Tea partiers seeing Perry's big win as a good omen

Mrs. Medina, who never held elected office before, did manage to get an extraordinary 20 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, in which Democrats and independents were allowed to cast ballots. However, Mr. Perry apparently received the bulk of the tea-party vote, and he and Mrs. Medina racked up more than 70 percent of the votes cast in the primary…

Added Republican presidential campaign adviser Paul Erickson: “The lesson to future GOP primary candidates this year is simple: Fiscal conservatism rules the day. On matters of spending, look to your left and to your right – if you see anyone to your right, move or die.”…

“A third party is not a practical option,” veteran California Republican consultant Sal Russo told The Washington Times. “The tea-party movement is focused solely on economic and government reform issues, which make it a powerful movement, but not a political party. It can effectively change the politics in the country by being the deciding factor in the upcoming election in 2010 and then in the presidential election in 2012.”