From AMERICAblog Elections: The Right's Field:
One of the most interesting undertones of the 2012 Republican Presidential primary will be how the Republican establishment pushes back on the Tea Party and retakes control of their party. Tea Party enthusiasm was a big reason Republicans took back the House in 2010. But it's clear that the yokels touting Gadsden flags and protesting getting free healthcare are not the people Republican elites want picking their presidential candidate. As so it's not surprising when you see George Will, one of the most DC-centric establishment conservatives, using his column inches in the Washington Post to attack recent Birther-like statements by Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich as out of bounds. Will makes a reasonable case that this sort of discourse has no place in the Republican primary. But given that Birtherism is a reliable indicator of Republican partisanship, Will is really trying to shut out much of the Tea Party from the selection process and deny them a candidate who speaks their language.
