Tea party victory endangers GOP’s goal of retaking the Senate

[Adios]

With polls showing significant GOP momentum this fall, Republicans in recent weeks began to believe they had a real chance of retaking control of the Senate in November. But a major primary upset at the hands of a tea party insurgent on Tuesday may have put the Senate GOP's dreams of a majority at serious risk.

In the biggest electoral surprise of the night, conservative activist Christine O'Donnell defeated longtime GOP Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware's Republican Senate primary. Castle, a moderate who once served as the state's governor, had been so favored to win in November that his decision to run had reportedly influenced Democrat Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, to abandon plans to seek his father's old seat.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100915/el_yblog_upshot/tea-party-victory-endangers-gops-goal-of-retaking-the-senate



I am confused. Isn't a Tea Bagger a Republican? And if not how are they running in the Republican Primary>

[LMNO]

If I understand it right, The Reps are afraid that in the General Election, the Teabaggers are so batshit wingnut crazy, the (majority) centrist Reps voters will run away from them, and either stay away from the polls or vote Dem.

[Cain]

Yes.

The belief is this though:

Teabaggers appeal to declining and increasingly nutty base of GOP voters, defeating more moderate opposition.
Democrats put up a centrist, DLC-approved candidate.
Public goes "hmm, corporatist or nutter.  I'm going for the corporatist, at least they wont draft my fetus to serve in repelling Russian aggression in Georgia".
Democrat wins.

Of course, what will actually happen is:

Teabaggers appeal to declining and increasingly nutty base of GOP voters, defeating more moderate opposition.
Democrats put up a centrist, DLC-approved candidate.
Public goes "hmm, corporatist or nutter.  I'm going for the nutter, because the corporatists keep fucking me and everyone I know in the ass constantly and I'm pretty fucking sick of it.  Plus if we go to war with half the world I might just get a job again, even if it's making depleted uranium rounds in a factory, with my bare hands."
Teabagger wins, Senate shuts down out of spite towards Obama, economy crashes, Republicans promise if they win the presidency they will restore the economy.

[LMNO]

We are fucked forever.

[Adios]

Thanks guys, I thought I was really losing it this time. It should be a fun election.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

We are fucked forever.

Oh yeah. Might as well enjoy the show.

[Juana]

True.


I would hope for lots of internal division in the Republican party, but I suspect the moderates will roll over and take it in the name of getting elected again, because that's how it goes.

[Mangrove]

I found this right before I logged onto PD.com. Political analyst guy sez: Weird primaries have never been a good indicator for election results and Tea Party success is greatly overstated.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/14/christine-odonnell-rand-paul-and-the-primaries-are-they-the-r/

I'm only posting this because it makes me feel warmer, safer & fuzzier than what Cain said (even though he's probably right....)

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I found this right before I logged onto PD.com. Political analyst guy sez: Weird primaries have never been a good indicator for election results and Tea Party success is greatly overstated.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/14/christine-odonnell-rand-paul-and-the-primaries-are-they-the-r/

I'm only posting this because it makes me feel warmer, safer & fuzzier than what Cain said (even though he's probably right....)

Seems to be what I'm seeing in Ohio. The Tea Partiers are excited, the Republicans are horrified, the Democrats are laughing their asses off.

What happens in November? I dunno... but if they successfully elect Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell the laughs will just keep coming till the blood starts pouring out of every orafice.

      <---- Like that

[Requia ☣]

Even if all the other teapartiers lose, Utah is pretty much guaranteed to put Mike Lee in the senate.  So laughs will come regardless.

[AFK]

The political junkie in me would be interested to see what would happen if we had a Dem Senate and a GOP House.  Hell, even the GOP having both houses with Obama as Prez would be interesting.  Wouldn't result in any good or meaningful policy of course, and I imagine we could kiss a repeal of DADT goodbye. 

[Adios]

The political junkie in me would be interested to see what would happen if we had a Dem Senate and a GOP House.  Hell, even the GOP having both houses with Obama as Prez would be interesting.  Wouldn't result in any good or meaningful policy of course, and I imagine we could kiss a repeal of DADT goodbye. 

Gridlock. Been there, wasn't too bad.

[Disco Pickle]

The political junkie in me would be interested to see what would happen if we had a Dem Senate and a GOP House.  Hell, even the GOP having both houses with Obama as Prez would be interesting.  Wouldn't result in any good or meaningful policy of course, and I imagine we could kiss a repeal of DADT goodbye. 

Gridlock. Been there, wasn't too bad.

I find myself agreeing with you a lot CB..

I'd rather have a government that doesn't keep trying to "fix" things through new laws and throwing more money at the problem because they umm..  never seem to work?

more thinking and reading of potential legislation before pressing yea or nea would be helpful too but that's just me being completely insanely wishful.

I'd welcome gridlock with open arms.

[Cain]

It wouldn't just be gridlock.  If they seized both houses, they'd shut down the government (they'd find some pretext, easily enough) and what little TARP etc money that is actually finding it's way to getting people employed would be shut down as well.  In this economic climate, I'd give it two weeks before looting started.

[Disco Pickle]

It wouldn't just be gridlock.  If they seized both houses, they'd shut down the government (they'd find some pretext, easily enough) and what little TARP etc money that is actually finding it's way to getting people employed would be shut down as well.  In this economic climate, I'd give it two weeks before looting started.

TARP money isn't (for the most part) funding anything that KEEPS people employed..  one shot jobs are not a pancea for the problem.

If the monkeys in this country aren't spurned to innovation and creation of new sources of income by the current climate, then maybe I really will loose all faith in the future of the US and grab some popcorn while it burns, then move to mexico and invest and grow farm raised fish like my sons mother wants me to do.

Even if the world burns, people have to eat.

Necessity is the mother of invention may sound trite, but I'm really hoping for some god damn new ideas rather than old, stale ones.  If gridlock is what it takes for people to realize that DC isn't their cure-all be-all then so be it.