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The tea party is helping Democrats
Washington Post ^ | October 19, 2012 | by Dana Milbank

Posted on 10/19/2012 11:30:14 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

There are those who say that the tea party is fading in influence, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the movement is on the cusp of achieving what once seemed nearly impossible: keeping the Senate Democratic.

A year ago, famed political handicapper Charlie Cook gave Republicans a 60 percent to 70 percent likelihood of capturing control of the Senate; now, he tells me the likelihood of it remaining Democratic is 60 percent.

The switch in fortunes can be attributed to many causes — a slate of lackluster Republican candidates high among them — but one thing is beyond serious dispute: If not for a series of tea party upsets in Republican primaries, the Republicans would be taking over the Senate majority in January.

There is a deep irony here: The tea party faithful, who claimed they wanted to shake up Washington, have wound up perpetuating the old system. In fighting for ideological purity in primaries regardless of the consequences, they have set back their own cause of limited government and expanded freedom.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012issues; charliecook; election2012; influence; milbank; teaparty; wishfulthinking
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To: Jim Noble
George Romney led a walkout on the Republican National Presidential Convention ~ talk about a RINO!

Some people imagine Obama was raised up in a leftwing, even Communist, home environment ~ (Grandma was a banker ~ so could be, eh ~ first ones in line for their Obama money as I recall), and the point there is that chilluns' raised around people like that soak up that ideology and can never get beyond it.

Some do manage to struggle out of the Red Diaper Baby stage, and there are books about it ~ David Horowitz wrote one, but are there books from RINO raised chillun who talk about walking it back into a society of real Americans?

I doubt it ~ the RINO condition seems to be one of those things that once you've tried it, you don't go back.

The fact that RINOism can't be escaped should concern us all, but it should also spur action to make sure that as we rid ourselves of RINOs we keep their heirs out of the Republican party as well.

They can, of course, continue to make donations, and that should satisfy them.

41 posted on 10/19/2012 12:05:03 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: nhwingut

Akin is probably going to win.


42 posted on 10/19/2012 12:08:15 PM PDT by Perdogg (Vote like the US Constitution depends on it - it does!!)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma
How on earth can you ever get enough votes to win anything if you splinter the party?

It's my view that the party is splintered beyond repair already.

Let's chat after Missouri and Indiana are done. If Mourdock and Akin lose, it's proof that winning a GOP primary is meaningless to our GOPe enemies - they are more afraid of us than they are of the Democrats.

Since I believe this to be the case, I think the "splintering the party" is already done - and not by us.

Let's move on.

43 posted on 10/19/2012 12:09:09 PM PDT by Jim Noble (Diseases desperate grown are by desperate appliance relieved or not at all.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

besides PA, Rep.Linda McMahon in CT has 4-6pt lead over Dem Murphy. She is spending 1m/wk while the DSCC is spending 300k/wk for Murph. If CT and PA switch, then despicable Harry Reid will not longer be Leader of the Senate.

Last night Salerno zito on JohnBachelorshow said Smith was up over Casey by 4pts. another speaker said in the collar counties around Philly the yard signs are 10:1 Romney.

Charle Cook and Dana Milbank are singing in a vacumn of their a-holes from the beltway.


44 posted on 10/19/2012 12:09:41 PM PDT by tomd2
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To: Skulllspitter
Ken Buck lost because of Tom Tancredo’s stupid remark about Obama.
45 posted on 10/19/2012 12:09:54 PM PDT by Perdogg (Vote like the US Constitution depends on it - it does!!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Conservatives who have said that they won’t vote for Romney (I understand that they have valid reasons) will be helping Hussein and the Democrats.


46 posted on 10/19/2012 12:11:35 PM PDT by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

why yes, let’s talk about the Coffee Party or OWS! What? Nothing?

let’s talk about “binders” - it was big news on Tuesday!

They FEAR the Tea Party, because for the 2nd time in 2 years, riled-up conservatives are going to help kick leftist @SS at the voting booth.


47 posted on 10/19/2012 12:13:04 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

looks like Dana stood downwind again of a DEA burn event... again


48 posted on 10/19/2012 12:14:08 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer; All

Hogwash, Dana Milbank

If it was not for the Tea Party...those races would not be competitive. Conservatives would have stayed home, period, if RINOs like Dick Lugar were running.

