Posted on 06/25/2014 8:00:34 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
THE REPUBLICAN Party civil war between purists and pragmatists is not over: the viciousness of the 2014 party primary season proves that. But defeats for Tea Party-backed populists on June 24th confirm a big development. The party’s business-backed “governing” wing has remembered how to fight, and fight rough.
Not for the first time in history, the lowest blows flew in Mississippi. Senator Thad Cochran—a genteel, big-government Republican and four-decade Washington veteran—broke every rule of Deep South politics and asked black Democrats and union members to cross party lines and cast votes in a Republican Party run-off contest. (Under Mississippi law party primaries are effectively open to all registered voters, though the Republican run-off of June 24th was not—in theory—open to anyone who had voted in an earlier Democratic primary on June 3rd.) It worked, just: Mr Cochran won by about 6,700 votes, or less than two percentage points. A hefty turnout in mostly-black counties helped Mr Cochran beat off Chris McDaniel, a compromise-scorning state senator and former radio talk-show host.
The McDaniel campaign was sidetracked for a time by the arrest of a supporter who had sneaked into a retirement home to film Mr Cochran’s wife, who has dementia. McDaniel backers more recently called foul over leaflets sent to black neighbourhoods touting Mr Cochran’s support for food stamps and bashing Mr McDaniel as an opponent of Obamacare (while leaflets in white districts touted Mr Cochran as a conservative who voted “more than 100 times” against Obamacare, whose seniority nonetheless guaranteed Mississippi federal cash, notably for education).
In defeat Mr McDaniel talked darkly of “irregularities” at polling places and questioned the legitimacy of a Republican contest won with votes from Democrats: a loaded statement in a state where almost 90% of whites vote Republican and over 90% of blacks vote Democratic.
The comeback by the 76-year old incumbent—who at times on the campaign trail appeared weary and unaware of recent news events—marked a sharp defeat for the government-bashing Right. Outside groups attacking Mr Cochran as a Washington insider and Obama-enabler had descended on the state, spending an estimated $7m backing Mr McDaniel in the run-off. Business groups and Republican leaders in Congress poured about $4m into TV ads (including a round-the-clock broadcast of an endorsement by a local American football star) and a ground campaign.
Pragmatists scored a second win in a senate primary in Oklahoma. Representative James Lankford, a booming-voiced second-term congressman and Southern Baptist youth-camp director, beat off a Tea Party rival who had attacked him for voting to raise America’s federal debt limit as part of broader budget agreements. His opponent, T.W. Shannon, a part-black, part-Native American former speaker of the state House, had been backed by such conservatives as Sarah Palin (“The Democrats accuse us of not embracing diversity? Oh, my goodness, he is it”) and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. By any objective standard Mr Lankford is very conservative. His crime in Tea Party eyes lay in trying to make government work. It helped greatly that the popular incumbent, Senator Tom Coburn, who is retiring after illness, expressed disquiet at attacks on Mr Lankford.
Party leaders have not had 2014 all their way: they are still reeling from the primary defeat in Virginia on June 10th of Eric Cantor, the House Majority Leader, by a little-known professor. (Mr Cantor cast himself as a conservative outsider while seeking Washington power, a balancing act too far.) Many activists still loathe party leaders. But they no longer have a monopoly on ferocity. Establishment gloves are off.
Dig deeper:
America’s Republicans are a big success and a worrying mess
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
/johnny
“But they no longer have a monopoly on ferocity. “
But the GOPe has a monopoly on sleaze. I don’t think those are values I’d want to advertise.
Death to the Democrat Party! Long live the Democrat Party!
Our democracy has become a joke
When you declare war on a giant, bad things can happen to you. Ask Japan.
Ummmm ... the Oklahoma Tea Party Groups DID NOT WANT Shannon!
The following is something from Brogdon’s website ...
OK Tea Party Groups Throw T.W. Shannon Overboard
Apparently sick and tired of bring told who they should support in the race for U.S. Senate, 33 leaders of Oklahoma Tea Party and conservative activist organizations have made it clear – they do not support T.W. Shannon.
In “an open letter to outside groups and individuals supporting T.W. Shannon,” the grassroots conservative leaders expressed dismay that national political figures like Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee and organizations like Senate Conservatives Fund, have endorsed Shannon’s bid for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Tom Coburn.
Shannon has repeatedly pointed to these endorsements as proof that he has the support of movement conservatives in Oklahoma. However, the Tea Party leaders who signed the letter want to “set the record straight that we do not endorse or support T.W. Shannon for U.S. Senate.”
The letter asserts that prior to his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, “T.W. Shannon had never stepped foot inside a Tea Party, Liberty, 9/12 Project meeting, rally or event.” The letter also refers to Shannon as “a poser.”
The letter decries Shannon’s record in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. It states,“According to the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper’s Conservative Index, T.W. Shannon has a lifetime (7 years) average score of 74%”. Shannon’s competition in the Oklahoma U.S. Senate race, former state Senator Randy Brogdon scored a 93% on the same index during his 8 years in the Oklahoma Senate.
If Shannon’s endorsers believe he will vote more like a conservative if elected, the letter warns them, “Your endorsement will not make T.W. Shannon become conservative,” but it “will make our job a little more difficult.”
The entire text of the letter can be found here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/oklahoma-tea-parties-and-grassroots-conservatives
Can we say “no more support of anti-American GOPers”?
Voter Fraud. The new GOP weapon.
But they only use it against Conservatives.
It kills me that these a#$%@holes act like all’s fair in love and war. They know that Cochran stole the election (which was SUPPOSED to be for a REPUBLICAN nominee).
They knew they couldn’t win the Republican nomination with (gasp) Republicans. They were 10 points down. So, instead of letting the people choose their candidate, they denied the Republicans in MS their choice by scaring Democrats to the polls. Now they have the man Republicans rejected as MS Republican candidate. How in the hell do they sleep at night?
The establishment GOP position is “better a RAT than a Conservative!”
The only Party I’ve ever voted for in my life is the GOP. And I’m starting to hate them with the same anger and fury I reserve for the nation’s most debased enemies.
We have lost 4 of the last six prez elections. We have no experts at any level, just fast talking con men.
I believe we should all pledge $0.00 to the republican party in the future. They obviously don’t care what we think or need our money.
“purists and pragmatists” Stopped as soon as I saw the loaded terms. That’s high school writing.
“When you declare war on a giant, bad things can happen to you. Ask Japan.”
Please explain what you mean by this.
Are you teasing me?
These life forms behind stealing the election for Cochran are professional politicos, which means they haven’t any conscience whatsoever, therefore they don’t lose any sleep over much of anything except losing.
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