Wingnuts’ identity crisis: Why far-right activists are driving the political pros mad

[xchrom]

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/13/wingnuts_identity_crisis_why_far_right_activists_are_driving_the_political_pros_mad/



***SNIP

These conservative movement professionals understand power and how to use it, whether in the minority or the majority. In fact, they are as effective in the former as they are in the latter. They don’t choose candidates who can “win” simply for the sake of winning. They are building their hardcore conservative faction within the Congress. That’s their point of leverage within the party and it’s from that leverage their power derives.

Take, for example, the various shows of strength we’ve seen over the past couple of years as they managed to hold the debt ceiling hostage, force through draconian spending cuts at exactly the wrong time and even shut down the government. The political establishment would have preferred to cut deals more quietly, maybe get a little earmark taste for a few die-hards, keep things a bit more civilized. But the radical right faction in the House flexed its muscle and insured the party would dance to its tune. That’s serious political power and it’s not something that comes about from foolishly allowing the rubes to pull the levers.

These movement professionals don’t need to win races to exert their influence. They only need to scare incumbents and establishment pols into doing their bidding. They would prefer that their candidates, win or lose, aren’t badly vetted grass-roots kooks like Todd Akin or Christine O’Donnell, if they can help it. What they prefer are far-right radicals who don’t look too crazy. People like themselves — professionals.

It’s fine for a Tea Partyer to run around the mall dressed up like Martha Washington spouting platitudes about freedom. But in order to please the right people (the Big Money Boyz) and get the job done (cut those taxes) the candidates need to be able to tell the difference between playing to the rubes and getting down to business. There is a whole lot of money at stake — for the political pros especially — so it’s important that they make those choices as much as possible. Democracy is just another product for these people.