As if to prove reports of movement's waning influence were outright wrong, a Tea Party backed candidate defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary. Cantor is out! Holy cow! Who saw that one coming?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-11/house-majority-leader-cantor-loses-to-tea-party-opponent.html

Cantor is the second-ranking House Republican and was considered the frontrunner to become the next House speaker. Tonight’s loss is a stunning fall for Cantor, 51, who was instrumental in the election of many of the Tea Party-backed candidates who handed Republicans their House majority in 2010.

geojanes wrote:As if to prove reports of movement's waning influence were outright wrong, a Tea Party backed candidate defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary. Cantor is out! Holy cow! Who saw that one coming?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-11/house-majority-leader-cantor-loses-to-tea-party-opponent.html

Cantor is the second-ranking House Republican and was considered the frontrunner to become the next House speaker. Tonight’s loss is a stunning fall for Cantor, 51, who was instrumental in the election of many of the Tea Party-backed candidates who handed Republicans their House majority in 2010.

Yes, absolutely amazing. I was floored by this. Apparently Cantor's real blemish is that he is relatively pro-immigration. He also doesn't invoke G-d nearly as much as his opponent does. For me, it's a dark day. Whereas I like fiscal responsibility, these social conservative aspects of the GOP turn me off. They also serve to split the country and increase the likelihood of electing Democrats who spend too much of the people's money.

Ray Jay wrote: He also doesn't invoke G-d nearly as much as his opponent does.

Begs a question: while Israel gets a lot of support from the ultra right wing, can a Jew like Cantor--who probably isn't talking about Jesus--ever be conservative enough to represent the ultra right wing?

geojanes wrote:

Ray Jay wrote: He also doesn't invoke G-d nearly as much as his opponent does.

Begs a question: while Israel gets a lot of support from the ultra right wing, can a Jew like Cantor--who probably isn't talking about Jesus--ever be conservative enough to represent the ultra right wing?

Maybe I'm naïve, but I think the answer is yes., Most right wingers aren't anti-Semitic, although many are, especially in Europe.

Ray Jay wrote:Maybe I'm naïve, but I think the answer is yes., Most right wingers aren't anti-Semitic, although many are, especially in Europe.

I was under the impression that there are not many US Republicans in Europe. Our right wing anti-semites have little impact on your politics (outside the fascist fringes)

Extreme right wingers do tend to the antisemitic. And there is still the old golf-club mentality. I think there should also be a little wariness of the evangelical support for Israel where it is less about supporting Jews as people and more about a theological and apocalyptic position.

But I think Cantor's loss is less about his religion/ethnicity than it is about the way last Autumn's fiscal argument shook out and perhaps a bit of complacency followed by panic in his district.

Time's article:

http://time.com/2854761/eric-cantor-dave-brat-virginia/

“God acted through people on my behalf,” Brat said on Fox News shortly after his victory.

Apparently Eric Cantor's loss was an act of God. Great to know! I was never a big Cantor fan. Until today of course.

You tend to see a lot more anti-semitism on the left these days, although it's usually described as 'anti-zionism'.

geojanes wrote:Time's article:

http://time.com/2854761/eric-cantor-dave-brat-virginia/

“God acted through people on my behalf,” Brat said on Fox News shortly after his victory.

Apparently Eric Cantor's loss was an act of God. Great to know! I was never a big Cantor fan. Until today of course.

Why do you like him today?

I've no real conception of who Eric Cantor is really, other than some random name that pops up occasionally when I read news reports about American politics. I find it hard to believe that there's much more than a cigarette paper between his views and those of the man who just beat him though. Difficult to see how you could could manage to rise to a senior position in the House Republicans without having solidly conservative views on more or less everything.

Ray Jay wrote:

geojanes wrote:Time's article:

http://time.com/2854761/eric-cantor-dave-brat-virginia/

“God acted through people on my behalf,” Brat said on Fox News shortly after his victory.

Apparently Eric Cantor's loss was an act of God. Great to know! I was never a big Cantor fan. Until today of course.

Why do you like him today?

Like is a strong word. The question is who do you prefer? The guy who sees his victory as the hand of God in action, or the other guy. Pretty easy choice in most circumstances.

geojanes wrote:

Ray Jay wrote:

geojanes wrote:Time's article:

http://time.com/2854761/eric-cantor-dave-brat-virginia/

“God acted through people on my behalf,” Brat said on Fox News shortly after his victory.

Apparently Eric Cantor's loss was an act of God. Great to know! I was never a big Cantor fan. Until today of course.

Why do you like him today?

Like is a strong word. The question is who do you prefer? The guy who sees his victory as the hand of God in action, or the other guy. Pretty easy choice in most circumstances.

ok. I liked him before and I like him now.

BTW, Like is not a strong word. Love and Hate are strong words.

Ray Jay wrote:ok. I liked him before and I like him now.

BTW, Like is not a strong word. Love and Hate are strong words.

Liberals always "like" Republicans who support them (Colin Powell) or who lose elections (like Cantor).

To Geo, I would note that anyone who believes in the Bible (OT or NT) believes that God establishes governments and takes them down. So, what Brat said is none too surprising. Let me know if he starts talking about establishing a caliphate.

Cantor lost because he is the embodiment of what is wrong with Republicans in Congress: no core principles, willing to move with the polls, and out of touch with the people in his district. The most intriguing stat: his campaign spent as much dining in steakhouses as Brat did total. That's indicative of a campaign/candidate who treats other people's money as if it were his own. That's DC in a nutshell.

One more note: from what I understand, the national Tea Party movements and Pacs were not involved. It was talk radio and grass roots.

I think immigration is/was an issue, mostly because it is obvious that Obama isn't going to enforce any immigration laws--just have a look at what's happening now. Oh, and please, no nonsense about how he has deported more than anyone. The Administration redefined "deportation." Anyone who is stopped from entering the country is defined as "deported."

I heard speculation on the radio that Democrats voted in Virginia's open primary as a way of sabotaging Cantor. Seems like the margin of victory was too high for that to be right, though. I would also worry about being careful what you wish for.

geojanes wrote:I heard speculation on the radio that Democrats voted in the Virginia's open primary as a way of sabotaging Cantor. Seems like the margin of victory was too high for that to be right, though. I would also worry about being careful what you wish for.

I think that is just speculation ... Cantor lost in the red areas in his district, not in the blue areas where there are more Democrats.