Unless the GOP successfully absorbs the Teabaggers into the Borg, the virus just might kill the host.

A Quinnipiac national survey finds that having a Tea Party candidate on a general election congressional race ballot could negatively affect the Republican’s chance of winning.

Republicans lead the generic ballot test by a 44%-39% margin over Democrats. However, when a generic Tea Party candidate is thrown in the mix, the Democrat receives 36% and the Republican 25%, with the Tea Partier taking 15%.

But…but…I thought Teabaggers were non-partisan independent swing-voter types.

According to the poll, it “has more women than men; is mainly white and Republican and voted for John McCain, and strongly supports Sarah Palin.” They (85%) also feel that the government is doing too much.

The Tea Party movement is mostly made up of people who consider themselves Republicans,” said Brown. “They are less educated but more interested in politics than the average Joe and Jane Six-Pack and are not in a traditional sense swing voters.”

In other words, they are hardline wingnuts who think the Republican Party has gone squishy. And if the GOP can’t get them to behave, it will be NY-23 — all over the country.

Good luck trying to put that toothpaste back in the tube, Michael Steele.