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Tide going out for Tea Party?

Supported by Republicans: Democrat Paul Davis is running for governor in Kansas. Photo: Photo: AP

Kansas is not only the geographical heart of the United States, but to many Midwesterners, something like its soul.

It is the home of sturdy conservatism and its champions, men such as the war heroes-come-politicians Bob Dole and Dwight Eisenhower. And of Dorothy and Toto too.

And it has become the battleground of one of the most unlikely of the midterm elections in which traditional Republicans have crossed party lines to back a Democratic challenger, Paul Davis, over the Tea Party-backed governor, Sam Brownback.

Should Governor Brownback lose after a single term, the nationwide consequences could be significant. Brownback was elected in the 2010midterm elections when Tea Party candidates were swept into Congress and into governors' mansions across the nation.

Should he manage to win, Brownback andhis hard-right allies across the nation will claim vindication for his hardline agenda, in particular spectacular cuts in tax and spending and government services. Should he lose, Republican moderates will be emboldened to fight for a more centrist platform before the 2016 presidential elections.

The bitter campaign has also bled into the senatorial election in which the Republican incumbent senator, Pat Roberts, is finding his re-election bid tougher than expected.Should he lose the Republican Party's bid to take over the Senate could be jeopardised.

Back in 2010 the depth of the bitter political divide that still grips America was becoming evident. A backlash against Barack Obama's presidency, and particularly his healthcare reforms, had erupted and was being fanned by private donors backing Tea Party groups.

Those that rode the wave of dissatisfaction into Congress set about seeking the repeal of healthcare legislation and in line with their small-government ideology blocking any other initiatives that crossed their desks. Led by firebrands such as Senator Ted Cruz they not only prevented basic legislating but blocked nominations to key government posts, halted the budget process and even shut down the government.

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Tide going out for Tea Party?

November 2nd, 2014

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Tea party sits out midterms air war

TV viewers in battleground Senate states have been bombarded with ads the past few months from virtually every group under the sun. All but one, that is: the tea party.

Several conservative outside groups that propped up tea party candidates and gave the GOP establishment fits during the primaries have yet to air a single TV ad during the homestretch of the election in key states, according to a review of campaign finance records and media tracking sources. By contrast, five of the leading conservative groups spent roughly $11 million on air during the thick of the primary season, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Their preferred candidates lost overwhelmingly to contenders backed by the party establishment in primaries.

The conservative groups have long insisted their mission is to elect Republican nominees in their own mold as opposed to Republicans, period even if that means exacerbating the partys civil war. Their absence from the airwaves, especially since Labor Day, suggests they really mean it.

(POLITICO's polling center)

It also underscores the lingering hostility between national conservative groups particularly the Senate Conservatives Fund and GOP leaders in Washington, a sign that the battle will once again be renewed after the elections and as the 2016 presidential race kicks into gear.

Some of these outside groups, like the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Club for Growth, have opted instead to bundle several hundred thousand dollars from their donors to a handful of Senate GOP nominees. They argue that it makes little sense to advertise late in the campaign season when TV stations charge higher rates to outside groups.

But that hasnt stopped other GOP and Democratic groups from spending tens of millions of dollars on general election TV ads. Other groups made their ad reservations for the weeks before the election earlier in the year, when they could lock in lower rates. And some that waited were still willing to pay a premium for late-booked ads.

GOP critics say the groups spending decisions expose their true purpose: to exploit intraparty dissension to boost their own relevance. Electing a Republican Senate is secondary at best, detractors say.

(POLITICO's 2014 race ratings)

Fortunately, the D.C. purity-for-profit groups are a distinct minority compared to the conservative grass-roots voters across the country who are working hard to hold the Democrats accountable and win back a Senate majority, said Brian Walsh, a Republican consultant and former spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Excerpt from:
Tea party sits out midterms air war

November 2nd, 2014

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Tide going out for the Tea Party?