Second in command in the House of Representative, Eric Cantor, lost his primary election to an unknown, David Brat. The defeat was totally unexpected. Voter turn out is the blame according to most pundits. Additionally, Cantor was targeted because of his support of Dream Act legislation.
No cheering here. I couldn’t stand Eric Cantor but a tea party candidate is worse. In addition, I am a strong supporter of the Dream Act. I don’t like bricks that single out students and keep them from reaching their educational goals if they are good students.
So who is David Brat? Brat teaches economy at Randolph-Macon College in Ashville. According to the Washington Post:
Brat was backed by the Tea Party. In addition to being backed by prominent conservatives (Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham), Brat was backed by grass-roots Tea Party groups as well. As the National Journal notes, Cantor’s district became more conservative in the most recent redistricting, including adding new areas to his district, making an ideologically-driven challenge more possible.
So does Brat have a chance? Is there even a Democratic challenger out there? I don’t think so. This upset is being billed as the upset of the century.
Cooter Has A Plan To Unseat Eric Cantor. It’s So Crazy It Just Might Work.
Posted: 06/06/2014 9:02 pm EDT Updated: 06/07/2014 9:59 am EDT
Former congressman Ben Jones (D-Ga.), better known as “Cooter” from Dukes of Hazzard, has a plan to knock Eric Cantor out of the House. He’s urging his fellow Democrats to cross over and vote for a tea party-backed candidate in Virginia’s primary election.
Cooter, who ran against Cantor in 2002, has penned an open letter calling upon Democrats in his former Virginia district to vote in the open primary next Tuesday for tea party opponent Dave Brat in order to defeat U.S. House Majority Leader Cantor.
Crossing party lines to vote in an open primary has a long tradition in the solidly one-party South, Cooter argues in his letter. “[B]y voting for David Brat in the Seventh District Republican primary, we Democrats, independents, and Libertarians can make a big difference in American politics,” he argues. “It is your right to cast that vote. It is an ‘open’ primary and it doesn’t preclude anyone from voting anyway they wish in November. It may be the only way to empower those who want to make a statement about the dysfunctional Congress and ‘politics as usual.'”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/06/ben-cooter-jones_n_5463196.html
Looks like there was a bit of mischief going on there as well, hee hee hee! Cooter lost to Cantor 10 years ago and has been after him since.
But the Dems always swear that they do not do that sort of thing!
What don’t they do? they = dems
Oh now I know…I heard the Republicans planning to do the same thing when Ollie North was running against Chuck Robb. Big plan to go vote for the other dude.
But Moon, what do you think about all these new kids now flooding over the border to take advantage of the possible amnesty?
There isn’t possible amnesty. I think their parents ought to apply for political asylum. Supposedly this flood is because of political danger and crime.
Not sure I know enough facts yet. I have a lot going on at my house at the moment and I haven’t paid as close attention as I should.
Wonder how much of Cantor’s loss can be attributed to the news photos and videos of thousands of young illegal immigrants pouring across the Texas border, to such a point that FEMA has been assigned to house and feed them temporarily and Holder is paying tax dollars for lawyers to help the new arrivals. Or maybe the news of ICE releasing thousands of illegal immigrants who had been arrested for serious felonies. Or maybe the California counties which are releasing all illegal immigrants in their county jails because ICE does not follow up on the requested detainers and relieve the jails of those detainees. Or maybe the televised vision of our southern border in confusion and seemingly crumbling like the walls of ancient Jericho. Could be.
I don’t see how Cantor could be blamed for that any more than any other person in congress.
He supported the Dream Act, in part.
Huff Post has more:
Conservative pundit Erick Erickson said Tuesday that the Virginia results showed the tea party should not be taken too lightly. He added that he didn’t think the reason Cantor lost was necessarily as much due to his support for immigration reform as might be believed.
“Immigration was the surface reason that galvanized the opposition to Cantor, but the opposition could not have been galvanized with this issue had Cantor been a better congressman these past few years,” wrote Erickson. “He and his staff have repeatedly antagonized conservatives. One conservative recently told me that Cantor’s staff were the ‘biggest bunch of a**holes on the Hill.’ … Cantor lost his race because he was running for Speaker of the House of Representatives while his constituents wanted a congressman.”
