a moment of clarity.

words. 

"A vocal group of conservatives — representing a slim minority of the country and previously encouraged by people like Cantor — will not be happy until they have a full flowering of their revolution. The GOP seemed to be coming to grips with the danger that attitude poses — not just to the Republicans’ national popularity, but also to the country that the party is supposed to be co-governing. That counterrevolution, however, suffered a devastating setback on Tuesday.

For anyone who cares about immigration reform, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, adequately funding the government or a variety of much less contentious things that a faction of conservatives dislikes, this is not good news. The country needs a functional Republican Party, responsive to broad swaths of the nation and with leaders confident enough to cooperate with Democrats, to help face its problems — or, at least, to keep the lights on. Instead, the pressure Republicans will feel to choose ideological fuming over legislative achievement, on issues large and small, will now be even greater."

THE WASHINGTON POST: Eric Cantor’s defeat hurts the country