Today\’s Quote Of The Day mes to us from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
In March, when a number of more moderate Republican incumbents were being challenged by tea party-backed candidates, Mr. McConnell said this:
“I think we are going to crush them everywhere. I don\’t think they are going to have a single nominee anywhere in the country.”
Well, as of yesterday, when Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander won his primary over tea party challenger Joe Carr, Mr. McConnell\’s expectations were vindicated. Not one senatorial loss in the bunch.
This does not mean tea party activists are wrong in their beliefs or that they do not have a credible story to tell. What it does mean – at least in my opinion (and, I assume, Senator McConnell\’s) – is that, after losing a series of winnable races because the tea-party candidates were nominated more for their philosophical purity than their capabilities or their understanding of how to run an election, Republican voters decided it was better to partially compromise and win, then to compromise on nothing and put Democrats in office.
Mitch McConnell wins Quote Of The Day Honors for showing us that, whatever you think of his positions and/or methods, he remains a savvy, knowledgeable politician – one who Democrats may well have to reckon with as Senate Majority leader next year.
Congratulations to him.
