Going for the crazy in Utah

I predicted the anti-incumbent backlash in 2004 through 08 but it apparently took until this round to infect the electorate. And I have to admit I didn't really expect it to go viral on the GOP side. I thought it would be progressives that kicked out the establishment Democrats. But it's 18-year GOP incumbent Bob Bennett who got the hook in Utah during their nominating convention.

I'm seeing this played in some places on the internets as a tea party victory, but the winner wasn't the FreedomWorks endorsed candidate Mike Lee. Unknown entrepreneur Tim Bridgewater got the nod. But I guess since the TP crowd came out solidly against Bennett, it could still viewed as a victory of sorts for them.

One thing is clear. Bennett is a very conservative Republican. It appears his only sin was voting for the Bush sponsored TARP bill and sort of working on a bi-partisan health care reform bill that never saw the light of day in the Senate. Apparently straying even an inch off the path of ignorance based outrage is enough to get blackballed by the TEAheads.

The bad news here is even though I'm told Utah has a very weird system for nominating that easily allows a bunch of red-faced ideologues to take control of the process, the lesson the GOP is going to take away from this is pander harder to the TPs. Thinking the crazy we've seen coming from the GOPers so far is going to seem sane in comparison to the months leading into November. Not sure how much more I can take but if your tolerance is high, there's plenty to be found on Memeorandum.

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