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December 2, 2014
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon With its colorful cache of purples and oranges and reds, COLLARD GREEN SLAW is a marvelous mood booster --- not to mention just downright delish
April 18, 2014
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Clarifying one of the greatest philosophical conundrums in theology
John Ericson: Trying hard to be 'positive' but never succeeding? Blame Your Brain
The Kosher Gourmet by Julie Rothman Almondy, flourless torta del re (Italian king's cake), has royal roots, is simple to make, . . . but devour it because it's simply delicious
April 14, 2014
Rabbi Dr Naftali Brawer: Passover frees us from the tyranny of time
Eric Schulzke: First degree: How America really recovered from a murder epidemic
Georgia Lee: When love is not enough: Teaching your kids about the realities of adult relationships
Gordon Pape: How you can tell if your financial adviser is setting you up for potential ruin
Dana Dovey: Up to 500,000 people die each year from hepatitis C-related liver disease. New Treatment Has Over 90% Success Rate
Justin Caba: Eating Watermelon Can Help Control High Blood Pressure
April 11, 2014
Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Silence is much more than golden
Susan Swann: How to value a child for who he is, not just what he does
Susan Scutti: A Simple Blood Test Might Soon Diagnose Cancer
Chris Weller: Have A Slow Metabolism? Let Science Speed It Up For You
April 9, 2014
Jonathan Tobin: Why Did Kerry Lie About Israeli Blame?
Samuel G. Freedman: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau
Jessica Ivins: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau
Matthew Mientka: How Beans, Peas, And Chickpeas Cleanse Bad Cholesterol and Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
April 8, 2014
Dana Dovey: Coffee Drinkers Rejoice! Your Cup Of Joe Can Prevent Death From Liver Disease
Chris Weller: Electric 'Thinking Cap' Puts Your Brain Power Into High Gear
April 4, 2014
Amy Peterson: A life of love: How to build lasting relationships with your children
John Ericson: Older Women: Save Your Heart, Prevent Stroke Don't Drink Diet
John Ericson: Why 50 million Americans will still have spring allergies after taking meds
Sarah Boesveld: Teacher keeps promise to mail thousands of former students letters written by their past selves
April 2, 2014
Dan Barry: Should South Carolina Jews be forced to maintain this chimney built by Germans serving the Nazis?
Frank Clayton: Get happy: 20 scientifically proven happiness activities
Susan Scutti: It's Genetic! Obesity and the 'Carb Breakdown' Gene
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Jewish World Review
April 10, 2014 / 10 Nissan, 5774
The Talk Radio Party
By
Michael Reagan
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
So what does the Tea Party want this fall?
A repeat of 2010, or a repeat of 2012?
The Tea Party succeeded spectacularly in 2010.
Its principled enthusiasm put Republicans back in charge of the House of Representatives and, if the Tea Party hadn't been so stupid in several races, it should have given the GOP control of the Senate.
In 2010 Tea Party favorites Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Mike Lee won primaries and went on to win senate seats in Florida, Kentucky and Utah.
But the Tea Party also won several other Republican primaries with candidates that turned out to be total embarrassments.
Remember Christine O'Donnell in Delaware?
She defeated U.S. Rep. Michael Castle in the GOP primary for an open Senate seat. Then she had to spend all fall explaining to voters why she was not a witch.
Castle would have won that seat in a walk. But O'Donnell was almost laughed out of the state, losing 56-40 and handing Democrats a Senate spot they should never have had.
In 2010 two other shaky Tea Party-backed primary victors, Sharron Angle in Nevada and Ken Buck in Colorado, suffered similar fates in the general election.
In 2012 it was the same dumb story — rousing Tea Party primary victories that thrilled conservative talk-show hosts in May but guaranteed GOP losses in the fall.
Yes, Ted Cruz won big in Texas. But only four of the 16 Senate candidates backed by the Tea Party won in the fall.
It wasn't pretty in 2012.
After the Tea Party primaried GOP incumbent Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana, its candidate Richard Mourdock went on to say some really stupid things about abortion and got his butt whipped in the fall, 50-44.
And of course who can forget the great Todd Akin, the Republican House member from Missouri who was going to defeat Sen. Claire McCaskill -- until he started blathering about "legitimate rape" and his campaign tanked.
Now we're getting ready for 2014 and the Tea Party still hasn't learned how not to shoot itself in both feet. It's still putting up primary candidates who clearly are not ready for primetime --- or any time.
In Texas the Tea Party ran Rep. Steve Stockman in the March primary against sitting Senator John Cornyn.
Stockman, who gave up his House seat and barely campaigned, will be remembered most for giving away barf bags for every $10 contribution.
A few people may have thought that was cute or funny stuff, but all it did was make the Tea Party -- and the GOP -- look incompetent and foolish. Especially when Cronyn won by 58-19 percent.
Then there's Kentucky, where Matt Bevin is the Tea Party candidate challenging incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell in the May 20 primary.
Last week, after he was "caught" speaking at a rally meant to build support for legal cockfighting in the state, Bevin defended himself by saying he was there because it was a state rights rally and he didn't know it was a cockfighting rally.
OK, so he's either lying or really stupid. In either case, he's a lousy candidate and the Tea Party should ask him to do the Free World a favor and quit.
The Tea Party zealots who haven't learned from their mistakes in 2010 and 2012 are trying their best to screw up the GOP's chances to win the Senate this fall.
Where does the Tea Party find these people to run in primaries? Most important, why do they offer them up as legitimate Republican candidates?
The Tea Party bosses have been listening to too much talk radio. They seem to think that what makes a good Republican candidate is someone who sounds like a talk radio host.
But talk radio is all about bombast and attracting callers, not about winning elections.
If Republicans are going to win general elections in 2014 and beyond, we've got to put up principled conservative candidates who sound like senators, congressmen and governors — not kooks.
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Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation.
© 2014, Michael Reagan
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