So yeah, the Tea Party hilariously screwed the GOP last night.

[opebo]

The GOP better find some statesmen and find them fast!

Statesmanship isn't really compatible with your party's ideology.  You'd better look for height, wavy hair, and that assine like-to-have-a-beer-with-him quality.

[opebo]

There are minorities, aspiring or not, in the GOP?

[opebo]

There are minorities, aspiring or not, in the GOP?

Indeed, mostly latino, but very substantial and decisive in several races.

Oh, I see - so that's what explains the 30-40% of latinos who vote GOP, instead of nearly none as with blacks.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Even if one accepts the premise that the TEA Party movement cost the GOP a shot at narrowly controlling the Senate, it doesn't follow that it is a bad thing for either the GOP or the TEA Party for that to have happened.  Trying to hold together 51 or 52 Senators was always going to be dicey, especially when some of them openly don't ascribe to the TEA Party bullet points, and Obama is still in the White House.  The Class I Senate seats are so lopsidely Democratic thanks to 2006, that unless the GOP has an awful year in 2012, I'd expect them to gain 6 seats in 2012 and if everything goes their way, could possibly gain as many as 15.  If 2012 is like 2010, I'd expect the GOP to gain 10-12 seats given which seats are up for election.  Conversely, even if the Democrats have a wonderful 2012, at most they can pick up 2 Senate seats in 2012: Brown in Massachusetts and if Snowe gets primaried or retires they would have a shot at Maine.

[bgwah]

The Tea Party may have gotten a little greedy in a few spots, but they played a large role in motivating the conservative base and defining the national mood that ultimately led to such a large victory. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss their effect on the election.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

That's still not a majority in the Senate.  While the Tea Party did hurt the GOP, they didn't cost us the Senate.

And I wouldn't exactly blame Ken Buck... he wasn't your stereotypical Tea Party candidate (I don't know if I'd even call him a Tea Partier).

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Delaware was the only state that the GOP would have won if it were not for the tea party. And Mike Castle would have made an awful, awful senator.

 

That's still not a majority in the Senate.  While the Tea Party did hurt the GOP, they didn't cost us the Senate.

And I wouldn't exactly blame Ken Buck... he wasn't your stereotypical Tea Party candidate (I don't know if I'd even call him a Tea Partier).

Ken Buck openly attacked the tea party as "dumbasses". I haven't forgotten that, and I have little sympathy for him upon his impending defeat, despite being quite distraught over Nevada and Alaska. I'm sure there were plenty of people in Colorado who shared this sentiment at being called a "dumbass". With Buck trailing by a margin smaller than the Libertarian Party's percentage, Buck might have brought upon his own demise.

[Phony Moderate]

Delaware was the only state that the GOP would have won if it were not for the tea party. And Mike Castle would have made an awful, awful senator.

Theory.

[Vepres]

Delaware was the only state that the GOP would have won if it were not for the tea party. And Mike Castle would have made an awful, awful senator.

 

That's still not a majority in the Senate.  While the Tea Party did hurt the GOP, they didn't cost us the Senate.

And I wouldn't exactly blame Ken Buck... he wasn't your stereotypical Tea Party candidate (I don't know if I'd even call him a Tea Partier).

Ken Buck openly attacked the tea party as "dumbasses". I haven't forgotten that, and I have little sympathy for him upon his impending defeat, despite being quite distraught over Nevada and Alaska. I'm sure there were plenty of people in Colorado who shared this sentiment at being called a "dumbass". With Buck trailing by a margin smaller than the Libertarian Party's percentage, Buck might have brought upon his own demise.

He called BIRTHERS dumbasses.

[Vepres]

Yes, the Dems were slaughtered last night, but at least we did a bit better than expected in the Senate races, primarily due to the tea party. In fact, but for the teabaggers the GOP would likely control both houses now.

Uh, no. Without the Tea Party defining the narrative and getting GOP enthusiasm up, the Republicans would have been lucky to win the House.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Delaware was the only state that the GOP would have won if it were not for the tea party. And Mike Castle would have made an awful, awful senator.

 

That's still not a majority in the Senate.  While the Tea Party did hurt the GOP, they didn't cost us the Senate.

And I wouldn't exactly blame Ken Buck... he wasn't your stereotypical Tea Party candidate (I don't know if I'd even call him a Tea Partier).

Ken Buck openly attacked the tea party as "dumbasses". I haven't forgotten that, and I have little sympathy for him upon his impending defeat, despite being quite distraught over Nevada and Alaska. I'm sure there were plenty of people in Colorado who shared this sentiment at being called a "dumbass". With Buck trailing by a margin smaller than the Libertarian Party's percentage, Buck might have brought upon his own demise.

He called BIRTHERS dumbasses.

But he made it sound like all Tea Partiers are birthers: "Will you tell those dumbasses at the Tea Party to stop asking questions about birth certificates while I'm on the camera?"

