To my shame, I’m just getting to the mostly-worthy NYT retrospective on the Republican comeback 2009-2010. This paragraph stuck out to me, and if it’s true, the national party establishment deserves some credit:
In their quest to reach a majority, the Republican leaders imposed tough party discipline, warning incumbents that the party would no longer act as a “welfare state” for those who were lax fund-raisers. They began an aggressive recruiting effort for top-flight candidates in districts that seemed to be virtually owned by some of the longest-serving Democrats in the House. And they were keenly aware of the anti-establishment mood, rarely engaging with Tea Party challengers, as Senate leaders did, fearful that any efforts to influence primary races could backfire.
More here.