Two top figures in the Nevada GOP have endorsed Harry Reid, saying that Sharon Angle is simply too out of the mainstream to represent the state in the US Senate.

Former First Lady Dema Gunn and State Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio both backed Reid.

To be fair, Raggio has a history with Angle, who challenged his re-election in 2008 and Angle feuded with then Governor Gunn for being a ‘RINO’. Gunn, who died in July was a moderate. In addition, Raggio’s endorsement was particularly back handed, but it was an endorsement.

It seems to me this is another symptom of the problems presented by the hard line Tea Party segment of the GOP. They win the primary but then lose the general. Nevada and Delaware are two Senate seats that should be strongly Republican but they are almost certainly now headed to the Democrats.

In the 1980’s the Democrats in the south faced a similar problem and it led to several major defeats. Unless the GOP watches out they are headed for the same fate.