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The Kneecapping of Christine O'Donnell (Nikki Haley Redux?)
Vanity | 09/03/2010 | Brices Crossroads

Posted on 09/03/2010 6:48:13 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads

There are two candidates for the GOP nomination for the Senate in Delaware. One is a liberal, and he will vote that way. The other is a conservative, and she will vote that way. That is the only part of the equation that should matter to anyone in Delaware or elsewhere.

Delaware Congressman Mike Castle, a career politician for the last 40 years, is the liberal. He supported TARP, Obama's Second Stimulus, Cap and Tax, the auto bailout and the anti-First Amendment Disclose Act. He is proabortion and supports federal funding of abortion. And he opposes the repeal of ObamaCare. He voted for Obama's agenda sixty percent of the time, more than any other GOP Congressman and more htan many Democrats.

Christine O'Donnell is the conservative. She will vote against Cap and Tax, against Obama's wild spending, against his liberal, anti-Constitutionalist Judges, in favor of the Right to Life and for the repeal of Obamacare.

It is that simple.

But Mike Castle, who has always voted like a Democrat, is now running for office like a Democrat, employing the Alinsky-ite tactic of personal destruction of one's enemy in order to camouflage one's own record. Christine O'Donnell, you see, has had some financial difficulties. Never mind that that has nothing to do with HOW SHE WOULD VOTE as a U.S. Senator. She has been stalked by political opponents over the years, which makes her "paranoid". Again, the charge--whether true or false--has nothing to do with how she would vote. Yet some people are actually rejecting her based upon these wholly irrelevant considerations and choosing to support a man who will vote to raise the cost of energy, will vote for federal funding of abortion, will vote for endless bailouts and takeovers of private industry, will vote to confirm statist left wing judges who will be on the bench for 40 years....all becasue Christine O'Donnell had financial trouble and because she was stalked.

I. The Treachery

The smear campaign appears to be coordinated and timed to coincide with Christine's surge. Unfortunately, it appears to have enlisted some members of the so-called conservative punditocracy, who seem to be rushing at her as one man. Jim Geraghty at NRO trashed her, although this is not much of a surprise since NRO ceased some time ago being anything more than a pipe organ for the GOP Establishment. Erick Erickson at Redstate was a big surprise, since he had endorsed her earlier. Erickson's stated reason for abandoning her rings hollow though. He claims that her campaign did not distance itself quickly enough from a website, apparently controlled or frequented by former O'Donnell staffers, who posted a video suggesting Castle was gay. Although O'Donnell condemned the ad and said it had nothing to do with her campaign, Erickson was not appeased. Which I found quite curious in light of Erickson's own personal peccadillo of just last year in which he himself made the following comment on Twitter about Supreme Court Justice David Souter's retirement:

"The nation loses the only goat f------ child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court in David Souter's retirement."

I find it odd that Erickson would go public with his lame denunciation of O'Donnell for failing to adequately distance herself from something someone who once worked for her did. Yet he himself is personally guilty of slander far worse and in the recent past . He even had the temerity to compare her to the odious Will Folks (who spread the Nikki Haley rumor) which scandal he became involved in in a way that, to put it mildly, did not enhance his credibility. It bears mention that he signed on as a commentator with CNN five months ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Erickson

II. The Allegations Themselves: Are they True?

Inane and irrelevant as they are, are the allegations true? They are really only two. First, there is the allegation that she had financial difficulties. I think she did. So what? I will concede that her financial difficulties exclude her from consideration for public office as soon as Castle explains how he amassed a net worth of over $8 million, after 40 years in public (not counting his multi-million dollar Congressional pension).

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400070

Why isn't Castle being asked to explain that which seems to me far more relevant?

