Free Republic

... An intensive strategy over the past three weeks to draw black voters to the polls and spare Cochran from what once seemed like a certain defeat at the hands of a tea party challenger in Tuesday’s GOP runoff appears to have worked. Voter data shows that turnout rose sharply in Tuesday’s election in black areas of the state over the initial June 3 primary, a runoff made necessary when Chris McDaniel narrowly edged Cochran but was unable to win 50 percent of the vote. That suggested that not only did traditionally Democratic black voters turn out on behalf of...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)COCHRAN’S STRATEGY: GOOD OR BAD FOR GOP? ... A number of high-profile conservative activists are steamed over Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran’s decision to court traditionally Democratic voters – including African-Americans – in his primary runoff victory over tea party-backed challenger Chris McDaniel. “I wonder what the campaign slogan was in Mississippi the past couple days,” Rush Limbaugh said on his nationally syndicated radio show. “Uncle Toms for Thad?” “If Republicans are going to act like Democrats, then what’s the use in getting all gung ho about getting Republicans in there?” Sarah Palin asked Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday. FreedomWorks...

It turns out the Republican Party can mobilize minority voters after all — by despicably playing the race card against its own base. In a kamikaze move that could’ve been sponsored by the Hemlock Society, a ruling class desperate for a Pyrrhic victory decided it was better to save fossilizing Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran than preserve whatever scintilla of party unity remains. It’s one thing to disagree with your base. It’s entirely another thing to use the most slanderous assaults on their character from their opponents for your own benefit. [.....] Numbers never lie. The GOP establishment mobilized Democrats to...

Almost exactly two weeks ago, Dave Brat gained national attention by pulling off a primary win over then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor that he called "an unbelievable miracle." Then he went underground. In the past fortnight, Brat has mostly ducked national media, changed up his campaign staff, and started to adjust to life as -- willing or not -- a grassroots conservative icon of incumbent vulnerability. He spoke with the Washington Examiner this morning about his efforts to reintroduce himself to the public and his campaign plans moving forward. Here are highlights from that conversation: Sign Up for the Politics...

Pointing out that post-election challenges usual fail, one Tea Party leader, Judson Phillips is calling for Thad Cochran's primary challenger, State Senator Chris McDaniel to run as a write-in candidate in the Fall. “The Republican Establishment thinks they have fought back an insurrection from conservatives and now we will meekly fall in line in November and support a RINO who needs Democrats to win? Never,” said Mr. Phillips, who also writes a column in The Washington Times. “If Chris McDaniel loses his challenges to this election, then he needs to be a write-in candidate this fall.” It's increasingly clear that...

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was fired up on Wednesday following Sen. Thad Cochran’s controversial victory over tea party-backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel in Mississippi on Thursday. Cochran reached out to traditionally Democratic voters – blacks and union members – in a last-ditch effort to beat McDaniel. “The Republican establishment sought victory via Democrat voters in the runoff, and they got them. Without the African-American vote from Democrat-leaning counties, Thad Cochrane would have lost by eight or nine percent last night,” Limbaugh said, calling the tactic “reprehensible.” Limbaugh cited a flyer, posted by journalist Charles Johnson that suggested McDaniel and...

I was alone in a Biloxi Mississippi hotel room when a TV reporter named Cochran the winner over Tea Party candidate Chris McDaniel in the extremely close GOP runoff election. Losing is always heartbreaking. And yet, I strangely felt a peace about the situation. Chris McDaniel was an excellent candidate; good looking, bright, articulate and a bold, strong, rock-solid advocate for conservatism. He has also been blessed with that certain “it factor” which all born leaders possess. McDaniel is only in his early forties. In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, he'll be back! Next time, Chris McDaniel will win! Patriots,...

As Tea Party challengers grappled with the stunning news that Sen. Thad Cochran had beaten the odds to win his primary against Chris McDaniel, Tennessee candidate for Senate Joe Carr vowed that the fight would continue. “Make no mistake about it: the fight that Chris McDaniel started in Mississippi will continue here in Tennessee,” Carr announced in a statement to supporters late Tuesday night. Carr specifically criticized the Cochran campaign for working to drive out Democrat supporters to win the runoff election. According to the Associated Press, Cochran earned 50.8 percent of the vote, while McDaniel peaked with 49.2 percent....

In Mississippi on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran defeated state Sen. Chris McDaniel in a runoff election to determine who would be the state Republican PartyÂ’s nominee for Senate in the extremely conservative state. Despite the fact that the two men were more or less indistinguishable on issue positions, the race was remarkably contentious and largely defined by dueling allegations of impropriety and fraud. Indeed, while non-conservatives may consider the differences between the so-called establishment and Tea Party wings of the GOP to be slight, the primary battle that reached its culmination last night is clear evidence that Republicans themselves...

State lawmaker Raul Labrador beat party establishment pick Vaughn Ward to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Representative for Idaho's 1st District this week. While Ward was supported by the national party, Labrador received the support of Idaho's largest Tea Party Group, Tea Party Boise. The question that immediately comes to mind is just what effect did the Tea Party group's support have on the race? Labrador won in a 47.6 percent to 38.9 percent tally on Wednesday afternoon. Sadly it was again a low-turnout at the polls. Late in the race Tea Party Boise endorsed Labrador as campaign troubles...

LOS ANGELES (PIO) -- This past week, all across America -- from Marietta, Georgia to Davenport, Iowa to Beverly Hills, California -- sightings of the newest poster featuring President Barack Obama have been made. Simultaneously, many have become convinced that the poster's inscrutable label, TWAP, stands for The Worst American President. In what may well be an ominous sign for President Obama, the posters have appeared on many unleased stores, highlighting the devastating effect the recession has had on commercial real estate and small businesses across the country, the sector which most often leads the way out of bad economic...