Fuck you, Harry Ellis, and good riddance. One last sweet time:
People are tut tutting that the guy who replaces him, should the Republican win, is a full-on teahadist. And he is! But this is a Republican district, so basically we are just replacing an enormous shit-heel with a no seniority having teabagging clown who can serve as another object lesson as to how the GOP has gone off the tracks. And who knows, the Dem might win.
Let’s just break this down. Erick Erickson is happy Brat won. Simple logic dictates that this is good news for Democrats.
David Koch
BUT, BUT,… BENGHAZI!
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
People have been saying that for quite a while. But it is nice of you to notice. I guess.
Mnemosyne
The Newsmax headlines are making me think I’m right that private Republican polling turned against them hard when they went after Sgt. Bergdahl:
Inhofe had better be careful — he’s gonna throw out his back moving the goalposts like that.
Felonius Monk
But this is kind of funny.
MikeJ
Was majority leader Cantor even able to get immigration reform to a vote last year? From what I recall it passed in the Senate and then the House, where he lead the majority party, couldn’t even get its shit together well enough to even hold a vote.
If you lived in his district would you want somebody so completely ineffectual they couldn’t even get an up or down vote when he was in charge of the majority?
If you’re a Republican you are, almost by definition, either evil or stupid. Cantor couldn’t even rise to that level. He was just useless.
amk
Ironic that a (somewhat) moderate lindsey graham was able to torpedo six teahadists while the teahadist lookalike cantor got thrashed.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@amk: Ever hear of divide and conquer?
Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)
We need to start a campaign to make Louie Gohmert the majority leader.
Ash Can
LOLOLOLOL
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
This. In spades.
? Martin
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Racist.
piratedan
I would say “Fuck Eric Cantor” but there’s way too many of you out there that take things too literally. Still, glad he’s lost and who knows, Brat has an entire four months to show just how truly batshit crazy he is (hello Sharon Angle and Christine the conservative witch!), I hope that they enjoy the collective turd polishing and if they elect him anyways, fine, we can watch more shoe in mouth antics from other Republicans who aren’t nearly as slick as Cantor was, who had weasel worded statements down to an artform. Fun times and anything that continues to remove the veneer from the awful churning white resentment caucus means better chances for Dems in kicking these tools outta office.
Greg
My hope is that this guy will follow the usual Teabag playbook and say something or do something so incredibly stupid that even his own constituents won’t vote for him and the Democrat will win. On the other hand, if he does win he will be Chairman of the Congressional Menu Planning Committee or similar, and Eric Cantor will be gone so, hey, fun all around. Also I have read a lot of different sources and apparently the good folks in VA 7 seemed to believe that this guy will get Eric Cantor’s position as well. So sad for them when they realize that they will now be ignored by anyone of any importance whatsoever.
David Koch
2016 — D.O.A.
Rubio
Jeb “illegal immigration is an act of love” Bush
Chris “In state tuition” Christie
Rand “legalize the migrants workers that are already here” Paul
lamh36
Like I said in the previous thread, I think Booman’s take is just right here: http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2014/6/11/01913/8039
This sentence being the most interesting aspect of this defeat that seems even people in the MSM haven’t even realized yet.
Think about that for a moment.
Also too, this:
How Eric Cantor Lost
Suzanne
@lamh36: I can buy that. The guy just seems so nakedly self-interested. The fact that no one saw this coming is very telling.
jl
@Suzanne: I can buy that too. But what are the chances the brave hearts of the GOP establishment will buy that? They way that they have reacted to any teabagger victory in the past points to a complete collapse of the Establishment Serious Daddy GOP crusade against the crazies.
The effect on GOP outreach efforts will be interesting to follow.
pseudonymous in nc
@Suzanne:
The district is Virginia suburbs, exurbs and not-exurbified-yet rural. Most of the population’s in Henrico County, which is Richmond metro area, not Richmond itself which is where Those People live. Probably a few DC commuters, but the kind that get stuck in traffic for two hours and hate their jobs. Cantor projected the DC insider image, his campaign funders backed up that idea, and he seemed to enjoy hanging out with the Masters of the Universe.
If he had a more rural district, he’d have enough distance to bring the pork home; instead, it’s just close enough to DC and just far enough away to create that kind of teabagger reaction.
Villago Delenda Est
@lamh36: The rest of the paragraph is just as interesting:
They are crossing over from the soft fascism of Benito Mussolini to the hard, race based fascism that Godwin says we cannot name.
This is trouble.
socraticsilence
@David Koch:
Any chance of Republicans breaking 35% nationally with Latino voters.
James E. Powell
@lamh36:
It is generally true that congress-creatures who do great constituent work rarely lose.
What’s strange is that no one seemed to like him. On the cable news shows, I didn’t hear anyone who really lamented his passing from the scene.
trollhattan
When will mah gummint stop harassing tru Patriots and get back to chasin’ those non-‘murkins back where they came from? When?
