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Jim DeMint endorses Christine O’Donnell over Mike Castle (Following Sarah Palin's Lead)
Hotair ^ | 09/10/2010 | Allahpundit

Posted on 09/10/2010 8:28:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

I wondered yesterday whether Palin’s endorsement would pave the way for other prominent righties to weigh in. Here’s the answer, just across on Twitter:

I’m proud to endorse Christine O’Donnell for US Senate in Delaware. She will stand strong for the principles of freedom.

Did he hold off because he wasn’t convinced until today that O’Donnell can win, or was he under pressure from grassroots conservatives to jump in because Palin had taken a stand? Either way, DeMint has made his feelings about races like this crystal clear in the past. If O’Donnell wins the general election, great; one more “true conservative” in the Senate. If O’Donnell loses the general election, no big deal; a principled, conservative, RINO-free minority will guarantee total victory for “true conservatism” … eventually.

I’ve been criticized by some of my Republican colleagues for saying I’d rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who believe in the principles of freedom than 60 who don’t believe in anything.

Let me make myself even clearer: I’d rather have 30 Marco Rubios in the Senate than 60 Arlen Specters.

But, if that were the case I wouldn’t have to settle for 30, because strong conservatives who believe in a constitutional limited government like Marco Rubio will pave the way to a new Republican majority that will keep our promises to the American people!

The best way to re-earn the trust of the American people and to reclaim a Republican majority is to find and support more candidates who believe in the Principles of Freedom.

A hypothetical for you to kick around in the comments: How long would it take, and how much horrendous Democratic legislation would have to pass, before our roughly 50/50 nation was ready to elect 60 Marco Rubios to the Senate? (Per the latest Florida polls, we’re not yet assured of having even one Marco Rubio in the Senate.) And a second hypothetical: Assuming that 60 Rubios were — eventually — elected, would all 60 be prepared to act on “true conservative” principles under all circumstances? Remember, when polled, even a heavy majority of tea partiers say that the benefits of Social Security and Medicare are worth the costs.

I’ll leave you with the audio flashback below from the Andrew Wilkow show on the eve of Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts. (The post I wrote about it at the time is a fun read in hindsight.) If 30 Rubios are better than 60 moderates since they’re more likely to ensure eventual total victory for true conservatism, why on earth did any of us support Scotty B over Coakley? Better to elect her and accelerate the Democrats’ wrecking of America so that “true conservatives” can start rebuilding sooner, no?

Update: Commenters are calling foul on comparing a general election like Brown v. Coakley to a primary like Castle v. O’Donnell. Fair point — except that the logic of the passage from DeMint’s speech that I quoted destroys that distinction. His argument is that electing RINOs is counterproductive because it ruins the GOP’s brand as defenders of the Principles of Freedom. The best way for Republicans to “re-earn the trust of the American people” is to take principled, unified stands in the Senate against statist Democratic policies — and Scott Brown destroys that unity, as we saw with his vote on financial reform. If the path to total conservative victory runs through a pure Republican caucus, then we should prefer electing Democrats to RINOs. Which, as I explained above, is why this is a win/win endorsement for DeMint. Even if O’Donnell beats Castle but loses the general election to Coons, as most people expect, it’s still a win for “true conservatism” because it keeps the Republican membership in the Senate pure and principled. No Mike Castle there to dilute it.




TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: christineodonnell; delaware; jimdemint; mikecastle; odonnell
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To: onyx

Sarah leads, others follow.


21 posted on 09/10/2010 9:17:57 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (I can see November from my house)
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To: truthfreedom
What stations are you watching?

Castle radio ads were non-stop during Laura Ingraham's show this morning on WICO (1340AM). TV ads were on Fox News, but he'll lose votes with that alarming Montgomery Burns hair.
22 posted on 09/10/2010 9:18:09 PM PDT by Thrownatbirth (.....Iraq Invasion fan since '91.)
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To: NeoCaveman

That’s it.


23 posted on 09/10/2010 9:19:01 PM PDT by onyx (If you support Sarah and want on her Ping List, let me know!)
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To: RachelFaith
The undecideds and the new voters always break HARD for the outsider
True. The undecideds always break for the challenger. The people of DE know Castle. If they were going to vote for him, they'd have made it known by now.
24 posted on 09/10/2010 9:19:10 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: SeekAndFind

where the heck is Michael Steele in all this?
______________________________________________________________

Who gives a friggin’ rip. What a loser!!!