A Democratic aide who spoke with The Huffington Post largely agreed with this analysis.
“Cantor became detached from his district and frankly was the least likable politician in Congress,” said the staffer. “Most people hate Congress but like their particular Member of Congress — Cantor never met that bar. Erick Erickson was right, the immigration angle is overblown, Cantor never cared about immigration. If anything the GOP Leadership built up expectations on shutting down the government and repealing Obamacare that were inevitably going to come back to bite them. Obamacare is here to stay, everybody knows that, and the monster Eric Cantor helped create came back to destroy him.”
A GOP operative also blamed Cantor’s staff for his loss: “He fell victim to the political operation he trusted most. It’s sad.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/10/virginia-primary-results_n_5479472.html
Cantor didn’t lose over immigration reform; he lost because he’s an a-hole. He helped create the Tea party and they turned on him! This is freakin’ hilarious!
Hmmm-entirely possible he will run as an Independent. Very hard to give up such a powerful position. But I agree, he is living proof that assholes can exist with no other visible means of life support.
Sadly, the devil we know/knew may be better than the devil we don’t know. We should be careful what we wish for.
I don’t think he can run as an independent in Virginia. There is some sort of sour grapes law or something like that.
@Starryflights
Cantor had nothing to do with the Tea Party.
He lost because he lost touch with his constituents.
He got cozy with the lobbyists.
He did not have town halls. His voters felt that he took them for granted.
He supported amnesty and then lied about that.
He conducted a dishonest, negative election campaign.
He injected language at the last moment to protect spousal insider trading.
There are quite a few things that his constituents, much less the Tea Party, had complaints about.
But if the Democrats want to keep believing the things that they do….more power to them.
Let’s be honest. Light voter turn out had a great deal to do with the outcome–that and a special interest voter turn out.
MOst Republicans didn’t think that Cantor’s seat was in danger. Last week he was up by 34 [points. It was hot, muggy, and rainy in spots.
Cantor supported the Dream Act. He didn’t support amnesty, whatever that is. Let’s be truthful about that situation. I don’t care for Cantor but I am fair-minded.
Who really knew what Cantor was supporting? I found the guy to be quite a bit confusing in that regard. Maybe his constituents did as well.
I’ll be honest about turnout. Losers in both parties often seem to blame low turnout for their losses. Well, you mean the winner was able to get his people to the polls, and your people didn’t bother to show up for you? So, who was at fault then? You or the low turnout?
Well, basically, I don’t care what happens in the 7th district between the Republicans. There IS a Democrat. He also teaches at Randolph-Macon College. This ought to be fun.
On a happy note, Don Beyer won the primary in the 8th district. He hopes to replace Del. Jim Moran who has held that seat for decades.
I have always liked Don Beyer. Thinking back to the old days, Cindy Short and I followed Don Beyer to the men’s room at a JJ Dinner sometime back in the 90’s. We ambushed him as he walked out and we got our lobbying done. Dedicated women take drastic measures.
@Moon-howler
Didn’t say Cantor was at fault for it. He has been involved in prominent public discussion of possible Repub intentions re “amnesty” and the Dream Act. Then his constituents get an eyeful of those photos and videos of the southern border being crossed virtually unimpeded by thousands. (Estimate is now 90,000 by the end of the fiscal year.) Just wondering if those visuals of the mess on the border may have affected the vote of some in his district.
I think you might be suggesting that the voters fear their perceptions might also become reality?
You are right. It probably didn’t help him. I am not fan of Cantors. I have spent a long time disliking him. But, I try to be fair about most topics. Operative word…MOST.
It would appear that reports of the Tea Party’s demise were greatly exaggerated. The good thing about this is that it probably takes the Dream Act and amnesty off the legislative table for the year.
I wish you all would learn the definition of amnesty. Stiff fines and lots of hoops aren’t “amnesty.” Total forgiveness and no penalties would equal amnesty. I haven’t heard anyone, especially Eric Cantor, suggesting that.
Are you one of those people who wants to put a brick on the head of young people who have made good grades and have done the right thing? If yes, shame on you. Those kids have grown up as American as your or I. They had no choice about where they grew up or how they got here. That makes as much sense to punish them as it does to punish me because my parents weren’t in favor of integration. I had no choice as a child where I went to school.
