Since 2011

Gabe Fleisher, Editor-in-Chief

wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com ● wakeuptopolitics.com ● @WakeUp2Politics

THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL

Election Central

Full Results Senate We’ve got to start at the head, and the top Senate

Republican faced a primary challenge Tuesday. Kentucky’s Mitch

McConnell easily fended off tea party challenger Matt Bevin, clobbering

him 60% to 35%. While many of the conservative groups that backed Bevin

quickly endorsed McConnell in a call for unity – including FreedomWorks

and the Senate Conservatives Found – Bevin himself stopped short of

offering a full-throated endorsement to the incumbent. Kentucky Secretary

of State Alison Lundergran Grimes easily won the Democratic primary,

having had no significant primary opponent, setting up a McConnell vs.

Grimes fight this November.

Also, in Georgia, a crowded Republican field fought for the chance to face

Democratic candidate Michelle Nunn. First place went to businessman

David Perdue, the establishment candidate showcasing himself as the

outside in the race, but with 31% of the vote, Perdue failed to avert a runoff.

Rep. Jack Kingston took 26% of the vote, sending him to a close second and

to the July runoff. Perdue and Kingston are seen as the strongest candidates

to protect the seat against Nunn.

Finally, neurosurgeon Monica Wehby won the Oregon Republican primary

for Senate last night, taking 51% of the vote to her closest opponent, state

Rep. Jason Conger’s 37%. Wehby had been expected to win the primary,

despite recent stories reporting her stalking an ex-boyfriend. She is seen as

strong candidate, but will have an uphill battle in the Democratic-trending

state.

Governor State Rep. Dennis Richardson took 66% of the vote in the Oregon

Republican gubernatorial primary, setting up a general election fight with

sitting Gov. John Kitzhaber. The incumbent, who easily won his primary

Tuesday, has the advantage over Richardson in deep blue Oregon, but could

be hurt by the bad Obamacare rollout in his state.

House One more Republican House primary proved the dominance of the

GOP establishment Tuesday, with Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson defeating

challenger Bryan Smith. Bryan received support from Club for Growth, and

other group’s intent on sinking Simpson. But, the incumbent’s staggering

fundraising from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was no match for the tea

party.

Takeaway: Another Great Night for the GOP Establishment Six states

went to the polls yesterday in the closest thing we’ll get to a “Super

Tuesday” for the midterm cycle, and the one thing to be taken away from it:

the establishment has won again.

Four years ago, with anti-incumbent fever high, Republicans responded to

their disappointment in Washington, and in primary after primary, replaced

old, white “Washington” establishment figures with young, insurgent

candidates of their own. The Tea Party was born.

Tuesday was just another example of the establishment’s return, as every

GOP incumbent in all six states fended off primary challenges, and now, just

a toddler, the Tea Party may be dying.

The insurgent wing of the party will still be a force to be reckoned in the

GOP for future elections, but when it comes to candidates, the tea party

seems to have run dry. There will be a few more chances for the

conservatives to prove themselves this cycle, but already numerous chances

to attack incumbents in the House and Senate have disappeared, with

establishment candidates winning in open races too. 2014 may just go down

as the near-death of the Tea Party.

In other words, Tuesday’s results sent the tea party to its deathbed, and if

they fail to win key primaries down the road this cycle, the movement may

never again get up.

White House Watch

The President’s Schedule At 11 AM, President Obama will sign off on the

credentials for a number of ambassadors to begin service in Washington.

At 2:10 PM, Obama will honor the 2013 Super Bowl champion Seattle

Seahawks in the East Room.

At 4:10, he will head to the Interior Department, to create the Organ

Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

Also today, President Obama sits down with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric

Shinseki and his deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors, who Obama assigned to

assist Shinseki on the veterans health scandal.

Question of the Day

More on Monday’s Question Yesterday, I forgot to credit @CRCStLouis

for answering the trivia question via Twitter.

Also, to learn more about the answer: check out my blog post on counting

President here.