Is the Tea Party Toxic to the GOP?

Image from source, Washington Post

While history is not yet written on the 2010 elections, conventional wisdom and history tell us that it is likely that the GOP will stage a comeback after their 2006 and 2008 defeats.  How strong that comeback will be, and whether or not they can retake control of the House and Senate is still up in the air.  It's depressing, it's infuriating and it's predictable that they'll have more power on November third than they have now.

The news beyond 2010 may be predictable as well.  If the Tea Party gets a large share of the credit for whatever success the GOP achieves, do you really think they're going to disband, "mission accomplished?"  No, they're going to be emboldened.  The roster of nutty candidates that become nutty politicians will have joined the already chock full of nuts Republicans, and the tea baggers will work to get even more of them in there.  And while they're doing this, those Republicans are actually going to have to govern.  Meanwhile, the GOP is demonizing Muslims, gays, immigrants, blacks. . .and on, and on.  Sooner or later, they're going to scare everybody away.  The bad news is, we might have to live through two years of absolutely abysmal times before the Tea Party sinks the GOP.

[Excerpt]

Why the Tea Party is toxic for the GOP

So the "summer of recovery" swelters on, with Democrats sun-blistered, pestered by bottle flies, sand in their swimsuits, water in their ears. Jobless claims increase, Republicans lead the generic congressional ballot, and George W. Bush is six points more popular than President Obama in "front-line" Democratic districts that are most vulnerable to a Republican takeover. . .

Read more at: Washington Post