Julian Zelizer : The tea party helped GOP bounce back from Bush years , McCain loss . He says the short - term boost was overshadowed by the long - term damage . Republicans moved far to the right to win tea party votes , only to lose the election , he says . Nevada 's Sharron Angle and Colorado 's Ken Buck suffered similar fates . McCain : GOP lost some key Senate seats , finds itself on the defensive in budget talks .
Julian Zelizer : The tea party helped GOP bounce back from Bush years , McCain loss . He says the short - term boost was overshadowed by the long - term damage . Republicans moved far to the right to win tea party votes , only to lose the election , he says . McCain : GOP lost some key Senate seats , finds itself on the defensive in budget talks .