In case you haven’t heard, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) lost his primary last night in perhaps the most shocking political upset in recent memory.
When an event like this happens, every political commentator wants to add their two cents but an intriguing perspective was given today by Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-Drexel Hill).
“It was a stunner,” Meehan told WPHT’s Chris Stigall. He went on to express his belief that Cantor’s defeat was a signal that voters are frustrated with their elected officials and feel they aren’t paying enough attention to them.
Rep. Meehan also spoke of what will happen in the future now that it appears Congressman Cantor will step down as Majority Leader.
“My suspicion is Eric, himself, will probably step down,” he said. “You will then see a number of our colleagues and there’s good colleagues from all sides. We have a strong group, the Republican Study Committee, which is primarily the conservative group, if they rally around a particular individual; they probably have the votes to at least put somebody high in leadership and I think there’s a readiness and willingness for the entire conference to accept the idea that we would have a strong conservative voice in the leadership.”
Congressman Meehan won his primary unopposed in May. He did not give any indication (few members of the GOP caucus have) of who he might support to replace Rep. Cantor as Majority Leader.
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6 Responses
Cantor’s loss had nothing to do with the tea party as some commentators have suggested. It had to do with the fact that he never went into his district for events, didn’t hold town hall meetings, didn’t answer letters from his district and so forth. You can’t spend that much money and get so few votes unless the people just want someone new. All politics are local, and the reason so many mediocre congressmen get re-elected is they know the art of retail politics and paying attention to the home folks. It almost always gets you enough support to win. Another lesson here is you can’t buy an election no matter how much money you spend.
Ah yes, corners… the 7th District is the District of a million corners. Gerrymandering at its finest.
You basically rewrote Meehan’s press release, and, in the process, told us nothing about Cantor’s successor. Meehan is in office only because of two rounds (2000, 2010) or Republican gerrymandering. He has never distinguished himself as a legislator, and his day will come.
Congressman Meehan,
You need to get out to all corners of your stringy district and meet with us. We have lots of concerns about the direction that our Federal government is taking us.
Squishy Republicans who don’t stand on principles that they claim they support will have trouble generating enthusiasm for the re-election. Working with the other Party is OK so long as the general public isn’t harmed. Many of us believe and the facts show that we are less secure, less free and we are facing economic, moral and security meltdowns. The Constitution and the rule of law is constantly being ignored.
first Cantor, McConnell is next…..the R’s are reaping what they sow
Louie Gohmert!