Christine O’Donnell’s victory in the Delaware Republican Senate Primary Tuesday night is yet another example of the anti-establishment, anti-incumbency sentiment that has swept up the country this year. The Tea Party-backed, Sarah Palin-endorsed candidate is also symptomatic of another political trend: the shift in a fractured Republican Party toward the far right.

Consider former President Bill Clinton’s assessment of the party this week; he questioned whether former President George W. Bush would fit in the GOP this election cycle. “A lot of their candidates today, they make [Bush] look like a liberal,” Clinton said of the President widely considered by Democrats to be a far right conservative.

If George W. Bush is now considered a moderate, it makes you wonder how other past GOP presidents would hold up by today’s standards? For example, if Ronald Reagan were running for President today, would he be considered too liberal for the Republican nomination? He did, after all, raise taxes.

The political shift in the Party of Lincoln is essentially being fueled by the Tea Party. What started essentially as a reaction against the bailout has turned into a full-fledged movement, driving a wedge between the Republican Party, and pitting the insiders (establishment Republicans) vs. the outsiders (the Tea Party).

In the case of O’Donnell, it was only a month ago that she was a virtual unknown who had little chance of defeating her opponent, Rep. Mike Castle, a nine-term congressman, and former governor of the state. The Tea Party’s support of her candidacy—not to mention the endorsement by Palin—was, like in many other primary upsets, the key ingredient to her stunning victory.

All this came much to the chagrin of her state’s party leaders. They threw their collective weight behind Castle, working fervently to ensure the defeat of his opponent. The reason? GOP leaders viewed the stalwart Republican as the moderate, more electable candidate in the general election, and with good reason—he was favored over the Democratic nominee to win the Senate seat formerly held by Vice President Joe Biden.

On the other hand, O’Donnell has made headlines in the short time she has been because of some controversial stances, including her somewhat extreme views on sex and pornography. Most polls show now O’Donnell trailing by double digits to Democratic challenger Chris Coons. O’Donnell therefore might turn out to be a Republican liability. In an election where Republicans have a chance of taking over both the House and the Senate—every single seat counts.

This election cycle in particular has been especially unkind to incumbents Republicans. Just ask Senator Bob Bennett of Utah, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, or Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada. All three conservative candidates lost their re-election bids to Tea Party candidates who were even more conservative.  

The Tea Party’s anti-bailout, limited-government, less-tax platform has been incredibly effective at mobilizing the unhappy citizens into political participation. It’s not difficult to see why, either. People are angry, and they have good reason to be: the economy is bad, unemployment is rising, the housing market has collapsed, and Wall Street and the automakers are being bailed-out by the taxpayer. The Tea Party has effectively channeled this rage towards the federal government, and given voters an outlet for their frustration. As a result, they have turned once little-heard of Republicans into politically viable candidates, while simultaneously forcing established moderates like Senator John McCain to the right.  

Furthermore, they have also held strong against President Obama and the Democrats on virtually every issue, from health care reform, to immigration reform, and everything in between. The President, who campaigned on a promise of bipartisanship, is now essentially in a political no-man’s land because of the shift: liberals think he’s too moderate, while conservatives think he’s too liberal.

All this, of course, only means more bickering between the parties, and less actual work done at the federal and state levels—the very thing American’s don’t need right now. On the backs of the Tea Party movement, Republicans have gone from the Party of “No”, to the Party of “Hell No!”, as Palin proclaimed earlier this year. No wonder the collective public is so frustrated: there appears to be more fighting than actual work getting done in Washington, D.C. these days.

The fallout may or may not necessarily be felt at the policy level; however, it will surely have a continuing effect on the political discourse in this country, which has become increasingly more vitriolic since Obama took office nearly two years ago. A more volatile political tone is something this country certainly does not need at this time—it’s a lose-lose situation for the American public.

Except for a brief period of time after the September 11 attacks, it is hard to remember a time in the past 25 years when America has not been bitterly divided. This country should not have to experience another horrific tragedy to bring us all together. It would be nice if Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and the Tea Party could find some common ground and work together for the greater good of America.

Reach Editor Tracy Bloom here.

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