Second , is O'Donnell paranoid? She told a radio host that she was stalked which, if it is not true, would suggest paranoia. Well, was it true? After all, it has happened in a political context. It happened to Sarah Palin repeatedly. To answer the question, I had recourse to Bill Colley, conservative radio talk show host on WGMD in Delaware, who knows both Christine and Delaware Politics quite well. In his blog, Colley writes that he is still on board with her and he gives the lie to the suggestion that the stalking is imaginary:

"There have been people following O’Donnell for months with cameras in tow. They hope to find evidence the candidate leads an extravagant lifestyle on campaign donations. An O’Donnell neighbor is a World War Two veteran and recently suffered a stroke. He’s spotted people outside at strange hours. While I don’t think Castle is personally trolling for a “John”, I do believe there are Republican operatives looking for the money shot, in the parlance of photographers. Perhaps the morally bankrupt folks at the Wilmington Daily Democrat can assure us they’ve not assigned any photographers to work the same beat?"

http://www.resistnet.com/profiles/blogs/still-on-board-with-christine?xg_source=activity

Colley acknowledges that she got "off message" and flustered, but again, is that so offensive that anyone would vote for a huge carbon tax and bankruptcy for the country just so O'Donnell doesn't get to sit in the U.S. Senate?

III. South Carolina Redux?

The atmospherics of this race are reminiscent of South Carolina in May. Nikki Haley began to move up and Sarah Palin endorsed her and she took off. Then the bottom fell out. The politics of personal destruction was holding high carnival. There were orchestrated attacks by former friends (Folks had been a high profile supporter of Haley's, as had Erickson had for O'Donnell). A picture was painted of Nikki Haley that was an ugly distortion. And, the particular charge had absolutely nothing to do with the election. It was all about preserving the status quo.

The smears against Christine O' Donnell have the same character and the same objective. There is a mixture of truth (she did have financial difficulties,but so what?) with malicious falsehood (she is paranoid). The twin smears are sophistic (mixing truth and fiction), but both are irrelevant to the only material question: How would she vote in the U.S. Senate?

But there is a deeper issue here. An injustice is being perpetrated in Delaware. A woman is being attacked because she has had some financial difficulties (as have 80% of Americans at one time or another). And she is being accused of being crazy because she is being stalked by her opponents. The words of Edmund Burke still ring true: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Now that Castle has fired all his soiled artillery, he must brace for the onslaught to come next week when the Tea Party begins to examine his record and remind the voters of Delaware that a vote for Castle is a vote for Obama. In the latest Tea Party poll, O'Donnell is within 5 points of Castle (43-38) and is gaining ground. Although she trails Coons, the deeply flawed Dem candidate by 10, in July, O'Donnell was ahead of him and she can overtake him. The smears are generating a backlash in Delaware, according to Colley:

"Let’s stay on the message. Conservatives know we’re never going to get fair treatment from a soulless media. If that’s the case then let’s not let them shape our views. What we believe is immutable. O’Donnell shares what we believe.

Last night I was at the Millsboro Fire House when she was introduced to a couple of hundred members of the 9/12 Delaware Patriots. The applause nearly shattered the windows."

Let us wish Christine O'Donnell well and let us hope that Sarah Palin will ride to the sound of the guns in Delaware. I think she will, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Delaware
KEYWORDS: castle; odonnell; palin; sarahpalin
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If anyone is interested, below is the link to Colley's radio show of 9/3/2010, which gives even greater detail and debunking of the smears and which demonstrates the genuine anger of his callers toward Castle. The people of Delaware seem to understand what is at stake here.

http://www.wgmd.com/?p=9588

http://www.wgmd.com/?p=9588

1 posted on 09/03/2010 6:48:14 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
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To: DelaWhere; MarkLevinFan; DEConservative; onyx; Syncro; Al B.; b9; GoCards; Virginia Ridgerunner

Ping!


2 posted on 09/03/2010 6:54:13 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
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To: Brices Crossroads
Obligatory Christine pic.





