Tepid support? What I’ve seen is if an establishment candidate gets primaried out by a conservative tea-party type, the establishment goes ballistic and attacks their own party’s candidate! or voters! Remenber Lisa Murkowski? Bob Bennett?
I know. I think I said ‘tepid, at best’.
I have had a lot of arguments with the establishment guys in my state about this very issue. They think the Tea Party folks won’t work the campaigns. I say, “why should they if they feel like the establishment candidate is wrong for the country?” So far, I don’t think I’ve made much an impact - tho I keep trying.