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/10/6473527/firearms-and-poison-seized-during.html#storylink=cpy
He sounds nice.
jl
@trollhattan: From the story, it looks like they seized the toxins he had bought and was hoarding. That is good news too.
Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. That is a saying in an old book that these people claim to read all the time.
Edit: As you sow, so shall you reap, also comes to mind. And you will know the tree by its fruit; I think that is in the sequel people have been talking up so much.
Villago Delenda Est
It’s hilarious that these cretins wail about “crony capitalism” when the shitty grade Z movie star was the greatest friend crony capitalists ever had in the White House, and tailored all his policies to facilitate them.
The teabaggers really are stupid motherfuckers who are utterly blinded by their hatred of the ni*CLANG*.
Mandalay
The voters dumped the Jew because he preferred steak to pork:
If you are looking for numbers to demonstrate that Congress is completely out of touch with the voters, that one does nicely.
MikeJ
@Villago Delenda Est:
When’s the last time a Republican made a train run on time?
Villago Delenda Est
@MikeJ: Probably during the Eisenhower administration. Which, by an amazing coincidence, is the last time we had a decent GOP President. If you don’t count Bill Clinton, of course.
Mandalay
@James E. Powell:
Well Peter King had a sad:
Of course that’s only because he now realizes that Lady Gaga has a better chance than him of becoming president.
lamh36
@Villago Delenda Est: meh, Frum seems to think “Obama-style immigration reform” is the “big story”….
Ok Dave…keep on “fuckin’ dat chicken”…
KG
@jl: sequels are never as good, so people will tend to ignore them… I mean, it’s a shame they never made a sequel to The Matrix, but it probably would’ve ruined it.
Arclite
@trollhattan:
Well, you know, boys will be boys! Confiscate his stuff, and give him 6 months probation.
Now, if he’d been a browny muslim, then he should get 20 years in the pen.
David Koch
The Front Page of Wednesday’s New York Times
History’s Judgement Day on Republican ideology is delivered in a stunning display of two side by side articles.
? Martin
@Suzanne: Meh. Low turnout election where Dems could ratfuck because we picked our guy yesterday in a party meeting.
The problem with polling in primaries is figuring out who is actually voting. That’s harder than you think.
? Martin
@Mandalay:
Boy, doesn’t it, though.
David Koch
@lamh36: What makes that all the more hilarious is Frum, himself, is an immigrant from Canada.
Immigration for me, but not for thee (especially if you’re not white).
Elizabelle
One worry: David Brat is a popular economics professor, might be smoother than the average Teahadist, and may be able to walk and chew gum. He seems more likable than Eric Cantor. I wonder if he’ll turn out to have national appeal.
A few student reviews mentioned that he was scattered, but good at repeating key concepts over and over and over again, which stayed with the students and helped later in formulating their analysis.
It’s lovely to see Eric Cantor fall, and hard, but be careful what you wish for.
Arclite
So Digby’s got this story:
What I really want to know is, was Laura Ingraham ALL IN?
Villago Delenda Est
@KG: Well, I’ll grant this for The Matrix Reloaded: the freeway segment was just amazing.
Too bad the plot of the last two movies sucked swamp water.
Elizabelle
One of the few occasions one looks forward to watching Morning Joe.
Although they’re such tools, they might pivot.
Elizabelle
@Mandalay:
Link? Interesting catch.
lamh36
@Elizabelle: I posted a link in da last thread.
John Revolta
toxic poisons
Ooooooo!! Those are the worst kind!!1!!11!
lamh36
@Elizabelle:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/us/politics/cantors-loss-a-bad-omen-for-moderates.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-thecaucus
John Revolta
@Elizabelle: I wonder if he’ll turn out to have national appeal.
Yeah, I was thinking about that too. He’s young, not bad looking, and presumably has somewhat of a brain. At the very least, he could be a convincing Flavor of the Month in ’16. Let’s hope he’s got some big ol’ skeletons back in the closet. Or that he comes out of the closet.
George
I just spontaneously pulled up this in honor of the smarmiest ex-rep in my memory.
Alex S.
I thought immigration reform would be the only bigger bill that this Congress will pass. Well, not anymore. Any republican supporting this is dead in the water.
Origuy
Well, this is encouraging. Jack Trammell, the Democratic candidate, is an author. His Amazon page. Actually has written some books that sound interesting.
James E. Powell
@George:
I had to put this up because Cantor always made me think of Nathan Thurm.
Chris T.
@amk:
Why vote for the fake teahadi when there’s a real one available?
Elizabelle
@lamh36: Thanks.
raven
As I said last night, they are working on Jack Trammell’s page. The one they had up last night was taken down and now there is am ACT Blue at the url.
I even made a contribution!
Elizabelle
@raven:
Good morning. Got up to watch Morning Joe and then head back for some more zzzzs.
raven
@Elizabelle: I hope Thomas Robert’s is back for Way too Early.
