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Tea Party Loses Key Battles, But Is Winning The War
thedailybeast.com ^ | 5/21/14 | Ben Jacobs

Posted on 05/21/2014 7:40:10 AM PDT by cotton1706

Defeats handed to Tea Party candidates last night only tell half the story—the Tea Party’s real success has been to change the very DNA of the GOP

The Tea Party got shut out on Tuesday night.

In Idaho, incumbent Rep. Mike Simpson easily defeated Bryan Smith, the Club for Growth-backed challenger. In Kentucky, businessman Matt Bevin got walloped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the two most establishment candidates made the runoff in the Republican Senate primary in Georgia.

Ironically enough, however, last night represented a big win for the Tea Party's conservative, small government ethos, and the extent to which Tea Party ideology is now cemented into the GOP is now plain to see.



Despite not having any candidates who draped themselves in Gadsden flags win marquee races on Tuesday, the election results showed the ultimate success of the Tea Party’s effort to change the very DNA of the GOP, as the median voter in a Republican primary has become far more conservative in the past few years. The “establishment” candidates may have won—but they did so by becoming increasingly conservative.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; teaparty; uniparty
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Bottom line, candidates and incumbents know we're watching them closely...and will continue to do so.
1 posted on 05/21/2014 7:40:11 AM PDT by cotton1706
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To: cotton1706

Bring back American jobs.

Just saying...

American jobs.


2 posted on 05/21/2014 7:41:08 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2013)
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To: cotton1706

I’m not quite this optimistic. Sounds more like looking for a silver lining. We shall see. But in the end, any real power would have come through in some of those major Primaries. I fear that they will turn against us even more as it is clear, except for in a few pockets, they don’t need us.

Time will tell. here’s hoping.


3 posted on 05/21/2014 7:43:33 AM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: cotton1706

Amnesty will tell if the GOPe “DNA” has been changed in spite the influx of tens of millions of campaign funding from the Chamber of Amnesty and Karl Rove. That Big Government Republicans will change their spots to become conservatives after election is extremely doubtful.


4 posted on 05/21/2014 7:44:09 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: cotton1706

Lipstick on a pig. We got our asses handed to us.


5 posted on 05/21/2014 7:45:24 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Early 2009 to 7/21/2013 - RIP my little girl Cathy. You were the best cat ever. You will be missed.)
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To: cotton1706

The senate is where the GOPe has the firewall but we’re weakening it every day.


6 posted on 05/21/2014 7:45:36 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin.)
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To: cotton1706; KC_Lion

We were outspent by the corporatist uni-party. It’s hard to compete with Amnesty $$.


7 posted on 05/21/2014 7:47:50 AM PDT by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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To: cotton1706

I hope the author is right, and that the GOPe is getting schooled.

Either way, its worth noting that the Commies see the Tea Party as their opponent - not the GOPe.


8 posted on 05/21/2014 7:48:08 AM PDT by LucianOfSamasota (Tanstaafl - its not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: cotton1706
Wishful thinking, alas.
How many Dems switched party just to vote for anybody but the TEA party candidate?

9 posted on 05/21/2014 7:51:01 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

Fauxcahontas ADMITS the middle class has been gutted, blames it on Reagan, of all people:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3158536/posts

TEA needs to use this admission with solutions for bringing back the middle class, and repatriation of capital via tax cuts should be part of every candidate’s platform.


10 posted on 05/21/2014 7:51:05 AM PDT by txhurl (Trump/Cruz '16, and everybody else for Cabinet members.)
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To: LucianOfSamasota

I think the GOPe will be emboldened with their defeat of some critical traditional GOP-held seats (as here in Georgia).

They do, however, very likely risk losing a few million true conservatives’ votes by absence in November like they did with their boy Mitt.


11 posted on 05/21/2014 7:52:36 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: cotton1706

What the TP should have done was target more, the open seats and vulnerable dem seats.
Its hard to unseat incumbents when there is not enough cash on hand.
5 or 6 more strict conservatives in the senate would upset the whole.


12 posted on 05/21/2014 7:53:58 AM PDT by crz
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To: cotton1706

I’m sorry but I’m not buying what this article is selling.

Establishment GOP is not becoming more conservative. Just because they say things on the campaign trail and show up at CPAC toting a rifle means nothing.

It seems to me what too many Republican voters want is more of the same. Please. With a cherry on top


13 posted on 05/21/2014 7:54:01 AM PDT by Lorianne (fedgov, taxporkmoney)
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To: cripplecreek

“The senate is where the GOPe has the firewall but we’re weakening it every day.”

That is exactly right. They’ve been going all out to protect the senate, to prevent any more conservatives from getting in.

They are so pissed that we took out Arlen Specter, Bob Bennett, Richard Lugar and made Lisa Murkowski fight for her life. They expect to be able to run unopposed and build their “warchests” but we’re not letting them.

And with all their fire trained on US Senate races and some US House races, conservatives can be more successful in more down ballot races to take over the party.

With more conservative legislators, we can get a convention of states going to permanently take power from those at the top, who have rigged the system for years.

And the US Senate will not be completely protected. Ben Sasse is on the way, and likely TW Shannon and Joni Ernst along with several new people like Gardner in CO, Daines in MT.


14 posted on 05/21/2014 7:54:18 AM PDT by cotton1706 (ThisRepublic.net)
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To: LucianOfSamasota
Either way, its worth noting that the Commies see the Tea Party as their opponent - not the GOPe.

More like the Commies and the GOPe have joined forces.

15 posted on 05/21/2014 7:54:53 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: cotton1706
I just hope the Tea Party doesn't give the Senate back to the the democRats by staying home.

I am a bit spoiled living here in Tulsa. We have three great candidates running to replace Coburn. We elected Tea Party Jim Bridenstein to the house.

16 posted on 05/21/2014 7:55:28 AM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is evil and must be eradicated)
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To: cotton1706
The “establishment” candidates may have won—but they did so by becoming increasingly conservative.

BS. They won't govern that way. If there is a silver lining to this primary season it is proving that the GOP Establishment views us as their true enemy not their Democrat pals.

17 posted on 05/21/2014 7:56:57 AM PDT by Count of Monte Fisto (The foundation of modern society is the denial of reality.)
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To: RIghtwardHo

If we can get Sasse, Shannon, and McDaniel elected to the senate, I’ll end the year with a smile on my face, regardless of whether or not the establishment screws up taking the senate this year.


18 posted on 05/21/2014 7:58:00 AM PDT by Viennacon
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To: cotton1706
"The “establishment” candidates may have won—but they did so by becoming increasingly conservative."

REALLY? Let's just wait and see how conservative they are. I have a sneaky suspicion that they only said what they did to get elected and too many ignorant people believed them. But I could be wrong.

19 posted on 05/21/2014 7:59:44 AM PDT by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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To: Gaffer

The sloppy GOPe doesn’t care if it loses millions of conservative votes in the general. If conservatives cave and vote for the establishment candidate, the GOPes win. If they stay home, the alternate GOPe (i.e., the Democrat) wins. The only loss for the GOPe is if a Tea Party candidate wins.


20 posted on 05/21/2014 8:00:59 AM PDT by IronJack
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