Payback Time for Eric Cantor

Many political observers have suggested that Eric Cantor's Republican primary loss last week signified a Tea Party resurgence;   that Mr.  Cantor lost because "he wasn't conservative enough".   Yet he was a seven-term incumbent.  But until last week,  he'd never faced any serious primary opposition.

Dave Brat,  the congressman's Tea Party-backed primary opponent hammered away at the mainstream Republicans whose interests Mr.  Cantor clearly represented.   Mr. Brat even went so far as to invoke a mantra most often cited by populist-progressives:  "Mainstream Republicans (including Mr. Cantor) pay too much attention to  Wall Street and not enough attention to Main Street."  This perception really seemed to resonate  among his constituents,  and for good reason.  They believed that they were being taken for granted.  Their congressman was focused on being House Majority Leader and a conservative "young gun" with unbridled ambition.   He didn't give a damn about them,  and they knew it.  Their antipathy toward their self-anointed "young gun" was so intense that he couldn't even buy the election with a $5 million war chest!  By contrast,  Mr.  Brat's campaign invested only $230,000,  with no help from the Tea party poobahs.

Eric Cantor's voting record shouldn't lead anyone to believe that "he wasn't conservative enough".   Here's why:

- He's been unswervingly anti-women's choice.
- He's consistently voted against all forms of economic aid
   to struggling families,  as well as job stimulus measures.
- He's steadfastly opposed nearly all proposals
   for maintaining or strengthening the social safety net,
   including access to affordable health care.

And that's just scratching the surface.  So,  for iron-bound conservatives,  what's not to love?

Come to think of it,  there was one major fly in the ointment. True Tea-Partiers like Dave Brat hate "big government".   Eric Cantor,  Mitt Romney,  and other mainstream Republicans seem to believe that government does have a mission.  What is that mission?  To protect the interests of Corporate America and its uber-wealthy beneficiaries.  Which is why Mr. Cantor ultimately voted to raise the debt ceiling at zero hour.

So what really distinguishes true Tea-Partiers from mainstream Republicans?   As far as I can tell,  it's just one item:  The mainstream Republicans'  overarching arrogance and sense of entitlement.    

Maybe --- eventually --- some --- well,  perhaps just a few of those Tea Party folks will wake up and smell the coffee,  and realize that they've been getting punked.

That seems to be what happened in Virginia's 7th District last week.