Eric Cantor lost his primary election to a Tea Party candidate named David Brat.
The reaction? On one hand we’re happy that very soon we won’t have to hear the smooth, southern gentleman canter of Cantor’s press conference banter… but on the other hand, what does this say about the power of the Tea Party that still exists in pockets of Virginia and around the United States?
In Cantor’s concession speech he was all smiles, but clearly a bit shocked. On the other side, Dave Brat who beat Cantor in this primary election, opened his victory speech by quoting a passage from the Bible.
Now in the general election, Virginia’s 7th district voters have a choice to make between two professors from the same small college. The republican: an economics professor. The democrat: a sociology professor. Imagine the debates!
More importantly, Dave Brat’s win apparently demonstrates the power of the anti-immigration reform debate inside the extreme right wing and what that means for any progress being made until after we have a new president. Most people who want immigration reform are already throwing up their arms in defeat claiming any immigration reform is now impossible because all republicans will be scared that they will lose their own primaries like Cantor just did. Most who want to lock every inch our borders are celebrating the victory.
The primary race was called almost immediately after the polls closed. Eric Cantor lost his seat by double digits. The sitting House Majority Leader lost his seat in Congress to a Tea Party candidate who truly was grass roots. The first time in American history that a majority leader lost his primary… and all because of the word “amnesty”.
The current analysis claims that Eric Cantor lost his seat – in a primary to a virtually unknown tea party republican with very little money – due to the immigration debate that is intensifying among the conservative right wing. The far right in rural areas don’t want to fix the system in any way, they want to kick everyone out. Amnesty is worse than blasphemy. In deeply conservative districts, the only thing a new republican candidate has to mention the word “amnesty”, and then somehow make it stick to their opponent. If they can successfully do that, then they will win primary elections where the voter turn out is traditionally low, and leans more towards the extremes of both political parties. David Brat proved that tonight.
What does Cantor’s loss mean to republican incumbents? Thus far in the mid-term primary season the establishment candidates have all been doing well, but what happened tonight to Eric Cantor will make most of the GOP candidates run like mad away from anything resembling immigration reform.
When looked at throw a larger lens, was Canter’s election loss entirely about immigration, or was it also about Cantor being out of touch? That he was in Washington too long, and voters just wanted someone new? No matter what the combination of causes, all republicans will be running away at full speed from immigration reform because of this one primary election result. Minutes after Cantor’s election loss, all the pundits are pointing to immigration policy being why he lost his seat in Congress.
Who will be the next House Majority Leader in Congress? Paul Ryan? (shudder). I think I’ll miss the dynamic duo of John Boehner and Eric Cantor, and their superhero powers of never getting a darn thing done. Their ability to create immobility was epic, extraordinary. They should have worn matching suits.
To Mr. Dave Brat: now that you have successfully unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, I bid you good luck. I don’t like a single thing about your policy positions, but I take off my hat to what clearly was a very good campaign that kicked Cantor out of Congress. Timing is everything, and Cantor’s canter shouldn’t sweet talk his constituents into another term in Congress. (Poor Eric)
And to the soon-to-be former Congressman, Eric Cantor, fret not: I’m sure you will be making high six figures very soon as a K Street lobbyist.
