No worries on the far right; it’s still teatime for Republicans
What’s happening in theRepublican primaries is less a defeat for the tea party than a surrender by theGOPestablishment, which is winning key races by accepting the tea party’s radical anti-government philosophy.
Anyonewhohopes the party has finally come to its senses will be disappointed. Republicans have pragmatically decided not to concede Senate elections by nominating eccentrics and crackpots. But in convincing the party’s activist base to come along, establishment leaders have pledged fealty to eccentric, crackpot ideas.
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, whoeasilywon his primary this month against aweak tea-party challenger, said Tuesday that there isn’t “that big a difference between what you all call the tea party and your average conservativeRepublican. We’re against Obamacare, we think taxes are too high, we think the government’s too big.”
That doesn’t sound so crazy. But is it reasonable forRepublicans to keep voting to repeal all or part of the Affordable CareAct— more than 50 times, so far— knowing full well that they have zero chance of success? Does itmake sense, if taxes are excessive, to refuse President Obama’s invitation to begin serious talks about tax reform? If Boehner wanted to be honest, he’d have said his party is in favor of posturing and opposed to reality.
As for the “government’s too big” part, this traditionalGOPmantra has become— thanks to the tea party— aweapon of spite, not a statement of policy. No to extended benefits for the unemployed. No to struggling families whoneed food stamps. No to underprivileged kidswhoneedHead Start. No to a longoverdue increase in the minimumwage. No to undocumented immigrantswhowant to contribute more fully to our society. No to sorely needed infrastructure projects that wouldmake theU.S. economy more productive and competitive.
The victories by establishment-backed Republicans in Senate primaries hold no promise that the party is ready to stop throwing tantrums and begin governing. They do ensure, however, that Democrats will have few, if any, “gimme” races this fall. None of the GOPcontenders nominated thus far is likely to self-immolate in the manner of, say, Christine O’Donnell, a tea-party favorite in Delawarewhomemorably had to run a campaign ad in 2010 clarifying that “I’m not a witch.”
Well, maybe one candidate has the potential for a pratfall: MonicaWehby, a pediatric neurosurgeonwhohad establishment support in winning Oregon’s Senate primary this week, was accused of physically attacking her ex-husband in 2007 during a messy divorce. She faces incumbent Democrat JeffMerkley inNovember.
Elsewhere, the potential forGOPlooniness has been minimized. In Georgia, for example, the tea party’s favored candidates, Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey, were both dispatchedTuesday. The establishment’s favorites, Rep. Jack Kingston and businessmanDavid Perdue, will square off in a July 22 runoff. Either will present a tough challenge for Democrat MichelleNunn, whostill has a fighting chance, polls indicate, to steal a seat fromtheRepublican column.
Polls also showSenate Minority Leader MitchMcConnell, R-Ky., in a surprisingly close race against Democrat AlisonLundergan Grimes. McConnell handily defeated Matt Bevin, a challenger with tea-party support, inTuesday’s primary. But in what devolved into a contest of more-conservative-than-thou boasting, McConnell— by nature a dealmaker— promised, essentially, no deals with Obama.
The tea party is claiming a victory in college president Ben Sasse’s victory over Shane Osborn in the Senate primary in Nebraska. But therewas no discernible difference between the candidates’ positions on the issues— they fought mostly overwho was more determined to try to repeal the Affordable CareAct.
Nothing I’ve seen in the primary results so far suggests theRepublican Party is tempering its views orweakening its implacable opposition to anything the Obama administration proposes. To the contrary, theGOP slate promises to display a remarkable degree of far-right ideological purity. Republican candidates simply cannot risk being called “moderate.”
Democrats can, though. TheRepublican Party’smove to the right opens political space for Democratic incumbents and challengers trying to win in red states. Candidates such as Grimes andNunn can emphasize local issues while maintaining some distance fromWashington— and, in the process, makeRepublicans play defense.
Democrats must not let voters be fooled. Yes, tea-party candidates are going down. But the tea party’s extremism and obstructionism live on.