Why Obama Should Love the Tea Party

From Ken Davenport, at San Diego Union-Tribune:

Flash forward to Nov. 3, the day after the elections. The Republican Party has just taken over control of the House of Representatives, while gaining significant seats in the Senate and winning state races throughout the country. So who do you think woke up this morning with a smile on his face?

Would you believe President Barack Obama?

It may be counterintuitive, but the best thing that could happen to the Obama presidency would be for Republicans to find themselves in control of Congress. And it’s not for the oft-cited reason that this would force Obama to take a more moderate approach to governing – as the 1994 Republican victory did for Bill Clinton. This president has proved that he is no centrist in the mold of Clinton, and he is unlikely to push himself and the Democratic caucus to find significant common ground with Republicans on taxes, spending and immigration.

Rather, the silver lining for Obama in a Republican victory in November can be found in the 2012 presidential election cycle. Why? Because the tea party movement has galvanized conservatives across the nation and has created a new force that the Republican Party can ill afford to ignore. A recent poll by The Wall Street Journal/NBC News shows that a third of all voters queried now describe themselves as tea party supporters – including 71 percent of self-identified Republicans. Already, the tea party has flexed its muscles in the primary season, leading to the defeat of Republican incumbents and the favored Senate candidates of the Republican establishment in Colorado, Kentucky , New York, Nevada and Delaware. The message has been consistent: Incumbents and candidates who will not pledge to cut spending and reduce both the deficit and the size of government have a fat target on their back.

RTWT.