There have been certain moments during the last few years that have been widely acknowledged as a sign of the radicalization of the Republican Party. Among them: The debt ceiling fights; the absolute refusal of Republicans to accept any tax hikes on the wealthy until the fiscal cliff showdown forced them to; Jim DeMint’s declaration that defeating Obamacare was crucial because it would be Obama’s “Waterloo”; and Mitch McConnell’s claim that the GOP’s single overriding goal should be to render Obama a one-term president. The defeat of Toomey-Manchin should be added to that list. Instead, it’s being widely held up as proof of failure on Obama’s part.