In a recent Think Tank post Linda Killian noted that while the tea party’s overall standing has diminished, it still holds powerful sway over the Republican Party because tea-party supporters are more engaged and likely to vote in primaries. This underscores that while more “mainstream” Republican candidates may have done well in Tuesday’s primaries, as the Wall Street Journal’s Janet Hook noted: “Many GOP incumbents and candidates backed by party leaders have embraced tea-party priorities.”
WSJ/NBC polling data reveal that these priorities are not embraced by about half of all Republicans nor the nation overall. This highlights challenges for Republicans in November. CONT.
Jeff Horwitt (Hart Research Assoc.), Wall Street Journal