Okay folks, three stories today about grassroots follies and it may just be time for everyone to step back and regroup

1. Tom Tancredo doesn’t like the Republican nominee choices for governor in Colorado.  So, he’s decided if that nominee polls behind the Democrat and doesn’t withdraw, he’ll run as a third party candidate.  While I can sympathize with third-party sentiments which I only just barely altered to “return” to the Republican Party (for now), this isn’t going to help anything.
2. Harry Reid should be toast in Nevada.  And yet, Angle is causing some worry.  So far as I’m concerned, this falls under the “get a grip now and she can pull it out” category.  Her supposed extremism pales in comparison to Reid’s actual extremism, and there’s no excuse for her not winning in November if she actually bothers to run a real campaign.
3. Ken Buck, Republican Senate nomination primary opponent to the McCain pick Jane Norton in Colorado, made a few awkward statements today.  It’s not going to make his life any easier, and the timing isn’t good.  Top it off with the fact that is was an attack against the Tea Party, and this qualifies as a classic Republican self-destruct.

Yet before we all go off in a huff, let’s step back and see where we can do better next time.

• No, the Republicans still don’t know what they’re doing.  Proof in point:  2006, 2008, and Michael Steele.  The fact that our vetting in general may need some improvement states nothing about Republican competence or any superiority thereof.  Some few of them are good leaders, but those leaders don’t reflect on the party as a whole.  They’re just happy exceptions that still require us to take the garbage out of their way.
• Remember that getting a candidate elected is two fights and not one.  Winning the primary is only the first step.  Fail them after that, and we’re still stuck with a Democrat.  This presumes, of course, the Republicans don’t nominate a Democrat, but we’ve been really good about this so far.  Not perfect, but good.

Things look like they’re fraying around the edges, but for the time being, it’s just a rough spot.  It’s too early to call this a change in fortunes.  Unless you give up, the sun will shine on us again.