Posted on 05/29/2010 7:57:03 PM PDT by markomalley
WASHINGTON — The Tea Party movement is energizing elements of the Republican Party and fanning an anti-Washington fervor, but the biggest beneficiaries in the midterm elections, pollsters and political analysts say, could be the main target of their anger: Democrats.
From North Carolina and Kentucky to Colorado and Nevada, candidates backed by Tea Party activists are making strong showings in primaries and opinion polls. Some of their campaigns, however, threaten to undercut GOP efforts to attract independents and moderates, prized voting factions in the general election.
“Republicans are definitely doing Democrats a favor if they nominate these Tea Party candidates,’’ said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, which has surveyed several of the states where such candidates are in play. “Even if these Tea Party candidates win in the primaries, things can look a lot worse in the general.’’
The anti-establishment candidates and their supporters insist they are simply voicing a widespread frustration with big government and big spending in Washington. Far from alienating Americans, Tea Party contenders will encourage conservatives to go to the polls in the midterm general election, when turnout is typically lower than in presidential elections, their supporters say.
(snip)
But Republicans are in a more vexing quandary, trying to channel the energy of the Tea Party movement while keeping its more controversial leaders from becoming the face of the GOP. Capitol Hill Republicans, for example, have distanced themselves from Paul’s comments to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that he would have sought to change in the 1964 Civil Rights Act one provision outlawing discrimination in certain businesses. Paul later said he would have voted for the act.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
When the MSM sheds crocodile tears for Republicans, conservatives are right to be skeptical.
Another concerned ‘RAT worried about the GOP.
And the problem here is...???
It’s not clear that the tea party candidate, Raul Labrador in Idaho, is the better candidate.
We're burying our heads in the sand if we deny that this could happen.
If the repubs get their collective heads out of their @sses and nominate conservatives, yeah maybe not every one would win but they'd do a lot better then the same old recycled RINOs.
That’s code work speak for RINO.
Great comment.
Thanks!
: )
“Gotta love it when leftists worry about the GOP.”
Especially the likes of that weasel, Mike Kinsley, whinning that “real patriots” don’t have tea parties, but rather they should obey the king’s orders, not question authority, and not involve themselves in the political process.
Scratch a liberal, and there’s a closet nazi beneath the atom-thin veneer, jonesing to round up dissidents.
Susan Milligan is a leftist imbecile.
That’s the idea! Duh! No more RINOs.
Bawahaha... yet another in the MSM bubble of unreality. THey do NOT GET what this is.... They think its just republicans, conservatives. No. LOL November is going to be a huge surprise to them isn’t it?
No she doesn’t get it. This is the PEOPLE vs. the Government class. She still thinks its just about republicans and democrats. The Press and the Government have gone so far left, that many moderate democrats are wondering what the heck happened to their party... they don’t like what they are seeing either!
Well, true enough, however we are all in dreamland if we think the Bush Yrs are not looked upon as massively negative by the majority of Americans, it takes time for that to wear off of Republicans.
The Tea Partiers are NOT political base material..not at all..what they are is merely the top level of an undercurrent of deep disastisfaction, that is what Conservatives have to tap into by articulating their message consistently and persuasively.
They are not doing that currently, that is a huge mistake.
Indy’s are mad at whoever is in power, but this idiot thinks they will vote for Obama because of tea party people? This is one stupid, ideologically deranged person we have here.
If they won't respect the Constitution they are worthless.
mainstream GOP = DemonRat Lite
About Raul Labrador, I can tell you that a Tea Party group I
and many others just resigned from, are gloating over what they think of as the “lesson” from his win.....there are too many ersatz candidates who seem to think they can just enter the fray wearing a Tea Party label and automatically win, capturing and riding what they think is an unstoppable wave.
Journalists long for the days when they could manipulate both parties with ease.
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