TEA-Nami Downcast as ONLY an Electoral Tidal Wave

So much of electoral politics involve playing the expectation game.  Candidates want to peak right at the election.  Negative ads and last minute negative news leaks can be crafted to depress turnout and dispirit the opposition.  Now that we are (mostly) post election, political punits are trying to characterize the results to correspond with their favored narratives.

Before the electoral wave crested, anti-incumbent Tea Party partisans hoped that the results would be a TEA-nami.  As the results rolled in the Red Tide filled in House seats across the map. There were significant Republican gains for Republicans in Governors mansions. The Republicans picked up at least five additional seats in the United States Senate, which fell several seats short of control.

Now the battle is for the public mind.  The Lamestream Media can stack stories of hard fought and retention of Democrat seats, like Senator Boxer (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Elect John Manchin (D-WV).  Of course Gov. Elect Jerry Brown’s (D-CA) convincing victory for the Sacramental statehouse meriting strong mentioning.

But the Lamestream Media made some odd post election story choices.   Even though Senator Elect Chris Coons (D-DE) won by 17% to retain the Senate Seat in the First State, it was Republican challenger Christine O’Donnell, and not the winner Coons, who was still interviewed in the media the day after.  That is contrary to common sense, unless you understand it as directing the public’s perception of the overall outcome.  O’Donnell was a Tea Party Express favorite who was an unpolished politician who got savaged as a witch.  By continuing to focus on O’Donnell, it drives the narrative that the Tea Party’s influence was fringe and minimal, despite their incredible successes in the lower chamber.

There will be a lot of spin and commentary over the next couple of weeks to make sense of the Voice of the People as expressed in the Midterm Elections.  But due to the important issues looming over the Lame Duck Congressional Session (FY 2011 budget, Democrats possibly rushing through amnesty, card check and Cap & Trade before they lose power in both Houses of Congress) we will find out where they truly stand soon enough.