Mitch McConnell - We are going to crush the Tea Party

[Dianne]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/09/mitch-mcconnell-tea-party_n_4930160.html


Mitch McConnell On Tea Party Challengers: 'We Are Going To Crush Them Everywhere



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he isn't worried about tea party-backed candidates challenging GOP incumbents in this year's midterm elections.

"I think we are going to crush them everywhere," McConnell told the New York Times in an interview published Saturday. "I don't think they are going to have a single nominee anywhere in the country."

McConnell is one of several senators facing tea party opposition in their primary races this spring. McConnell's main opponent is Kentucky businessman Matt Bevin, who has spent the campaign attacking the senator's conservative credentials. As the Associated Press reported last month, McConnell and other GOP incumbents have started to come out aggressively against these candidates, using opposition research to undermine them.

“Mitch McConnell is clearly in trouble in this primary or he wouldn’t be attacking Matt Bevin and declaring war on conservatives,” the Senate Conservatives Fund's Matt Hoskins told the Times.

However, polls in the race tell a different story. A survey released last month by GOP firm Wenzel Strategies found McConnell with a 42 point lead over Bevin, while a Bluegrass Poll pinned McConnell's lead at 26 points.

The Kentucky primary will be held May 20.

[Mr.NoSmile]

We will see. It's why I don't think Graham is all that worried about...any of his challengers because he sees them, as most do with the Tea Party, as fire and brimstone rhetoric, but also they're portrayed as 'unwilling to compromise' and, above all, 'fringe.' People will vote for who they see as 'moderate,' even if that means they'd be maintaining the status quo.

[William Tell]

Bring it, Marshmallow boy!!!!!!

[muh_roads]

A 42 point lead? Really?

It amazes me when people claim they are sick of what we have yet they keep re-electing lifetime incumbents.

[ClydeCoulter]

Rand, mind loosing this creep already?

[Sola_Fide]

Great wingman you got there, Rand.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Is he wrong? Stockman crashed and burned, losing by 40-something percentage points. Bevin is toast. Lindsey Graham is going to win again. Joe Carr is going nowhere.

[cajuncocoa]

But, but, but....Rand needs him. Or something.

[Peace&Freedom]

Is he wrong? Stockman crashed and burned, losing by 40-something percentage points. Bevin is toast. Lindsey Graham is going to win again. Joe Carr is going nowhere.

Unfortunately, McConnell is not wrong. Incumbents win 95-99% of the time, except perhaps in the 5% of districts that are competitive (where the vote between the major parties is roughly 50-50, plus or minus 5%). Other than that, it takes a Weiner-sized sex scandal to weaken an incumbent enough to be defeated (i.e., a scandal about behavior the public easily understands, that the incumbent can't plausibly blame on somebody else). That's why I keep asking for the movement to concentrate on OPEN races to speed up our pick-up of liberty seats.

[Anti Federalist]

A 42 point lead? Really?

It amazes me when people claim they are sick of what we have yet they keep re-electing lifetime incumbents.

I used to be amazed myself.

I am no longer amazed.

You will see even crazier things as this unfolds.

People, for the most part, hate freedom and love tyranny; just so long as they are fed and entertained, there is almost no limit to what abuse they will tolerate.

[JK/SEA]

critical mass gets closer folks.

[Dianne]

This looks like an "anti" Rand set up to me. McConnell has a comfortable lead, and an endorsement from Rand. It's a brilliant manuever if Mitch wants to guarantee Rand loses all tea party support. There is no way in hell McConnell wants to see Rand as the Presidential nominee when there are so many neocons out there like Jeb Bush and Chris Christie ready for the job.

Rand MUST pull his endorsement of Mitch McConnell ASAP, with a strong statement against exclusion of any GOP group. Rand could never win without the tea party, and he certainly won't receive support from the McConnell type Democrats holding Republican seats.

[Madison320]

I think it's going to take another crisis for the tea party to get its momentum back. We're still under the illusion that we can print and borrow our way to prosperity.

