CNN's Gloria Borger: Tea Party 'Hijacked' GOP, Preventing Obama From Becoming 'Transformational President'

July 17th, 2011 5:51 PM

Gloria Borger said this weekend the Tea Party has "hijacked" the GOP and in so doing prevented Barack Obama from becoming a "transformational president."

In her view espoused on the syndicated "Chris Matthews Show," without the Tea Party, "The John Boehners of the world [would have] cut a deal with the President of the United States" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

GLORIA BORGER, CNN: Here's the thing about Obama. He ran as a transformational president. He sees himself as transformational. He always has. What occurred between 2008 and 2010 is the Tea Party.

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Okay, let's talk about that.

BORGER: And the Tea Party has stopped that kind of transformation from occurring because it has hijacked the Republican Party and the John Boehners of the world who would have cut a deal with the President of the United States. It has hijacked the Republican Party and it has now become substantially just a no tax party as opposed to a party that cares about the deficit. I think no tax trumps their caring and concern about the deficit.

Aw. Isn't that a shame?

A grassroots movement stopped the President from transforming America into something many of her citizens have fought and died against. Yet folks like Borger are saddened by it.

What else do you need to know about her political leanings?

As for this "hijack" comment, she's right. In recent years, the GOP has been hijacked, not by the Tea Party but by moderates moving it away from its core conservative principles that made it so successful since Ronald Reagan was elected president.

As a result, in consecutive elections, Republicans lost both chambers of Congress along with the White House.

Now, because of the efforts of the Tea Party, the GOP has taken back the House and looks to at least take back the Senate if not the presidency as well next November.

If this is what people like Borger consider hijacking, I guess we're all on a plane heading for Cuba.

(H/T RCP)