Outside the Beltway

An NBC analysis shows Tea Party candidates winning only 5 of 10 Senate races and 40 of 130 House races, a success rate of only 32 percent.

Last night’s election results stand as a mixed verdict on the Tea party and its impact on the Republican Party.

The enthusiasm for Tea Party candidates likely helped the House Republican wave. But it also likely cost the GOP four Senate seats that it would otherwise have won — and thus the majority.

Senator DeMint provides the basic answers to my Tea Party/GOP questions from earlier today.

Who are the Tea Party candidates and who will be the Tea Party office holders?

National Republicans are reportedly abandoning Joe Miller’s Senate campaign at the last minute out of fear that only Lisa Murkowski can stop Alaska’s Senate seat from falling into Democratic hands. That could have a serious impact down the road for relations between inside-the-beltway Republicans and the Tea Party.

We’ve been talking about the 2010 elections since, oh, the day after the 2008 elections.   Now, it’s time for final predictions.

Jack Conway’s “Aqua Buddha” ad has come back to haunt him in the polls, and may become the act that seals his fate on Election Day.

The Tea Party movement doesn’t seem to have a coherent view on foreign policy. Which means that a Tea Party victory will just mean more of the same Republican neo-conservatism.

Sarah Palin is causing headaches among fellow Republicans regarding her 2010 endorsement activities.

If you’re looking for negative campaigning, personal insults, and all the other things that make American politics fun, look no further than Kentucky.

Polls show the Republicans easily retaking the House but falling short in the Senate. But 2006 showed us that wave elections can produce shocking outcomes.

Politicians are, by definition, a bit abnormal. However, this year we seem to have more than our fair share of the truly odd.

If the Republicans win back Congress in November, it will be largely unearned. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no incentive for change in American politics.

Thomas Friedman engages in some early speculation about a serious third party presidential run. As usual, such speculation ignores the basic structures of American politics.

A newly released poll on the Kentucky Senate race may not be an accurate measure of what’s actually going on in that race.

Jack Conway is now only 2 points behind Tea Party favorite Rand Paul.

Christine O’Donnell’s victory in Delaware Tuesday has made it less likely that the GOP will be able to take control of the Senate, but they still have an excellent shot of making substantial gains that will transform Congress’s Upper House.

Sarah Palin had a very good track record in her primary season endorsements, but it’s not at all clear that she will have much of an impact on the 2010 General Election.

At least one Christine O’Donnell supporter thinks that Republicans who aren’t jumping on are bandwagon are doing so because of her gender.

The Delaware GOP now has, according to Nate Silver, a 17% chance of winning the Senate seat.

It would appear that the Pauls have different views on Park51.

Rand Paul is apparently taking heat from some of his more socially conservative supporters after FEC reports indicate he received a donation from the owner of an Adult web site. People need to get a life.

Rand Paul’s initial mis-steps after winning the Republican primary seem to be largely behind him.

The results of last night’s Colorado Senate primaries should be causing Democrats to worry.

As the campaign in Kentucky heats up for the final sprint to November, Rand Paul seems to have succeeded in moving beyond many of the mis-steps that plagued him three months ago.

A growing number of conservatives are in dismay about the state of their movement.

American Conservatism has changed significantly since the days of William F. Buckley Jr. One former National Review editor says that it’s changed for the worse.

Some Republicans in Congress are worried they won’t be able to control the future Congressmen and Senators that the Tea Party might be sending to Washington.

More Politics 101 for Rand Paul.

One year ago today, Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska after only 2 1/2 years in office.

Man running for United States Senate shocked to learn that he has to be careful what he says.

“Endorsed by Sarah Palin” could become something that Democrats start using in negative campaign commercials.