Cantor's fall still haunts lawmakers (why the Establishment is so vengeful!)

thehill.com ^ | 6/24/15 | Scott Wong

[cotton1706]

One year later, the aftershocks from Tea Party favorite Dave Brat’s stunning win over then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) are still rippling across Washington.

Once a little-known economics professor from Randolph-Macon College, Brat has been fielding calls from conservatives around the country mulling whether to mount a primary challenge of their own GOP member of Congress. White House hopefuls like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Donald Trump have been wooing Brat, campaigning and raising money for him in his district.

And on the House floor, Brat’s Republican colleagues constantly rib him, thanking him for sending the “warning signal” to spend more time back in their districts — or risk getting unceremoniously booted from office like Cantor. Even Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), facing a primary challenge of his own, is doing more these days to show he’s a relatable, average Joe who’s stayed true to his roots. His team has churned out videos on YouTube showing him walking to his favorite breakfast joint, brining a Thanksgiving turkey and caring for his lawn mower.

“He may be the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but he still irons his own shirts, washes his own dishes, and yes … cuts his own grass,” reads a caption with the lawn mower video.

In an hourlong interview in his Cannon Building office, Brat said he’s received countless phone calls in recent months from conservative grassroots activists looking to follow in his footsteps and launch potential primary challenges. They all want to know how an underfunded novice with poor name ID unseated the man many believed was the Speaker-in-waiting.

[cotton1706]

Make no mistake about it! This is one of the main reasons for the Establishment's vengeance!!

Conservatives took out Boehner's top lieutenant and now they're gonna pay!

[x1stcav]

The Boner videos must be hilarious.

One (Cantor) down, many more to go.

[Vaquero]

Can Bone-er be successfully ‘Primaried’?

[Gaffer]

Frankly, if I were going after Boehner, I’d research his district and see why they keep voting for him. Look at the largest employers, his key demographic group, the production/manufacturing centers, etc. and then set up a targeted campaign to change their minds. Boycott them if necessary. I can’t think of a better district to combined tea party sentiment money against.

[Jonty30]

BS that Boehner does anything on his own anymore.

[Lurkinanloomin]

I was happy to pay a role in evicting the weasel Eric Cantor from office. The plan was to pass the Rubio Gang bill in August of last year after the primary. We effectively killed amnesty.

I was smiling for a week afterwards.

[Joe Boucher]

Boehner and McConnel need to go.

[Liz]

Then-House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor (R-Va), was considered untouchable and inevitable.

<><> Cantor had tons of money---spent 26X times his opponent's $100K.

<><> Cantor consistently polled an astounding 34 points ahead of his unknown opponent.

<><> Cantor was considered "inevitable" and "untouchable".

<><> Cantor had no ethics problems (unlike Hillary).

<><> Cantor sucked-up to an anti-tea party group.

<><> Cantor sucked up to the latino vote.

<><> Cantor showboated his leadership---was deeply into (gag) "diversity."

=============================================

BY CONTRAST HIS OPPONENT Brat:

<><> ran as Cantor's TERM LIMIT

<><> Brat roundly opposed, and was vociferous against amnesty.

<><> Brat ran as a staunch conservative (now in Congress he has a bonafide 100% conservative rating.)

<><> On election day, Brat got 18,000 more Repub out to the polls than the previous election that elected Cantor.

================================================

CANTOR IN DEFEAT----DUMBFOUNDED:

[oldvirginian]

I think all of Virginia had a big grin the day Cantor was term limited.
I know I did.
You folks did some good work with a solid candidate.

Dave Brat has not disappointed.

[matginzac]

Dave Brat is the Real Deal...(”friend” him on FB to follow)
The GOPe is peeing in their pants at the thought of more of his stripe being elected...
No more $$$$$ to the RNC and Raince Preebus....

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Even Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), facing a primary challenge of his own, is doing more these days to show he’s a relatable, average Joe who’s stayed true to his roots. His team has churned out videos on YouTube showing him walking to his favorite breakfast joint, brining a Thanksgiving turkey and caring for his lawn mower.

Well isn't that puketacular.

[JAKraig]

Boehner and McConnel need to go.

________________________________________________________

There was a time when I really stood by McConnell, but after the last election he has gone full to the dark side. I’m done. I won’t ever vote for a Democrat, any Democrat ever but I will not support McConnell ever again.

TEA Party all the way!

[Liz]

4/5 For Virginia’s GOP delegation, it’s safer to upset leadership than voters (Cantor Repercussions)
washingtonpost.com ^ | 4/4/15 | Rachel Weiner

Posted on ?4?/?5?/?2015? ?7?:?34?:?03? ?AM by cotton1706

When Congress voted repeatedly on short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security this year, five Virginia Republicans were in firm opposition, part of a failed conservative attempt to halt President Obama’s executive order protecting millions of undocumented immigrants.

Call it the Dave Brat effect. His surprise primary victory last spring over former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) not only created a power vacuum in Virginia’s delegation, it left Republican lawmakers from the commonwealth willing to buck their party’s leaders in order to avoid angering conservatives, Republican strategists say.

That fear reflects a division in the state party that has made fundraising difficult and forced the powerful speaker of the state House of Delegates into a primary.

It’s hard to find an exact parallel in past votes, especially because contentious bills are often yanked off the floor by GOP leadership to avoid an embarrassing failure. Still, Republicans on and off the Hill agree that Cantor would not have permitted a repeated mass defection, as happened with the DHS funding bill.

“Without Eric here, then one of the arm-twisters is silenced,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.), an advocate for strict anti-immigration policies and one of the dozens of conservatives who demanded that any DHS funding bill also cut off support for Obama’s executive order.

On a vote to extend funding for the agency for three weeks that failed by a mere 11 votes, Reps. Brat, J. Randy Forbes, Robert Hurt, H. Morgan Griffith and Rob Wittman all cast “No” ballots, against the wishes of the Republican leadership.

They also voted early, not waiting to see whether their votes might be needed to tip the balance the other way. Later that night, all five voted against a one-week extension, which passed with 357 votes.

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

[Liz]

Some pundits claim Cantor's multi-million campaign strategy led to his defeat:

The "Inevitable-Untouchable" Cantor spent $5 million on ads telling voters all about his opponent's positions---

Never factoring in that voters liked what they heard and would go to the polls in droves to dump Cantor in favor of his opponent.