See Also: US media on primary election results
US media commentators consider the results of Tuesday's primary elections in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Oregon and a special House election in Pennsylvania.
, weighs in on voters choosing outsiders over insiders:
"Future implications could be huge. Candidates like Paul and Rep. Joe Sestak, who defeated White House-backed Specter, owe little or nothing to their parties. Coalition building, already a lost art in Capitol Hill, could become tougher if more candidates come to Washington as insurgent free agents. Big-monied special interest groups could recruit and fund candidates, the domain of a strong Democratic and Republican parties."
that winners of the primary election may be greeted by more experienced candidates in the general election:
"The primary winners may not be the strongest candidates going into the November general election, political specialists said. Primary voters tend to be party activists; general election voters draw from a broader pool that may favor a more moderate candidate. And while establishment candidates are an unappealing choice for many primary voters, they often have better campaign apparatus and experience. That gives veteran candidates an edge, especially in traditionally low-turnout mid-term elections, when get-out-the-vote efforts can make the difference between victory and defeat."
question whether either party came away victorious:
"Yes, Specter's ouster did come at the hands of a real Democrat, Joe Sestak, who defied the White House's wishes."But here's what Tuesday really means: Both parties took it in the ear. Nationally.
"American voters are, for lack of a polite p-word, mad as hell and they're gonna dump on any incumbents they can find. (Can you say Harry Reid? Barbara Boxer?)"
whether the outcome of the elections means Republicans will take control come November:
"Democrats remain on the defensive heading toward November, in large part because of divisions over Obama's agenda, the high jobless rate and the size of the federal budget deficit. The Kentucky race underscored the energy of anti-government conservatives who intend to shake up the capital. But the results in Pennsylvania's special House election will raise questions about whether Republicans will be able to take control of the House in November, as many of their leaders have predicted."
on the anti-incumbent mood amid changes in political campaigning:
"This is a stark and potentially durable change in politics. The old structures that protected incumbent power are weakening. New structures, from partisan news outlets to online social networks, are giving anti-establishment politicians access to two essential elements of effective campaigns: publicity and financial support."
, attempts to sum up the primary elections in one sentence:
"This is how it goes in 2010 at the ballot box: old orders are upended, political lions become roadkill, chosen successors get left behind and the outsider, riding a wave of discontent, becomes the new front-runner."In quick succession Tuesday night, the jittery inhabitants of Washington's marble halls found three more reasons to worry about their staying power."
