“By repeatedly passing bills that contradict the identity of Republican voters and of the majority of Republican elected representatives, the Republican leadership has made political orphans of millions of Americans.”(Highlighting Forum’s) — Angelo Codevilla in Forbes
Barbara Comstock, as we have declared many times, is the GOP Establishment favorite to win the April 26 Republican primary election to select that party’s candidate in the November 4 general election for the seat of retiring Representative Frank Wolf.
In her race, Mrs. Comstock has become the Empress of Endorsements by hustling support — not only from many members of the Beltway GOP – but even from a few conservatives who should have done their homework more carefully.
She has, however, shown studied indifference to the Tea Party movement and to grassroots conservatives throughout her district during her primary race.
She touts her own visibility at the 2012 Republican Convention, but she fails to remind us that the dread words “Tea Party” were apparently not authorized to be uttered by the official speakers.
Virginia delegate Comstock, moreover, has not explained why she keeps taking campaign money from gay-marriage and Big Immigration advocate, New York City financier Paul Singer here.
While at least two of her conservative primary opponents have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current House of Representatives leadership, we don’t recall hearing a discouraging word from the good Mrs. Comstock about the Boehner-Cantor Team.
GOP Donors vs. Voters
Last Sunday, National Journal’s Alex Roarty illuminates a Republican schism which is reflected in Comstock’s campaign.
He explains “Why Republican Donors and Voters Don’t Get Along: Even as Democrats attack Republicans for catering to the wealthy, the GOP base is distinctly working-class” here–
“Democrats, who once depended heavily on blue-collar workers, have become increasingly the party of white-collar workers, at least among whites. And as downscale whites leave the Democratic Party, they’ve joined the GOP, whose cultural values often align with their own.
‘Blue-collar whites have been migrating to the Republican Party ever since Ronald Reagan called them Reagan Democrats,’ said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster. ‘It’s a culture that is heavily family based, more small-town and rural. It’s very pro-gun, and very patriotic. We’re talking about a group of folks who see Democratic efforts at gun control as a cultural assault, an attack on their values.’” (Highlighting Forum’s)
Barbara Comstock’s handlers may calculate that if (they would say when) she is nominated, voter dissatisfaction with the Obama Administration is now so high that any plausible Republican will win — even in only an R+2 district like Virginia 10.
But even if only a modest slice of Republican voters feel orphaned by a Comstock nomination, this is a high-risk strategy.
For will Blue Collar voters have confidence that their voices will be heard in the Comstock Circle?