Whoa! Last night Eric Cantor, the House Majority Leader, the #2 guy in the House of Representatives, was defeated in his Virginia district primary race. This is both good news and bad news.
Cantor was one of the Republican "Young Guns" along with Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, a small group of virtually inflexible super conservatives who, IMO, were preventing our government from "governing". Think "government shutdown". He'll be gone after the first of the new year. That's the good news.
The bad news is that the guy who defeated him is even MORE inflexible, as in absolutely rigid. He's a Tea Party fave and one of those "my way or the highway" kinda people. If enough people like him are elected our political polarization, our gridlock, will get even worse. Sales of pitchforks and torches will surge.
While the Tea Party has been swatted down in many primary races so far this year, this was a BIG win for them. As a student of politics (among other things) this intrigues me. It's going to make for a fascinating fall election.
I'm tickled by all the fuss over whether Hillary Clinton will run for President in 2016. My first prediction: She might run, but she won't even get her party's nomination.
She'll be in the headlines all right, and might win some early primaries, but her party will eventually realize she's a lightning rod.
Her fans love her, but her foes are reviled by her. That's not a recipe for winning an election. She comes with a lot of baggage....I'm guessing even more than most politicians. There's gonna be lots of mud (shit?) slinging.
Get one of her bumper stickers and buttons as soon as you can 'cause they will some day be political novelties.
I'll add Hillary's to my collection. :)
S
I have to agree with Matt Bai's Yahoo column: If Cantor wasn't conservative enough for these people then who the hell is? But I guess you live by the Tea Party nuts you die by the Tea Party nuts.
ReplyDeleteHilary has one big thing going for her that no one else does...Bill Clinton. Bill remains popular even with some Republicans and conservatives that profess to hate him, and he is a great campaigner. Some will perceive electing Hilary as getting Bill Clinton back. Personally I would be fascinated in the battles these two would have in the White House. My guess is Hilary would definitely run the show, but Bill would be consulted big time. I know a few Tea Party people, the are not nuts, they are passionate. Why do people always resort to marginalizing opinions they disagree with by dismissing them as nuts?
ReplyDeleteI usually try to see both sides, but I don't see how brandishing firearms in public, declaring war on the US government, and repeatedly comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler can be dismissed as a "difference of opinion."
DeleteThe Tea Party types are indeed passionate, and are NOT nuts. But I do believe their "in your face/crush the opposition/winner take all" style of governing is bad for our country. Driving a wedge between factions by definition divides us. Remember the old saying, "United we stand, divided we fall"? It is OK for liberals and conservatives to push their agenda, but at the end of the day there needs to be some give and take. I don't see the Tea Party being willing to do that.
DeleteStop apologizing. There are nutty liberals and nutty conservatives--these are the latter.
DeleteI've always disliked Cantor but this Tea Party challenger is a nutcase. I saw him interviewed on TV this morning. As for Hillary, I think you underestimate her chances. It's time we gave women a shot at running things, and Hillary has proven she's a scrappy fighter who can handle the Republican attack machine. Besides, there are more registered female voters than male.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem at all with a woman becoming President. (I voted for a woman for governor way back in the early 70's). I just think Hillary will be a hugely divisive candidate, and a smart party will not want a candidate that alienates a large part of the electorate right out of the gate.
DeleteVirginia has an open primary. Many Democrats took advantage and voted for the Tea Partier so that Cantor would lose. Wonder when Virgina will change the open primary to avoid this problem in the future?
ReplyDeleteOoooo....I did not think of that. What a huge political blunder!
DeleteI was about to say what Anonymous said. It's not sure that Democrats voted against Cantor in the primary but they very well may have.
ReplyDeleteAs for Hillary, I keep thinking she'll decide not to run in favor of being a grandmother to Chelsea's child. The Republican attack machine has already warmed up though. For example, Karl Rove's idiotic comment about the possibility of brain damage.
And, I'm sorry but many of the so-called Tea Partiers are nuts. In fact, as Dr. Thompson used to say, "bull goose loonies!"
I'll accept many, all bothers me. And I am not a member of that party.
DeleteBoth parties have organized "attack machines." Neither party knows how to compromise anymore.
I think the tea party has adopted one of Pat's campaign slogans: "I've upped my standard, now up yours!"
ReplyDeleteHe is rolling in his grave to see these loonies.
I think Hillary would be a good president, but I doubt the democratic party will run her.
The tea party seems to be our version of the 'Know Nothing' party of the mid-eighteen sixties.
As I said, I don't think the extremists at either end of the political spectrum are "nuts". I think they are cunning, intelligent, conniving, and selfish, but they aren't nuts. Regardless, we don't need their kind "leading" us. It's funny to me how the Republicans, especially the Tea Party, seem to revere Ronald Reagan, yet by their currents standards he would be an outcast. Does ANYBODY currently reside in that no-mans-land of the common sense moderate?
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, this guy isn't a nut: http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/06/11/oklahoma_tea_party_candidate_scott_esk_supports_stoning_gay_people_to_death.html
ReplyDeleteIt's all relative Pat. In Oklahoma he's considered a progressive. ;)
DeleteThe good news: virtually inflexible super conservative Eric Cantor has now become more flexible on unemployment benefits. He is now for them.
ReplyDelete:-p
Not so sure about that. He's another ready made lobbyist - as if we don't have enough of those dicks.
DeletePolitic's stink. Enough said.
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ReplyDelete