The juvenile migration across the border disproves the narrative that the kids are here through no fault of their own and thus should be granted in-state tuition. It shows that the promise of low tuition and the expectation of some type of amnesty in the near future are encouraging illegal immigration with particular emphasis on bringing the kids across the border to cash in.
I get it. Five year olds are coming to the USA on their own, to escape hunger, and danger in their home countries. NOT.
Do you really think this latest wave has anything to do with education? It has to do with survival.
You have your facts wrong.
Part of the Dream Act requires that students graduate with at least a B average to qualify. How would those juveniles manage to do that?
In state tuition also requires graduation from a Virginia high school and at least a year’s residency. I am for not treating our students differently because of the circumstances of their birth.
Does anyone think that John Boehner is weeping this morning?
Brat’s victory proves that any candidate who can harness up the right rhetoric in the right district can win. I agree with Wolve that Cantor was a confusing pol – he was always trying to play a role, but that left him shifting around quite a bit as to whether he actually had any core principles or values. As I mentioned earlier on this site, his well photographed flirtations with Tea Party people early in the Obama administration always had the look of Patty Hearst posing with the Symbionese Liberation Army. He was smiling, but you weren’t sure he really wanted to be there.
I wonder how this will affect Mrs. Cantor’s many emoluments as a board member of major corporations?
I was wondering how this loss was going to affect Mrs. Cantor’s position as chairman of VRS. I have never been comfortable with that situation, even though I have heard very good things about her.
I doubt if John Boehner is weeping. He is probably dancing a jig. Cantor was always trying to backstab him.
Does this mean his role in the Young Guns is over?
@Scout, Morning Joe is reminding us again that he used to be a congressman. The bragging has been incessant.
He is getting more and more obnoxious.
@Moon-howler
Light voter turn out? How does that influence WHO gets the vote? In fact, if it does matter, shouldn’t the one with more exposure and name recognition get the advantage.
For a Virginia primary, the turnout was actually not light. 60,000+ votes.
Primaries are light compared to general elections. Those who are interested, come out and vote. Those who think business as usual don’t usually bother to vote in primaries. That’s pretty standard politics 101.
TV is pretty much saying that the Brat supporters were pretty much all anti immigration folks. They got out the vote.
By the way…to be clear…..this is NOT a Tea Party victory.
NO Tea Party group in Virginia endorsed Brat. They all thought that he would lose.
This is purely a victory for the constituents of the 7th district and for the people of Virginia.
Do you live in the 7th?
I would strongly disagree that it is a victory for the people of Virginia, especially for immigrant families.
Let’s not try to tell me that tea party snake flaggers didn’t vote for Brat. I will not believe it.
My understanding is that turnout was twice as high in the republican primary as it was in the nearby democratic primary in the 8th district. Don’t forget about Cooter’s call to democrats to vote in the republican primary. That may have been a factor in this as well.
And btw – this race is not over. We still have a general election in November. While Brat would be favored, our chances are much better today facing Brat than Cantor.
You are very correct, Starry. It isn’t over. Two college professors square off. One economics, one sociology.
Turnout was not a factor in this election. Turnout was higher in this race than in 2012 when Cantor got nearly 80% of the vote in the primary.
Cantor lost for a mix of reasons but the biggest two were being disconnected from his district and that he was one of the forces behind an immigration deal. Being out front on immigration probably continued to the sense that he was disconnected from his district.
Regardless of who wins in November, the chances of any immigration bill passing before then are now 0.0%. Does anybody really think Goodlatte is going to lead the charge after seeing what happened to Cantor? Besides, the GOP would be stupid to push immigration right now. It would fracture the party and there’s no reason not to wait until after the election when they might have a majority in the Senate. If nothing else, you can strike a better deal then.
If Cantor was too blind to see what his constituents wanted, he deserved to lose. If he saw it but ignored it anyway, he deserved to lose.
Why is it so difficult for you all to admit that primary elections have a low voter turn out and therefore it is easier for special interest groups to prevail?
Obviously the anti immigration people had a bone to pick with Cantor. They got out the vote.
