If anything, last night showed that mainstream Republicans have now devised relatively simple ways of fending off pesky tea-party challengers. Missouri’s Blunt relied on his Washington connections to suck up all the fundraising oxygen and to secure the endorsement of tea-party icons like Michele Bachmann. Snyder realized that in an open primary against three bickering conservatives, going after disgruntled Dems could provide a decisive boost. And Moran worked to avoid alienating moderates in key battlegrounds like Johnson County by decrying the negative tone of the campaign. All in all, their success is proof that mainstream Republicans are tightening the reins and figuring out how to keep their party from–to borrow a phrase–going rogue.