by Mike Memoli
Throughout the year Democrats have been cheering the victories of tea party-backed candidates in frontline races, hopeful that Republican primaries have produced nominees less capable of attracting broad appeal in the general election. This week provided yet another example as embattled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will now face Nevada Assemblywoman Sharron Angle instead of a better-funded and more broadly-known GOP candidate.
A key question in November is whether Democrats, whose majorities seem more tenuous by the week, invite such challenges at their own peril. It's a notion that's all the more striking given how Democrats are in some cases adding fuel to the tea party's fire. The thinking goes like this: even in cases where the conservative insurgency is unsuccessful in unseating a so-called establishment candidate, the ultimate winner was forced to move further right and emerges wounded from an unexpectedly strong battle.
A curious example from this week came in Iowa, where Terry Branstad won the Republican primary for governor by nine and a half points. It was seen as a disappointing margin considering he faced two challengers who together raised a quarter of Branstad did this year, to say nothing his advantage in name recognition as the Hawkeye state's former governor for four terms. It's all the more noteworthy given that internal polling just months earlier has shown Branstad poised for a coronation.
Incumbent Gov. Chet Culver is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats seeking a new term this fall, and the Democratic Governors Association had already been active in trying to boost his standing for the general election. But with two months to go before the primary, the national organization saw a chance to strike an early blow against the expected Republican challenger.
According to a internal poll obtained by the Swamp, Democrats found Branstad comfortably ahead in the Republican primary, leading Bob Vander Plaats, his closest challenger, by 42 points. That same poll, though, signaled that he had not closed the deal with an energized conservative base.
"We saw that If you give people the information, you can move the needle," said a Democratic strategist who worked with an independent expenditure committee the party launched in the state, called Iowans for Responsible Government (IRG).
In the coming weeks, that committee established itself in the state cloaked as a Republican-leaning entity. It purchased some airtime - enough to get noticed - on Fox News Channel, and invested heavily in a direct mail campaign aimed exclusively at Republican primary voters. One of two television ads told viewers that Branstad had raised the state sales tax 60 percent and increased state spending by 231 percent as governor. A mail piece featured Branstad's head as part of a mockup of a "liberal" Mount Rushmore that included Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton.
The idea of a Democratic-subsidized effort tacitly demonizing its own party leaders to strike a blow at a potential Republican rival may seem unusual to some. But this kind of meddling in the opposite party's primaries is increasingly common in politics today.
"The message on this was -- think whatever you want about Terry Branstad. But he is saying he is a conservative but that's not the record," the Democratic strategist said.
The Branstad campaign was forced to respond, on two fronts. First, it waged a campaign to make sure Republican voters and the local media understood what IRG was all about, including a video that said the "liberal" group's efforts showed Branstad was "the conservative leader they most fear." Secondly the campaign made a more direct appeal to Republican voters, welcoming a late endorsement by Sarah Palin, which Democrats argue will be to his detriment in November.
"The Terry Branstad that emerged from this primary is a wounded Terry Branstad," said Nathan Daschle, executive director of the DGA. "He defined himself outside of the moderate space he used to occupy."
Branstad's campaign conceded that it was forced to more of its considerable warchest in the primary than expected. But it also argued that Democrats fell short in what may have been its only hope of defeating Branstad.
"If you're getting attacked with over a half million dollars, of course we're going to spend money to get the message straight. And we did so effectively," said campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht. "They laid it all out on the field in the primary, and it did not work. And we've become a stronger campaign as a result."
The strategy employed here is one Democrats say they can see replicating in other races this fall. In Senate and House races, Democrats have also been actively seeking to force Washington-backed Republicans to answer whether they agree with positions that have become tea party orthodoxy, like repealing health care reform.
As to the broader notion that Democrats should be careful what they wish for in inviting a November showdown with tea party-backed candidates?
"Dealing with this kind of rightward insurgency, you've got to look at things to use for your advantage," the party strategist said. "History is getting written as you go."
