Tea Party’s rise could undercut mainstream GOP

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/05/30/tea_partys_rise_could_undercut_mainstream_gop/

Some believe moderates may turn to Democrats



By Susan Milligan
Globe Staff / May 30, 2010

WASHINGTON — The Tea Party movement is energizing elements of the Republican Party and fanning an anti-Washington fervor, but the biggest beneficiaries in the midterm elections, pollsters and political analysts say, could be the main target of their anger: Democrats.

From North Carolina and Kentucky to Colorado and Nevada, candidates backed by Tea Party activists are making strong showings in primaries and opinion polls. Some of their campaigns, however, threaten to undercut GOP efforts to attract independents and moderates, prized voting factions in the general election.

“Republicans are definitely doing Democrats a favor if they nominate these Tea Party candidates,’’ said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, which has surveyed several of the states where such candidates are in play. “Even if these Tea Party candidates win in the primaries, things can look a lot worse in the general.’’

The anti-establishment candidates and their supporters insist they are simply voicing a widespread frustration with big government and big spending in Washington. Far from alienating Americans, Tea Party contenders will encourage conservatives to go to the polls in the midterm general election, when turnout is typically lower than in presidential elections, their supporters say.

Nor is the GOP establishment ready to put a damper on the movement, which already has helped nominate libertarian-leaning Rand Paul in the Kentucky GOP primary for US Senate and tossed out veteran Senator Bob Bennett in Utah’s GOP primary.

“These are Americans who are concerned about the government and spending and debt, so we ought to be able to find a way to be responsive to them,’’ said Senator John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “I don’t consider them outliers or unwelcome.’’

FULL 3 page story at link.

[napi21]

1. rand is killing himself with foot in mouth disease. The teabaggers

have already turned againsr their first trophy in Mass. and said they'll take him out in November! I think the few real GOPERS who still exist are very much against the teabaggers but are afraid to say so. We'll see what happens in Nov. but it's not looking too positive for the TBers to me.

[Scuba]

2. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ...... aaaahhhhhhhhh

[WillyT]

3. K & R !!!

:kick:

[nichomachus]

4. Mainstream GOP?????

There hasn't been a "mainstream" GOP in a couple of decades. Now, it's just a clown car full of hustlers, grifters, fools, and traitors.