Tommy Thompson was a very successful Governor in WI, and while tea party activists have had some gripes about him, those that remember what WI was like before he came to office were not going to write him off over them by and large.
National movements don’t make or break on 1 battle. Indicator, maybe, but I sure wouldn’t be writing Thompson winning a primary as an indication the Tea Party is defunct, or failing.
I voted for Clark Durant to run against Stabenow here in Michigan but Hoekstra won. While Hoekstra isn’t ideal, he’s a very acceptable compromise.
Liberals here are patting themselves on the back in the belief that tea partiers won’t vote for Hoekstra but their confidence is premature. Hoekstra is still well to the right of guys like McCain and Graham.