Posted on 09/18/2010 3:20:21 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Christine O’Donnell beat Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware’s Republican Senate primary this week, and Democrats in Washington swooned with joy. They figured that Mr. Castle, a moderate in a moderate state, would have been tough for Democratic candidate Chris Coons to beat. But Ms. O’Donnell? A pushover. She’s a sharp-edged "tea party" favorite running in a soft-edged political culture. She’ll have to answer too many questions about past statements and alleged financial improprieties. Look at the polls! She’s so far behind Mr. Coons she couldn’t find him on a GPS.
But overconfidence in politics, as in many of life’s activities, can be fatal. Coons won’t be able to coast into an office in the Senate Russell Office Building. As the old consultant adage goes, “You have to put out the yard signs if you want to make a victory speech.”
Or something like that.
The point is, O’Donnell has pulled off one upset, and she might do it again. There are reasons for Democrats to be worried about what might happen in Delaware this fall. Here are five of them:
She's already beaten one Democrat. That’s what many of her supporters believe, anyway. They equate Representative Castle, one of the last of Capitol Hill’s dwindling band of moderate Republicans, with President Obama, in the sense that they believe Castle would vote for many administration priorities, such as an energy bill that includes cap-and-trade carbon emission provisions.
O’Donnell’s victory showed that Delaware’s GOP electorate has become more conservative. It’s no longer so dependent on wealthy, moderate voters who live in suburbs around Wilmington, a lush, rolling land studded with descendents of the DuPonts.
She's Palinesque.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
I heard this same argument when Rove and company undercut Toomey in favor of Specter, when Ahnold was running for governor in California, and Rudy McRomney was running for president. I also heard the admonitions when, not surprisingly, the candidates lost was that it was the fault of conservatives who stayed home--not the candidate his/her self or their message.
The party hack arguments don't work this time. And I highly doubt the hacks will ( and aren't) follow their own admonition to get behind the nominee once the primaries are over.
At the risk of being melodramatic: The mask slipped off of folks like Rove and McCain briefly with some of the upsets taking place. The "moderates" are more interested in perks and power at the expense of the electorate, rather than liberty. You already have some of these moderates talking about "fixing" Obamacare, rather than working to undo that terrible legislation. They aren't quite getting the message, and the more they play games, the angrier the people are going to get--and I don't particularly like the logical end to that road.
The wizards of smart for the GOP establishment are out of touch. They make their little plans without tapping into the mood of the country. Not so smart.
They do not understand that young people are tired of the old hair sprayed retread grandpas the GOP offers.
I am 50 and have worked with many younger people. They are ready for new exciting blood.
The GOP should have provided a more conservative younger person with some fire if they “planned” on winning.
The wizards of smart display a cluelessness beyond belief.
The wizards of smart need to first figure out why their chosen ones are losing these primaries.
That said, O’Donnell has some problems and I would suggest they help out if they really mean they want to take the Senate.
Give me a break. I’ve been a Christian for 40 years, but I don’t give a rat’s rear end about someone “dabbling” in withchcraft 20 years ago.
If she was currently a practicing witch...well, then she might be Secretary of State. But lots of folks dabble in stupidity at 20 and grow up pretty good.
She needs to focus on issues, and laugh at the people calling her names. But for the life of me, I do NOT understand what any Republican thinks they gain by talking her down, other than credibility with democrats. And anyone who wants democrats to love them needs to wake up.
O’Donnell dabbled in witchcraft, but her opponent is a practicing demoncrat.
There have been a few recent articles from Leftist leaning rags such as CS Monitor I’ve read recently blowing smoke up Sarah’s skirts, or in this case giving O’ Donnell a chance if Coons doesn’t take her candidacy seriously. Makes me wonder about the old Leftist trick of reverse psychology, and trying to make those of us of the Conservative perspective the ones to be over confident, thus inclined to relax our vigilance, figure we have it in the bag, thus reduce our turnout on November the 2nd.
