ABSTRACT
Political journalists had a field day with the Tea Party and its impact on the Republican Party. Tea Party activists dominated the political discussion, especially within the Republican Party, during the summer of 2010 and into the fall campaign. The chapter illustrates the dilemma Speaker John Boehner faced in his negotiations with the president and focuses on the sources and possible consequences of the makeup of the Republican majority in the 112th Congress. The relative ideological proximity of the candidates to their districts had a significant impact on Republican vote share. Speaker Boehner's strident opposition to any increased revenue from tax increases or reform also fits, although of course the Republicans did not control the rest of the government following the 2010 elections. The chapter concludes that the 2010 elections reflected conditions that are typical of many midterm elections raises the question of whether Boehner's Dilemma is also a normal part of the contemporary political landscape.
