On one side are pragmatists like Mr. Cornyn who insist that uncompromising conservatives aren’t good bets to win swing states. On the other are purists like Mr. DeMint who want to field as many conservatives as possible to recapture the public’s trust at a moment when faith in government is at low ebb.
History suggests Mr. Cornyn’s approach is a safer bet. But recent polls suggest that in a number of states this year, the purist conservative could defeat the Democrat in the general election.
Mr. DeMint is deploying his Senate Conservatives Fund as a counterweight to Mr. Cornyn’s National Republican Senatorial Committee, pushing antiestablishment GOP candidates in Florida, California and Colorado…
Mr. DeMint says he has promised his colleague fair warning before endorsing insurgent Republican candidates. He also says he wouldn’t back third-party candidates, except as a last resort.
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