Elections Validate Tea Bagger Movement as Republican

Assessing tea bagger influence on the election can be a hairy thing. Since there is no real central organization to link tea bagger candidates to, the task is more often than not a guessing game. Does a candidate that merely acknowledges the tea bagger movement like Tim Griffin in Arkansas really count as a tea bagger candidate?  That's one of the many problems when trying to decipher what's going on in the electorate.

Just for fun, I say let anyone who wants to be equated with the tea bagger crowd have it.  Whether or not they swear allegiance to it is beside the point.  If, for example, Griffin in Arkansas wants to be known as a tea bagger then more power to him.  It's his choice.  I see no point in making lists judging just how tea baggers fared in this year's elections.  Why?  Because in every case, every single campaign in the country, the person running as a tea bagger ran as a Republican.  They ran not on the ticket of the Tea Party.  Not as a candidate nominated by a third movement political organization.  Oh no, not at all.  Every single one ran as a Republican; belonged to the Republican Party; and will caucus with the GOP in January. 

This election validates everything I've been saying about the tea bagger crowd since day one.  They are Republicans.  They are people who voted for George Bush twice that are mad a Republican is not still president.  They are simply the motivated faction of the GOP.  There's nothing wrong with that.  I'm not belittling them.  But there's no evidence to suggest that they are part of a separate movement brought about by a classical understanding of our nation.  They are Republicans plain and simple.  They run as Republicans.  They vote Republican.  In every factual scenario where reality takes place, if you vote, caucus, and belong to the Republican Party you're a Republican.