[Landslide Lyndon]

Apparently the Republican establishment disagrees with all those extolling the virtues of the Tea Party and its favorite candidates.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44676.html

[Vepres]

Apparently the Republican establishment disagrees with all those extolling the virtues of the Tea Party and its favorite candidates.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44676.html

Again, before the Tea Party, the Democrats were competitive in NH, KY, OH, and FL. WA and WI were considered out of reach. The Tea Party didn't directly cause that, but the enthusiasm, turnout, and narrative it created did.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Apparently the Republican establishment disagrees with all those extolling the virtues of the Tea Party and its favorite candidates.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44676.html

Again, before the Tea Party, the Democrats were competitive in NH, KY, OH, and FL. WA and WI were considered out of reach. The Tea Party didn't directly cause that, but the enthusiasm, turnout, and narrative it created did.

Tell that to Graham and the rest of the senators that have declared war to DeMint.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

What happened to all of the reds here who said the Tea Party was impotent and not a force to be reckoned with.......basically, that they were to be laughed at?

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Apparently the Republican establishment disagrees with all those extolling the virtues of the Tea Party and its favorite candidates.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44676.html

Haha, that makes it all worthwhile.

I like how Lindsey Graham, who is basically a hardcore authoritarian and warmonger, an ideological soulmate to Joe Lieberman, is considered a representative of the "pragmatic" wing of the GOP.

[tpfkaw]

Apparently the Republican establishment disagrees with all those extolling the virtues of the Tea Party and its favorite candidates.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44676.html

Haha, that makes it all worthwhile.

I like how Lindsey Graham, who is basically a hardcore authoritarian and warmonger, an ideological soulmate to Joe Lieberman, is considered a representative of the "pragmatic" wing of the GOP.

It was the Lindsey Graham wing of the GOP that won last night.  The Lindsey Graham wing of the GOP is all that's left.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Wait a second, here.  I too thought the GOP left Senate seats on the table, but the fact is the GOP didn’t have good candidates because 2010 wasn’t supposed to be a good Senate year for the GOP and many of their top candidates chose not to run.

NV:  as was stated, Lowden probably wouldn’t have fared much better than Angle after her gaffe.   This race was winnable with someone like Thune/Pence.

DE:  sending a lesson to the remaining GOP RINOs was worth magnitudes more than having RINO Castle in the Senate.  This race was winnable with someone like Thune/Pence.

So, the problem for the GOP in NV/DE was simply lack of good conservative candidates along the lines of Thune/Pence.  IT IS A RECRUITING PROBLEM.  Same problem in KY, even though it was a victory.  But, I think the GOP will bring its A Team for 2012 Senate, as recruiting should be much easier.

(I don’t know enough about the primaries in CA or CO to comment)

I just want the GOP to apply these lessons towards 2012.

Your man-crush on these two is getting adorable... new drinking game!!! every you mention these two... everyone take a shot... I predict many hangovers...

[tpfkaw]

Well, he does keep writing it Thune/Pence.

Is Jmfcst a 16-year-old girl?!?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Well, he does keep writing it Thune/Pence.

Is Jmfcst a 16-year-old girl?!?

sorry, but you E+9/S-9 types will have to take a seat in the back of the bus.  I'm looking to nominate a statesman in 2012, not a hemorrhoid.

[tpfkaw]

From the deepest, darkest, S:-9 corner of Jmfcst's mind comes the story of Thune/Pence . . .

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Well, he does keep writing it Thune/Pence.

Is Jmfcst a 16-year-old girl?!?

sorry, but you E+9/S-9 types will have to take a seat in the back of the bus.  I'm looking to nominate a statesman in 2012, not a hemorrhoid.

Sorry, you got your president already from 2001-2009. Americans don't want to go back to your way of doing things.

[The Dowager Mod]

All the lovely spin by you righties doesn't make the original point any less valid, the simple fact that the republicans lost a few almost sure senate seats because of the whacky fringe tea bag people.

[muon2]

Yes, the Dems were slaughtered last night, but at least we did a bit better than expected in the Senate races, primarily due to the tea party. In fact, but for the teabaggers the GOP would likely control both houses now.

And without the Tea Party, a lot of the energy would not have been there.  I think it would have been a wash in the Senate and certainly a lower total in the House.

Even if the "Tea Party candidates" had won, Buck, Angle, O'Donnell, the GOP would not control the Senate.

There is little question that the TEA party created the energy that led to this wave. I went to a rally on 4/15/09 and saw about a hundred people that were not part of the usual scope of political activity in my area. They were fired up like I hadn't seen in years from regular folks. Rallies like that led to the town hall meetings in the summer of '09, meetings that crystallized the agenda for the election year to come. I saw a host of new committeemen and women emerge from those rallies and fire up a sluggish base. I fail to see how the wave of 2010 gets created but from the roots of 2009.

The disconnect between the TEA party and establishment GOP came about as the election year developed. There was little to harness the new energy and some establishment recruits were caught by the moment. Remember that recruiting was taking place well before the TEA party impact was fully perceived. In IL they had less effect in the primary because candidates had filed back in October of 2009. Other states with later primaries saw a larger impact.

Clearly the establishment would have liked the TEA party to channel its energy to the recruited candidates, but that's not how wild new energy exerts itself. The election is now over, but the energy is still there. There will also come more political maturity as new politicians inspired by the TEA party gain their footing. This will be an interesting cycle building towards 2012.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

One thing's for sure, this will certainly be an entertaining two years.