Comments
Hey People,
If you're having as much trouble understanding what the Teabagger racists are saying as I am, here's a handy Teabagger Language guide for you.
The Illustrated Teabagger Dictionary:
"Ever wondered what "Real America" means? Or how precisely Sarah Palin defines communism and fascism? Look no further. Using misspelled Teabagger placards, from this excellent Flickr gallery, we've compiled the first comprehensive dictionary for this new dialect."
"Here are 24 key words, and their associated misspelled placards, that are now charged with the fevered, dog-whistling undertones of Fox News and the new right."
*
http://gawker.com/5506871/the-illustrated-tea-party-dictionary
*
Posted by: Planet Wingnuttia | June 11, 2010 2:41 PM
Meet Teabagger Sharron Angle....
The latest in a looooong line of right wing lunatics that the fringe Republican party is trying to sell to the American (Nevada) people.
It's hard to say which will be more fun in the coming months ... exploring Nevada's Republican Senate nominee Sharon Angle's whack-a-doodle positions on the issues, watching the Republican leadership trying to pretend they don't exist, or enjoying the television coverage of this campaign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqNrhIJcSrw&feature=player_embedded
The only question is, which Sharron Angle issue does the GOP run away from the fastest? Angle's call to truck in nuclear waste to Nevada? Outlawing alcohol? Getting rid of Social Security and Medicare? Or will they just go crazy and do a party-wide Oath Keeper initiation?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqNrhIJcSrw&feature=player_embedded
Posted by: former Republican | June 11, 2010 2:48 PM
Why would they not agree to the repeal of Obama care. 58% of the population wants to repeal it. After what has been going on with this administration and liberal Congress dirty tricks are not going to work in the end. There is one thing no matter how hard the brain-dead liberals and their comrades in the mainstream media tried to spin it is the true cost of Obama care. From promising it would cost less than $900 billion in its first 10 years we will be lucky if it cost less than $2 trillion.
Posted by: The_Crooks_In_DC | June 11, 2010 2:59 PM
I hope the Republicans (Teabaggers) continue with their clownish "repeal Health care reform" meme this fall. They seem to be doing everything they can to take an election year (following a Pres election) that should be favorable to them and blowing it.
Poll: Support for Health Care Reform Continues to Increase
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20005959-503544.html
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/100701-over-break-house-dems-asked-to-sound-warnings-of-gop-takeback
Posted by: Joe Klecko | June 11, 2010 3:32 PM
if Republicans want to govern based on public opinion, they should be careful what they ask for.
A new national survey conducted between April 6th and 10th finds that while 58% of Americans support repealing the law a majority of those that favor repeal want Congress to pass more liberal legislation that includes a public option:
When asked how important they thought it was for Congress to work on “establishment of a public option that would give individuals a choice between government provided health insurance or private health insurance,” 67 percent of Americans rated this as an important topic to address. This finding is even more striking given the fact that 59 percent of those in favor of repealing the health care reform legislation rated the public option as important to pursue. Another surprise is that 67 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of Independents also agreed that the public option was an important topic to be addressed by Congress.
Posted by: BullFighter | June 11, 2010 4:20 PM
The "Teabaggers" are nothing more than the whackjob Republican base nuts who are to embarrassed to call themselves "Republicans" after the disasterous Bush presidency.
And I love how all of these Teabag clowns are claiming to be Constitutional scholars and wanting people to believe that somehow Pres Obama is subverting the Constitution.
First of all, most of these right wing dumbarses couldn't spell the word "Constitution" if their life depended on it.
And secondly, if they actually did know anything about the Constitution they would have been ticked off about how Bush & Cheney spent eight of the last ten years of this decade peeing on it.
Right wing idiots on parade:
http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_political/3983339.html#cutid1
Posted by: Stanley Cup Champion Chi-Town Hawks | June 11, 2010 4:21 PM
I'M PROUD OF YOU LABOR!. Keep standing up. The lives and health of all the American people and the World are in serious jeopardy.
