“He might have done better by emulating Graham and finding some decidedly non-intellectual buttons to push among right-wing activists. That’s a lesson that won’t be lost on Cantor’s soon-to-be-former colleagues in Congress, and on the emerging Republican field for president in 2016.”
The unending dive to the lowest possible denominator will intensify.
Will it turn off enough voters to finally restore some semblance of decency and sanity. I pray.
Yes, we whooped it up last night. Nobody will ever be more gleefully seen out the door. But the forces that sent him away are extremely hateful, and inspire fear wherever they go.
Yea, I keep seeing hilarious comments from the Teabags about how Cantor was a RINO. I keep reminding them he was the asshat who shut down the government for them.
How could he? Ultimately it comes down to being Boehner’s decision, though obviously the various leadership positions have a say in the matter.
Cantor, however, effectively had ALL his juice cut off last night. He is out of Congress, so why would anyone put much credence into what he has to say now? He holds not threats over anyone’s heads, and any favors owed to him can freely be ignored.
I don’t think he will. If the loss were much closer, perhaps. But he got beat by 12 points…a 46 point differential from where he thought he would be. That sort of loss tends to really shatter a candidates plans for awhile.
Running a write in campaign would be the end of him in the republican party if he lost…which again, based on the above results he probably would. He would have to think about packing up, moving and changing his name if he ran a write in campaign and the district actually flipped.
He may be an ass, but I don’t think he is stupid enough to go down that road.
Mmmm… Cantor.
Well done.
jw1
There are over 750,000 residents in the 7th District. 65,000 voted. Voter turn out was very low and the Tea Party got their vote out. I think Cantor will run as an independent.
A shocker that seems to have both the Tea Party and Democrats giddy. But I’m not entirely surprised as Cantor has never been trusted by the TP crowd. He’s smarmy, unlikable and I wouldn’t dismiss ant-semitism as playing at least a small roll. Immigration certainly played a part, as it is second only to guns as an issue the right goes off the deep end over. Lindsey Graham may have won his primary while championing Immigration reform, but he still had 45% of republicans vote for someone else out of a splintered field.
The traditional lack of turnout in primaries also distorts the mood of the electorate. The total Republican 2014 primary vote in VA-7 is less than half of what a no-name Democrat got in the 2012 general, which Cantor won with 59%.
At least this puts to bed two delusions of the beltway punditry - that the republicans were ever going to do anything about immigration reform before 2016, and that Cantor ever had a shot at being Speaker.
Eric Cantor just learned an old lesson: Jews who collaborate with Nazis merely confirm their seat on the last train to Auschwitz, regardless of what kind of sellout they are. Always. There’s a reason why most Jews are Democrats, and even Sheldon Adelson knows in his heart that the people he finances hate him. So, Eric, go see the Rabbi and he will punch your Tough Shit card.
“… put that meme to rest for the immediate future.”
Dunno. I think it’s too early to tell. Certainly fear of “amnesty” will drive a segment of the population further to the right, but I’m not sure if the TP freaks are on the ascendancy or if this wasn’t just one of those randomized events like the black swan.
TC: Loved your post. Laughed my ass off over coffee.
It’s so damned true, though. Casting your lot with people who despise you is just pathetic. Adelson’s example is the most pathetic of all.
Years back I worked for a very waspy Fortune 500 company. Anyone black, Hispanic or Jewish was never fully accepted – certainly not socially – within that company culture. Indeed, studied rudeness was the wasp weapon of choice and many of their victims just said, “Hit me again, sir, harder!”
Cantor is already effectively dead politically going forward. Nonetheless, he is still the Majority Leader for the next six months and he might want payback against the teahadists who are shredding the Republican Party. Like any good conservative, Cantor likely did not appreciate that feeding the beast could mean it would slip its leash and devour him and, now that he’s learned, he just might try to do some good in Congress. Besides, he’s gotta look forward to proving his value to the big money boyz who bankroll the wing-nut welfare institutes and academies.
I encourage everyone to read the passage below from Ed Kilgore’s story, and quietly meditate upon the incredibly rich schadenfreude that can be mined there, and experience Liberal bliss. Aaaah. Isn’t that better?
Eric Cantor, poised to inherit John Boehner’s gavel any old day now, and usually thought to be safely to Boehner’s right, was denied renomination by the Republicans of his district. By a 56-44 landslide. To a “nobody” that he outspent at least 20-1.
Eric Cantor; “Eat red meat.”
So true. These self loathers get what they deserve in the end.
I believe the biggest earthquake is happening in the donor class. They know they can not control the crazy and better move on to greener pastures~Democrats. Two magic words for the Wall Street/Donor crowd: debt default.
He practicies an F’d up version of Christianity though, what with all his worship at the altar of Ayn Rand…
VA is super-gerrymandered. VA Republicans have made it so the majority is not heard in VA.