Anti-Internationalist Clint Didier Defeated in Washington Primary

(Full disclosure: I serve on the Global Citizens Political Action Committee, which has endorsed Democrat Patty Murray for reelection in this race.)

The polls have closed in Washington State in the Senate primary election. This race was of above-average interest to Global Citizens in America because of the presence on the ballot of anti-internationalist Republican Clint Didier, a former NFL star who decided to run for the Senate as a Republican, wrapping himself in the Tea Party banner.

Global Citizens can take heart from the fact that Didier has apparently suffered a heavy defeat at the polls and will not be a candidate in the November general election, which will now see Democrat Patty Murray face off against Republican Dino Rossi. But the very fact that he was considered a serious candidate at all should give all Global Citizens pause. In July, a Rasmussen poll actually showed Didier beating Democrat Patty Murray in a two way race, 48% to 45%. He managed to get 12% of the vote in Washington's unique primary system (in which all candidates are on the same ballot, regardless of party) and actually won a few counties.

Didier made opposition to American involvement in the United Nations a significant aspect of his campaign, saying "I would like to see the United States out of the United Nations, and the Untied Nations out of the United States." Siding with irrational conspiracy theorists, Didier also claimed that the United Nations plans to take away firearms owned by American citizens and then seize control the United States.

That a serious candidate for the United States Senate held such ridiculous views is bad enough, but the fact that he often got rousing applause from supporters when saying such things at rallies is even worse. Furthermore, Didier received the endorsement of some fairly big political personalities, including former Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX).

As a general rule, the so-called Tea Party and the candidates they support are isolationists and opponents of American involvement in the United Nations and other international institutions. Whatever one's views of them in terms of domestic policy in the United States, their anti-internationalist beliefs stand in stark contrast to the views of Global Citizens. Clint Didier may have gone down to defeat, but he's just one of many people we have to worry about.