Sure. But I’m actually impressed that the GOP did as good a job as they did at harnessing/co-opting the Tea Party. See, in support: Gauging the scope of the tea party movement in America , which rings true to me.
Seventy percent of the [tea party] grass-roots groups said they have not participated in any political campaigning this year…The local groups stand in contrast to - and, in their minds, apart from - a handful of large national groups that claim the tea party label. Most of those outfits, including FreedomWorks and Tea Party Express, are headed by longtime political players who have used their resources and know-how to help elect a number of candidates.
Furthermore, the GOP as a monolithic whole made large electoral gains that just 2 years ago were…let’s say…unlikely. I see their not taking a few Senate seats as the price paid for the rest of those unlikely gains.