Once again, a conservative party?

Yesterday, Republican primaries were held across the country to nominate Senate and gubernatorial candidates.

The result, at first blush, appears to be a rejection of tea party candidates. The more establishment-types won in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Oregon (which, by they way, if you haven’t seen Dr. Monica Wehby’s ad “Trust” – it’s a must see).

Charles Babington of the Associated Press writes:

“The differences between tea party and non-tea party Republicans are shrinking. Often it’s merely tone and experience that separate them. Tone and experience matter, however, and Tuesday’s GOP voters chose the less bombastic and unpredictable conservatives in most cases.”

As conservatives seek to take a message of personal responsibility and limited government across the nation, it will take candidates who don’t instantly cause voters to be repulsed by flamboyant commentary or reckless behavior.

However, as we dig a little deeper, we learn that the GOP may have also gotten the message from the tea party, as many have moved further to the right to ensure their election. In fact, a favorite target from the tea party, House Speaker John Boehner is quoted of yesterday’s results:

“Sometimes,” Boehner told reporters, “there’s not that big a difference between what you all call tea party and your average conservative Republican.”

This could be true.

Even here in Virginia we see the results of grassroots activism paying dividends for conservative policy. You don’t need to look very far when you see a General Assembly – particularly the House of Delegates – that used to consistently roll over for higher taxes and liberal policies (Republican majorities in the General Assembly gave us the Warner tax increase, Kaine tax increase, and McDonnell tax increase) holding firm against Medicaid expansion (for now).

And, Forbes Magazine picked up on the possibility that Majority Leader Eric Cantor has also received the message:

And if, as now seems to be increasingly possible, Cantor becomes speaker next year, it’s hard to see how he will be able to negotiate a compromise on spending, taxes, deficits and debt given the message the tea party is sending him with this year’s primary challenge.

In other words, Cantors’ reelection may be safe, but the federal budget debate will be in far worse shape.

Worse shape? Only if you accept the premise that advocating for cutting spending and balancing the budget somehow puts a nation with $17 trillion in debt (and growing) in any worse shape than it already is.

Finally, speaking of balancing the budget, Virginia Senate candidate Ed Gillespie is highlighting in his latest video ad a flip-flop of Senator Mark Warner’s. Gillespie, as a quick perusal of Bearing Drift comments will yield, is a favorite target of being too “establishment.”

So, could it be, that finally Republicans have returned to their roots – to be a party that offers a conservative alternative to big government and big brother?

Perhaps, but as Babington warns:

“Now the question is whether all Republican candidates – not just Constitution-quoting tea partyers – have moved too far right for moderate voters in November’s general elections.”

A fair warning. But winning the election starts today. It will be determined as to how unified the party is going forward and how clear, distinct, and, yes, even compassionate (allowing people to keep more of what they earn is a good start) the message is to voters between now and November.

It’s not a question of “toning down” the message. It’s a question of how – and who – is best to deliver it.

Reagan once spoke of “bold colors,” and he delivered. It seems the GOP might have finally regained its voice.

The tea party may not be ready to declare “mission accomplished”, but it is clear they have moved the GOP to the right – for the better.

All articles cited have been featured in our Virginia Morning News Review, published daily every morning directly to your email inbox. To subscribe, visit http://jrhoeft.com.

J.R. Hoeft is the founder of BearingDrift.com.

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