Doubling down on the crazy:

Five Republicans who were elected to the Tennessee legislature with tea party support in 2010 were dis-owned, systematically “targeted”, and tossed out in the primaries. The reason was inadequate support for tea party positions.

Tea Party, NRA throw 5 RINOS out of Tennessee Legislature

On August 2nd, 5 GOP candidates seeking re-election to the Tennessee State legislature discovered just how dangerous it can be to disdain the wishes of those conservatives who helped put them in office.

In 2010, members of various Tea Party groups in Tennessee donated the necessary time and money to put Republicans in charge of both the legislature and the governor’s mansion for the first time in 150 years. But after 2 years, not one of the top 10, Tea Party priorities placed before the Republican–controlled legislature had been implemented. Those priorities were based upon “…re-asserting state sovereignty over unconstitutional Federal abuses,” writes Tea Party steering committee member Van Irion. Yet rather than assist the Tea Party groups which had both drafted legislation and lobbied members of both legislative houses, “…the Tennessee Republican Party treated the Tea Party with contempt.”

In 2012, Tea Party officials decided the only way to gain the respect and attention of Republican politicians was to “…PROVE to the [GOP] that the Tea Party had power at the ballot box.” And the best way to do that was to initiate a “RINO Hunt!”

Four term incumbent and Chairwoman of the Republican Caucus, Debbie Maggart was selected as the RINO upon whom the sights of these Tea Party hunters would be trained. A ranking member of GOP leadership, Maggart had a bunch of campaign cash to spend and enjoyed the endorsement of both the Party and its leaders.

BUT, she had also “actively fought” against the wishes of state Tea Partiers, incurring the wrath of voters and the National Rifle Association for her stance against NRA backed legislation.