Orrin Hatch, like his former Utah counterpart Bob Bennett, now faces a June primary to keep his Senate seat for a seventh term. While he may succeed in his primary bid and likely general election run, it was not without, as one news report stated, having to endure the “indignity of calling individual delegates” to the Utah Republican Party’s nominating convention. That’s actually a classic description of one of the chief symptoms of IES: believing it’s beneath you to actually ask voters for their support.
Another symptom is experiencing feelings of immortality — and an accompanying aversion to retirement. The Tea Party, Americans for Prosperity, and the other types of outside groups that contributed to Dick Lugar’s loss did nothing more than take advantage of an opportunity: An opportunity that Lugar, who is 80 years old, himself provided them…
Dick Lugar didn’t lose because of the Tea Party. The Tea Party backed a candidate that could win because Lugar opened the door and invited them in. And the rising tide of polarization in Washington notwithstanding, his loss should give pause to political lifers. Just because you think you’re doing a great job doesn’t mean anyone at home even knows who you are.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member