The Democrat strategists seem to have a have more of an interest in internal Republican affairs these days than any major party has historically had in the other.
"Tea Party" and "Tea Party Republicans" are the big epithets they throw around, even though the amorphous Tea Party doesn't run candidates under its banner nor even officially endorses candidates. What the big 'Rat fear is is that the Tea Party issues and agenda will eventually be reflected as the predominant view of the GOP as a whole, especially its candidates for President, Vice President, and both houses of Congress. When elections become clear-cut choices between Republicans who endorse the Tea Party values and Democrats who are boxed in by their leftist ideology and the current administration's failures, the GOP is most likely to prevail on a national scale.
The 'Rats know that there are more voters out there, about twice as many, who consider themselves "conservative" as opposed to those who consider themselves "liberal". Hence their desire to support GOP establishment types when faced with intraparty GOP dissent from stronger conservatives by bashing "Tea Party" types. The farther the GOP veers from Tea Party principles in Washington, the better it is for the 'Rats electoral prospects nationally, and the 'Rats know it and bash the "Tea Party" and "Tea party Republicans" accordingly. And they're not afraid to play the race card or to use the IRS and other federal agencies in doing so.
here’s my candidate in the 6-way Special in New Haven, this Thursday. We appear to be in 2nd place within 100 votes. Fewer than 2000 votes will be split 6 ways.
3 frontrunners.