WASHINGTON (AP) — Tuesday’s high-profile primary elections may extend a streak of sorts for tea party Republicans: losing individual races but winning the larger ideological war by tugging the GOP rightward.
Tea party-endorsed candidates are struggling in Georgia, Kentucky and Idaho.
In each state, “establishment” Republican candidates have emphasized their conservative credentials — thus narrowing the party’s philosophical differences.
Democrats say it’s happening elsewhere — and that the candidates trying to give Republicans control of the Senate will prove too far right for centrist voters in November.
Republicans need to gain six seats to control the Senate. Holding Kentucky and Georgia against well-funded Democrats is crucial to their hopes.
Georgia, Kentucky, Oregon have closely watched Republican contests for Senate. Pennsylvania and Arkansas have feisty gubernatorial primaries. Idaho has a competitive House race.
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Can you really call it “winning the war” when the Republicans keep missing out on legitimate oppurtunities to win races because their candidates 1. are too crazy for anyone to legitimately vote into office or 2. give out juicy soundbites to appease the Tea Qaida-ites, but but then run into problem 1 when the general election rolls around?
This could turn out to be the worst of all possible outcomes. The so-called moderates actually were in almost all cases well to the right of Reagan before their unprincipled asses were pushed even further to the right by the Tea Party. But they tend to be politically savvy or just milquetoast enough to avoid Akin-like controversy.
McConnell’s a good example of that. In another way (not savvy, but yes milquetoast), so are Georgians’ David Perdue (savvy) and Jack Kingston (milquetoast), who may end up facing off in the Georgia GOP Senate runoff. The result could be strong candidates who end up voting closer to Ted Cruz than the plenty conservative John McCain once they’re in the Senate.