Was Thad Cochran's victory the GOP establishment's most pyrrhic yet?

But what about the general behavior of the Republican establishment in this race?

In theory, the Tea Party vs. Establishment battle is about control of the Republican Party. Here, the “establishment” gained party control by attracting Democrats in what everyone reasonably assumes is a one-off situation. If not for these borrowed voters, Cochran would have easily lost. This is supposed to prove that the Tea Party is feckless and isn’t able to mount serious challenges.

But if the battle for the party is related to members of the party, it’s worth noting that the majority of Republicans who voted in Mississippi voted for the guy who lost the primary.