Right-Wing Media Blame “Establishment” Republicans For Cuccinelli Loss

Rush Limbaugh: Cuccinelli “Was Betrayed By His Own Party.” On the November 6 edition of his show, Rush Limbaugh claimed the GOP establishment didn't want Cuccinelli to win because of its “animus toward the tea party.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 11/6/13]

Erickson: “The RNC Truly Screwed Up In Virginia.” On his Redstate blog, Fox News contributor Erick Erickson blamed the RNC for “pulling money out of Virginia,” causing the GOP candidate “to lose by a hair” :

In 2009, the Republican National Committee spent $9 million to win Virginia by a big margin. For the past 48 hours, the party bosses have been screaming to everyone about how much money they poured in this time in Virginia. We've had a few diarists at RedState document it and suck it up as gospel truth that the RNC did all it could this time. The RNC spent $9 million in 2009 to win and spent $3 million this time, pulling money out of Virginia, to lose by a hair. The RNC truly screwed up in Virginia this time and no amount of spinning can distract from that screw up. It was Election Day itself when someone finally noticedthe 3rd party candidate, Sarvis, had been funded by a major Obama donor. Election Day the GOP finally notices this! [Red State, 11/6/13]

Levin: “GOP Establishment” And “RINO Mouthpieces” Cost Cuccinelli The Race. On his website, conservative radio host Mark Levin responded to Cucinelli's loss in Virginia by lashing out against “GOP establishment and donors” who he claimed “left the field” in order to “continue their mantra about the dead Tea Party and the RINO future” (emphasis original):

WE COULD HAVE WON THIS RACE. FOR THE REASONS I HAVE EXPLAINED HERE AND ON THE AIR, GOP ESTABLISHMENT AND DONORS LEFT THE FIELD. NOW, NOT ONLY THE LIBERALS BUT THE RINO MOUTHPIECES CONTINUE WITH THEIR MANTRA ABOUT THE DEAD TEA PARTY AND THE RINO FUTURE. ABSOLUTELY APPALLING! (And they did not spend even $3 million, that was a phony number.) [MarkLevinShow.com, 11/5/13]

Breitbart's Boyle: “GOP Establishment Figures Connected to Republicans Helped McAuliffe.” Breitbart columnist Matthew Boyle accused establishment Republicans of helping McAuliffe “undermine Cuccinelli.” Boyle added:

In addition to all of those GOP establishment figures who were key operatives for Cantor, McDonnell, the RNC, and actual state GOP lawmakers, national RNC chairman Reince Priebus spent Tuesday in New Jersey to back up Chris Christie, whose re-election was never in question, rather than in Virginia using his celebrity to get out the vote in Cuccinelli's nail-biter race. Among these GOP establishment figures connected to Republicans who helped McAuliffe --particularly Priebus and Cantor -- many support comprehensive immigration reform. Pro-amnesty activists have pledged they would use a McAuliffe victory to promote their national cause. [Breitbart, 11/6/13]

National Review's Gallagher: “The Betrayal Of Ken Cuccinelli.” In a November 5 post, National Review Online writer Maggie Gallagher blamed a lack of Republican National Committee spending for Cuccinelli's loss:

They said he was “unelectable.” The RNC put only $3 million into this race. Ken was outspent by a margin of something between 4:1 and 10:1, if you believe the Associated Press. [...] Would another $3 million have swung 50,000 votes? The Republicans, starting with Bill Bolling, who undercut Cuccinelli as unelectable have egg all over their faces. [National Review Online, 11/5/13]

Conservative Media Figures Attacked The GOP In The Days Before The Race

Levin Attacked “RINOs” That “Want A Terry McAuliffe Victory” And “GOP Bag Man Karl Rove” For Not Backing Cuccinelli On Fox. The day before the election, on the November 4 edition of The Mark Levin Show, host Mark Levin read a Facebook post he had written, arguing that “the RINOs want a Terry McAuliffe victory in Virginia,” and that "GOP bag man, Karl Rove, is all over Fox without a word of support for Cuccinelli, while he schemes and whispers behind the scenes against conservatives nationwide." He added that “recent polls show Cuccinelli closing. This makes the Left and RINOs very nervous.” [The Mark Levin Show, 11/4/13]

Levin Tells Followers The RNC Is “Trying To Punk Us” By Planting “Crap” At RedState.com To Pretend “They Have Been Vigorously Fighting For Cuccinelli's Campaign.” In a November 5 Facebook post, Levin accused the RNC of planting a post at Erick Erickson's RedState website in order to convince people that it had been actively fighting for Cuccinelli:

Now RNC trying to punk us. Look at this planted RNC crap. This is intended to persuade you that the RNC has been vigorously fighting for Cuccinelli's campaign in Virginia. They think you're so stupid that you'll buy this self-serving BS. Instead, it exposes their uselessness and deceit. [Facebook, accessed 11/5/13]

The American Spectator's Jeffrey Lord Endorses Levin's Charge That “RINOs and Rove” Wanted A McAuliffe Win. In a November 4 post at The American Spectator, Jeffrey Lord reprinted Levin's Facebook rant, explaining that Levin has “done a superb job” of laying out why “The RINO wing of the GOP -- and Karl Rove specifically -- do not want a Ken Cuccinnelli victory in Virginia.” [The American Spectator, 11/4/13]

Erickson: “Many People In The GOP Want Cuccinelli To Lose.” In an October post on RedState.com, Fox News contributor Erick Erickson said he was “deeply disappointed in a bunch of Republicans who've decided to throw [Cuccinelli] under the bus,” adding that “many people in the GOP want Cuccinelli to lose.” [Redstate.com, 10/30/2013]

Limbaugh: “The Republican Establishment Would Not Mind If Cuccinelli Lost.” On the November 4 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, host Rush Limbaugh told his audience that “the theory is that the Republican establishment wouldn't mind Cuccinelli losing” because “they get to blame the tea party.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 11/4/13]