New Christine TV / radio ads from Tea Party Express
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWUChWrwvdE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wEhToXaiDs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEasUPaUPo8

Is Christine electable in November? Rasmussen had her up over Coons in July
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2553576/posts
Castle is being challenged in the state’s September 14 GOP primary by conservative activist Christine O’Donnell. Coons runs virtually even with O’Donnell who picks up 41% of the vote to the Democrat’s 39%.

DeMint endorsement coming?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2556853/posts
"...As O’Donnell criticizes Castle for supporting the bank bailouts, cap and trade and abortion rights, she appears to have caught DeMint’s attention. The two met recently and a spokesman for the senator’s political action committee said DeMint was “extremely impressed.”

“She’s a principled conservative who has been overlooked by the Washington establishment. The senator has not made an endorsement in this race but he's watching it closely to see if O'Donnell can get within striking distance,” Matt Hoskins said.

Tea Party Express: O'Donnell Trails By 2% Among Likeliest Voters
http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/09/tea_party_expre_2.php
Christine O'Donnell is trailing Rep. Mike Castle by only 2% among voters most likely to turnout in the Delaware Senate GOP primary, according to a Tea Party Express poll. The poll, obtained by Hotline On Call, found that among GOP voters who indicated they are most likely to vote -- or "10s" in polling lingo -- Castle leads O'Donnell 43% to 41%. The Tea Party Express released the top line of the poll on Thursday. That showed O'Donnell trailing Castle by nearly 6%, 43.7% to 38%. These new numbers suggest that Castle is significantly more vulnerable than originally believed.


3 posted on 09/03/2010 7:14:36 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Brices Crossroads; holdonnow
Even worse, the dufuses at NRO are trying to pick a fight with Mark Levin, a fight they will surely lose.

O’Donnell Would Be Better Served With a Defense Besides ‘That Stuff Doesn’t Matter’

4 posted on 09/03/2010 7:15:26 PM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: truthfreedom

Time for a Sarah Palin endorsement and visit.


5 posted on 09/03/2010 7:16:20 PM PDT by ak267
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

This guy Geraghty is a girlie boy. He shouldn’t post the picture. It makes me take him even less seriously. If he is o brace, let him go on the Great One’s show. Levin will slit him from belly to brisket.


6 posted on 09/03/2010 7:19:53 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
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To: Brices Crossroads

The libs will be pulling out all the stops this fall - smears, voter fraud, and an October crisis to justify suppression of civil liberties.


7 posted on 09/03/2010 7:20:54 PM PDT by stinkerpot65 (Global warming is a Marxist lie.)
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To: Brices Crossroads

All I can say is you are so right.

They are beating the hell out of Christine O’Donnell and all for Mike Castle, a big zero nothing burger traitor of a man.

The established GOP are socking it to her.

Yes, Christine had money problems...does is say somewhere in the constitution that such a person, which would probably include all of us, is not allowed to run for those political offices the Blue Bloods think are for them.

Mike Castle votes to give millions to GM, big banks and Wall Street which abused and wasted money so it’s okay in this case but not if you’re a young woman running against him?

And the finance troubles O’Donnell had, it’s not like she took Arab money or bribes or some such to pay them off. And she DID pay off her the bills so what’s the big deal?

It makes me so sick what they’re doing to Christine and all for who....? Mike Castle?

I put up a post on a local Blog and told the Blue Bloods all busy participating in this beating up of O’Donnell that when Castle gets elected I’m never gonna let them forget what they helped.

Cause you know Castle’s gonna vote for another TARP, probably a Cap and Trade thing you know he’s gonna make fools of them all.

Now they’re going after ME.

And I have NO respect for Erick Erickson....somebody got to him.\

All for the fine, fine, honest, dependable and trustworthy Mike Castle.


