So this will be the ... fourth? Senate race the Tea Party has cost the Republicans? Thanks, guys...
It is very difficult to call him the Tea Party candidate and thus attribute his nomination to him. If anything he is a far-right, establishment, socially conservative Congressmen of 12 years. Brunner got the backing of most of the TP groups, while Steelman got Sarah Palin's endorsement. Brunner was a businessman and Steelman had previously challenged the establishment choice in the 2008 GOP Gubernatorial primary to see who would lose to Jay Nixon.
Also, he followed the Fischer, Thompson, "He who throws the least mud near the election wins" model. He was third in the polls for months and down in the teens until just two weeks prior to the election. This is one case where the TP would have saved us a seat.
Akin is a member of the Tea Party Caucus, FWIW.
Of course, he is obviously a far right conservative and engratiating himself with the latest movement of the base suits his interests. But my point wasn't that he is not far right, he most certainly is. My point was this was a primary of three TP candidates, two of which had better claim to the title then he did. Thus the one difference to Colorado, is that it isn't possible to blame the TP for scuddling this seat like could be said of Indiana if things go badly there.
Regardless of semantics, the point I was trying to make was that if the Tea Party had never formally organized, and instead just been reflected in the mood of the electorate, Republicans would probably have the seats in Delaware, Nevada, and Colorado, and be a clear favorite in Missouri this year rather than a clear underdog.
I won't complain though.