Local elections and primaries are notorious for low turn out. It doesn’t matter what happened last time. What matters is what happened yesterday. More people who had an axe to grind with Cantor showed up at the polls.
I seriously doubt that Cooter had any influence in this but it’s funny some people would think so. 🙂
No body knows who the guy is or cares…
I am so happy that he lost. I regard Eric Cantor and other “moderate Republican leaders” as the most evil people in America. Cantor was at the top of my list as the most evil scumbag in America.
Tea Party Republicans generally state what they believe, and pursue policies in line with those beliefs. Now, I don’t tend to agree with their view of things – I don’t think they could ever build a better America, they could only weaken us while they pursue their infantile vision of America and the world. But they’re honest people.
The Eric Cantors, John Boehners, Mitch McConnells, Mitt Romneys, John McCains of the world adopt the rhetoric that conservative people want to hear, but pursue their own agendas – particularly in they want to encourage illegal immigrants to come here and undercut wages, so that business can pay less in labor. These guys cut the throats of the undereducated people who vote for them.
Will the GOP moving to the right keep us polarized? Sure. Is that a bad thing? I’d say no. It’s the shady agreements that “moderate” Democrats and Republicans agree to in back rooms that are responsible for our lack of direction as a country – the tax cuts at all levels of income that have turned us debt-ridden again, Congress” abandonment of responsibility in matters of war, the willful abandonment of sovereignty and of law in immigration matters. We’re better off polarized.
I’m pretty happy with the way things are going to be for the next 2-6 years.
Primary elections almost always have lower turnout than general elections. I don’t think anybody is disputing that. However, the 2014 primary election for Cantor’s district had a higher turnout than the 2012 primary election that Cantor one. That’s why it’s hard to say low voter turnout was a factor. Because when you compare apples to apples, turnout was higher.
If anything, low voter turnout should have helped Cantor, not hurt him. He should have a GOTV machine capable of delivering enough reliable votes to put him over the top. Cantor outspent Brat several times over, and there wasn’t any significant outside money. (What special interest group is going to pick a fight with the #2 guy in the majority party?)
Cantor didn’t lose because not enough people showed up. He lost because not enough people who showed up voted for him. That’s a popularity issue, not a turnout issue.
Honestly, if Cantor was even remotely in touch with his district he wouldn’t have had a primary challenger in the first place. When was the last time Frank Wolf had a primary challenger?
Regardless of the specific reason we tag it to, we are all basically saying the same thing though. Cantor lost because he wasn’t good at representing the 7th CD, or at least the GOP voters in the 7th.
That’s sort of parsing words. Not enough people showed up who voted for him? Isn’t that what is implied? If this had been a statewide election, the Brat voters would have been washed out in the crowd. Cantor would have won on name recognition alone.
I stand by primary elections are well attended by political animals. No one else cares.
I even thought about voting in the GOP primary, then I changed my mind. I dislike my congressman over his stance on the Dream Act but the dude running against him was far worse.
I would say that pro immigration and anti immigration groups are both special interest. Those are the groups we need to keep an eye on.
It was never on the table to begin with. The good news is that republicans will continue losing elections at the national and state levels until they deal with this.
If they had the balls to frame the issue strongly, they could profit from it. Short-term and long-term.
But they can’t. BECAUSE THE GOP’S PRIMARY FUNCTION is to do the will of the very wealthy. Who WANT illegal immigration to continue ad infinitum. Because it decreases wages in America. And increases their profit margin.
On this particular issue, the puppetmasters of the GOP are unable to undertake their preferred course of action.
All around the world, parties that campaign against unchecked 8immigration win elections. In the US, neither party can take that position. Neither wants it. For purely selfish reasons.
I completely understand why the Republican party promotes illegal immigration.
I’ll never understand how and why the Democratic party embraced it. And gave up on the idea of decent wages for non-college graduates in America. And moved us towards the mess we have now.
Because the immigrants generally become Democrats once they stop being newbies.
@Rick Bentley
I think the Democratic party embraces it because they see them as potential voters down the road. I don’t agree with everything you said but I do agree on one thing touched on and that is the issue of decreased wages. However, you also have to add in the loss of job opportunity as well for other minority groups.
