Tea Party Patriots Chide GOP’s Failed Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney as a “Weak Moderate Candidate” Picked by the “Mushy-Middle” of the Republican Party

Some on the hard right are saying  —  “Maybe the GOP and the nation dodged a bullet on Tuesday”   —   After all, strongly opposing Obama for four more years might be more pure and beneficial to the Republican Party and the country than having to carry water for Mitt Romney’s brand of Republicanism  for eight 

Elizabeth Flock, in her November 7th , 2012  US News “Washington Whispers” article, “Tea Party Slams Mitt Romney as 'Weak Moderate Candidate' Hand-Picked by 'Mushy-Middle' GOP” quoted  Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin, who wrote in an e-mail,  "For those of us who believe that America, as founded, is the greatest country in the history of the world – a 'Shining city upon a hill' – we wanted someone who would fight for us....  We wanted a fighter like Ronald Reagan who boldly championed America's founding principles... What we got was a weak moderate candidate, hand-picked by the Beltway elites and country-club establishment."

The Tea Party Patriots said  that they were "not going away," despite losses Tuesday night by tea party congressmen Allen West in Florida and Joe Walsh in Illinois, as well as a near-loss by Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota. Jenny Beth Martin said the group would now turn its attention back to Congress, where it has been more successful in pushing its message of fiscal conservatism, where it would battle over the budget, the debt and against Obamacare.

According to the leaders of The Tea Party Patriots, the Tea Party had to work harder going forward to stop the "mushy-middle" members of the GOP from "getting rolled" by the left.

A CNN article by Ashley Killough highlighted a quick riposte to Jenny Beth Martin for blaming  Romney's loss in the presidential election on his lack of conservatism. Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, offered sharp criticism to that  reaction and analysis during an interview by Soledad O’Brien. However, even mainstream Republicans might view Rep. Steve LaTourette as a less than persuasive commentator on the subject of this year’s elections . Congressman LaTourrette is a self-proclaimed moderate Republican who said that his wife, a Democrat had voted for Obama after hearing two right leaning Republican Senate candidates making extreme statements about rape and abortion.  LaTourrette had announced his retirement back in July; and he has since been replaced by a more conservative Republican, David Joyce, who says he favors the basic principles of the Tea Party movement–less government, lower taxes, but he also notes  that he’s  not a formal Tea Party candidate and "they may not want me."