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The T ea P arty, S arah P alin, and the 2010 Congressional Elections: The Aftermath of the Election of B arack O bama
Author(s) -
Bullock Charles S.,
Hood M. V.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00923.x
Subject(s) - legislature , theology , psychology , advertising , political science , business , law , philosophy
Objective S arah P alin and the T ea P arty played active roles in endorsing candidates for the U . S . H ouse in 2010; we explore whether they followed different strategies. P alin proved more careful in backing candidates while the decentralized T ea P arty movement often became involved in hopeless causes. Method We analyze the endorsements made by P alin and the T ea P arty in contests involving H ouse seats held by D emocrats going into the 2010 elections. Results We show that P alin and the T ea P arty had different endorsement approaches. Conclusions P alin's endorsements seem to have been guided by more strategic considerations than those from the T ea P arty. The T ea P arty concentrated more on trying to defeat incumbents and especially incumbents who had supported the O bama legislative package with the stimulus bill being a lightning rod for T ea P artiers. P alin proved far more selective in making endorsements and concentrated more on backing challengers likely to unseat D emocrats. Although she endorsed less than half as many races as the T ea P arty, she backed almost as many winners.