Brat: Don't Call Me A Tea Partier

[Howey]

This isn't going to go over well. The tea party's already in fits over their losses yesterday. I'm afraid they will suffer a complete meltdown after this.

In an interview Wednesday with the Washington Examiner, Brat explained he feels his success in the primary proves he has a broader appeal.

"The national media is way too interested in trying to put people into little cubbyholes, and it looks like from the results of the vote I didn't belong in a little cubbyhole," Brat told he Examiner. "They're trying to have their nice little jockeying, gamesmanship-type columns, 'Dave the Tea Partier,' but the evidence shows we surpassed our goals by a tremendous margin."

Brat admitted he had strong tea party and grassroots support, but he said he ran on the “Republican creed.”

“I ran on Republican principles, and those principles are what matter,” he said.

 

[g5000]

Brat gives off a very strong Libertarian vibe.

As for wide appeal, there were 36,110 votes cast for Brat in the primary. Compare that to 222,983 votes cast for Cantor in the 2012 general election.


The Democratic candidate for Virginia's 7th district, Dr. Jack Trammel, was chosen by party committee.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Told you so.

He fooled the TP.

Yes, he is far more libertarian than Cantor.

 

[g5000]

Brat is already behaving like a politician. Appeal to the extremes of the party to win the primary, then rush to the middle to appeal to the broader populace for the general election.

This guy is going to go far.

 

[bendog]

Yeah he does have a libertarian look. And I read there's some aspect of religious ethics in his economic views. I'm looking forward to learning more about him.

 

[Peach]

Cantor called him a "liberal"

 

[g5000]

Cantor called him a "liberal"

Cantor's campaign manufactured a lot of bullshit about Brat. It's the GOP way these days.

 

[tinydancer]

What's to be upset about? He doesn't want to be pigeonholed. I like him. Levin had him on numerous times and I found him intelligent, thoughtful, careful and considerate. Very well spoken and forthright in manner.

There's nothing to ruffle one feather in what he said.

 

[tinydancer]

Brat is already behaving like a politician. Appeal to the extremes of the party to win the primary, then rush to the middle to appeal to the broader populace for the general election.

This guy is going to go far.

He never ran to any extremes to win the primary whatsoever. If anyone was running willy nilly all over the place doing the hokey pokey I'm the man you can trust in the middle dance it was Cantor.

And of course the electorate saw right thru that.

Brat ran the type of campaign I wish others on both sides would. He refrained from attacks although he threw back at Cantor when he needed to.

And he stuck to the issues and presented himself as someone his electorate could have faith that he would be working for them as compared to Cantor who was rejected because Cantor began working only for Cantor trying to climb the ladder in the GOP.

 

[Politico]

The TPers served their purpose. Now he's moving on.

 

[Peach]

The TPers served their purpose. Now he's moving on.

Yes, thinking of homesteading in DC......

 

[g5000]

Brat is already behaving like a politician. Appeal to the extremes of the party to win the primary, then rush to the middle to appeal to the broader populace for the general election.

This guy is going to go far.

He never ran to any extremes to win the primary whatsoever.

He pounded on the immigrant amnesty issue. It was one of his core speech components.

 

[g5000]

The TPers served their purpose. Now he's moving on.

If he is hardcore Libertarian, and he sounds like he is, he will not betray his principles. Like 'em or hate 'em, Libertarians are zealots when it comes to their principles.

That is not always a bad thing. In fact, these days it is damned refreshing as long as the person isn't a maniac.

The GOP completely abdicated their principles long ago. Big budgets, big government, big police state. That's the GOP of today. They could use a ball-kicker or two to whip them back into shape.

 

[Stephanie]

and, doesn't he have that right?

 

[g5000]

The TPers served their purpose. Now he's moving on.

Yes, thinking of homesteading in DC......

He has said he will impose his own term limit on himself. How long that is, I don't know. He didn't say. But he has said Congressmen should serve no more than 12 years, so that is probably what he meant.