For years, the Republican establishment has encouraged its right-wing fringe, confident that good tough anti-communist talk from Nixon would keep the Birchers in line while his Commerce Secretary sold Pepsi to the Soviets, or that family values invocations from Reagan would keep the evangelicals coming back, even if he never did a thing to outlaw abortion. It made a lot of sense, therefore, after taking a licking at the hands of Obama and the Democrats, that the GOP would welcome the Tea Party, whose members brought energy and enthusiasm; no doubt the theory among the insiders was that they could ride the cyclone to victory. Well, it doesn’t seem to be working out that way. The Tea Party is ousting the establishment. In Delaware last night, Christine O’Donnell, a far right candidate with a messy personal history and extreme views about sex (a one-time abstinence counselor, she equates masturbation and watching pornography with committing adultery), defeated the moderate Republican congressman Mike Castle for the Republican nomination for Senate. Goody! All the experts (whose opinions, admittedly, have nothing to write home about this year) say this kills Republican chances to take control of the Senate. (Another benefit: watching Karl Rove sputter about her victory.) O’Donnell, interestingly, was endorsed by Sarah Palin, still the most interesting character in politics today (Look at O’Donnell–she’s a Sarah wannabe!) If I were Mitt Romney or Mitch Daniels or any other Republican mainstreamer who wants to be president, I would be worried today.
In today’s USA Today, there’s a pic of Ms. O’Donnell sporting her glasses (heavy-duty black frames like those worn by Superman), further supporting your thesis that she is a Ms. Palin wannabe.
Initially, the Tea Party was portrayed as a mix-bag of libertarians, gun-lovers and some social conservatives. But so far, those have made progress in getting selected for elected office are social conservatives. Part of me hopes that more of the Tea Baggers get selected to run against the Democratics, which should ensure Democratic control over the House and Senate, but another part of me thinks that these people could win, given the disconnect in the way Americans think, act and vote (e.g. why are so many Americans who don’t make more than $35,000 annually supporting a political party that favors tax policies for the wealthiest 5 percent of the nation?). So my viewing of my favorite Buttman videos may soon be in jeopardy.