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

[Eraserhead]

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.

What happened to the Tea Party wave that was supposed to take out Boxer by +5%? Your Senate predictions were atrocious. Just saying.

[??????????]

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.

The fellow I've gotten into it with the most out of anyone here is the one who nails the reality on the head.

[Oakvale]

Apologies for the admittedly somewhat snarky tone of the thread. My fault.

I stand by my point, though - the Tea Party indisputably - indisputably- cost the Republican three Senate seats they would have otherwise gained. Nevada, Delaware (!), and Colorado.

I'm going to concede that they probably helped to a degree in the House, though. Someone mentioned that's because less media scrutiny is paid to House candidates, which seems like a plausible explanation.

In short, did Republicans have a wonderful night? Yes, they certainly did, and I don't begrudge the forum's blue avatars their celebration.

There's a "but", though, and here it is.

But... it could have been even better. There's little doubt in my mind that the Tea Party helped somewhat, but that it was more of a hindrance than a help. And, incidentally, will continue to be as the "establishment" try to contain the Tea Partiers.

EDIT: Also, the Tea Party should, for the good of the GOP, probably accept that not every year is a 2010, and avoid primaries against Scott Brown, Olympia Snowe et al. That, at least, I hope we can all agree on.

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

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.

What happened to the Tea Party wave that was supposed to take out Boxer by +5%? Your Senate predictions were atrocious. Just saying.

my final Senate predictions didn't have Boxer losing, you loin.  and I predicted +70 in the House, so I was pretty accurate in my wave predictions.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Apologies for the admittedly somewhat snarky tone of the thread. My fault.

I stand by my point, though - the Tea Party indisputably - indisputably- cost the Republican three Senate seats they would have otherwise gained. Nevada, Delaware (!), and Colorado.

"Indisputably"? LOL. The Tea Party did not cause the losses in Nevada and Colorado.

They didn't really cost anything in Delaware either, as Mike Castle would have had a worse voting record than many Democrats.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

LePage's victory has sealed Snowe's fate in Maine. Her only hope is to stop being a moderate hero and try to appeal to the tea party.

[Oakvale]

Apologies for the admittedly somewhat snarky tone of the thread. My fault.

I stand by my point, though - the Tea Party indisputably - indisputably- cost the Republican three Senate seats they would have otherwise gained. Nevada, Delaware (!), and Colorado.

"Indisputably"? LOL. The Tea Party did not cause the losses in Nevada and Colorado.

They didn't really cost anything in Delaware either, as Mike Castle would have had a worse voting record than many Democrats.

I've gotta disagree with you there, Libertas. You don't think Tarkanian would have landslided against Reid? Bennet only won by a point against Buck, surely Norton could have easily defeated him.

As for Delaware, well, that was the Tea Party view, I guess.

[Capitan Zapp Brannigan]

LePage's victory has sealed Snowe's fate in Maine. Her only hope is to stop being a moderate hero and try to appeal to the tea party.

If she does get primaried she'll pull a Crist. Except she would probably win with 60% of the vote even then..

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Apologies for the admittedly somewhat snarky tone of the thread. My fault.

I stand by my point, though - the Tea Party indisputably - indisputably- cost the Republican three Senate seats they would have otherwise gained. Nevada, Delaware (!), and Colorado.

"Indisputably"? LOL. The Tea Party did not cause the losses in Nevada and Colorado.

They didn't really cost anything in Delaware either, as Mike Castle would have had a worse voting record than many Democrats.

I've gotta disagree with you there, Libertas. You don't think Tarkanian would have landslided against Reid? Bennet only won by a point against Buck, surely Norton could have easily defeated him.

As for Delaware, well, that was the Tea Party view, I guess.

No, I don't. Reid would have found a way to win somehow.

Buck was not a real tea partier and he failed to motivate and unite the tea party vote.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

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.

What happened to the Tea Party wave that was supposed to take out Boxer by +5%? Your Senate predictions were atrocious. Just saying.

my final Senate predictions didn't have Boxer losing, you loin.  and I predicted +70 in the House, so I was pretty accurate in my wave predictions.

Did you mean "loon," or did you actually mean "loin"? lol

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

LePage's victory has sealed Snowe's fate in Maine. Her only hope is to stop being a moderate hero and try to appeal to the tea party.

If she does get primaried she'll pull a Crist. Except she would probably win with 60% of the vote even then..

No, she'd pull a Murkowski, not a Crist, since as you pointed out, she'd win.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

LePage's victory has sealed Snowe's fate in Maine. Her only hope is to stop being a moderate hero and try to appeal to the tea party.

If she does get primaried she'll pull a Crist. Except she would probably win with 60% of the vote even then..

No, she'd pull a Murkowski, not a Crist, since as you pointed out, she'd win.

Snowe would hardly be guaranteed a win, especially after what we just saw with a tea party Republican beating a Democrat and a competitive independent.

[fezzyfestoon]

LePage couldn't even get 40% in an easy race.  Snowe meanwhile has never had an opponent as a Senator get more than 31% and never had an opponent in a Primary.  She's got it.

[Platypus]

LePage's victory has sealed Snowe's fate in Maine. Her only hope is to stop being a moderate hero and try to appeal to the tea party.

If she does get primaried she'll pull a Crist. Except she would probably win with 60% of the vote even then..

No, she'd pull a Murkowski, not a Crist, since as you pointed out, she'd win.

Snowe would hardly be guaranteed a win, especially after what we just saw with a tea party Republican beating a Democrat and a competitive independent.

South New Brunswick isn't Kentucky.

[minionofmidas]

He called BIRTHERS dumbasses.

And he was right.

[Badger]

I don't even know anything about Michele Bachmann, and now she is running for a GOP leadership position.  I may agree with her on some issues, but I don't like her crudeness and/or approach.  I used to be to the right of the GOP, now I'm to the left, which doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling - it sucks to be in the middle!  I'm too out of touch, been holding on too tight, I've lost the edge.  And I think the disconnect came during the campaign of 2008 when I rejected Palin as a lightweight while the Right feel in love with her.

I grew up watching adult behavior from the likes of former Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming.  But Bachmann/Miller/Palin run around in public as if they were simply trolling the Atlas forum.  

The GOP better find some statesmen and find them fast!  Otherwise, they're simply gonna mimic Fox News more and more.

Wow. That was actually very...."statesmanesque" of you Jmfcst.

[Nichlemn]

I think LePage himself might primary Snowe, and would have a greater chance of winning due to being the sitting governor.

[Eraserhead]

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.

What happened to the Tea Party wave that was supposed to take out Boxer by +5%? Your Senate predictions were atrocious. Just saying.

my final Senate predictions didn't have Boxer losing, you loin.  and I predicted +70 in the House, so I was pretty accurate in my wave predictions.

The fact that you ever thought that was the most likely outcome (you said it on here several times not long before the election) proves that nobody in their right mind should take you seriously. You also said all of the Democrats not leading by 5% or more by election day would lose. lol.

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

my final Senate predictions didn't have Boxer losing, you loin.  and I predicted +70 in the House, so I was pretty accurate in my wave predictions.

The fact that you ever thought that was the most likely outcome (you said it on here several times not long before the election) proves that nobody in their right mind should take you seriously. You also said all of the Democrats not leading by 5% or more by election day would lose. lol.

I overestimated GOP gains in the Senate, woe is me!