Virginia Shocker: Cantor Canned

Posted on | June 10, 2014 | 101 Comments

by Smitty

Virginia is for lovers of elections and political gymnastics. Since its 2009 inception, the Tea Party had run an insurgency to force conventions for state-wide elections, which resulted in (what I thought) was a dynamite slate for last November’s elections: Cuccinelli/Jackson/Obenshain. Alas, the GOP elite didn’t seem to care much about this off-year contest, as Her Majesty’s favorite, Greasy Terry, schmoozed in to take the governor’s mansion.

Of course, the first thing T-Mac wanted was some fat Medicaid cash to cement the bluing of the state. Virginia law precludes governors running for re-election. That’s a feature, though: all the “federal” dollars (how, exactly, they differ from traditional frogskins exceeds this blog’s knowledge) wouldn’t be running out until McAuliffe was artfully exiting.

The GOP still controls the Virginia House, though, and has been fighting a delaying action to preclude the fiscal calamity of expanding the Medicaaid rolls without, you know, the economic foundation to pay for it when the day of reckoning arrives. Raaaaacist arithmetic, and all.

Recently, the GOP regained control of the Virginia Senate through means that are greasy enough to make Terry McAuliffe take notice. The sudden, convenient resignation of a Democrat Virginia State Senator could derail the Medicaid expansion and force McAuliffe to deal with a record in office that isn’t an Obama-esque fiscal disaster.

Within that context comes the news that the U.S. House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, got whacked.

A solid, double-digit delivery for Brat. But what’s it all about? Politico reports:

Cantor is the second House incumbent to lose this primary season — Texas GOP incumbent Ralph Hall was defeated by a tea-party backed challenger at the end of May.

There were warning signs that kept piling up. In April, Brat supporters vastly outnumbered Cantor allies at local GOP meetings. Then in May, tea party fueled activists knocked off Cantor’s choice for local GOP chair in Cantor’s home base of Henrico County. But Cantor’s aides consistently brushed off the challenge, telling reporters and fellow GOP aides that the contest didn’t merit the media coverage it was getting

Brat severely trailed in fundraising, pulling in $200,000 this cycle compared to Cantor’s $2 million.

The AP gets to the heart of it:

Much of the campaign centered on immigration, where critics on both sides of the debate have recently taken aim at Cantor. Brat has accused him of being a top cheerleader for “amnesty” for immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally. Cantor has responded forcefully by boasting in mailers of blocking Senate plans “to give illegal aliens amnesty.”

And so the toppling of Cantor will lead to a gut check for the GOP: go all “scorched earth” and run amnesty through despite the base, or deal with the reality that those spiffy Progressive ideas have all the appeal of a dirty diaper outside the Beltway.

It would be great to say I’m confident that the latter will occur. The GOP will recognize the need for reform. The GOP will at least borrow some fortitude and ignore the Graham/McCain/Boehner Axis of Deadwood.

I don’t think that’s how this works. The Tea Party has to root out incumbents one at a time. The resources just don’t exist to start an entirely new party, much less blow away all the incumbent deadwood at once.

This will be a slow and steady effort. Congratulations to Brat, and a toast to avoiding becoming that which he despises.

Category: Republicans, Virginia

Comments

101 Responses to “Virginia Shocker: Cantor Canned”

Quartermaster
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:52 am

Awwwwwwwww. Poor baby.

The problem with the GOP is the leadership stands for nothing except what is best for them. Cantor was an idiot that thought he could get away with it. He didn’t. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

We didn’t get Miss Lindsey this time. Perhaps next time. Same with the Turtle. Their time will come and you can get yourself quite wound up.

Next: Cochran.

