Tennessee State GOP facing Teahadist Insurgency

Really for the first time since reconstruction the GOP is firmly in control of all branches of government in Tennessee.  Of course, today's GOP looks nothing like the radical republicans of the reconstruction era as the old time GOP was really concerned about expanding voting rights while today's GOP takes the opposite approach preferring to limit access to the ballot for poor folks, young folks, elderly folks and minority folks. Things change I guess.

So with total control of the government in hand you'd think all would be good for the state GOP.  And it is for the most part with the exception of a nascent emerging Teahadist fueled insurgency:

Tennessee Republicans are looking to tighten their grip on state government in the Nov. 6 general election by winning an even larger legislative majority than they’ve enjoyed the last two years. 

But party leaders, particularly in the House, say a first priority is to ensure that members of their caucus survive challenges in the Aug. 2 primary. 

House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick and Caucus Chairwoman Debra Maggart both say incumbents winning primaries is a prime concern. In McCormick’s words, incumbents deserve to be “rewarded on election day” for responsibly governing since they began dominating state politics two years ago. 

“Certainly, we want our incumbents to win,” said the Chattanooga Republican. ...Maggart sees it as her unwavering responsibility to ensure sitting lawmakers get their jobs back next year. And she faces her own tough re-election challenge against Courtney Rogers of Goodlettsville, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. 

...But while GOP legislative leaders say they see it as their rightful role to protect the already-in crowd, some prominent outsiders who speak for constituencies typically seen as leaning Republican argue that in reality, principles ought to take precedence over the power of incumbency. 

The automatic impulse to protect incumbents is rarely the answer — and more often likely part of the problem, argues Ben Cunningham, spokesman of Tennessee Tax Revolt and a founder of the Nashville Tea Party. 

“People tend to stay in office far too long and have a sense of entitlement about being re-elected, and that tends to be reinforced by the reality,” Cunningham told TNReport this week.
He said anytime voters can get candidate variety and real ballot-booth choices, it is rarely a bad thing. 

“I think that’s one thing most Tea Party people have in common — that we tend to be skeptical of the sense of entitlement that comes with long-term incumbency,” Cunningham said. “I simply don’t feel any loyalty to someone because they’re an incumbent.” 

In the primary election this summer, 21 House Republican incumbents face off against GOP challengers who say they better represent the party’s values or are better suited for the job than the sitting state rep. Four GOP state senators have primary opponents.

To the extent that Teahadist Candidates more closely reflect the mood of the GOP base, I think that a Teahadist would be a better fit for the party. If the GOP is going to play full metal wingnut in the public sphere, why should the hardest core loons around sit on the sidelines and bow down to their establishment betters?  Answer: they should not because it is elitist.  They should rise up and take control.