Last month Didier, the Eastern Washington farmer and former tight end for the Washington Redskins, said he wouldn’t endorse fellow Republican Rossi in the tight U.S. Senate race unless Rossi agreed to sign pledges that he won’t raise taxes, will vote against any federal spending increases and personally sponsor a measure that would ban the U.S. Supreme Court from declaring that state abortion restrictions are unconstitutional. Rossi refused. Didier finished third in the Aug. 17 primary, with nearly 13 percent of the vote. Rossi got 33.5 percent and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray just over 46 percent…. Mainstream Republicans wish Didier would just shut up. Seems like he’s just started to make noise.
In politics, the losing candidate for a party’s endorsement normally doesn’t get to set the agenda or determine his opponent’s positions going into the general election. Well, that was then, and this is now. Especially when reality is whatever the (in this case losing) Tea Party candidate decides that their reality is what everyone deserves. I know; majority rule is SO 2008….
Clint Didier lost Washington’s GOP Senate primary…quite handily, in fact. Of course, Didier, being the good and faithful teabagger that he is, isn’t about to let mathematics get in the way of advancing his narrow agenda. He’s refusing to endorse Dino Rossi, the GOP candidate who defeated him, unless Rossi essentially adopts Didier’s position on issues.
Memo to Didier: Uh, dude…you LOST. Losing means that only a minority of voters liked your ideas enough to vote for you. That’s what happens when a MAJORITY of voters pulls the lever for the other guy, knowhutimean?? You may think that Washington Republicans care about what you believe in, but you lost the primary…so you don’t get to decide what ideas your opponents advocates to the electorate. I realize that being a member of the Tea Party, you probably believe that you are the source of all knowledge and folksy common sense, but you LOST. Yours is to lead, follow, or get the Hell out of the way. Since you lost decisively, leading is no longer an option. That leaves you with the choice of following or clearing out of Rossi’s way. Of course, I realize that your arrogance as a Tea Party standard-bearer probably gives you an inflated view of your importance…or did you take a few too many shots to the head when you were playing for the Redskins??