Thanx for the laughs.
Emilio_Crosby
June 11th, 2014 @ 8:21 am

Virginia Shocker: Cantor Canned http://t.co/Pgu8ZRPkKo #teaparty
CrustyB
June 11th, 2014 @ 8:34 am

I’ve got a new name for us Tea Party voters: “The Deadheads.”
The Obligatory Woo Hoo! Post – Cantor Got His Butt Kicked | NoisyRoom.net
June 11th, 2014 @ 8:45 am

[…] Virginia Shocker: Cantor Canned […]
texlovera
June 11th, 2014 @ 8:50 am

I just hope the sonofabitch doesn’t try to ram amnesty through as a sore loser’s “fuck you” to the voters who threw him out.
Joseph Fein
June 11th, 2014 @ 9:00 am

Linked back to Subcommandante Smitty with this post:

http://valley-of-the-shadow.blogspot.com/2014/06/wagging-dog-fall-of-cantor-and-whipping.html

Time to whip the US Chamber of Commerce back to supporting the Activists, not to have the GOP following behind them.
Southern Air Pirate
June 11th, 2014 @ 9:00 am

It doesn’t have to make sense to the nutroots. Just that it eases thier minds to why thier friends lost and the Tea Party fan a won. I mean if Cantor had been beaten by person with any of the Diversity wickets the nutroots favor, it still would be about Cantor ‘ s religious beliefs. Ditto if Cantor had defeated a non white Anglo – Saxon Christian male who is hetro; the argument would be that the GOP is racist for not loving anyone other than white males.
It’s a lose – lose situation for the party. Which goes back to the whole comment that to the prog – left in politics it isn’t about the opponents politics unless a lefty wins, it’s about every thing else from diversity friendship circle reasons to the threat of competency coming to power.
Quartermaster
June 11th, 2014 @ 9:34 am

J street? You mus be raciss or somethin’.
Quartermaster
June 11th, 2014 @ 9:37 am

Tennessee had language to the effect you could not “succeed yourself.” As a result, if you ran again later, it was not re-election.
Dana
June 11th, 2014 @ 9:55 am

Oh, he won’t, because all of the other Republicans in the House can see what the results would be for them.
AnaMyID
June 11th, 2014 @ 12:00 pm

RT @smitty_one_each: “It was ALL immigration, added to hubris, that did Cantor in. He might well have still won easily – as…” — Adjoran ht…
richard mcenroe
June 11th, 2014 @ 12:31 pm

Used to. Consider that a hint.
richard mcenroe
June 11th, 2014 @ 12:34 pm

Fighting Democrats is pointless unless we also fight the GOP incumbents shelling their own troops.
Earth Tilts, RINOs Notice | Regular Right Guy
June 11th, 2014 @ 1:39 pm

[…] night looked like a frat boy hazing gone terribly awry, where the pledges turn on their upperclassmen and sink broom handles where the sun don’t […]
dcnj
June 11th, 2014 @ 2:12 pm

is the grand old party listening YET…I doubt it.
Seabass120
June 11th, 2014 @ 3:49 pm

The enemy of our country is still the enemy regardless of the D or R behind their names. I view the current GOP more on the lines of being Left-center with the Dems being far Left.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 4:17 pm

Awww? Poor baby? You’re like children. The GOP leadership is the problem? Did you just figure that out this cycle? They’re the problem because they are progressives. If you keep supporting the progressive foreign policy, UN, Federal reserve, and Corporations you are supporting the leadership. You cannot escape that reality.
Joseph Dooley
June 11th, 2014 @ 4:40 pm

Any chance we can get Rubio primaried, or is Tea Party still deluded that he’s the golden boy for 2016?
K-Bob
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:30 pm

I hope to hell I am the problem with the Republican party. I plan on being a problem for them until statists like you, who have no clue what property and the First Amendment mean, are elbowed rudely aside.

Go whine somewhere else.
K-Bob
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:36 pm

The Luap Nor folks keep claiming they are “conservative.” It’s like they are ashamed to be who they are.

South Carolina is really dumb for returning Graham. He’s one of the ones we’d have to try and keep in the Senate, too, dammit.

