The first primary in the nation didn't produce very positive results for the Democrats, any way you look at the numbers.
1.Despite the fact that the the only competitive state wide races were all on the Democratic side, more Texans voted in the Republican primary (final numbers will likely be around 700,000 on the Republican side and around 550,000 on the Democratic side). To be sure, much of the state has become Republican, and most of the competitive local primaries were probably on the Republican side.
2.Party backed Democratic U.S Senate Candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky was forced into a runoff against perennial fringe candidate Gene Kelly. I don't know what happened here, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't expected.
3.The Ciro Rodriguez/Henry Cuellar thing, which is being discussed elsewhere.
4.Two 'fighting Democrats' went down to defeat against non military candidates. These are the only two 'fighting Democrats' who faced competitive primaries against non military candidates. Duane Shaw, a Navy Veteran, narrowly lost to Roger Owen, a swimming pool contractor, in the 1st district and David Murff, an Army Veteran, lost by a two to one margin against Jim Henley. Mr. Henley, a former Baptist Pastor however, might be a member of the 'religious Democrats' band that has also gotten together for this cycle.
In the 10th District, two 'fighting Democrats' are heading to a runoff.
I'd have to say though, based on this one state, that there is little evidence that the 'fighting Democrats' brand has much resinence outside of the internet. Of course, on the other side, the 'Fighting Republican" Van Taylor (an Iraqi War Vet) won his primary. This suggests to me, that, either, an Iraqi War Vet has more impact than 'just' a person who served in the military, or that Republicans are simply better at making use of 'patriotism' for political purposes.