Alan Grayson Honors The Dead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV9TRoYMtjs&feature=player_embedded
Alan Grayson on Healthcare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpQ2MNaSDo&feature=player_embedded
Ron Sparks HealthCareReform http://youtu.be/kqlBFRJh4Cw
John Garamendi - The Public Option http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyBTEke68aQ&feature=player_embedded
I want to commend all of you for working so hard and being so strong at helping the whitehouse and congress begin to address our U.S. and Global healthcare crisis. You have been AWESOME! my fellow Americans and peoples of the World. America and the World is better and safer for it. My greatest pride is the knowledge that I am one of you. And that you really get it. You really understand the importance of it all.
There are some potentially very good things in the healthcare legislation. Especially with the reconciliation fix’s. The Democrats, Bernie Sanders and the Whitehouse did a GREAT! job of fighting to produce the best healthcare legislation that they could. They have earned all our strong support. And we should give it to them.
But it was your relentless pressure and hard work that made the difference. Whatever good comes from this healthcare legislation, America and the peoples of the World will have each of you to thank. You were smart, creative, courageous and relentless. You fought together for the best legislation possible. And when you had to, you fought alone. No matter who stumbled and fell you continued to push and forge ahead. Fighting for the lives and health of the American people and the World. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR-SELVES :-)
It may come to pass that future generations will look back on us and say that we were ALL Americas Greatest Generations. And that healthcare reform was our finest hour. You should be proud of our leaders President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and the many other Democratic and independent fighters for the people in congress. They proved them-self worthy of the leadership of a GREAT! PEOPLE.
But we are not done yet. This was just the beginning of healthcare reform, not the end. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, ARE NOT! divided on healthcare legislation. The vast majority of you have been consistently crystal clear that this legislation does not go far enough. You want a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE!! available to everyone on day one. And you want it NOW!
YOU MUST NOT ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE TO STAND WITHOUT A STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION CHOICE! AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
WE THE PEOPLE have been crystal clear that we want an end to dependence on for-profit healthcare and the for-profit proxies called private for non-profit healthcare. The American people want the CHOICE! of a strong Government-run Public Option to replace their need or dependence on healthcare providers whose primary motivation is profit. Rather than providing the highest quality, easiest accessible and most affordable medically necessary healthcare possible. This is what the rest of the developed World has. And the American people want it too. They want healthcare ASSURANCE! Not, for-profit health insurance. And they want it NOW!
Now is the time to continue the push for a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone that wants it on day one. Rationally it’s clear what we have to do to get this done. SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS that supported you with a Public Option choice, and REMOVE as many republicans as you can. Not one republican in congress was willing to step across the isle to support a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE!! available to everyone on day one. NOT ONE! Let no candidate prevail this November that does not support a Strong Government-run Public Option.
47,000 AMERICANS die each year from lack of healthcare. 120,000 die from treatable illness that don’t die in other developed countries. Hundreds of thousands of you are dieing from medical accidents in a rush to profit. And Millions of you are injured. Millions more are driven into bankruptcy. All for the privilege of paying two to three times as much as any other people in the developed world for healthcare. HOGWASH!
Additionally, tens of thousands of you and your children were killed and millions sickened and injured from a terror attack with H1N1 (swine flu). Released on the American people and the World by the for-profit healthcare industry. All in an attempt to panic and frighten you into accepting the oxymoronic criminal enterprise of private for-profit healthcare (The most costly, deadly, dangerous, and disgraceful product sold in America). H1N1 is still sickening people and killing them. Especially children, the young and the middle aged. And there will be a third wave. These are the terrorist you need to worry about the most. Even the so-called international terrorist would not do something so INSANE! But greed driven medical profiteers would and did.
