The Tea Parties are a side show and not a concern of any elected official

[AllentownJake]

The only thing that gets attention in Washington is electoral victories and money. There are a lot of highly paid people that analyze campaigns, see what has worked, and try to implement it in their respective political party.

The good ones and I've met and worked with a few, don't look at things in a partisan fashion.

There were 3 victories for the GOP in 2009 and early 2010. In all three victories there was a common thread.

Rejection of the Tea Baggers, calling the democrat who was either an incumbent or seeking to replace an incumbent democrat the establishment, and claiming to be an independent.

A fourth thing, not really part of their victory but just anecdotally is in 2 out of 3 cases they raised less money than their democratic opponent.

Look at all three races, 2 out of the 3 had a Tea Bagger on the ballot. The one that did not, the GOP candidate told Tea bagger icon Sarah Palin to stay the hell out of Virginia.

The one loss they had was in NY24 where the Tea Bagger became the candidate.

There is a lot of noise on DU and the media about the Tea Bagger's effectiveness and relevancy and what not. It is just that noise.

You aren't relevant unless you can either get elected, or help someone get elected. So far neither has happened.

Outside of maybe 3 or 4 districts in the country, they can't get elected to dog catcher.

The GOP has found a formula that works in the post-bush era, and if an amateur who mostly gives advice and helps out in local elections can see it, I'm guessing the higher paid guys can as well.

[secondwind]

1. I understand the Teabaggers bused in people from surrounding states to MA, to stir things up.

But the Dems' real undoing in MA was named Martha Coakley. She just sent me an appeal for donation for her campaign to be Atty General (again).

I responded with a one-liner, "NO WAY, YOU LET US DOWN BIG TIME."