Chris
@KG:
Prequels, on the other hand, you can’t go wrong with these.
raven
Brat called the win “a miracle from God,” and said the upcoming campaign with Democrat John “Jack” Trammell — another Randolph-Macon professor — would be about “returning the country to constitutional principles, returning the country to Judeo-Christian principles and returning the country to free-market principles.”
Patricia Kayden
@Mnemosyne: Yet the welcome home parade had to be canceled and Bergdahl’s family has been subjected to death threats. Plus, Fox News and its ilk have been advocating the death penalty for him before a military trial has even begun.
Let the backlash begin. I thought the Republicans LOVED OUR TROOPS. Guess not so much.
Patricia Kayden
@raven: Yeah, I had to turn to a different channel when Brat started quoting from Luke. Nauseating fellow. But the Devil himself could have beat Cantor and I would have been happy just to see Cantor lose.
Patricia Kayden
@Mandalay: I’d like to ask Rep King how anyone can say with a straight face that the Republican Party hasn’t already gone “all the way to the Right”.
Baud
@raven:
Except for the Judeo part, apparently.
WereBear
Uh huh.
We’ll probably thrown some money Jack’s way… Mr WereBear has been downright giddy. I made him sit down before I told him the news.
bemused
@lamh36:
Establishment Republicans dug their own hole catering to the teaparty base and now they are having to dance with who brung them. I have a mental image of teaparty neanderthals shooting at establishment Republicans’ feet screaming “dance, old men. dance”.
debbie
@raven:
I’m hearing that Biblical passage about sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind. Buh-bye, GOP.
WereBear
@bemused: I have no love for Goldwater, but he was smart enough to know that letting the crazies in would be the END of the Party.
And that looks like the case.
debbie
@WereBear:
Wasn’t Goldwater one of the crazies?
JPL
@WereBear: The republican party changed a long time ago when they let in the dixiecrats. I just hope that they aren’t able to destroy our democracy as we know it.
WereBear
@debbie: Yes, but he covered well. The Tea Party is loud and proud!
In essence, he was politically astute and recognized that the work of governance was compromise; to get what he wanted, he would settle for half a loaf. He pointed out specifically that THESE crazies would not compromise, and even if they got what they wanted they would push even further next time.
So they were doomed to long term failure.
WereBear
@JPL: Oh, the Southern Strategy was short term gain to long term detriment, no question. But the Nixon guys all made out just fine! They’re happy, and that’s all that counts.
bemused
@WereBear:
Goldwater at least had a sense of the potential problems that loose cannons would create for the party. It didn’t seem to occur to establishment Republicans that they wouldn’t be able to make the teaparty base fall in line which is astonishing considering all the glaring warning signs most could easily see.
BruceFromOhio
As I recall, White Knight got plugged by Snape, rather unceremoniously.
Never let a salesman negotiate on your behalf.
@JPL: Hmmm, rampant gun violence, codified racism, all in a security surveillance state…. I’m thinking it’s pretty much done for, the question is what to do next.
Fred
“Yipi-kiyay mudapucker”
BruinKid
The Ron/Rand Paul crowd is very happy Brat won as well, because he’s a “trenchant” critic of the NSA, and the Paul family would as soon abolish it completely.
Cris (without an H)
The Ellis comparison makes me giggle, but this tweet by August Pollak made me think that Cantor was more like Tommy DeVito, thinking he was a made man walking into the Speaker Of the House position, and found himself face down on a rug in an empty room with a bullet in his brain.
...now I try to be amused
@MikeJ:
You can’t make the trains run on time if you don’t first make the trains.
taylormattd
@Villago Delenda Est: yep.
kindness
Who is the Democrat in Cantor’s district? What are their chances?
Elizabelle
@Baud:
Tee hee.
Joel
@Mandalay: With lines like that, it sounds like you’re gearing up to be a Brat campaign advisor.
Joel
Also, can we have some Da Brat references please?
Cris (without an H)
@kindness: See Tim F.’s post. Jack Trammell teaches at the same college as Brat.
The conventional wisdom is that VA-07 is a heavily red district, regardless of who the candidates are, so Brat goes in as the favorite.
NickM
@Patricia Kayden: So are you saying they’ve hit the mythical Peak Wingnut?
Ella in New Mexico
@amk:
It’s not ironic. It’s that the Republican Party is literally and figuratively schizophrenic, by every real definition of the word. It’s got so many delusional theories and paranoid hallucinations it’s trying to manage that it simply cannot function in a rational world. It’s eyes don’t even know what it’s hands are doing on any given day.
James E. Powell
Trammell for Congress – New Campaign Song
Of course I mean it figuratively.
Jay C
@amk:
I think the difference between Cantor’s and Graham’s primaries is that the latter was in South Carolina; a one-party state rather like North Korea – minus the execution of losing candidates*, of course, though that’s probably just because they haven;t figured out a plausible excuse for it, yet.
*though to be fair, opposition candidates in the DPRK usually run pre-executed…
Augie
@amk: Sinking 6 Teahadists is infinitely easier than sinking 1 in an election.