Moderate GOP Senate candidates were the big losers on election night

examiner.com ^ | 11/22/14 | Dean Chambers

[cotton1706]

The conventional wisdom espoused by the GOP establishment and pundits like Karl Rove was the idea that Tea Party supported candidates, that won GOP primaries, would be the big losers on election night in this year's mid-term elections. But a reasonable analysis of the elections results tells us that moderate GOP nominees were the big losers. Even the ones backed by the Koch brothers. The most moderate GOP candidates were nominated in some of the more blue states and they lost badly in races that could have been won against vulnerable Democrat incumbents who voted for Obamacare.

In Oregon the GOP nominated a doctor named Monica Wehby. One would think, that's great, they nominated a doctor who could beat liberal Democrat who voted for Obamacare. But Wehby was a poor candidate, had some minor baggage, and while she was strong enough to defeat a Tea Party backed and more conservative candidate in the primary, she was an easy candidate for incumbent Senator Jeff Merkely to defeat. Wehby was moderate, “pro-choice” on abortion and a weak candidate. Despite being backed by the Koch brothers, she lost the Oregon senate race by 18.5 percent.

In Minnesota, Al Franken, who was also the deciding vote in passing Obamacare, was vulnerable. The GOP nominated a moderate mister nice guy who was sure to lose to Franken. Mike McFadden was much like Mitt Romney, a nice guy who couldn't dare say anything negative about the opponent. This proved to be an easy way for Al Franken to get a second term in the senate. The moderate, mister nice guy approach by McFadden was an epic failure on election day. Al Franken won reelection by more than 10 percent on election day.

[Sirius Lee]

If it helps any, I think RINOs are losers every night.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Here’s the problem for ‘moderate’ Republican candidates: There are few if any ‘moderate’ Republican voters. No one likes them, no one trusts them and if given a choice in a Republican primary, vote for the alternative, if the candidate is serious enough.

[Theodore R.]

If what you say is true, there will be no nomination of Jebbie in 2016. I suspect though that you are wrong.

[Republican Wildcat]

I guess if this entire analysis is about Scott Brown in NH the author has a point as that is the only race fitting the criteria where the GOP invested any significant expenditures and lost, but otherwise it makes very little sense.

Mike McFadden was much like Mitt Romney, a nice guy who couldn't dare say anything negative about the opponent.

Pitiful - not close to true at all. https://www.youtube.com/user/MikeforMN/videos?spfreload=10

[Impy]

Wehby was a TERRIBLE candidate, worst Republican candidate of the year probably, that she is also a RINO is a separate factor. There are plenty of conservatives (and SO CALLED conservatives) who are also terrible candidates. Most of them, like Wehby, are political neophytes with no idea what they are doing.

Jeff Bell is a conservative, not sure why he is listed with Wehby and McFadden.

Also, these are 3 non-Republican states, Oregon and New Jersey especially. While I think Jason Conger (OR) and Julianne Ortman (MN) would have done better than Wehby and McFadden, it’s unlikely either would have won.

[Jabba the Nutt]

My out is say that the alternative is serious enough. In 2008 and 2012, no serious enough conservative ran in the primary.