PHILLIPS: The tea party is dead, part 428

Wednesday’s political coverage was about as predictable as the drive by media fawning over the Obama regime.

The narrative had already been set. Now the media, flush with Potomac fever, a disease far worse than Ebola, announced the tea party is dead.

For liberals, the tea party probably is like a monster from a bad horror movie. Unfortunately, liberals never seem to learn. The monster in the bad horror movie never dies.

Neither does the tea party.

The left picked a curious race to call as the end of the tea party. In Kansas, Dr. Milton Wolf, Barack Obama’s second cousin, took on longtime Senator Pat Roberts. Some outside Washington groups that want to take over the tea party anointed Dr. Wolf as the tea party challenger. They tried to vilify Mr. Roberts. Mr. Roberts has a solidly conservative record and shares an identical rating from Heritage Action as Ted Cruz.

While Dr. Wolf is charismatic and engaging, no political pro seriously thought he had a chance. So on Tuesday night, when Mr. Roberts beat Dr. Wolf, the political pundits were ready again to declare the death of the Tea Party.

Of course, they ignored the fact that Justin Amash, a tea party favorite crushed a challenge from the Republican establishment. And also in Kansas, Mike Pompeo easily beat back an establishment challenge from moderate Republican Todd Tiahrt.

If the media was to be believed, Mr. Tiahrt should have been a shoo-in to win. He ran to the left of Mr. Pompeo. He channeled his inner Harry Reid and demonized the Koch brothers. The left wing American Wind Energy Association back Mr. Tiahrt. Instead of winning, Mr. Tiahrt lost convincingly.

The real tea party race is happening Thursday in Tennessee. Liberal Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander is in serious trouble. Mr. Alexander abandoned a bus tour across the state after his crowds were meager at best and at almost every event there were more supporters of tea party candidate Joe Carr than there were for Mr. Alexander. At one point, in Elizabethtown, Tennessee, Mr. Alexander fled out the back door of a building rather than face a college student with a question.

Three months ago, a poll showed Mr. Alexander leading Mr. Carr 44-20, with 27 percent undecided. A poll three weeks ago showed Mr. Alexander only leading 43-37, with 10 percent still undecided. Political experts tell everyone that in a race, undecided voters will break 90 to 99 percent for the challenger.

As this race closes, it will either be a razor close nail biter or it may even turn out the way Dave Brat’s surprise upset in Virginia turned out in June.

The shocker for the left and the media is going to be that the tea party isn’t dead. Tea party voters are out and are going to make a difference. In this year of great dissatisfaction with Barack Obama and the far left policies of the Democrats, tea party voters will change the balance of power in Congress.

Here’s a clue for the liberal media. Keep telling everyone that the tea party is dead. The tea party will once again surprise you.