Ohio GOP -2; Tea Party - zero.

A FUNNY THING happened to Ohio's bellowing Tea Parties in Tuesday' s Republican primaries. If you'll recall they had huffed and puffed and ...

And what?

And, well, nothing, really - except for some humiliating defeats. at the hands of GOP-backed candidates. It wasn't even close. Some figures: Dave Yost, the endorsed candidate for state auditor, won two-thirds of the vote against State Rep. Seth Morgan, the Tea Partiers' Chosen One. And State Sen. Jon Husted nailed nearly 70 pct. of the vote against Sandra O'Brien, another Tea Party favorite. Call it a learning experience for a disorganized group of bleaters who lack the political know-how and organizational leadership - which translate into campaign money - logistics and sales message to form, at best, a third party movement. The results looked more like the emperor's new suit.

It should be a learning experience for those county Republican chairmen, including Summit County's mercurial chief, who supported Morgan in fear of Tea Party reprisals.

I was among those who saw the renegades as a growing threat within the State GOP household, particularly in a primary when their dissent at the outer edges 0f ideologies can cause serious mischief even in a losing cause. Tuesday's results don't mean that it will be the last we will hear of the TP's. But unless they can regroup with a tolerable political voice, they will be no more than a nuisance for Republicans; that is, of course, if the regulars don't stop genuflecting to the Tea Party rants.

A born-again Tea Party movement will take more than is has shown so far on Election Day, despite the encouragement of a forever chirping Sarah Palin, or the outlandish male chorus of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and their ilk. These jabberers aren't paid to win elections. They are paid to win the ratings wars with their competitors to the satisfaction of their network bosses. In that respect, they succeed. But what other good can come of it?

That would be a fair question to ask Tea Partiers while they are picking up the pieces today.

OK, I'm asking.

Will Tea Party dump Ohio GOP overboard?

A FUNNY THING is happening to the Ohio Republican Party on its avowed fail-safe way to sweeping the Democrats in November. Despite its cordial attempts to play nice with the Tea Partiers, the Republican team is finding that wishing won't make it so. N o less a party celebrity than Ohio GOP chairman Kevin DeWine extended an olive branch to the Tea Party in a visit to Akron last week, inviting the outriders to come through the front door to join the state party.

But by Sunday, the Plain Dealer was reporting the latest collision between State Sen. Jon Husted, the Republican candidate for secretary of state, and Ralph King, the leader of an outfit called the Cleveland Tea Party Patriots. For whatever reason - and you don't need many these days to stake out an opponent - King & Co. don't like Husted. Worse than that, as King explaind to the PD reporter, "The only relation Jon Husted would have with the Tea Party is if he would have been driving the British ship into Boston Harbor." Safe qualifier. Even Google couldn't put Husted on that British ship. Besides, King accused Husted of showing "open hatred and contempt for the Tea Parties." Husted, of course, denied it.

There will be a lot of this sort of political auto de fe as the Tea Partiers flex their muscles, or whatever, this year, and Republican candidates are spending more time genuflecting to them than demanding that they stop telling lies. As matters now stand, the state GOP ticket is leaning heavily to a detente with the enemy.

John Kasich, the candidate for governor, has spoken at their rallies while trying to fend off Democrats' charges that he is tainted by being a white collar manager for Lehman Brothers up to the time that it went bankrupt. (Curiously, he has defended his years of employment with the big bank by suggesting he was little more than a walk-on each day - a claim of low-level servitude that seemed contradictory to his bonus of $432,200 in 2008 on top of his salary of $182,692!)

Rep. Seth Morgan, a very conservative GOP candidate for state auditor, has been endorsed by the State Tea Party; auto dealer Tom Ganley, challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton in the 13th congressional district, has appeared at Tea Party rallies; and U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine,who wants to be attorney general and should know better, has announced that his first task upon entering the office would be to file suit to repeal the health care reform law - and what Tea Partier would be against that?

As political campaigns go, this year's will be more irrational than ever. Don't be surprised if there are some surprises over in the Republican camp.