David Brooks
9/17/2010

Brooks says there is no evidence to support the theory that the Republican Party’s sharp movement to the right is hurting its prospects this year. The Tea Party’s success has not changed moderates’ perceptions generally, and rolls in both parties have surged. This doesn’t mean the damage won’t be done in the future, however. He cites the Tea Party’s use of radicalism and picking up “the worst excesses of modern American culture.” However, moderates are not flocking to the extremes and the fall election prospects are still dynamic. Democrats may be handing both parties an unearned victory based on the economy.

Brooks is a New York Times columnist.

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