The AP ran a story today on how this is once again going to be a spectacularly incendiary primary season, what with Tea Party candidates trying to oust more moderate GOP candidates all across the country:[
There’s a Tea Party primary challenge in my state that has already turned nasty. Word on the street is that the Republican incumbent is in trouble, and may not survive the primary. IF that happens, it may help a professional acquaintance of mine who is running unopposed for the Dem nomination. It would take a lot to put a Dem in the Senate from this state, but I’m going to do what little I can to help him in the election.
They always had the Tea Party positions, the difference is the tea party candidates actually believe them and want to pass them while the establishment goes “wow no, that’s freaking retarded” once they get elected.
Where I live so-called “Tea Partiers” haven’t taken hold the way they have in some other states but one can never be too careful. I can’t do much about “Tea Party” candidates running in other states (or even in other parts of my state) but I’ll be hoping they do as poorly as possible - for what that’s worth.
The Tea Party is certainly not doing as well as they did in 2010 or 2012, but they still have strength. I think what’s going on is partly that the mainstream of the party and the Tea Party aren’t as far apart as they used to be. The only really moderate candidate challenger is Scott Brown(who is down by only 6 in the latest poll, BTW). All the rest, whether Tea Party or establishment, is a solid conservative. So there’s nothing to disagree about except methods. And I really think the establishment has won that particular argument: pure refusal to compromise is bad tactics. Imagine how well the GOP would be doing right now if they’d acted like adults for the last five years.
According to this commentator, Thom Tillis, Republican NC House Speaker who is challenging Kay Hagan for the U.S. Senate, despite having defeated several “Tea Party” challengers in Tuesday’s primary, is really a Tea Partier in his politics.
Tillis is pretty far to the right. My understanding is that he’s an ALEC Republican. I plan to campaign against him this summer, talking specifically about my experiences as a teacher in NC under mostly Republican rule. Most parents I know are pretty unhappy with the direction education is going, and I want to make the other parents aware of some things they may not know about.
Like I said, the difference is primarily in tactics. Although the commentator makes a really bad argument. Before the Tea Party, most Republicans were tax cutters, supported voter ID, pro-life, and opposed the minimum wage.
Tillis actually knows how to work with Democrats, as he proved by overriding vetoes by Bev Perdue, something that could never have happened if he couldn’t work with the other side.
At least his views are closer to that of the median North Carolinian voter than Kay Hagan, who is simply a rubber stamp for the President and Harry Reid.
Given the deep unpopularity of our current governor and state legislature, and the polls that show how their specific accomplishments are loathed by NC voters, and the polls that show Hagan’s a bit ahead of Tillis, what’s your evidence for this claim?
My evidence is that NC is a conservative state. Kay Hagan talks a certain way in NC, votes a different way in DC. That’s why she’ll lose.
As for the polls, an incumbent leading a challenger by 0.8 in the poll averages is not a “lead” in the sense that it means a damn thing on election day. Opinions about incumbents tend to be pretty fixed. Polling under 45% is “toast” territory.
As for the voters hating the accomplishments of the Republican legislature, they’ll have the chance to express that displeasure in November. Let’s find out what happens.
It was a really bad year for Republicans, plus Obama was on top of the ticket. The beauty of our system is that every other election, a Senator must win on their own, without riding someone’s coattails.
Chronos, you’ll recall that Obama lost NC in 2012. Hagan has to appeal to a state that preferred Romney, and also ushered in a dominant Republican government in 2012. Tough job.
Are you supporting your acquaintance because you like him personally, because you agree with his policy positions, or because the GOP options are awful?
A little bit of all three. He’s an honorable man that has served well in other offices. His policy positions are generally acceptable on most issues. The Tea Party challenger is an extremist asshole.