Tuesday night may well be the final act of the GOP's own civil war or it may be it's beginning. As we dream on about Christine O'Donnell, beating up the only old man who could win deep blue Delaware, imagine what the men behind the curtain are thinking. When the Republican party was left for dead, in worse shape than at any time since 1976, party establishment knew they had to look for creative solutions. Dick Armey, via FreedomWorks basically invented the Teabagger movement from imagination and a few million lobby-bucks, yet he is just now, probably too late, making a stand for his handlers.
The Party of Doughy Old White Men started astroturfing North America a little over a year ago in the hopes of thwarting anything and everything Obaman. They knew they were appealing to the basest of the base but they also new that was all they had left. Busloads of bitterness were shipped wherever a live camera opportunity was. Congressfolk were assaulted metaphorically and literally from townhalls in the hustings to the Capitol steps.
The clanging outrage proved irrestible to the anarchistic, the jingoistic and the various ethno-religio-homo-phobic demographics. Armey knew he could rely on FOX to recruit and rally his new footsoldiers but some of his on-air operatives found this new power a bit too intoxicating. The Hannity's, the Palin's, the Becks, were not supposed to target loyal, establishment Republicans... this was supposed to be an "anti-incumbent year" for Dems only! The typical assault features months of low-level character attacks via radio on the "moderate" Reds' character, Murkowski is a Rino, Christ is a commie... etc.. Finally at the last minute the endorsements come in from Madame DeFarge Palin and the real Senate Minority Leader, Jim Demint. In days a rumor becomes Sue Angle. This wouldn't be a problem if that didn't also mean that Harry Reid goes from un-reelectible to the prohibitive favorite to be next Senate Majority Leader.
Expecting honor among thieves, the old men who initially bankrolled the this revolution had to be surprised to see so many of their own targeted. Taking over either house means having a majority and knocking off eminently electable loyal Reds like Charlie Christ, Sue Lowdon and Trey Greyson makes a November victory far less likely and far more expensive. Now, finally, the real wizard of Oz has to try and put on the breaks after the wreck may be inevitable:
(via TPM)Leaders of the influential FreedomWorks group -- one the largest and most powerful tea party forces in the country -- publicly distanced themselves from the latest tea party political star, Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, at a breakfast with reporters this morning. "We stay out of that race because we're not convinced O'Donnell can win," FreedomWorks president and CEO Matt Kibbe said at the Christian Science Monitor-sponsored event.
So principles are principles as long as they don't threaten elections? That's a difficult proposition to sell to the torch bearing mob. All season Mike Castle has been a gimme pick-up for the Reds and in a day that can all change.
GOP populism is all based on a toxic blend of paranoia, fear and desperation. It can still power them to victories in November but it has already claimed too many easy wins to allow the GOP to take the Senate and the same dynamic is playing out under the radar at the house level. Sooner or later the mob is going to reject their handlers and it isn't going to be pretty. Tea Party Express, Redstate et al are largely political operatives but they are driven more by their insane worldview than considerations... the choir really believes this stuff! Does that battle engage tomorrow or the day after the general elections? Time will tell but my money is on tomorrow. Here's Armey's take on principle over victory:
FreedomWorks chair Dick Armey shared the ambivalence toward O'Donnell, who's sparked a kind of GOP breakdown with her fast-rising candidacy against party stalwart Mike Castle, who most view as a shoo-in for Vice President Biden's old Senate seat should he win the nomination. Presented with polling data showing likely Democratic nominee Chris Coons beating O'Donnell in a general election, Armey was asked "if it's better for Republicans to lose with a tea party-backed candidate than to win with a mainstream Republican candidate."
"I'm going to give a quick answer," Armey said. "No."
Good luck with that Dick.