[ctiger2]

Mitch McConnell - We are going to crush t̶h̶e̶ ̶T̶e̶a̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶t̶y̶ Rand Paul.

[DamianTV]

Mitch McConnell - We refuse to listen to the rational voice of the people that do not approve of our actions. Who does this guy represent, the people, or the Status Quo?

[LibertyEagle]

Great wingman you got there, Rand.

Do you like Rand being in the powerful committees that he has been in? Have you liked Rand being all over the news?

You do realize that only a small handful of Senators have been covered at ALL on the news, right? It was McConnell who got him into those committees.

So, how about thinking about what you are implying, before you say such idiotic stuff.

[LibertyEagle]

But, but, but....Rand needs him. Or something.

He got him on the committees he is on.

Man, you people are frickin' NUTS. You'd shoot yourselves in the nose to spite your faces.

No one likes McConnell. But, what in the hell would acting like a jackass and being sidelined because of it, get us? Not one damn thing, that's what. But, some of you seem to want that.

[JK/SEA]

He got him on the committees he is on.

Man, you people are frickin' NUTS. You'd shoot yourselves in the nose to spite your faces.

No one likes McConnell. But, what in the hell would acting like a jackass and being sidelined because of it, get us? Not one damn thing, that's what. But, some of you seem to want that.

are you concerned that 'perhaps' Mitch is setting Rand up for a big fall?...

honey, honey, poison....

we....will...see....

[LibertyEagle]

Fact is, if we want our guys to win, they have to be funded and they need us coming out in droves working WITH their campaigns to hand out literature, making phone calls, building websites, get out the vote, etc.

Until we do, we are going to continue to lose. Unless you know of some more college kids who inherited a couple of million dollars from their grandfather and care so much about their country that they are willing to spend it trying to get liberty-loving candidates elected.

[LibertyEagle]

are you concerned that 'perhaps' Mitch is setting Rand up for a big fall?...

honey, honey, poison....

we....will...see....

He may very well be. That will be up to Rand to deal with. But, I'll tell you one thing, I damn sure am not going to act like that same poison, sitting here and stabbing Rand in the damned back.

[UtahApocalypse]

Clearly the establishment hacks would rather the Democrats win EVERY election then have to actually start following a conservative constitutional philosophy.

[Dianne]

Mitch McConnell - We are going to crush t̶h̶e̶ ̶T̶e̶a̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶t̶y̶ Rand Paul.

That's exactly what it is ... and if the Tea Party had any sense... At all costs, support the democrat nominee and get that f'ing mafia Mitch McConnell, out of office !!!

I feel like going to KY right now and campaigning for the Democratic candidate.

At least when we have a democrat in his seat, we know what we are dealing with ... With that criminal fake, piece of crap Mitch McConnell wearing a GOP nametag as he and Harry Reid high five each other ... (the thought sickens me) the people can get someone in office in that seat that doesn't have 30 something years of criminal activity as a LAWMAKER?

McConnell down at all cost !!!!

[Carson]

Haven't they already been crushing those of us that have been Taxed Enough Already.

[Dianne]

He may very well be. That will be up to Rand to deal with. But, I'll tell you one thing, I damn sure am not going to act like that same poison, sitting here and stabbing Rand in the damned back.

I'm not going to stab Rand Paul in the back ... but can't promise the same for that prick Mitch McConnell.... who has noooooooooooooooooo business being a lawmaker in this country. He should be serving 50 to life right now.

[jbauer]

I used to be amazed myself.

I am no longer amazed.

You will see even crazier things as this unfolds.

People, for the most part, hate freedom and love tyranny, just so long as they are fed abnd entertained.

Bingo!!!! You want a revolution. Take away iphones and big macks. Thats when $hit will get real. Until then ignorance is bliss.

[jbauer]

This looks like an "anti" Rand set up to me. McConnell has a comfortable lead, and an endorsement from Rand. It's a brilliant manuever if Mitch wants to guarantee Rand loses all tea party support. There is no way in hell McConnell wants to see Rand as the Presidential nominee when there are so many neocons out there like Jeb Bush and Chris Christie ready for the job.

