海角大神

The about the victory of the Tea Party candidate (Christine O鈥橠onnell) over the more moderate Republican candidate (incumbent congressman Mike Castle) in the primary for Delaware鈥檚 open U.S. Senate seat. I agree that it鈥檚 bad news. As Ruth explains:

First, I had thought the silver lining of this election year might be to produce a Senate with a more robust cadre of moderate Republicans. That caucus has pretty much dwindled to the two senators from Maine, with very occasional company from colleagues such as Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and departing Ohio Sen. George Voinovich. It鈥檚 awfully hard for a caucus of two to break with the party鈥�

But not as scary as reason number two: the ripple effect of victories such as O鈥橠onnell鈥檚 on other Republican lawmakers. Republican members of Congress look at races such as those in Utah, Alaska and now Delaware and think: There but for the grace of the Tea Party go I. They will be that much more watchful of protecting their right flank against a primary challenge. They will be that much less likely to take a political risk in the direction of bipartisanship. In this sense, it matters less whether O鈥橠onnell will win the general election 鈥� that doesn鈥檛 seem likely 鈥� than that she won the primary.

The Delaware result might be good news for both Tea Partyers and Democrats. It is not good news for the cause of good government.

That is the irony鈥搕hat the Tea Party movement has become not so much a movement for 鈥済ood government鈥� as a movement for 鈥渟mall government.鈥� Except that when you really listen to what most Tea Party candidates argue for, it鈥檚 not to shrink government by cutting the government鈥檚 largest programs (e.g., Medicare and Social Security). It鈥檚 not to propose cutting any spending that actually benefits any of their voters. In other words, it鈥檚 not to lay out any specific ways they would be able to reduce government spending to the levels that would qualify as 鈥渟mall government鈥� spending. That鈥檚 because most Americans don鈥檛 really want small-government spending, when you get right down to it. Mostly these candidates seem to be promising what most Americans like to fantasize about: small-government taxes (low ones), with big-government spending. Of course, the basic math of that implies we鈥檙e going to be laden with many more years of big-deficits government.

With this early Tea Party victory, I expect candidates are just going to be more afraid of speaking any truth about the need to raise taxes or cut benefits.

So contrary to what these candidates may claim about their being for 鈥渇iscal responsibility,鈥� I expect that whatever campaign slogans, promises, and attacks we hear shouted about during this campaign season leading up to the November general elections, they can be roughly translated as candidates saying to their opponents: 鈥泪 dare you to be fiscally responsible.鈥� The lesson from yesterday鈥檚 election is that that鈥檚 a winning strategy.

So much for 鈥済ood鈥� government.

------------------------------

海角大神 has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link above.