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Tea party voters could dump Mitch McConnell just by staying home
latimes.com ^ | 8/28/14 | David Horsey

Posted on 08/28/2014 6:22:15 AM PDT by cotton1706

he dilemma facing the true grass-roots tea party believers -- the dilemma they do not acknowledge -- is that their primary goal of whittling and whacking away at big government undercuts their secondary goal of saving the middle class from the greedy grip of big corporations..

If Democrats have a unifying philosophy, it is that government needs to be effective enough to curtail the economic and environmental abuses of unfettered capitalism. Republicans, on the other hand, preach the dogma that smaller government and unrestricted corporate power serves the best interests of the common man and woman.

The tea party folks have largely bought into that belief, but still are uncomfortable with Republicans who appear to be too much in thrall to big business. That is partly why a big tea party effort was mounted against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky’s Republican primary. McConnell was rightly seen as the epitome of the GOP establishment that the tea partiers so disdain. Yet, even with major support from national tea party organizations, such as FreedomWorks and the Senate Conservatives Fund, challenger Matt Bevin could not depose the incumbent senator.

Now McConnell faces a robust challenge from Kentucky’s Democratic secretary of state, Alison Lundergan Grimes, who, at age 35, has been alive exactly as long as McConnell has been in the U.S. Senate. Polls show Grimes is in striking distance of beating the old veteran.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: 2014midterms; elections; ky2014; mcconnell; teaparty
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To: srmorton
the conservatives that stayed home rather than vote for Romney in 2012 gave us Obama's second term

Wrong. The GOPe giving us Romney is what gave us Obama's second term. When we put forth a real Conservative, we can chat. Otherwise, Obama-lite is no change in what we've had.

61 posted on 08/28/2014 7:50:55 AM PDT by dware (3 prohibited topics in mixed company: politics, religion and operating systems...)
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To: tanknetter

It all depends on how many KY conservatives sit it out.
And it will not take a big percent of them sitting out.
I estimated, based on past elections, it will only take about 12%
of KY conservatives sitting it out for McConnell to apply for a job
at Trent Lott’s Lobbying Firm.

I will take your bet. He will not win by 5 points.

As J Random Freeper points out.

McConnell only won by 6% in his last election.
He has a much better opponent this election, than his last election.
He has pissed off every TRUE conservative in KY.
And I will add another point. There are more registered RAT voters
than GOP voters in KY.


62 posted on 08/28/2014 7:51:51 AM PDT by tennmountainman (True conservatives don't like being rained on by their own party!)
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To: Ted Grant
The message that the liberal republican aren't getting is if they run a liberal candidate, they will lose in the general election.

That message falls on deaf ears, and the GOP tries to destroy conservatives in the primaries.

They will lose with their liberal candidates in the general election.

/johnny

63 posted on 08/28/2014 7:52:07 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Vote...but only vote for Conservatives. The “down ticket” Conservatives deserve our support.


64 posted on 08/28/2014 7:53:51 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: hal ogen
I voted for a conservative in the last Presidential election.

Of course, that means I didn't vote Dem or Republican.

/johnny

65 posted on 08/28/2014 7:54:59 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: cotton1706
A better strategy is to write in the conservative candidate. While write ins will not win the election, they will show to the GOPe just how many people COULD have voted..... if they ran a conservative.
66 posted on 08/28/2014 7:55:00 AM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: tennmountainman

Wasn’t it McConnell who said he wanted to punch the Tea Party in the teeth? That’s something a Democrat would say. Why would any conservative vote for Mitch after that?


67 posted on 08/28/2014 7:55:04 AM PDT by austinaero
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To: austinaero

He did.
And he raised money for Cochran. That money was used to run racist
ads in MS.

I would not vote for him under any circumstance.
We can win the rest of out senate seats, ditch Mitch and be just fine.


68 posted on 08/28/2014 7:59:46 AM PDT by tennmountainman (True conservatives don't like being rained on by their own party!)
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To: bert

” To trash Republicans in a fit of Tea Party self righteousness will continue the destruction.”

But McConnell saying he wants to punch the Tea Party in the face is ok with you?


69 posted on 08/28/2014 8:00:47 AM PDT by austinaero
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To: cotton1706

I am of the GOPc ....... there are lots and lots of us. Many are of the Tea Party wing.

To vote for a Democrat because the Republican disagrees with your view is counter productive. The man won the primary and is the candidate warts and all. Jesus Christ is not on the ballot and his perfection is simply a choice in the coming election.

I concur with your right to disagree, to bitch to moan....... but to vote vindictively for a democrat is absolute foolishness


70 posted on 08/28/2014 8:08:59 AM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12 ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: cotton1706

Seeing how McConnell has advanced the Reid/Obummer agenda at every turn by making sure the procedural votes go the Dims way in order that Reid can pass legislation with only 51 votes, I can see why conservatives would not shed too many tears if McConnell goes down in flames.


71 posted on 08/28/2014 8:09:08 AM PDT by SharpRightTurn (White, black, and red all over--America's affirmative action, metrosexual president.)
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To: cotton1706

Does Ky allow write in votes?


72 posted on 08/28/2014 8:11:39 AM PDT by morphing libertarian
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To: cotton1706

The media .... after almost 7 years .... ALMOST .... gets it.

So close and yet still so clueless. I wonder when it will finally hit them?