25 posted on 09/10/2010 9:20:56 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: bwc2221
Don't be surprised if the Huckster joins with an endorsement tomorrow
Who cares what Hillbilly Huck says or does? I'm not impressed with that guy.
26 posted on 09/10/2010 9:23:13 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: onyx

His biggie was Chris Christie
______________________________________________________________

No pun intended; I’m sure. LOL!


27 posted on 09/10/2010 9:25:27 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: Truthsearcher
Sarah's endorsements are never based on polls and DeMint is *in* the Senate. I really expected his endorsement much earlier. I'm happy he finally got around to endorsing her, but it would have been much more helpful to her had he endorsed simultaneously with Tea Party Express.
28 posted on 09/10/2010 9:26:21 PM PDT by onyx (If you support Sarah and want on her Ping List, let me know!)
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To: no dems

“Sarah leads, others follow.”

Very true.


29 posted on 09/10/2010 9:27:09 PM PDT by bwc2221
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To: Thrownatbirth
People who listen to Laura Ingraham and watch FOX News, have their mind made up; and it's not for Castle.
30 posted on 09/10/2010 9:27:19 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: no dems

LOL. I changed my original post, which was...big fish...hahahaha.


31 posted on 09/10/2010 9:27:20 PM PDT by onyx (If you support Sarah and want on her Ping List, let me know!)
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To: RedMDer
If Christine wins the primary then she will win the general. I can only say that in this part of the country the sentiment is very anti entrenched politician.

Well, if she wins the primary, both candidates will be outsiders, so she doesn't gain anything there. She will be a conservative outsider running against a liberal outsider in a liberal state. So how do you figure she wins? (She is losing by double digits right now.)

32 posted on 09/10/2010 9:29:28 PM PDT by CA Conservative
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To: onyx; All
DeMint is a smart Conservative. He might have calculated that Sarah took the lead and he brings up the rear in the closing days of the campaign. Good Political Strategy: Hit them early to get the ones who make up their minds early. Hit them late to push the undecideds over the line for your candidate.
33 posted on 09/10/2010 9:29:56 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Time to storm the castle and take out a RINO.


34 posted on 09/10/2010 9:30:28 PM PDT by Antoninus (It's long past time for conservatives to stop voting for Republican liberals. Enough!)
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To: onyx

Oh please. If they weren’t based on polls some of the time she wouldn’t include with endorsements for Fiorina and that woman in N.H. that part of the reason she supports them is because she feels they are the most “electable conservatives”. I don’t know what else “electable” means other then she read a damn poll. Obviously she doesn’t follow the polls all the time, but sometimes she does.

I’m with her on this only because I see no cause to elect another buddy for McConnell in the Senate. However I’m against her pick in N.H. and supporting DeMint’s choice there.


35 posted on 09/10/2010 9:30:49 PM PDT by Soul Seeker (?)
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To: CA Conservative
After the Primary, it's a whole new ballgame. October is the month. Most people don't pay attention until 10 days, or less, before the Election. The die-hards vote in the Primary, and that's good for the Conservatives. It's like the World Series. After the Pennant Races......it's on.
36 posted on 09/10/2010 9:33:19 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: CA Conservative

She wins. I think only New Castle county is more liberal than not. The rest is rural and a lot of small business. The mood has changed and the lazy voter wont know who to vote for. The motivated voter will know. That’s my opinion from this part of the country.


37 posted on 09/10/2010 9:34:45 PM PDT by RedMDer (Throw them all out in 2010... Forward with Confidence! Forward!)
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To: Thrownatbirth; All
What in the heck can Castle's ads say? "Vote for me because I'm a slimey, non-principled, political whore with no core values, but, I need a good retirement. Please don't make me have to get a real job."
38 posted on 09/10/2010 9:35:55 PM PDT by no dems (DeMINT / PALIN 2012 or PALIN / DeMINT 2012.......Either is fine with me!)
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To: Thrownatbirth

Ok, that’s obviously cable. That’s good. There was a bit of discussion a while back about how expensive the Philly media market is, and how broadcast tv was apparently necessary to get the message out.

But with cable, you can buy what you want. Cable markets are small, and you can reach the voters you want.

See any Christine?


39 posted on 09/10/2010 9:39:30 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Soul Seeker
Palin endorsing the leader is a myth.

Carly was running well behind liberal Republican Tom Campbell at the time of Palin’s endorsement. Pro-arort Bill Binnie moved to within 9 of Ayotte when Sarah endorsed her.

Haley, Handel, Martinez, Didier, Miller and others were not the favorites when Palin endorsed them. Some won, some lost.

40 posted on 09/10/2010 9:40:21 PM PDT by bwc2221
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