Super-Sized Cup Of Texas Tea
They say everything is bigger in Texas. I’m not sure about that, but this is huge:
In a long-shot victory that could help define the conservative tilt of the Senate, tea-party-backed Ted Cruz defeated an establishment Republican on Tuesday in the hard-fought GOP primary runoff in Texas.
The outcome is not expected to tip the balance of power in the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats; the Texas seat being vacated is already held by a Republican.
But Cruz’s win over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst provides another example of the tea party movement’s influence on voters and turnout — even for a candidate who has never held elected office.
“It’s been fascinating to watch,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who holds the state’s other Senate seat and runs the GOP campaign arm in the Senate. He called Cruz’s ascent “well-earned,” adding, “Part of what it says is people are mad at Washington, D.C. They’re mad at what they perceive to be the establishment. And they want some change.”
Cruz’s win is impressive in and of itself, having been outspent by an incumbent who was favored in the polls, but even more so is the message it sends: a definitive shot across the bow to all establishment RINOs that simply having a R by your name on the ballot isn’t going to cut it, and not just with conservative Republicans; also, and perhaps just as important, that the tea party message and political philosophy is able to attract and retain Independents. Here’s hoping the GOP takes note moving forward, and begins acting accordingly.
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