As a matter of fact SEVERAL African-American groups STRONGLY oppose comprehensive immigration reform for that specific reason. The Black American Leadership Alliance comes (BALA) comes to mind specifically.
Jackson
I don’t see black people doing the jobs I see Latinos or Asians doing.
Boy, talk about amateur hour. Mr. Brat is asked some simple policy questions, including the minimum wage, and he’s suddenly tongue tied!
http://www.msnbc.com/the-daily-rundown/watch/brat-i-just-wanted-to-talk-about-the-victory-278795843793
How the f does Cantor lose to this fool? He needs some Dale Carnegie training or something!
Starry, you are on a roll today! Thanks for the laugh. I know you didn’t mean to be funny but it tickled me.
“I think the Democratic party embraces it because they see them as potential voters down the road.”
Agreed … this is the cause for the Democratic Party’s position. But what I don’t understand is :
1. How Democratic leaders can live with themselves over it
2. How Democratic voters don’t drop unconscious from cognitive dissonance at how at odds their party’s ostensible goals (dignity in labor, healthy living wages, opportunities for the poor, continuation of a social safety net) are at odds with the America they’re actively building.
Break the question down. I will try to answer it.
So that’s why RCP has the GOP projected to win 7 out of 8 competitive Senate races this fall and have a 52-48 majority in the Senate, huh? Or is it that the GOP is picking up another governorship to 30? It sure sounds like the GOP isn’t having a problem winning statewide races.
Other than Obama’s reelection, the GOP has had a good track record since 2010. They’ve gained in the Senate, regained the House and gained governors. So where exactly are continuing to lose state and national elections?
I will admit that unless the GOP finds a good candidate in 2016, Hillary has a good chance of winning, but she’s likely to have a GOP house & Senate to work with. (And it’s too early to say anyone has a lock on 2016 yet.)
Me, Moon?
yes…about Democrats.
According to the senate plan that was passed with republican support, it would be 13 years before these persons become citizens and, therefore, voters. 13 years is a heck of a long time “road” before realizing political benefits. I don’t see how political benefits is motivating democrats to do immigration reform.
I have no problem making someone who was here illegally wait a certain amount of time to attain citizenship. I would even agree to them never being eligible for citizenship if they could have their status adjusted to legal resident. If there was a criminal record, then no. I don’t mean for jay walking of course.
Virginia.
Starry, why is it then that you think the Democratic Party is tripping all over itself to welcome in (or more accurately, to pretend to want to welcome in) tens of millions of uneducated poor, who can only depress wages and strain our social safety net past the breaking point? Out of some type of charitable impulse?
More non-college graduates equals lower wages for non-college graduates. More poor people on top of what we already have equals less social safety net for citizens. This isn’t rocket science. I understand why the wealthy want this – the price of labor is key to them.
@Moon-howler
Yep…. I live in the 7th.
Tea Party people probably did vote for Brat. But there was NO organized Tea Party support, endorsements, organizing, or fund raising. They didn’t want to be attached to a “losing” candidate.
So it was sort of sneak support?
Are you a tea party member in the 7th?
How many tea party groups are there there?
I live in the mighty district 1. I am very embarrassed to admit that. I used to live in the 10th. It moved. I didn’t. My congressman lives in Montross, Virginia. The 1st runs from Newport News to Prince William County. How absurd.
@Rick Bentley
“(dignity in labor, healthy living wages, opportunities for the poor, continuation of a social safety net)”
What makes you think that today’s Democratic Party is interested in any of that except expanding the “safety net?”
All they are interested in keeping people dependent upon the Democratic party for handouts so they keep voting for the Democrats.
I am going to call bullshit on your Cargo. That is NOT what the Democratic Party is interested in. Name me a hand out and lets discuss it.
That is such old school politics. You are dating yourself.
While I’m certainly no Cantor fan- I’ll be particularly happy to be rid on that whiny, pouty visage on my TV, he WAS a somewhat reasonable politician, for a Republican, and as such was the enemy of the extremists in the minority of his party (I’m speaking of voters here, not the House of Representatives, where the extremists are in control, if not the majority).
