Dems Try to Brand Tea Party GOPers as Stupid

Democrats are pulling out all the stops in seeking to reverse their sagging electoral fortunes. That includes trying to convince voters that Republican leaders and candidates backed by the tea party movement are stupid, Politico reports.  But the strategy hasn’t gained much traction so far.

Democrats have particularly gone after ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell.

Palin “has made ignorance fashionable,” New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd writes.

Rachel Maddow of MSNBC blasted O’Donnell Tuesday for noting that the phrase “separation of church and state” doesn’t appear in the Constitution. And Comedy Channel’s Jon Stewart has attacked Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle.

But these criticisms aren’t sticking. “The Washington elite isn't just blind to the wave, it is fueling the wave of anti-elite resentment,” says Republican consultant Alex Castellanos. “Laughing at the tea party proves their point — Washington doesn't listen to people outside the Beltway.”