SHAKING UP THE ESTABLISHMENT. Glenn Reynolds suggests it would do the Republicans some good.

Unhappy over immigration and spending, key parts of the GOP base stayed home in 2006 and 2008. They're even unhappier with Obama, but that unhappiness hasn't translated into a lot of enthusiasm for a Republican Party that many see as nearly as corrupt and elitist as the Democrats.

Though the media and the Democratic Party tried to portray the Tea Party movement as Republican-organized "astroturf," the GOP only wishes that were the case. Tea Partiers are still reachable by the GOP, but if the GOP mishandles things, a Perot-style challenge is very possible.

Rick Moran concurs.

An establishment that gets too comfortable is no good to anyone. And the message I like being sent from [the 23rd District of New York] race is that putting up good, reasonable conservatives like [Conservative Party candidate Doug] Hoffman for office is usually better than the alternative.

It's time to see off the notion of consensus and expertise anyway.