Try as they might to scare Independent and moderate voters that the Republican Party is being taken over crazy right-wing tea partiers, Democrats and their fellow liberals in the press are failing. There is no backlash against the GOP for embracing the concerns of people who believe government is too big, too busy, and too expensive.

David Brooks reports.

In Delaware, the nomination of tea partier Christine O'Donnell has the New York Times editorial board and MSNBC both aghast and cheering. She may well not win in a state that has far more registered Democrats than Republicans but she is only 12 points down to a Democrat Harry Reid calls "my pet." O'Donnell is by far the weakest of the Tea Party candidates and has been harshly criticized by the Republican establishment. And still, public animosity toward the Democrats in Washington gives her a fighting chance in this election year.

One of the left's big beefs with O'Donnell is that 14 years ago she participated in a video-taped discussion about pre-marital sex in which she shared her view that masturbation was unholy. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow ran the videotape of the youthful O'Donnell earnestly attempting to make her point. So far, the fear that a new Republican congress with prospective members like O'Donnell will move to outlaw masturbation is not catching on.

But this seems to be a huge concern of Rachel Maddow's. Go figure.

UPDATE: Charles Krauthammer is not amused.