While we make fun of the Tea Baggers they are actually winning their battles.

[Winterblues]

Yes their candidate lost in New York but the shock waves are still reverberating around GOP land. Their Party is being driven further right daily. Tea baggers put up Primary Challenges and the Party listens. Is there a lesson here for Left leaning activists? If we want our representatives to listen to our views we must make them fear for their jobs. IMO it is not counter productive to support Primary opponents against anyone....It is in fact the ONLY way we have of tuning up our Representatives..Yes we may lose a seat or two just as the Tea Baggers did but they understand the Big Picture and have a Longer View than we seem to. Primary someone against Reid. He is vulnerable and enables those like Lieberman and Nelson to undermine the Democratic effort. We may lose Reid's office but a Powerful message would be sent out..Otherwise what can we do?

[ananda]

1. But these are battles in which everyone loses.

nt

[Winterblues]

2. Only in the short term

If we manage to turn the Party left we do not lose.

[JPZenger]

3. We want teabaggers to win primaries in swing districts

The teabaggers have their greatest influence in low turnout primaries, particularly in off-year elections. They had too much influence on some local elections last month in PA.

However, we want the teabaggers to win Republican primaries in swing congressional districts and US Senate races. That makes it easier to elect a Dem in November. For example, they are trying to defeat a popular candidate, former Gov. Crist, in Florida with a teabagger. Crist has a good chance of defeating the Dem in November, but their teabagger does not. It also diverts millions of Republican campaign dollars to fighting off a challenge from their right.

There is more to fear from teabaggers putting in their candidates in solidly GOP districts. That will make it harder to have any compromises in legislation or budgets.

[NJmaverick]

4. Results matter and their move in NY has proven to be a disaster