The 2014 Republican primary battle goes to the establishment, such as it is. Here's a chart put together by the Washington Post Fix team, showing which outside groups spent where, and won or lost. The biggest loser is no surprise:
Chris McDaniel pulled a very big, very expensive stinker, there. It's quite gratifying to see that the tea party groups flushed nearly
$5.1 million on McDaniel. That's $5.1 million that won't be spent against Democrats this year (not that they're going to be lacking for funds in the general election). Also gratifying is the $23 million the so-called establishment organizations have spent so far
just in primaries to try to thwart the teabagger candidates that they'd probably end up backing in a general election, anyway. But having their millions turned on one another is pretty much delightful.