Posts Tagged ‘bob bennett’

I’ve talked a bit about Rand Paul and the education he is getting now that he is the republican candidate for Senate instead of a Republican gadfly. It is an education that I was surprised he needed to get (although in fairness Mr. Dukakis Paul did make his own problems) but he is learning fast.

With the defeat of Bob Bennett we are now seeing the other side of the coin as the excellent Jay Nordlinger reminds us:

You know Sen. Bob Bennett, the Utah Republican who has been pushed aside by more sparky conservatives? You know all the good press — good liberal press — that Bennett is getting now? About how sensible and decent and patriotic he is? Such an admirable legislator? Do you remember Bennett’s ever getting such press, before he was upended by his fellow conservatives in Utah?

I don’t either.

Of course he doesn’t, as long as Bob Bennett allows the media to paint the tea parties and republicans as unreasonable ideologues he will be lionized by the press. If he had won the nomination he would just be another evil republican and worth ignoring.

Watch him become a regular commentator/guest any time the networks want to attack the tea parties.

The Washington Post blog reports that Bob Bennett has been defeated in Utah:

Bennett was defeated there as Lee, a former counsel to popular former Gov. Jon Huntsman, and Bridgewater who had lost two races against Rep. Jim Matheson (D), advanced to the final ballot.

Bennett’s defeat marks the first time a sitting Senator has lost in an intraparty fight since 2006 when Sen. Joe Lieberman was ousted by wealthy businessman Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary. Lieberman went on to run and win as an independent; under state law Bennett cannot pursue that course.

Any republican who thinks that business as usual will be acceptable after a November win had better take a long hard look at that Utah result.