Did Jim DeMint help or hurt the GOP?
It's a question that lies at the heart of the party's debate over how to return to power
![Jim DeMint](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VTyxc7kZK88sCGfTCBHmXP-415-80.jpg)
Jim DeMint, the outgoing senator from South Carolina, is one of the Republican Party's most polarizing figures. The Tea Party champion has used his considerable influence in conservative circles — as well as the financial resources of his super PAC — to back hardcore conservatives in Republican primaries, with mixed results. He can claim credit for nurturing up-and-coming political talents, including Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who hailed DeMint as the "first person in Washington who believed in me — and invested in me." But DeMint has also backed a string of right-wing, borderline nutty candidates who defeated their more moderate primary opponents, but went on to lose in the general election. As a result, DeMint's sudden resignation from the Senate has prompted a debate over his legacy, which parallels the debate over how the GOP should respond to President Obama's decisive re-election victory.
Erick Erickson at Red State makes the case that DeMint helped the GOP by making it more conservative. Without DeMint "we would not have a Republican establishment that now worries conservatives might actually primary them," he writes. "Without Jim DeMint we would still have a conservative movement that is part and parcel the Republican Party in name, word, and deed. DeMint showed the Republican Party can be challenged from within."
Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post begs to differ, saying DeMint's ideological inflexibility has cramped the party and snarled business in the Senate. "I am sure many senators on both sides are clicking their heels," she writes. "DeMint has been a destructive force, threatening to primary colleagues, resisting all deals, and offering very little in the way of attainable legislation. He has contributed more than any current senator to the dysfunction of that body." She adds: "His departure leaves other senators who seemed impressed with his brand of politics free to find their way to a more constructive position in the body."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The takedown by Rubin, a vocal Mitt Romney supporter, has not gone over well with some conservatives, including talk show host Mark Levin:
The argument over DeMint, like so many arguments within the Republican Party these days, boils down to whether the GOP should moderate or unleash a purer brand of conservatism. In the pursuit of the latter, no senator in recent years has matched DeMint's impact. "His allies insist that he did nothing short of transform the Republican Senate Conference from a center-right body into a conservative one," says Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post.
And it appears that DeMint is perfectly aware of his clout in the party. When asked by Rush Limbaugh whether he had been pushed out by House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio), DeMint responded, "It might work a little bit the other way, Rush."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Big Tech's answer for AI-driven job loss: universal basic income
In The Spotlight A new study reveals the strengths and limitations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published