8 posted on 09/03/2010 7:23:44 PM PDT by Fishtalk
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To: Brices Crossroads
Here are your links for easy viewing:

Christine2010 Link 1

Christine2010 Link 2

Christine2010 Link 3

Christine2010 Link 4

You are correct. To some extent this may make no difference now. I am on the ground in DE and there are some seriously pissed off Republican voters here. And these people don't give two shitz what Eric Erickson, NRO, or Chris Christie have to say at this point. Mike Castle has shown that he can buy almost anything. In this state however. he cannot, buy a defense of his record. Its a closed primary on 9/14. The old GOP will face the music one way or another. Here is the final paragraph of a piece I hope you will read elsewhere soon:

If Mike Castle, and the old establishment wing of The GOP are able to buy this primary in Delaware, what will it ultimately cost them? In the same way that millions of average Americans have been “radicalized” by the raw exercise of power on the part of President Obama. Delaware Republicans are becoming increasingly bitter over Mike Castle’s tactics. The first price Republicans would pay would come in the form of Sen. Chris Coons (D) Delaware. If Castle buys the Delaware primary, the now energized Republican base would certainly vote “present" on November 2nd. The next consequence of Mike Castle’s heavy-handed tactics would be a further weakening of the Delaware GOP. Tens of thousands registered Republicans would become Registered Independents. Is this the price establishment Republicans are willing to pay? Apparently so.

9 posted on 09/03/2010 7:47:30 PM PDT by outofstyle (Anti-socialist)
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To: ak267

Would be good.

Does anyone know if the Tea Party Christine TV commercials have been on the air yet? Has anyone seen one yet?

I’m guessing that if the election is this close - 6% or 2% - and the flurry of tv commercials hasn’t started yet - Christine is likely to win. Throw the hot tea partyish endorsers on there - Palin, DeMint - and she wins somewhat comfortably.

Castles entire strategy was “don’t tell anyone about the election and hope that Christine doesn’t get enough money to tell people that there’s an election, he’s the Liberal and she’s the conservative, and hope that the handful of people that show up to vote will vote with as little information as possible. “Mike Castle, yes, I’ve heard of him”.

I can’t imagine how RINOs in closed primaries in 2010 can win, at least not one on one vs a conservative, unless that conservative has no way to get their message out. Christine is 6 points back at most, and hasn’t been on tv with commercials.


10 posted on 09/03/2010 8:08:50 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Brices Crossroads
Here are your links for easy viewing:

Christine2010 Link 1

Christine2010 Link 2

Christine2010 Link 3

Christine2010 Link 4

You are correct. To some extent this may make no difference now. I am on the ground in DE and there are some seriously pissed off Republican voters here. And these people don't give two shitz what Eric Erickson, NRO, or Chris Christie have to say at this point. Mike Castle has shown that he can buy almost anything. In this state however. he cannot, buy a defense of his record. Its a closed primary on 9/14. The old GOP will face the music one way or another. Here is the final paragraph of a piece I hope you will read elsewhere soon:

If Mike Castle, and the old establishment wing of The GOP are able to buy this primary in Delaware, what will it ultimately cost them? In the same way that millions of average Americans have been “radicalized” by the raw exercise of power on the part of President Obama. Delaware Republicans are becoming increasingly bitter over Mike Castle’s tactics. The first price Republicans would pay would come in the form of Sen. Chris Coons (D) Delaware. If Castle buys the Delaware primary, the now energized Republican base would certainly vote “present" on November 2nd. The next consequence of Mike Castle’s heavy-handed tactics would be a further weakening of the Delaware GOP. Tens of thousands registered Republicans would become Registered Independents. Is this the price establishment Republicans are willing to pay? Apparently so.

11 posted on 09/03/2010 8:13:27 PM PDT by outofstyle (Anti-socialist)
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To: ak267

Would be good.

Does anyone know if the Tea Party Christine TV commercials have been on the air yet? Has anyone seen one yet?

I’m guessing that if the election is this close - 6% or 2% - and the flurry of tv commercials hasn’t started yet - Christine is likely to win. Throw the hot tea partyish endorsers on there - Palin, DeMint - and she wins somewhat comfortably.

