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NRO: Why Cantor Lost
National Review Online ^ | June 10, 2014 | Fred Bauer

Posted on 06/10/2014 7:43:13 PM PDT by HokieMom

In a stunning turn of events, conservative upstart Dave Brat has defeated House Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary for Virginia’s seventh congressional district. Immigration played a decisive role in this primary. The apparent willingness of some House Republicans to work with the White House to pass an immigration package that includes a mass legalization and expanded guest-worker programs has infuriated many moderates and conservatives, especially those who want to reinvigorate the electoral fortunes of the Republican party with a renewed focus on economic opportunity and middle-class uplift. Claiming that the House Republican leadership’s immigration “principles” constituted “amnesty,” Brat accused Cantor of supporting the White House’s immigration agenda, and it appears that Cantor was unable to fend off these charges.

From the start, Brat, an economics professor at Randolph-Macon College, had an uphill climb, with some experts claiming that there was “no real precedent” for defeating a majority leader in a political primary. With a broad network and large campaign war chest, Cantor usually cruised to victory in the seventh district. In 2012, for example, he crushed his primary opponent, Floyd C. Bayne, by 79 to 21 percent.

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


TOPICS: US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: 2014issues; brat; cantor; illegals; va2014
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To: HokieMom

Cantor went full RINO in an election year. Never go full RINO, especially in an election year. Hell, even uber RINO’s like Lindsey and McCain know that.


61 posted on 06/10/2014 8:13:41 PM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: Travis McGee

lol.....I like it.


62 posted on 06/10/2014 8:14:01 PM PDT by Girlene (Hey NSA!)
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To: Hotlanta Mike

I sent a message to a friend of mine earlier tonight and it was exactly what you said ....

“the revolution has begun...”

Although immigration was big (Cantor lied about it which made it bigger), it certainly wasn’t the only issue on which Brat campaigned and won. It was a message to the GOPe ... find your balls and if can’t find them, then grow a pair, and if you still can’t do that, go rent a pair. Stand up for America and what is right ... the Constitution, the rule of law, get the federal government out of our business, and shut Obama down - you have the power of the purse and can do it if you have the political will. Also, don’t talk down to the grassroots, declaring war on them and acting all arrogant and uppity. Ask Cantor how attending that anti-tea party meeting in the spring worked for him .... plus ignoring his constituents to pursue power in DC. There’s more ... but this will have to do for now.


63 posted on 06/10/2014 8:14:45 PM PDT by Qiviut (Obama: A Caesar at home & a Chamberlain abroad, dividing the country & uniting the world against us.)
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To: tanknetter

Cooter lost to Cantor? Cooter represented a Georgia district, as best I recall.


64 posted on 06/10/2014 8:16:25 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: Lakeshark

Well, Graham’s going to be 56-57%, not 60….he got some cross over Dems, and no one really attacked him the entire race but Bright. Cash and Mace a tiny bit, but almost nothing from Bowers or Connor.

Bright had no money, the talk radio folks did nothing to help, and the outside groups did nothing to help except Gun Owners of America and one immigration group in NC. Talk radio propelled McDaniel and Brat…..and Lee would have been their type candidate. Part of it is that Laura Ingraham and Lindsey apparently have some kind of “relationship” - whatever that means.

Bright was outspent by every single candidate - still was far and away second place.

Graham meanwhile ran some great Obama Care ads. He’s weak on that issue, but not if only his ads are being seen.


65 posted on 06/10/2014 8:18:03 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (www.FireKarlRove.com NOW)
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To: Arlis

Divine intervention is what Brat said on Hannity, is what he owes to his win.


66 posted on 06/10/2014 8:20:41 PM PDT by lulu16 (May the Good Lord take a liking to you!)
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To: kingattax

Other things I really like about Brat is his energy and passion. Most GOPe are like the walking dead, taking orders and executing without even a hint of humanity.


67 posted on 06/10/2014 8:24:19 PM PDT by Kenny
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To: C. Edmund Wright
Sad, he was THE ONE guy that needed to be primaried.

I can't believe South Carolina was so ignorant of his downright traitorous backing of the left, amnesty and the bamster.

Oh well, I'm happy for Brat, great win, I just hoped for Grima Wormtongue (my nick name for Graham) to be gone forever.

68 posted on 06/10/2014 8:25:14 PM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: HokieMom; Arlis

If Cantor was ever conservative, it must have been many years ago, he was very anti-Palin and pro-Romney, and pro-Scozzafava , and probably helped drive off Bachmann.


69 posted on 06/10/2014 8:30:55 PM PDT by ansel12 ((Ted Cruz and Mike Lee-both of whom sit on the Senate Judiciary Comm as Ginsberg's importance fades)
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To: ArtDodger

Virginia does not have party registration.


70 posted on 06/10/2014 8:34:15 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: Lakeshark

Graham adopted the McCain strategy: pretend to be one of us long enough to get through the primary. Watch him shift back to where he was tomorrow AM.


71 posted on 06/10/2014 8:35:37 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: ansel12

We need to be in a position to ‘sacrifice’ a Senate seat. I say Graham. Have the Democrat Party nominate an octagenarian on his death bed. The tea party voters cross over and Graham loses. The old goat kicks the bucket and the gop guv appoints a real conservative. Just be prepared to lose the seat for those 6 years.


72 posted on 06/10/2014 8:35:54 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: randita

Wasn’t Tom Daschle Senate Majority Leader when he was defeated? That would be just as notorious.


73 posted on 06/10/2014 8:36:29 PM PDT by cornfedcowboy
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To: Lakeshark

A FNC reporter said that Graham had 6 opponents in that race. They also said that had his opponents picked the best then supported him, Graham could have been defeated.


74 posted on 06/10/2014 8:37:54 PM PDT by Humal
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To: ansel12
In other words ... like many others before him, Cantor transformed from a local representative to a Beltway @sshole.

Good riddance.

75 posted on 06/10/2014 8:39:40 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("What in the wide, wide world of sports is goin' on here?")
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To: Kenny

agreed


76 posted on 06/10/2014 8:40:18 PM PDT by kingattax (a real American would rather die on his feet than live on his knees.)
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To: Lakeshark
.


I've worked political campaigns in the past ...

Lindsay Graham simply "flooded the field" with four candidates, with a quid pro quo promise of either money, money or a congressional staff position for a niece or grandson.

It's an old story.


.
77 posted on 06/10/2014 8:41:25 PM PDT by Patton@Bastogne (.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

IMHO, if it was possible, take Mitch out in KY. That is the only way Lee & Cruz have chance of taking over in the senate, be it majority or minority.


78 posted on 06/10/2014 8:47:18 PM PDT by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: EDINVA; Diana in Wisconsin

Some people can’t grasp the situation and think this epic lawless violent, costly government sponsored invasion is somehow still isolated to the southwest.

The nasty reality is it spread out from the borders of the southwestern states and went coast to coast many years ago.


79 posted on 06/10/2014 8:50:56 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: C. Edmund Wright
Bright had no money, the talk radio folks did nothing to help, and the outside groups did nothing to help except Gun Owners of America and one immigration group in NC. Talk radio propelled McDaniel and Brat…..and Lee would have been their type candidate. Part of it is that Laura Ingraham and Lindsey apparently have some kind of “relationship” - whatever that means.

Brat focused laser-like on immigration. I suspect anti-Graham candidates had too many issues out there. Brat was the only candidate running against Cantor, whereas Graham was running against the six dwarfs.

80 posted on 06/10/2014 8:51:21 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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