At the Washington Republican Convention at Vancouver, it's the establishment over here, and the Tea Party people over there. The twain meet only erratically, it seems.
This might, in theory, have been a moment for unification and coming together, notably in the Senate campaign which features - as the two apparent leaders - former gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi and former football player Clint Didier. Rossi was the hard-get for the establishment, the guy people in both Washingtons' Republican leadership council wanted as standard bearer against Democrat Patty Murray. Didier is the Tea Party guy, matching up well in mood and rhetoric to what they're looking for. He even interrupted his weekend for a quick meeting with former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who may have ticked off Tea Party people elsewhere but still seems in good graces among those in Washington.
So the Tea Party appeared, according to a range of accounts, to be much more happy with Didier. And when both major candidates spoke to the Tea people, you get things like this (as reported in the Everett Herald):
Where Rossi avoided direct answers to most of the questions, Didier didn’t, and his answers were what they wanted to hear.
For example, on whether each backed Arizona’s controversial law dealing with immigrants, Rossi responded that the nation needs a “tall fence and high gate†to deal with those crossing into the country illegally.
Didier simply said, “Yes ma’am, I am 100 percent behind it.â€
The Washington primary election won't, of course, result in a party nominee - just two candidates who go on to November. Those two, presumably, will be Murray and Rossi. What it won't do is give closure to some of the Didier people who may wonder how many non-Republicans, or RINOs, sent Rossi on his way to the fall.