On Tuesday, June 10, an unknown Tea Party candidate, Dave Brat, defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a primary election. This was the best thing that could have happened for democratic challenger, Jack Trammell. Up until now, there was little hope of a victory in the district, simply because it's much more difficult to beat an incumbent than an unknown candidate, in any election.
The Virginia primary election was decided by a very small minority of the electorate, in a low turn-out primary election. The tea party's defeat of Cantor during the primary could help ensure a win for democrats in November. The most recent polls show that support for the tea party has plummeted since 2010, reaching an all time low, even among republicans.
Just last week Gallup released a new poll showing that most republicans do not support the tea party. So while Cantor's former district may be solidly republican, that fact may have little bearing on whether or not the district will support a hard right, tea party candidate. Moderate republican voters will be faced with a choice, support a democratic candidate, or support a tea party candidate. The fact that many republicans feel the tea party is destroying the republican party itself, makes it hard to predict which of the two 'evils' (in their minds) they will choose.
To make the race even more interesting, according to CNN Trammell and tea party candidate Dave Brat are both professors and they both teach at the same liberal arts college. Trammell teaches disability studies and is also the director of Disability Services at Randolph-Macon College, in Virginia.
Where Trammell formerly worked for Bill Clinton's election campaign in Kentucky, Brat has no previous political experience, whatsoever. Additionally, Brat's hard right political views are a stark contrast to those of Trammell.
Brat has already made it very clear that he will do nothing to support the federal government, a stance held by most tea party obstructionists in Washington, and one that an overwhelming majority of Americans are tired of.
Trammell seems well aware of the fact that voters are tired of the do nothing's in Congress. In a public statement made shortly after Brat won the GOP nomination Trammell said:
He went on to say that he views the results of the GOP primary election as proof of that.
Aside from his teaching position, Trammell is the owner of a small farm, and the father of seven children. He's also the author of nearly two dozen different books, on a variety of subjects, and a former Washington Times columnist.
Here's a link to Tammell's facebook page, Jack Tammell for Congress, which already has nearly 12,000 followers. No doubt Tammell will be getting support from around the country, as he seeks to claim the House seat occupied by Eric Cantor, one of the country's most despised elected officials.
Just last week Gallup released a new poll showing that most republicans do not support the tea party. So while Cantor's former district may be solidly republican, that fact may have little bearing on whether or not the district will support a hard right, tea party candidate. Moderate republican voters will be faced with a choice, support a democratic candidate, or support a tea party candidate. The fact that many republicans feel the tea party is destroying the republican party itself, makes it hard to predict which of the two 'evils' (in their minds) they will choose.
To make the race even more interesting, according to CNN Trammell and tea party candidate Dave Brat are both professors and they both teach at the same liberal arts college. Trammell teaches disability studies and is also the director of Disability Services at Randolph-Macon College, in Virginia.
Where Trammell formerly worked for Bill Clinton's election campaign in Kentucky, Brat has no previous political experience, whatsoever. Additionally, Brat's hard right political views are a stark contrast to those of Trammell.
Brat has already made it very clear that he will do nothing to support the federal government, a stance held by most tea party obstructionists in Washington, and one that an overwhelming majority of Americans are tired of.
Trammell seems well aware of the fact that voters are tired of the do nothing's in Congress. In a public statement made shortly after Brat won the GOP nomination Trammell said:
"I am running because I believe Virginians are hungry for a radical change from the dysfunctional and reckless politics being practiced by those in Congress."
He went on to say that he views the results of the GOP primary election as proof of that.
Aside from his teaching position, Trammell is the owner of a small farm, and the father of seven children. He's also the author of nearly two dozen different books, on a variety of subjects, and a former Washington Times columnist.
Here's a link to Tammell's facebook page, Jack Tammell for Congress, which already has nearly 12,000 followers. No doubt Tammell will be getting support from around the country, as he seeks to claim the House seat occupied by Eric Cantor, one of the country's most despised elected officials.
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| image credit Jack Trammell for Congress on facebook |
Yup. Thanks Ranter for the link. This is gonna be good.
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