I’m amazed at the idiocy of the extremists- they are intent on eliminating anyone who has the least regard for government, and they come from the states and areas of states that need the federal government the most. Take Mississippi, for example, where residents get back $3.00 for every dollar paid in federal taxes. They are about to toss out a guy who brought federal funds to their state in favor of a guy who would shut all that down.
Personally, I would be more than happy to stop subsidizing Mississippi and the other Tea-Party states. Let ’em scream when state taxes go through the roof to compensate.
Regarding Eric Cantor–he should have listened to President Kennedy:
Poll Shows Why Eric Cantor Lost
By Brett LoGiurato | Business Insider – 11 hours ago
AP
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor suffered one of the most stunning political upsets in history Tuesday night, at the hands of an unknown, underfunded challenger who called his win a “miracle.”
A new Public Policy Polling survey conducted in Cantor’s district Tuesday night provides some insight into the reasons for Cantor’s loss. The survey was conducted for the liberal group Americans United for Change, which supports immigration reform, and the questions described the immigration reform plans being debated in Congress in highly favorable terms.
But the poll suggests Cantor’s stance on immigration is overrated as a factor and, generally, that he had simply become deeply unpopular in his district.
Overall, only 30% of respondents from Cantor’s district approved of his job performance, a dangerous level for any incumbent. And 63% disapproved. Among Republicans, Cantor’s approval-to-disapproval split was just 43-49.
House Republican leadership is even more unpopular in Cantor’s district — just 26% of voters approve of it, while 67% disapprove. Among Republicans, the approval-to-disapproval split sits at 41-50.
“Cantor didn’t lose because of immigration,” PPP director Tom Jensen wrote in a memo accompanying the poll. “He lost because of the deep unpopularity of both himself personally and of the Republican House leadership.”
The results also suggest Cantor’s district supports the immigration reform plan that passed the Senate last year — though it was described in the poll in highly favorable terms that sometimes as pro-immigration reform talking points.
Among Republicans, 58% said it’s “very” important to fix the nation’s immigration system this year. And 41% of Republicans said they supported a plan that would make undocumented immigrants ” pay a penalty, learn English, pass a criminal background check, pay taxes, and wait a minimum of 13 years before they can be eligible for citizenship.”
Brat made immigration a central theme of his campaign, attacking Cantor on the issue and pushing him further to the right. Toward the end of the campaign, Cantor sent out mailers boasting he had blocked “amnesty” legislation.
Erick Erickson, the editor in chief of the conservative website RedState, told Business Insider Tuesday night that while immigration was the “superficial issue” in the campaign, he had simply lost touch with his district.
“But underneath there is a lot of bad blood with conservatives who feel like he has repeatedly made them promises and betrayed them; constituent services that were run for Washington lobbyists, not actual citizens of the district; a very heavy handed staff that was hard for constituents to deal with and for conservatives to reason with; and he took his eye off the prize,” Erickson said.
“He was looking at the Speaker’s chair, not his own.”
In an email Tuesday night, Jensen told Business Insider that Cantor’s loss will put Republicans in a bind on immigration reform.
” Immigration reform isn’t going away, and if the Republicans continue to block it, Democrats will keep getting 70% plus of the Hispanic vote,” he said.
“It’s very hard for the GOP to win a Presidential election if that continues. Enough Republicans are going to have to just take the risk of primary backlash by voting for this to get it passed, or else the party will continue paying the price in November for years to come.”
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/poll-shows-why-eric-cantor-134012323.html
Cantor didn’t lose because of immigration reform, according to the polling. He lost because his constituents think he’s a dick.
“Cantor didn’t lose because of immigration reform, according to the polling. He lost because his constituents think he’s a dick.”
As a Cantor constituent, I can confirm this.
I think everyone can agree with that statement. Who actually called Cantor a dick?
That’s an insult to a dick!
Cantor may be thankful he lost–he will pack up his stuff, move over to K Street and make more money than he ever would in the House.
Good points, George.
He will lick his ego and go across the street.
I expect he was always arrogant. He was a preppie. Preppies are never short on ego, as a rule. A little hubris can do you in.
I keep hearing on TV that David Brat is thought to be such a hottie. You are kidding. What am I missing here?
Does he have a great personality or hidden assets? I sure don’t see it.