Anyone still doubt the American public is angry with its government?
In a little over a week’s time, three longtime incumbents in Congress have lost primary races, another has been thrown into a June runoff, and top party leaders, including President Barack Obama, are seeing their endorsements ignored.
The trend is bipartisan and remarkable, yet, we worry, it could lead to the further polarization of the nation.
A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that less than 1 in 3 people said they would vote to keep their member of Congress in office. The last time numbers were that low was when Republicans rode discontent to victory in 1994.
In Pennsylvania, party-hopper Sen. Arlen Specter lost his Democratic primary race despite Obama’s backing. Sen. Bob Bennett recently was ousted in Utah’s Republican primary, and Rep. Alan Mollohan lost in West Virginia’s Democratic race.
It’s surprising to see how much control the party establishment has lost. Tea Party-backed candidate Rand Paul beat the party brass’ hand- picked candidate in a GOP Senate primary race in Kentucky. candidate Bill Halter forced Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln into a June runoff.
As a Politico story points out, what once were limited challenges to party power have gone nationwide.
“The old structures that protected incumbent power are weakening,” the analysis goes. “New structures, from partisan news outlets to online social networks, are giving anti-establishment politicians access to two essential elements of effective campaigns: publicity and financial support.”
So what does it mean for Colorado, especially as party activists head to state assemblies this weekend?
For Democrats, it means that appointed Sen. Michael Bennet could continue to struggle with the more liberal members of his party, who supported former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in the caucuses. He could wind up the loser at Saturday’s assembly, but given Colorado’s process, he’d still be alive.
For Republicans, Senate candidate and Tea Party favorite Ken Buck, the Weld County district attorney, will prevail at the assembly, but his chief competitor, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, ducked out of the process and is petitioning onto the ballot.
Norton has been painted as the party insider — not a good thing to be these days — so she’s now strangely trying her best to paint Buck as a “good ol’ boy” insider and suggesting that the party’s nomination process is somehow a “backroom” deal.
Bennet also is gathering petitions to ensure he makes it onto the August primary ballot — should he fail to garner enough votes this weekend. But so far Romanoff’s fundraising has lacked drive, possibly because Bennet took the cue earlier this year and ran to the left to avoid upsetting too many progressives. A big win Saturday could boost Romanoff’s coffers.
It’s exciting to see activists, rather than kingmakers, taking control of the political process. Yet we also hope these candidates, elected in the era of the activist, aren’t solely intent on throwing up legislative roadblocks. The divide in Congress is already too deep and too wide.
