Conventional wisdom need not apply
In Alaska, the Joe Miller upset over Lisa Murkowski for the republican nomination for the senate is almost codified as I write this. In Florida, Rick Scott beat Bill McCollum in the GOP primary for governor. In Arizona McCain handily beat Hayworth and Ben Quayle (who recently referred to President Obama as “the worst president in history”) beat Steve Moak (and seven other candidates) for the republican nomination for the Congressional 3rd District in AZ.
Only the McCain win was expected. Yesterday we heard that McCollum and Murkowski were shoe-ins, and Moak would probably overcome Quayle.
Republican turnout was enormous. In Florida, 50% more people voted in the republican race than went out to vote for the democrats. Over a million people cast their ballot in a senate primary that was not contested (Rubio) and produced an upset in the Governors race.
So what does it mean? At first glance it appears that the public has simply had it with all politicians. It makes no difference if you are a republican or a democrat, we want you out. We are sick of the corrupt slap-on-the-back/wink-wink deals that go on in government to our detriment, so you are gone. Secondly, The motivated voters are republicans. (If you are reading this you are probably in that group.) The tea party is working. (And could someone please tell Mike Huckabee that tea party does not stand for “social conservative”. We really don’t do social issues Mike, so take your agenda and shove it.)
It remains to be seen what happens in November but I certainly would wager that an army of Nancy Pelosi’s will not be re-elected.
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about 1 year ago
“And could someone please tell Mike Huckabee that tea party does not stand for “social conservative”. We really don’t do social issues Mike, so take your agenda and shove it.”
That’s just it, though… you don’t get to decide what the TP “does”. The TPers down here definitely think it stands for “social conservative”, and given that “down here” is where Mike’s from, his perspective is understandable.
You’ve argued from the beginning that the TP isn’t an actual party, and isn’t organized by anyone… that’s it’s a purely populist, grassroots uprising. Cool. But since there’s no center of the thing defining What It Is, you have to accept that it will be defined in an ad hoc fashion in different regions or for different audiences, and you may not like the form those definitions take.
about 1 year ago
That’s just it, though… you don’t get to decide what the TP “does”.
Watch Me!
You have a point, but the point of the Tea Party is “taxed enough already” – fiscal responsibility.