General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSign of the times: The Baggers are losing their mojo
Dean Young lost to Bradley Byrne by 5 whole percentage points.
Primarying any more non-bagger GOPers is going to be a risky proposition from now on.
After the last election AND the shut down, people who would never vote for Dems, even if it would stop a rabid weasel from gnawing on their ankles are getting the message.
It's a homecoming of sorts for the Right.
The Teabaggerati are on the way down.
Peacetrain
(22,881 posts)Wounded Bear
(58,758 posts)Kind of hard to believe they could get even more crazy, but they continue to impress with their ability to bring out the worst in the American public.
rdharma
(6,057 posts)...... doubling down on stupid!
They are already blaming some of their loses last night on not being RW crazy enough.
Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)It makes unwinnable races competitive for Dem candidates when they are up against wingnuts
calimary
(81,557 posts)richard mourdock, didn't it? They opened their big mouths and BOOM! And if it weren't for these nutbags, any even remotely-moderate GOPer would have carried the day. Particularly in Missouri. We'd have no more Claire McCaskill, that's for sure. Taking out Richard Lugar in Indiana served us well, too, thank Heaven! And I also love how Miss "I am not a witch" is only famous for THAT. Not for the title "Senator" in front of her name.
We dodged a bullet in those cases, certainly. We dodged the bullet in Virginia last night. And I love how the birther ted cruz wannabe was sent packing. Unfortunately we still have a republi-CON in that seat, but the lesser of two great evils, at least.
I would love to see the teabaggers - as a "party" completely neutered and driven out of business. So much the better for the rest of us.
2naSalit
(86,880 posts)is the best we can hope for with the eventuality that they would become extinct.
Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)not contradict them. The only listen to information that supports what they already know for certain is true. The vast majority of right-wing extremist genuinely think that almost everyone agrees with them. Most think that even conservative Republicans who do not agree with them are the enemy and the real reason why they keep losing. Also they have the support of at least 40% of the Republican Party and they are very well funded.
Populist_Prole
(5,364 posts)Not that your average 'bagger would have the slightest idea what that even is, but I know plenty of them they'll be glad to tell you they only listen/watch/interact with only those sources or people they agree with.
cheapdate
(3,811 posts)over 40% of the participating electorate voted against repealing the ban -- which is only surprising if you're not from the deep south. These people believe every exaggeration and wild claim that their "leaders" make is the absolute truth. Their worldview won't go away in my lifetime and probably not for many generations after that. The only way to change their worldview is to relentlessly challenge it, and even then there's only so much change that's possible.
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)at least through 2016.
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)The tea party has no interest in actually governing. In fact I believe their objective is to upset governance, to gum up the works, to stop any and all progress, to shut down the government.
They aren't swayed by opinion polls or election results. They are driven by their hatred for what they see happening in this country. They see the nation becoming increasingly diverse with prospect of a minority majority by mid-century, supportive of equality of all persons including LGBT, handicapped, etc. and less religiously dogmatic.
Their entire world of old, white, evangelical domination is crumbling and they cannot stand it. Rather than adapt and make the most of this transformation in the nation they want to destroy it. They would rather destroy it rather than adapt and embrace the change.
So I don't believe there will be less activity in primaries by tea baggers. I expect it will remain robust and in fact increase. Their belief is they are simply not running candidates that are conservative enough, not that their candidates are too conservative.
DallasNE
(7,404 posts)If not sooner. While Mike Lee was successful in Utah and Rubio in Florida they still blew 3 Senate races that year. Last year they blew another 3 Senate races while not thickening their numbers -- indeed the Democrats picked up 2 Senate seats and about a dozen House seats. But this may not be good news for Democrats. If traditional Republicans should start to win again it will mean that Democrats will have a tougher challenger in November.