The Tea Party may not be perfect (Marco Rubio in FL, Sarah Steelman instead of Todd Akin in MO), but gets it right most of the time

The GOP wins elections when it runs conservative candidates...because it brings out the base. The myth of “Moderates bring in independent voters” is a myth


49 posted on 10/19/2012 12:16:34 PM PDT by SeminoleCounty (Political maturity is realizing that the "R" next to someone's name does not mean "conservative")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Is it any wonder that the Tea Party is hated, detested, reviled in Washington, D.C. - America's only remaining boom town in the Age of Obama?

Tea Party candidates are the only ones who promise to reverse the cash flowing from the rest of the country into the nation's capital. The horror!

50 posted on 10/19/2012 12:20:20 PM PDT by andy58-in-nh (Cogito, ergo armatum sum.)
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To: muawiyah

What will he do? I dont know, I suspect he will try to become more “bipartisan” and “reach across the isle”. And unless the Tea party bitch slaps him and tells him to toe the conservative line, he will get away with it.


51 posted on 10/19/2012 12:36:00 PM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma
So, she had broad appeal but her opponent is a barely closeted gay guy who has fostered stability in Delaware home values during the Great Obama Recession by enticing them to buy up bargains in the beach communities.

Hard to beat that BTW.

52 posted on 10/19/2012 12:40:29 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

More like, 60% the Bolshies will have a filibuster capable minority.


53 posted on 10/19/2012 12:43:52 PM PDT by depressed in 06 (6 November, 2012, the day our embarrassment is sent back to Kenya.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
I'm disappointed that no one has run this test yet.


54 posted on 10/19/2012 12:46:18 PM PDT by McGruff (I smell DESPERATION in the air.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
It's true, according to Rasmussen, that Republicans let their lead in the Senate slip away after the convention. They had a greater than 80% chance of taking over the Senate, and now it's down to 10%.

It's not clear that the reason is the one the author is stating. It's possible that the polling trend will bounce back in the next two weeks, and Republicans will be back over 51 seats soon.

-PJ

55 posted on 10/19/2012 12:48:48 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: centurion316
Look, the election outlook is counseled by two things ~ (1) Democrat potential turnout, and (2) Democrat lack of turnout.

Whatever Republicans do it will be a shadow of what the Democrats do.

Here's what I"m talking about. In 2008 the Dems turned out 69 million voters. They won. In 2010 the Dems turned out 39 million voters. We won.

Our variability was much more modest. We had 59 million in 2008 when we lost, and 44 million in 2010 when we won!

The sweet spot is somewhere between Dems at 39-69 million, and Reps at 44-59 million.

No reason we can't win virtually every office up for election just by having a normal turnout while the Democrats also have a normal turnout, and as long as the bulk of the Dem vote making up their average show up only in CA, NY, MA and MD ~ it'll look like a blowout on our part,

If we can do that with fewer RINOs that's all to the good.

56 posted on 10/19/2012 12:49:40 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Perdogg

There have been so terribly many campaigns of late, someting Tancredo may have said is so obscure as to have been readily forgotten. Was it about AlQaida, Kenya, Birthers, or what?


57 posted on 10/19/2012 12:56:43 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Jyotishi
After getting one of his ambassadors murdered by AlQaida the question is no longer about Conservatives not voting for whoever, it's really about "Will anyone see fit to vote for Obamugabe"?

Continuing to PO Conservatives will do you no good when your boy tries to get some of his lesser lights through the Senate you know.

58 posted on 10/19/2012 12:59:06 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: centurion316

“irony is that it all depends on Romney”

If Romney pulls enough senators in to have a majority and a few of the freshmen Tea Party House members who are in trouble...

Romney will have a chance (and a need) to force compromise on both the Tea Party and RINO factions. If both compromise we will be very successful.

- or he can work with RINOs and Dems for legislation.
If the RINO and Dems conspire together the Dems will be very successful.

If he chooses the latter he will not be successful.

I’m hoping for the best.


59 posted on 10/19/2012 1:01:39 PM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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To: SeminoleCounty

“moderates”, “undecideds”, ~ they really don’t exist inside the voting booth.


60 posted on 10/19/2012 1:03:40 PM PDT by muawiyah
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