FOX uses a pretty weak logic then. I mean, was mitt romney a 'tea party backed candidate'?
Actually, he was, once he secured the GOP nomination.
Look at the history. Establishment/RINO types get beat; they undermined their primary opponent. Look at Charlie Crist, Arlen Specter, Lisa Murkowski, Mike Castle, etc.
In fact, Rush predicted much of this nearly THREE YEARS ago. He predicted Arlen Specter and Charlie Crist would flip and become Democrats.
The Dems, to their credit, don't engage in this. Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama were at each others' throats in 2008. But, once Obama won, Clinton fell right in line.