Castles entire strategy was “don’t tell anyone about the election and hope that Christine doesn’t get enough money to tell people that there’s an election, he’s the Liberal and she’s the conservative, and hope that the handful of people that show up to vote will vote with as little information as possible. “Mike Castle, yes, I’ve heard of him”.

I can’t imagine how RINOs in closed primaries in 2010 can win, at least not one on one vs a conservative, unless that conservative has no way to get their message out. Christine is 6 points back at most, and hasn’t been on tv with commercials.


12 posted on 09/03/2010 8:16:49 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: outofstyle

“You are correct. To some extent this may make no difference now. I am on the ground in DE and there are some seriously pissed off Republican voters here. And these people don’t give two shitz what Eric Erickson, NRO, or Chris Christie have to say at this point. Mike Castle has shown that he can buy almost anything.”

I honestly think that these attacks will backfire. People will wonder why Castle was so vicious. When they figure out that he was trying to cover his record, there will be a huge backlash. And Christine O’Donnell can win. If Bill Roth could win all those years, then O’Donnell can win in this year which is going to be a very big GOP year (But I agree...not big enough to get Castle over the finish line.)Conservatives are not going to be bamboozled into voting for another Chaffee or Specter. No way


13 posted on 09/03/2010 8:27:37 PM PDT by Brices Crossroads
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To: Brices Crossroads

Roth was a Republican Senator for about 30 years. Before Roth, there was another Republican for over 20 years. Before Biden, there was a Republican. There is a lot of Republican tradition in Delaware.


14 posted on 09/03/2010 9:56:19 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: truthfreedom

There may be a “lot” of Republican tradition in Delaware, but the current crop of tools running the party are all RINOs. They have shoved the GOP into the hands of the DEM party. They hate Conservatives as much as the LIBs do.


15 posted on 09/04/2010 3:31:56 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)
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To: NTHockey

Well, someone should tell Tom Ross to shut up, that’s for sure.


16 posted on 09/04/2010 3:39:18 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: truthfreedom

I asked the staffer at DE GOP office if Ross was working for for the Democrars, because he is surely providing them with ammunition. Don’t be surprise if the state party abandons Christine when she wins and start working for Coons (racist name?).


17 posted on 09/04/2010 3:55:56 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)
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To: NTHockey

They are really going all out to get her. Check out the ads here:
http://www.electionprojection.com/blog/


18 posted on 09/04/2010 6:58:37 AM PDT by curth (SarahPac: Over 2 million members! Are you in for $20.12?)
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To: Brices Crossroads; onyx
Thanks for the ping and audio link BC. Yesterday was a lost cause as far as accessing FR for me and responding.

I'm listening to your audio link right now. You're right, there a a lot of pi$$ed off conservatives in DE right now and they're calling in. They're not buying this crap coming down from the establishment. Good for them.

The only issue for me was this question on O'Donnell's "paranoia" which Colley in this audio link addressed satisfactorily for me. I loved it when the caller talked about the cameraman following O'Donnell to this meeting with voters and conservatives throwing the guy out!

The issue of her student loans is a bunch of junk. She took 12 years to pay them off. BFD.

I know Sarah Palin has met O'Donnell. She's got a tough decision to make on this one with all the crap flying. WTH, go for it Sarah!

On a related note, Daniel Larson at rightosphere.com wrote a piece yesterday calling Palin a racist. It was quickly pulled and he's complaining about it. The GOP establishment is on the run. LOL.

Erick Erickson is a wuss. O'Donnell is good enough for Mark Levin and that's good enough for me.

19 posted on 09/04/2010 7:31:08 AM PDT by Al B.
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To: Brices Crossroads
Excellent post and thread. Thank you!

Let us wish Christine O'Donnell well and let us hope that Sarah Palin will ride to the sound of the guns in Delaware. I think she will, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do.

Here's hoping, and trusting, in the good voters of Delaware to see through Castle's smarmy smears.

20 posted on 09/04/2010 8:47:09 AM PDT by b9 (P rinciple A uthenticity L eadership I ntegrity N ational pride)
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