GOP Candidates May Be Too Wacky to Deliver a 2010 Upset

The conventional wisdom says the GOP will ride waves of anti-Obama sentiment and Tea Party energy to dramatic victories in November. But looking at how primaries have shaped up, Eugene Robinson foresees another possible narrative emerging from the midterms: "The big political story of the year may turn out to be the consequences of the GOP's foray into extremism and wackiness," he writes for the Washington Post.

Look at Harry Reid, who seemed fated to fall for supporting the Obama agenda—until the GOP nominated Sharron Angle, who openly said the press should "report the news the way we want it to be reported." Or consider the fact that major Republican figures are openly discussing the merits of abolishing the 14th Amendment, or that the Republican candidate for Colorado governor considers bike paths part of a grand UN conspiracy. The party may yet face comeuppance for embracing "utter nonsense," Robinson writes, and "hand victories to Democrats that they frankly might not deserve."