Weak tea was served up Tuesday in elections across the country. Small-government, anti-incumbent tea party activists won some victories, but not overwhelmingly.

The most-watched contest was for Alaska's Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, which at press time remained too close to call. State elections officials said an official result may not be announced for several days.

Although little-known conservative Joe Miller was leading incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, 51 percent to 49 percent, Wednesday she said, "It ain't over yet, folks." The senator was appointed to the position in 2002 when her late father vacated the seat after he was elected governor, then appointed her to the vacancy. She was elected to the post in 2004. Miller was backed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a tea-party favorite and longtime foe of the Murkowski family. Of Palin's endorsement, Miller said after the election, "I'm absolutely certain that was pivotal."

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, won his GOP primary against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, 57 percent to 32 percent. But to appeal to the tea partiers, McCain moved right on many issues, especially immigration, in the state whose legislature has generated global controversy this year for its law calling for police to check the immigration status of people stopped for questioning. He also brought out Palin, his vice-presidential running mate in 2008, to campaign for him. McCain probably would have won no matter what. But even he saw a need to appease the tea partiers.

Immigration also played a large role in the Republican race for governor in Florida. Winner Rick Scott, a former health care executive, backed Arizona's immigration law and called for similar legislation in Florida. By contrast, reported The Atlantic magazine columnist John Dickerson, the loser, Attorney General Bill McCollum, "who initially questioned the law, was accused of flip-flopping when he eventually came out in support of it."

This result may not be good news for Meg Whitman, the GOP nominee for governor of California. In ads for the June primary, she was proclaimed by former Gov. Pete Wilson as "tough as nails" on immigration. Since then, she has run ads on Latino radio stations, opposing the Arizona law.

Although we are critics of the Arizona law, we also wish politicians would be consistent on this and other issues, giving voters a real choice. Several primaries arrive in the next few weeks. But attention now starts turning to the Nov. 2 general election. So far, the upstarts seem to have a good batting average — if they offer real promise of change.

REPRINTED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.