Strategist: "Enthusiasm Gap" Between GOP, Dems

(CBS)  The success in several primary races of far-right candidates backed by Tea Party activists, and the energetic crowd assembled in Washington last Saturday for Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally, indicate an "enthusiasm gap" that portends trouble for Democrats in November, according to a Republic strategist.

Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show" this morning, Dan Bartlett said, "The Tea Party and whoever else assembles with the Tea Party, like they did this weekend, is demonstrating that Republicans in this election cycle coming up in November have that advantage.

"In midterm elections, that is a crucial difference."

Special Section: Campaign 2010

In several primaries so far, Tea Party-backed candidates have unseated Republican establishment candidates in Kentucky, Florida, Utah, and South Carolina. In Alaska's Senate primary, the votes are still being counted but the Tea Party candidate Joe Miller has the edge over incumbent Republican Senator Jill Murkowski.

At Beck's rally, participants said they came "to support conservatism, low taxes, small government."

Another predicted, "That is going to translate to the booth in November."

But if Miller wins the Republican nomination, he may face a tougher fight in the general election, having campaigned on privatizing Social Security. Like other candidates, he may have to tack closer to the center to win.

Bartlett said this morning that the Tea Party activists have been and will continue to be crucial to Republicans for doing "a lot of the hard spade work" like passing out bumpers stickers and putting up yard signs. "That's a critical part of the midterm election," he said."

But more critical to a Republican victory, Bartlett said, is how the anger of Tea Partiers combines with issues that could damage Democrats: a bad economy and Afghanistan. "That is a very toxic combination for Democrats as they go into November, and these Tea Party activists are the ones who are stirring it up," he said.

When asked about the influence of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has campaigned and helped raise funds for several successful Tea Party candidates, Bartlett said she is making her mark in backing primary winners, adding "there's very narrow differences with regards to the number of people who can make the difference."

But he believed her track record as a king- or queenmaker is not easily translatable to her own presidential ambitions.

"I think if you start moving beyond the midterm election and start to try to galvanize a national movement in a presidential election, it's going to be far more difficult for her organizers to have that greater impact," he said.

CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports the crowd at the rally Saturday fell into two categories: Tea Partiers who told her they want to drastically lower taxes, and Christian conservatives calling for a much greater role for religion in public life.

And if Republicans ride a wave of Tea Party enthusiasm back into power this Fall, it's the Tea Party activists to whom they'll have to answer. Ironically, the GOP might find itself in a position similar to one President Obama now faces with his supporters on the left:

"When Republicans get into power, that group of activists could want more from them than they can ever deliver," said CBS News political analyst John Dickerson.


More Coverage of "Restoring Honor" Rally:

Glenn Beck Rally Attracts Estimated 87,000
Sarah Palin at Glenn Beck Rally: "We Must Restore America!"
Al Sharpton Leads Activists Near Tea Partiers
Glenn Beck: "Something Beyond Imagination is Happening"
Glenn Beck's Power to be Tested at D.C. Rally
Tea Party Blogger Accused of Racism in Beck Post
Sharpton: Beck Trying to Hijack Civil Rights Push
Dick Armey: Glenn Beck Is Spreading MLK's Message
Democrat: Glenn Beck Rally "Blatantly Political"
Glenn Beck Rally Will Test Tea Party Strength
Glenn Beck Rally on MLK "Dream" Date Draws Fire
Glenn Beck Rally Continues to Spur Controversy

[dadirt]

What do the Dems have to be happy about. The democratic party has done nothing but spend money on usless programs that feed their supporters. The recession deepens, interests rates are at the bottom, and all we hear in the news is Glen beck hoding a ralley on MLK day, Obama is not a muslim, and his wife is going to campaign for dems. where is the outrage over high unemployment, his late and poor handling of the oil spill, his 6 month delay in getting troups ti afganistan, his around the world appology tour, his allowing Iran to have nuke capability, 19% unemployment and climbing, banks hoarding money, stock market in the craper, and a whole list of other stuff. Do something drive by! The 100 million you get from the dems for campaign money won't last forever.

[superdem1]

I watched some of Glenn Beck's "rally" and it was just an over-the-top religious tent show, it was really nauseating. Jeezus this and Jeezus that - please ! Even the part about Martin Luther King made no sense, it wasn't truthful, the problems of civil rights were presented as just somehow, for no reason at all, black people bravely took to the streets to demand their rights, so now white people should, too. The crowd I saw was overwhelmingly white, the themes were carefully chosen not to offend anyone in the power structure, I never heard anyone explain exactly how American "honor" was destroyed, by whom, when, or why this "honor" needed to be "restored" - it was just a big right wing tea party. Martin Luther King's daughter was impossible to listen to, she acted like she was at some sort of revival. I don't want to hear about religion, I don't want to hear anti-abortion rhetoric. It's too bad these people didn't bring their ugly signs, then we'd see what this was really all about. This was a hoax perpetrated upon the country, to mask what these people really want. The terrible economy was never hung around the Republicans' neck, as it justly must be. There was nothing about this rally that made any sense.

[rightbehind]

Actually republicans are backed into a corner. They know it's almost time for their 1000 years of darkness like ronny raygun said.