tea Party, scalded
The Economist's Democracy In America ^ | June 25, 2014

Posted on 06/25/2014 8:00:34 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

THE REPUBLICAN Party civil war between purists and pragmatists is not over: the viciousness of the 2014 party primary season proves that. But defeats for Tea Party-backed populists on June 24th confirm a big development. The party’s business-backed “governing” wing has remembered how to fight, and fight rough.

Not for the first time in history, the lowest blows flew in Mississippi. Senator Thad Cochran—a genteel, big-government Republican and four-decade Washington veteran—broke every rule of Deep South politics and asked black Democrats and union members to cross party lines and cast votes in a Republican Party run-off contest. (Under Mississippi law party primaries are effectively open to all registered voters, though the Republican run-off of June 24th was not—in theory—open to anyone who had voted in an earlier Democratic primary on June 3rd.) It worked, just: Mr Cochran won by about 6,700 votes, or less than two percentage points. A hefty turnout in mostly-black counties helped Mr Cochran beat off Chris McDaniel, a compromise-scorning state senator and former radio talk-show host.

The McDaniel campaign was sidetracked for a time by the arrest of a supporter who had sneaked into a retirement home to film Mr Cochran’s wife, who has dementia. McDaniel backers more recently called foul over leaflets sent to black neighbourhoods touting Mr Cochran’s support for food stamps and bashing Mr McDaniel as an opponent of Obamacare (while leaflets in white districts touted Mr Cochran as a conservative who voted “more than 100 times” against Obamacare, whose seniority nonetheless guaranteed Mississippi federal cash, notably for education).

In defeat Mr McDaniel talked darkly of “irregularities” at polling places and questioned the legitimacy of a Republican contest won with votes from Democrats: a loaded statement in a state where almost 90% of whites vote Republican and over 90% of blacks vote Democratic.

The comeback by the 76-year old incumbent—who at times on the campaign trail appeared weary and unaware of recent news events—marked a sharp defeat for the government-bashing Right. Outside groups attacking Mr Cochran as a Washington insider and Obama-enabler had descended on the state, spending an estimated $7m backing Mr McDaniel in the run-off. Business groups and Republican leaders in Congress poured about $4m into TV ads (including a round-the-clock broadcast of an endorsement by a local American football star) and a ground campaign.

Pragmatists scored a second win in a senate primary in Oklahoma. Representative James Lankford, a booming-voiced second-term congressman and Southern Baptist youth-camp director, beat off a Tea Party rival who had attacked him for voting to raise America’s federal debt limit as part of broader budget agreements. His opponent, T.W. Shannon, a part-black, part-Native American former speaker of the state House, had been backed by such conservatives as Sarah Palin (“The Democrats accuse us of not embracing diversity? Oh, my goodness, he is it”) and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. By any objective standard Mr Lankford is very conservative. His crime in Tea Party eyes lay in trying to make government work. It helped greatly that the popular incumbent, Senator Tom Coburn, who is retiring after illness, expressed disquiet at attacks on Mr Lankford.

Party leaders have not had 2014 all their way: they are still reeling from the primary defeat in Virginia on June 10th of Eric Cantor, the House Majority Leader, by a little-known professor. (Mr Cantor cast himself as a conservative outsider while seeking Washington power, a balancing act too far.) Many activists still loathe party leaders. But they no longer have a monopoly on ferocity. Establishment gloves are off.

Dig deeper:

America’s Republicans are a big success and a worrying mess

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida; US: Mississippi; US: Texas; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: cochran; gop; mcdaniel; teaparty
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I know about WWII.

I meant how does ‘awakening the sleeping giant’ relate to this article? You seem to be implying that the Tea Party is the David foolishly picking a fight with the Goliath GOPe; the inevitable result being...unpleasant.

41 posted on 06/25/2014 9:07:47 PM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: Zhang Fei
McDaniel could certainly run as an independent and try to beat Cochran in the general, Murkowski-style.

And we can help him even if we don't live in MS. Send donations, post on boards "Remember Mississippi", Tweet, tell friends, etc. MS had national attention for this race, Chris can get it back if he makes a move relatively soon and gets the people behind him.

42 posted on 06/25/2014 9:12:33 PM PDT by Kenny
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To: MichaelCorleone

Then you inverted my meaning. We are the sleeping giant.


43 posted on 06/25/2014 9:14:29 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Okay, thanks.


44 posted on 06/25/2014 9:18:21 PM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: reefdiver

Your right, the GOP needs to pay for this. They have Mississippi so why don’t we get rid of GOP-e sleezeball Senator Lamar Alexander in Tennessee. They can’t cross party lines there. If we lose the primary then we go nuclear by voting for the Democrat in the general election. I would rather send a GOP-e traitor into retirement and let the Democrats have the seat for 6 years. Better a snake you can see than one you can’t.

We should vote for Cochran in the general because he is too old to be truly dangerous like Lamar.


45 posted on 06/25/2014 9:58:34 PM PDT by WMarshal (Free citizen, never a subject or a civilian)
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To: WMarshal
We should vote for Cochran in the general because he is too old to be truly dangerous like Lamar.

Except the likely GOP-e plan is for Cochrane to resign after a few months, allowing the Governor to appoint a replacement -- probably Haley Barbour's boy.

46 posted on 06/25/2014 10:08:06 PM PDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance on parade.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They’re (GOPe) not even trying to hide heir hate of us anymore.


47 posted on 06/25/2014 10:27:10 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
a genteel, big-government Republican and four-decade Washington veteran

The Cochran I know of is a backstabbing, goat humping decaying Democrat with an 'R' by his name.

Must be a different one./s

48 posted on 06/26/2014 3:14:12 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am a Person as created by the Laws of Nature, not a person as created by the laws of Man)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The Tea party may have lost a battle, but the GOPe just shot themselves in the thigh rupturing the femoral artery, a wound from which they may not recover. They have also hastened the death of this once great republic buy this subterfuge. A clear and distinct message must be sent to the Rovian elite, Mitch McConnel must go down in Kentucky, that will send a clear message that the GOPe mat machinate all they want but that won’t win. Until a clear message is sent they will continue gaming us.


49 posted on 06/26/2014 3:50:34 AM PDT by VTenigma (The Democratic party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
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To: boycott

Amen....let black democrats and union member fund the GOPe for now on.


50 posted on 06/26/2014 4:21:48 AM PDT by Yorlik803 ( Church/Caboose in 2016)
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To: Yorlik803

Amen....let black democrats and union member fund the GOPe for now on.


They got their last dime from me.


51 posted on 06/26/2014 4:27:46 AM PDT by boycott
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

When did people make a career out of going to DC.
These people go there, not to better America, but to line their own pockets and then retire on a lavish pension.
These people are parasites.


52 posted on 06/26/2014 4:29:43 AM PDT by Yorlik803 ( Church/Caboose in 2016)
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