Apparently as far as republicans in GOVERNMENT are concerned, YOU! my fellow Americans – CAN JUST DROP DEAD! Including their own family members. Fools!... Hundreds of thousands of you, and possibly millions of you will die from the long-term effects of your infection and poisoning with H1N1.
So my fellow Human Beings. Rest-up, Take good care of the basics (Balanced nutrition, hydration, exercise, rest and POSITIVE emotional supports). Then wade back into the FIGHT! for a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone on day one. Drug re-importation, Abolishment or strong restrictions on patents for biologic and prescription drugs. And government controlled and negotiated drug and medical cost. You must take back control of your healthcare system from the Medical Industrial Complex. You MUST do it NOW! This is a matter of National and Global security. There can be NO MORE EXCUSES.
God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings. I’m glad to know of you. And proud to be one of you.
See you on the battle field.
Sincerely
jacksmith – WorkingClass :-)
Posted by: jacksmith | June 11, 2010 6:55 PM
We are seeing the re-emergence of the Republican Party's true self (racisim, bigotry, homophobia). They are more than mere obstructionists - although they bring obstructionism to a new high too.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32584.html
They are intent on realizing Grover Norquist's dream of reducing the size of government so they can "drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist#Views_on_government
http://www.democrats.com/files/bathtub-new-orleans-norquist.jpg
Republican Tom Tancredo blames the election on the dumb electorate that doesn't see the world through his racist prism, and wants to force out those who don't follow his ideology. Republican Paul Ryan sees the wreckage that is Wall Street as the salvation of Social Security, and the status quo health insurance industry as superior to Medicare.
Democrats often talk about how Republicans don't care about promoting the general welfare of the people. These recent examples bring hard evidence to our words.
Lincoln spoke eloquently of a government by, of, and for the people. But the Party of Lincoln has lost this view. Norquist's dream of drowning the government is, in essence, a desire to drown the American people. This desire manifests itself with the words of Tancredo and the proposals of Ryan.
The Tea Party movement reveals itself to be not much more than political varnish slapped on growing resentment at the erosion of white privilege.
Republican Paul Ryan reveals that deficit hawkishness is nothing more than handing over government to corporate America.....again.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/02/rep_paul_ryans_daring_budget_p.html
How THIS qualifies as a populist movement is beyond me. It sounds more like a right wing Astroturf suicide pact.
Posted by: Repugs are tools | June 11, 2010 10:52 PM
I think Replicans by now have figured that the Tbag thing is not going to help them that much.
If at all.
How to control it? How to make it toe the corporate line? Not easy, because there are some librarians, er, libertines or whatnot amongst the Tbaggers, who do not necessarily love multinational corporations.
And of course BP/Halliburton. The talking points so far are weak and implausible. They can't pin it on Obama, at least yet.
They'll try to flip the blame back on him by Nov.
There is a bit of nostalgia about the TPers. Nostalgia for white America.
Which is fast becoming a minority.
Ladies who put on white gloves to go downtown. Actually baked cakes for the grammar school socials, where there were cake walks.
Things that used to happen in mid 20th Cen. America.
I think that's part of the fun the TP people get out of their little gatherings.
Quaint. Charming. But somewhat lacking that Lee Atwater edge.....
And of course they keep hoping for the Big Scandal that will bring down the White House...
They knew, in olden days, with Clinton, that it was just a matter of time before he slipped on the banana peel... It's a little different now.
Posted by: ornery | June 12, 2010 2:53 AM
REPUBLICANS TOM TANCREDO, SARAH PALIN AND THE TEA KLUX KLANER'S WANT TO OUT LAW MINORITIES FROM VOTING
It's hard to say which is more disturbing: Tancredo's apparent call for reinstituting laws that were a fundamental component of Jim Crow in the post-Reconstruction South, or the massive round of applause he received from the Teabaggers for saying it.
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/tom-tancredo-tea-partiers-lack-civic
Posted by: Just sayin' | June 12, 2010 4:09 PM