We can afford to lose McConnel’s seat, if we have to, but that’s all.

Fortunately, as bad as Graham is, I think he’d be much more conservative if the leadership was also conservative.
Walt1Patriot
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:42 pm

Graham is a go with the flow type, if the party becomes more conservative, he will follow suit. We may be stuck with him, repugnant though he is, and if possible, best kept on a short leash.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:47 pm

Now you are accusing me of being a statist, and avoiding what was said. Who let you be a moderator of language. You are the problem because you are unquestionably an utter fraud, and block head. You behave like a liberal drone, Bobby.
cmdr358
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:49 pm

My elbow and I will gladly join you in shoving these progressives out of the way.
Liberal ideas and a genuine belief in helping those less fortunate can be admirable.
Progressives want to ensure that all things are done their own way because their way is the best way because they say so.
To use a phrase from the 60’s….freaking hippies.
K-Bob
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:53 pm

That’s “Jeffersonian Liberal,” sparky. Unlike you statists, I respect property rights and don’t whine about the rules when I’m a guest at someone’s place.

You might learn to be less of a whiny noob if you look up the topic of “moderated websites” and figure out how the Internet works.
cmdr358
June 11th, 2014 @ 5:55 pm

” Who let you be a moderator of language.”

Now I’m not exactly certain who that person or persons could be, but it could be the same one’s who told you that you can decide who is the problem with the Republican Party and what “reality” is.
You know,” those people “.
K-Bob
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:00 pm

I’m guessing he’s not a progressive. He’s a RonPaul guy who came here to complain about being blocked at Scoop’s.

For some reason, the more rabid Ronulans just don’t respect the Comment Policy, and think they can do whatever they want with anyone’s property. Which is why they have no trouble bringing that crap to a totally different website and abuse their guest privileges there to trash the site they were blocked from.

The thing I don’t get is that Ron Paul wouldn’t do or approve of what his own supporters seem to think is proper behavior.

I just called him a statist to get him to focus on the mistake he’s making.
Quartermaster
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:00 pm

I’ve known for many years the GOP leadership was a major problem. I saw it back in the 60s. Their ONLY principle is power so they can enrich themselves and their buddies.

Apparently, you simply are too immature to realize there is a problem with the GOP and that any attempt to shove the GOPe progressives out the door is somehow childish and immature. If that is within spitting distance of the truth, you’re simply a naive whiner that should not be allowed out in public without a handler.

Getting rid of Cantor is a good start. There will be more.
K-Bob
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:02 pm

Well, going all Scorched Earth would probably be a minor negative on their K Street resumes.

Not a show stopper, but at least it could hamper salary negotiations for a minute ot so.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:13 pm

OMG what is wrong with you people? Can’t you read. You’re just as bad as liberals. You’re so far behind, yelling at people who are way ahead of you.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:17 pm

Great meaningless comment Commander. Thanks, but I’m not blocking it, so about face, and go stand in the corner.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:18 pm

Again, another nonsensical display of your block headed liberal behavior. Great job.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:32 pm

Proper behavior, would be telling the truth, and educating yourself. You blocked me because you obviously can’t defend yourself, or keep up. You’re just projecting your own poor behavior. You are so sad.
Quartermaster
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:54 pm

What a hoot! The people who are “way ahead of you” lost last night.

Cantor is just a start. There will be more, so keep that box tissue handy. You’re gonna need more.

Poor baby.
Quartermaster
June 11th, 2014 @ 6:59 pm

If you were blocked you wouldn’t be spreading your whining here, and we wouldn’t have read it. In Disqus, if you are blocked it will tell you that when you try to post.

If you continue you’re trollish behavior, I can pretty much bet you will get that message in the not too distant future.