73 posted on 08/28/2014 8:12:22 AM PDT by Lorianne (fedgov, taxporkmoney)
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To: bert
You are advocating foolishness. Your hatred for Republicans is destructive. A Reid Senate is incomparably worse than a Mcconnell senate

Such fallacious thought got us Obama.

As a general rule, I think you're correct. I am upset with people who wouldn't vote for Romney, not my first choice but I voted for him and was devastated he did not win. Think of HOW MUCH BETTER OFF we would be today had he won.

However, this case is different. Lying, cheating, dirty politics scumbags need to lose.

74 posted on 08/28/2014 8:13:48 AM PDT by ozarkgirl
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To: bert

This is not about the “immediate future” (which by the way, we are screwed anyway).
We need to focus on the long game. McConnell must go.


75 posted on 08/28/2014 8:14:40 AM PDT by Lorianne (fedgov, taxporkmoney)
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To: montag813

I would say that I can’t believe the self destructive replies you have received, but sadly I see it all the time here.


76 posted on 08/28/2014 8:17:50 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: cotton1706
If Democrats have a unifying philosophy, it is that government needs to be effective enough to curtail the economic and environmental abuses of unfettered capitalism. Republicans, on the other hand, preach the dogma that smaller government and unrestricted corporate power serves the best interests of the common man and woman.

I'd hate to be trapped in that mind. Meanwhile fascism runs rampant.

77 posted on 08/28/2014 8:18:01 AM PDT by Stentor (Maybe the Goldman Sachs thing is just a coincidence. /S)
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To: bert

“I am of the GOPc”

I assume you mean GOPe. That’s no surprise.

“To vote for a Democrat because the Republican disagrees with your view is counter productive.”

Neither the piece nor I advocate voting for the democrat. I would blank my ballot. Have before and will again here in MA, where we get, intentionally, one worthless candidate after another.

“The man won the primary and is the candidate warts and all. Jesus Christ is not on the ballot and his perfection is simply a choice in the coming election.”

Hmmm. I wonder if you said that in 2010 when Lisa Murkowski ran as an independent, with the help and encouragement of the GOP Establishment. This is the game. “get our guy nominated, by hook or by crook (Mississippi!) and then say ‘hey, he’s the republican nominee, so we have to support him.’” I and a significant number of others are simply not playing along anymore. The worthless ESTABLISHMENT republican nominees can get elected with the democrats and moderates they seem to love so much. You can only stab us in the back so many times.

“I concur with your right to disagree, to bitch to moan....... but to vote vindictively for a democrat is absolute foolishness”

This comment is such a joke since the Republican Establishment “vindictively” used racism and democrats to get Cochran renominated. But again, the game is “get our guy across the line NO MATTER WHAT!”

As I’ve said many times on many posts, to Conservatives, over the years, electing a democrat was worse than the moderate or Establishment republican. But to the GOP Establishment, electing a Conservative would be worse than electing the democrat. We’ve seen evidence of this with John Warner’s refusal to endorse Oliver North in 1994 (”The man won the primary and is the candidate warts and all); his endorsement of Mark Warner THIS YEAR; Richard Lugar’s endorsement of Michelle Nunn THIS YEAR (yeah these two Establishment types are really interested in a Republican senate; and Dede Scozzafava’s endorsement of the democrat for congress when it became clear she could not win and the conservative might (better a democrat than a conservative).

After all the betrayals of the Republican Establishment (Jim Jeffords, Arlen Specter, Charlie Crist, Lisa Murkowski, to name just a few), I hardly think we need to be preached to by their like. And you’re one of them.


78 posted on 08/28/2014 8:28:41 AM PDT by cotton1706 (ThisRepublic.net)
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To: tennmountainman

You’re basing your prediction on an election that had abnormally high turnouts by both Liberals and Blacks. Again, don’t look at McConnell’s 2008 race, look at the past cycle trending from the Louisville seat and work from there.

You need a heck of a lot more pissed off Conservatives than you think you do. Look at Bevin’s primary numbers. Figure that some of them WILL hold their noses and vote for McConnell. Others will stay home. The ones who can do the real damage are the ones who will cross to Grimes. Question is, how many will do that for a pro-abortion, pro-Obamacare Democrat who claims to support coal and gun rights but who will be seen as an enabler for the destruction of both?

I see a chunk of Conservatives staying home. I don’t see Conservatives being ticked off enough to vote for Grimes in significant numbers.

As to KY having more registered Democrats, look at how that worked for Obama in 08 and 12. Even with the big boost he got from Louisville. KY is a yellow dog/blue dog state that votes for Conservative Dems (or, rather, Dems masquerading as Conservatives) local and statewide but sends Republicans to Washington.


79 posted on 08/28/2014 8:30:14 AM PDT by tanknetter
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To: JRandomFreeper

You said that you looked forward to McConnell losing. A 5 point win, altho a weak win, is still a win.

And that 5 point win is a floor based on past tending for mid cycle elections. There’s a lot of evidence out there that the Liberal and Black vote is even more demoralized, and therefore will be more depressed, than the 2010 election. Thats why the Dems are working so hard to play up Ferguson and exploit it as a political issue.

Every Liberal or Black in KY (particularly Louisville, which has the highest statewide concentrations of both) who stays home will need to be offset by either two pissed off Conservatives who stay home or one Conservative who crosses for Grimes in order to move past break-even.


80 posted on 08/28/2014 8:51:25 AM PDT by tanknetter
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