One of the races that will be on my radar for 2014 is the West Virginia Senate race. Republican Congresscritter Shelley Moore Capito has announced that she will challenge the incumbant Jay Rockefeller for the 2014 election. But Huffington Post reports that the Tea Party group Club For Growth is looking at backing a different candidate. As poopdogcomedy recently explained, Capito being beat in a primary is good news for Demcorats. I wonder if Club For Growth has learned nothing from this election
In a statement on Monday morning, Club for Growth president Chris Chocola pointed to the 2012 losses of Senate candidates who were backed by the GOP establishment and therefore did not face a competitive primary challenge.
"Her candidacy will undoubtedly be cheered by the GOP establishment, and dire warnings will be issued against any 'divisive' primary challenges, lest other candidates hurt Capito's chances of winning," Chocola said. "The problem is that Congresswoman Capito's record looks a whole lot like the establishment candidates who lost this year."
Let's look at the facts: Richard Mourdock was a Tea Party candidate. He beat an establishment Republican in Richard Lugar. Lugar would have been a lock for re-election. And we know that Donnelly stomped Mourdock in the Indiana race for a number of reasons but principally was the creepy "god's will" rape comments. And we all know that Todd Akin was backed by Club For Growth, and he beat more establishment candidates and lost very badly to Claire McCaskill.
Capito would be a strong Republican candidate for a general election. She's pro-choice and strongly tied to coal which is big in West Virginia. Capito is still a Republican though, and so would repeal Obamacare and do all the nasty things that Republicans do. I will be watching this race with interest, but if the Club For Growth follows through and goes someone who is extremely anti-choice, our prospects for 2014 will get better.