We have to stay on top of this, and make certain if any are not going to be inclined to vote November the second, it be the Democrats.
I disagree. If Castle waltzes in to the Senate and votes with the Democrats, what have we gained? A wolf in sheeps clothing. He probably only votes with Republicans when other democrats do too.
I agree it’s worrisome for the establishment to not be able to control the message or the candidate. But I’d say that’s exactly what the people want right now. We need representatives to actually represent the voters and not the party.
As for the dabbling with witchcraft, the most popular TV/movies right now among teenagers are Vampire movies. The moms on the east coast don’t seem to have a problem with their little girls dabbling in darkness. Witchcraft dabbling might be a bad thing if she were running in Alabama but in Delaware I’d bet they barely blink an eye.
The northeast is hardly the bible-belt.
As for her cancelling her appearance on Fox - so what? She’ll probably win points for that among independants. Frankly, these media hosts acting like they control the political process is getting tiresome. In any case, her time is better spent right now shaking hands with people in Delaware not bowing to the king-makers on TV. She is asking for the votes of people in Delaware and so should spend her time meeting as many of them as she can and building a relationship with them. Her goal is to represent the people of Delaware not to charm the pants off O’Reilly, Wallace, Rove, and the rest of America. All their whining about her not doing what they want her to do is annoying.
The voters are in no mood for media & political power players hyperventilating about the loss of their power. I don’t think they want a candidate who has been endorsed by Karl Rove and the Republican elite. (For sure democrats wouldn’t want a candidate endorsed by Karl Rove.) The party not endorsing her is going to help her.
I think she’s sitting pretty as a true independant. She is positioning herself to represent the people not the power.
Uh, yeah, right! If there's 40 Republican senators, I bet 20 of them are RINO's. Plus, they're the only ones that every seem to get into the leadership positions.
You're welcome!
It's like the story of the killer pond scum.
When the pond is covered with scum, the pond will die.
The scum doubles every day. On day thirty the scum covers the pond and the pond will die.
On what day will the pond hit the 1/4 covered mark - the point where people notice and start to panic?
> “dabbling in witchcraft and discussing masturbation will not play well in DE.”
.
So, Harry Potter books don’t sell in DE?
You do realize that you are talking about events from over ten years ago? - And that the comments are taken from a talk where she was repenting from her past sins and poor decisions?
Do you believe that the people of DE are less intelligent than average?
.
> “She could of been on talk shows tiday but canceled.”
.
Best decision she has made yet!
No Republican or conservative, and especially no real Christian, could ever benefit by appearing on one of those satanic programs.
Rand Paul made the same decision, and angered the far left goons tremendously, but pleased the electorate in the process.
The shows would have been a setup as usual.
Not when Cap and Trade is part of the 40%.
You're a shallow thinker, and a fool.
I'm eternally grateful that wiser and braver men than you fought during our Revolution. Your kind wanted us to remain Colonies.
You see, the voters you needed didn’t want your candidate. He is old and liberal. The people no longer have any confidence in old and used up people who commiserate with the left.
***************
Well said. ‘08 was the bridge too far for the Rockefeller Republicans.
Let’s see, FUBO at that age was smoking crack and now he’s president. You are making way too much of this. But then again, you probably think Mitt is a good candidate.
It irks me to hear someone tell us what they were planning after the election.
Talk about arrogance. I always hear that this state only likes lefties. Sometimes I doubt that meme. Maybe if they had a real conservative the voters who usually figure “why vote” will start voting.
The Rockefeller Republicans have everything to gain by making sure the voters get no choice other than their hand picked dem lites.
Thanks!
3/4 of the women in this country under 55 “dabbled” in the occult as teenagers. This won’t hurt her, and if the Dems want to make Federal funding of masturbation their main issue, well...I guess youth unemployment could take a nosedive.
If you dislike her so much, just go vote for the dumbocrap as I’m sure you have in the past.
I do. But then, so is 90% of the east coast population.
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