Setting the fulcrum on the GOP-Tea Party alliance
Republicans have largely cast this election as an anti-Democratic election and they’re right to the extent that Democratic control of Congress hangs in the balance.
But voters have also been ferociously hostile to the GOP’s chosen candidates. The tea party has already toppled two sitting US Republican Senators, in Alaska and Utah.
In any other election year, that would be the big story.
And the tea party hopes to bag more huge trophies before the 2010 season is over.
Here in NY-23, the UNYTEA tea party has campaigned aggressively against the man chosen by the GOP county chairs, Matt Doheny, favoring Doug Hoffman.
Hoffman is promising to soldier on to November even if he loses the Republican primary.
Some of that energy has also driven businessman Carl Palladino in his insurgency against GOP pick Rick Lazio in New York’s governor’s race.
The tea party is also hoping to push aside two relatively moderate Republicans who are backed by the GOP’s top leaders, in Senate races in Delaware and New Hampshire.
In theory, movement conservatives may have a big advantage going into today’s primary. The polls are very close. And their voters appear to be the most energized, and the most organized.
It’s unclear whether GOP leaders can match that zeal, mobilizing the more Main Street-Country Club wing of the party.
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Brian,
Some of these recent comments are interesting:
“the more Main Street-Country Club wing of the party” Is this some kind of “class” based comment on what you consider to be the “main stream” of the republican party?
In another post you had recently you described John Boehner as a “cigarette smoking republican”.
These are strange comments? What is the point of these little “shots”?
“It’s unclear whether GOP leaders can match that zeal”
That’s exactly right. I hope the GOP establishment hears the freight train comin’, cause it’s going to mow them over.
Paul –
Maybe one of the commenters here described Boehner as a “cigarette smoking Republican,” but it wasn’t me.
I don’t think describing the establishment GOP as Main Street-Country Club is “a shot” at all.
When I was a kid and my family were devout members of the GOP, that was what good Republicans aspired to — running a business, having enough money to live well.
There is clearly now a distinction between that more “establishment” faction of the GOP and the more populist tea party movement.
–Brian, NCPR
Brain,
I apologize it was in an NPR piece where I heard someone describe Boehner in that way. They also threw in the country-club label and cocktail drinking for good measure:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/09/129752532/boehner-s-a-country-club-cocktain-drinking-cigarette-smoking-republican
There is nothing derogatory about terms Main Street or Country Club Republican. These are two of a few groups that make up the core of the traditional Republican Party. Social conservatives and fiscal conservatives are two others. Main Street and Country Club Republicans tend to be more moderate. The NYS Republican Party has been a moderate party, and this is borne out by the existence of a Conservative Party in our state.
Obama is a cigarette smoking Democrat then? And they have cocktail parties at the White House several nights a week it seems….all this is confusing. So, when a Republican does it it’s bad, but when a Democrat does it it’s good?
Well, I guess that does make sense…sort of.
“So, when a Republican does it it’s bad, but when a Democrat does it it’s good? ”
That’s called media bias. NPR.
“That’s called media bias.NPR.”
Bullseye!!!