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Gravy Train Engineers

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A lot of big money in the Republican Party is now actively being marshaled to make sure that Tea Party efforts come to naught.

The latest endeavor bills itself the Conservative Victory Project, and has been written up in the New York Times, which relates the group’s intent: “to counter other organizations that have helped defeat establishment Republican candidates over the last two election cycles.”

You see, campaigns to unseat staid, big-government “conservative” Republican incumbents have not gone unnoticed amongst the Old Guard of the GOP. And these folks are worried about the quality of the gravy their gravy train returns. So they seek to shore up the “winners”:

“There is a broad concern about having blown a significant number of races because the wrong candidates were selected,” said Steven J. Law, the president of American Crossroads, the “super PAC” creating the new project. “We don’t view ourselves as being in the incumbent protection business, but we want to pick the most conservative candidate who can win.”

Law is, of course, thinking of several Tea Party candidates in the last election who blew it, Big Time. You know the ones: the candidates who talked weirdly of rape.

But it’s not just Tea Party Republicans who shoot themselves in the proverbial foot, or place foot in mouth. Mainstream “conservatives” blow it, too, as Grover Norquist pointed out in the Times article. “People are imagining a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Grover.

I worry that “the real problem” Law and his cronies (such as Karl Rove) are fighting is the specter of a successful Tea Party contingent, with Rand Paul at its lead. Real change is awfully frightening to the whip hands on the gravy train.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

7 replies on “Gravy Train Engineers”

Well said, sir. Last time the Republican Senatorial Committee called looking for money, I said, “Why would I donate to someone who’s working against me?”, then I went online and donated to Rand Paul.

the “Tea Party” is not a party, but a group of groups trying to improve the quality of their local representatives, as are some other groups. Sometimes I prefer the “tea party” candidate (ok, usually), but sometimes not. The voice I’ve come to trust is Jim DeMint, and the candidates he’s endorsed. But that only lasts so long as those candidates get high “conservative” ratings if and when they get into office.

Imagine. A Rove-free Republican Party.
Problem with the Tea Party is that it has no head. The Alinski program to attack rivals: pick a target; freeze it; personalize it ; polarize it. Breaks down if there is no central target person to be targeted.

You mention (not by name) Atkins in Missouri; but other tea party candidates (in the last 2 cycles) who blew it–by state- Nevada; Delaware, Indiana; possibly Florida;.

As to Rove, I think he is brilliant-and as for Rand Paul–a few months after he was elected,
(2010), one of the first things he did-was file to run in 2016–so he could raise more money.

Romney ran a good campaign AGAINST REPUBLICANS, AND A BAD ONE AGAINST OBAMA.

And, add probable fraud; and the people on the dole (read increased welfare and food stamp recipients) and the lies in the media and their one0sideness, and Obama won.

Jay — I note the two rape-comment victims from last year, though not by name: Atkins in Missouri and Mourdock in Indiana. Yes, indeed, there were others in 2010, namely, Angle in NV and the witch in DE. Don’t think that FL fits this model.

I can’t say American Crossroads is trying to “pick the most conservative candidate who can win.” Instead they pick big spending RINOs, and one might say the most liberal or statist candidate that can win. And their record of winning isn’t so hot. E.G., Dole, McCain and Romney for presidential picks.

I’d rather a Democrat win, than a democrat or statist claiming to be a Republican. At least then the Democrats get the blame, and the RNC learns that nominating statists and democrat lite candidates leads to a loss.

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