So, quit whining and participate. Otherwise, vacate the premises and let the adults talk amongst themselves.
Censorship is for Commies
June 11th, 2014 @ 7:09 pm

Comments like that just prove you are far out of even knowing what you are talking about? I don’t support Cantor you total imbecile. You’re not even close to being in a conversation with anyone but yourself. Nobody asked you get involved in it either. Know what you’re talking about before patting yourself on the back, and taking credit for the hard work of others.
Wombat_socho
June 11th, 2014 @ 7:09 pm

You must have really pissed off Smitty, because he’s an easy-going, tolerant Christian sort of fellow. Me, not so much. Consider yourself warned.
Wombat_socho
June 11th, 2014 @ 7:11 pm

You must be new here.
Wombat_socho
June 11th, 2014 @ 7:13 pm

QUIT FEEDING THE CONCERN TROLLS.
Wombat_socho
June 11th, 2014 @ 7:15 pm

Moving to another state where she might have a political future on the local or state level, one hopes.
In the meantime, she’s a columnist at the Washington Times.
richard mcenroe
June 11th, 2014 @ 7:49 pm

Where the hell have you been hiding. Rubio burned his TP bridges long ago fot a crust from Chuck Schumer…
K-Bob
June 11th, 2014 @ 8:04 pm

We can stand having him in the Senate if it’s under conservative leadership. The only real delusion is him thinking he can win the nomination for President in the 2016 race.
Bob Belvedere
June 11th, 2014 @ 8:20 pm

And we don’t have any choice – we’re stuck with Rubio for a few years.

Methinks you’re right, K-Bob, in that, under conservative leadership in the Senate, Rubio, being a very slick politician, will play the Good Conservative. The key for us is to never give-in and believe he means it.
notpilgrims2
June 11th, 2014 @ 9:40 pm

“The enemy of our country is still the enemy regardless of the D or R behind their names.”

Right, but neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are “the enemy of our country.” Al-Qaeda is. The two parties are just parties that disagree on politics.

As it happens, the people who are wrong on politics are the ones who support Obamacare and wealth redistribution. Not coincedentally, most of them are Democrats, because that’s what the Democrat party stands for.
K-Bob
June 12th, 2014 @ 1:07 am

Yeah, like Graham, we’ll have to have him in there.

I’m thinking we take away the carrot though and just use the stick until he gets his head on right.

Whoah! I believe I may have just endorsed caning for elected officials who turn on their constituencies.
K-Bob
June 12th, 2014 @ 1:09 am

Yeah, there’s ackshully a “J Street”

GOogle it! (/Levin voice)
K-Bob
June 12th, 2014 @ 1:12 am

Now they are back again under “Guest”. I didn’t do that.
SoCal88
June 12th, 2014 @ 2:42 am

The key to Tea Party victories is running sensible candidates like Brat and staying away from fools like Todd Akin
SoCal88
June 12th, 2014 @ 2:47 am

The “Spectre Party” sounds like a B movie, but it may scare Boehner enough to send him on a crying jag. Poor fellow.
Seabass120
June 12th, 2014 @ 11:42 am

Are you so sure of that? I’m not. These two parties have done more to drag down this country than Al-Qaeda has.

We suffer from a complete lack of leadership on both sides. We need to clean out the cockroaches.
notpilgrims2
June 12th, 2014 @ 11:34 pm

No, they aren’t enemies, because they simply disagree about politics.

Al-Qaeda actively wants to kill Americans and bring down America. The GOP and Dems want to help America, but unfortunately the Dems are wrong about what is the best way to help. They think that by giving poor people more money they can help. Some of their policies are indeed bad, like Obamacare, which will likely raise taxes and healthcare costs and hurt quality, but some people, such as Democrats, like the policy and disagree with me, which is why Dems passed the bill.

Overall, even though Obamacare sucks and other policies suck, America is a great country. Look at America: We have one of the top 15 economies in the world by GDP. We have relatively low levels of violence compared to most of the world. We have freedom. We can live our lives and not be beheaded by the ISIS, which just took over Iraq, and not be taken into a torture chamber by Saddam Huessein or another tyrant. America is far from being destroyed.