Rand MUST pull his endorsement of Mitch McConnell ASAP, with a strong statement against exclusion of any GOP group. Rand could never win without the tea party, and he certainly won't receive support from the McConnell type Democrats holding Republican seats.

People can't even think outside the box long enough to not re-elect an incumbent. The only people who remember Rand endorsed McConnell are on this board.

[RandallFan]

The Tea Party will elect Alison Grimes if they have to get McConnell out of leadership. McConnell should actually offer to step down and give leadership to Jeff Sessions. If McConnell wins the primary with 55% he is in trouble.

McConnell is probably safer out of them all because he didn't vote for amnesty or gun control on the final vote.

If he is winning by 40 points it could be 60-20 right now or something like that.

In 2010 McCain and Murkowski survived but other lesser RINOs didn't win.

[WM_in_MO]

I used to be amazed myself.

I am no longer amazed.

You will see even crazier things as this unfolds.

People, for the most part, hate freedom and love tyranny; just so long as they are fed and entertained, there is almost no limit to what abuse they will tolerate.

Who was his opponent? I thought LG was getting beat...

[Matt Collins]

Is he wrong? Stockman crashed and burned, losing by 40-something percentage points. Bevin is toast. Lindsey Graham is going to win again. Joe Carr is going nowhere.
Stockman wasn't putting out a serious campaign. Lee Bright is behind the curve but quickly catching up.

[nobody's_hero]

Lee Bright seriously needs some media time if he ever hopes to bump off Graham. Putting a video up on youtube every other month ain't gonna cut it.

[LibertyEagle]

Stockman wasn't putting out a serious campaign. Lee Bright is behind the curve but quickly catching up.

Why the hell did he do it then? He just threw away the Congressional seat that he held.

[unknown]

A 42 point lead? Really?

It amazes me when people claim they are sick of what we have yet they keep re-electing lifetime incumbents.

I find some aspects of the election process confusing.

So, the same people who voted for and supported Rand are ok with voting for McConnell?

[fr33]

Defeat the tea party and lose more general elections. That's the goal of Mitch and those like him. If two assholes are on the ballot, stay home or vote LP.

[kcchiefs6465]

I find some aspects of the election process confusing.

So, the same people who voted for and supported Rand are ok with voting for McConnell?
Not all are foundatially based and many vote as a means of 'R v. D.'

Even aside from that, most vote as a means to secure what is, or what they want to be, given to them (at another's expense).

And of course many are inculcated in the various talking points different mediums offer them.

[Matt Collins]

Why the hell did he do it then? He just threw away the Congressional seat that he held.
To cause political pain against Cornyn, with the hopes of putting him in a runoff position.

But you're right, was that worth giving up a solid Congressional seat? :(

[TheTyke]

I find some aspects of the election process confusing.

So, the same people who voted for and supported Rand are ok with voting for McConnell?

Highly doubtful. It's true many voters don't pay close attention to the races, could do this if not contacted by volunteers by phone, door to door, and media advertisements. However, Freedomworks, Madison Project and Bevin's campaign have set up Get Out the Vote operations across Kentucky, so I don't think this will turn out at all like the Cornyn race where there was so little organization. Never forget, the Kentucky Tea Parties came within 10% of ousting the Republican State Senate President in 2011 - and that was with no outside help at all.

I'm a big believer that winning elections is more about arranging the pieces correctly than "is it possible or impossible." For example, when Rand pulled into the lead in the polls, suddenly tons of big establishment names started switching to the winning horse, hoping to get credit for making it happen. After that point, he won the primary by 24% - it wasn't even close. Even the enemy pieces can work for us if we position them right.

[Deborah K]

Has McConnell forgotten that Rand was a tea party candidate??

[JK/SEA]

Has McConnell forgotten that Rand was a tea party candidate??

no.

Mitch has his marching orders. Results may vary.