Republican Party Must Contend with Its Own Anti-Establishment Wave

Incumbent Republican Utah senator Bob Bennett is having real trouble with his own home state party. Benneet is possibly in danger of losing his party's nomination at the state GOP convention next month, or in a subsequent statewide primary. This is why Bennett has called Mitt Romney to help him out.

If incumbent senator Bennett actually fails to become his party's nominee, it could be proof that there is a real anti-establishment wave hitting the Republican party this year. Late last year, you had Doug Hoffman force the Republican establishment choice, Dede Scozzafava, out of the three-way race in the NY-23 special election. Marco Rubio looks like he will either defeat or force out sitting Republican governor Charlie Crist from the Republican primary for the open Florida senate seat. It was not long ago that Crist was seen as a clear choice to be the party's standard bearer, and a shoe-in for the Florida for the Senate.

Rand Paul is currently polling far ahead of the establishment choice Trey Grayson, who has the backing of Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, in the Kentucky Senate primary. Even John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, is in the middle of a tough primary battle. The most recent Rasmussen Poll has J.D. Hayworth just five points behind McCain. Clearly, McCain is worried and tacking hard to the right in very strange ways on issues like immigration.

What we are seeing could possibly turn into a real anti-establishment war on the Republican side. It is possible that three or four prominent Republican Senate candidates--each one assumed easily on their way to their party's nomination less than a year ago--could all be defeated by insurgent primary challengers.

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