Posted on 09/14/2010 8:06:01 AM PDT by Bigtigermike
Several Republican primaries Tuesday serve as the latest test for a party establishment that has seen many of its chosen candidates overtaken by tea-party activists looking for a renewed commitment to conservative principles.
Insurgent Republicans are drawing enthusiastic support from conservatives in Delaware and New York, but establishment party leaders and even some tea party activists worry those candidates could damage Republican chances in November in traditionally liberal states. And in New Hampshire, polls show the gap closing between the establishment front-runner for U.S. Senate, Kelly Ayotte, and a tea party-embracing challenger, Ovide Lamontagne.
A new Delaware survey released Monday showed tea party-backed Christine O'Donnell in a statistical tie with Rep. Mike Castle in the GOP Senate primary.
Mr. Castle, a former governor, has been widely considered the front-runner to win the seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden. A win in Delaware would give the GOP a crucial pickup in its quest to gain a majority in the chamber.
But Mr. Castle has drawn the ire of conservatives for supporting abortion rights and siding with Democrats on a cap-and-trade energy plan. The nonpartisan National Journal rated his voting record last year as the most liberal among House Republicans.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I think Lamontaigne is going to win today...any NH freepers care to comments? Looks also like he is a pretty polished guy, and could well take the general....
Good. Out with the establishment GOP country clubbers. In with people with principles.
If the establishment GOP liberals were just moderate Dems that took over the GOP to keep conservative voices down, would they have behaved differently than the establishment GOP has behaved towards conservatives?
GOP mainstream? McCain is not GOP mainstream. Grahmnesty is not GOP mainstream. Castle is not GOP mainstream. Specter was not GOP mainstream. Crist was not GOP mainstream.
The WSJ showing its far left NEWSreporting. (remember the WSJ news division is just as left as the NYT)
In the not-to-distant-future those insurgents will be labeled ‘terrorists.’
I love how Lanmontagne is considered the Tea Party candidate by the MSM. Yet Ayotte beats him in every poll within the TP demo.
I’ll take Ayotte any day of the week. There is no need to take a chance on Lamontagne. Kelly is backed by all the pro life groups, gets a B from NH Fireamrms (Ovide gets an ‘F’), backed by Palin, etc. This is not exactly Castle we’re talking about. She’s getting a raw deal from the know nothing like Eric Erickson.
Ovide’s only state wide run resulted in a crushing defeat in 96 — when NH was far more conservative.
He can run as a Tea Partier but since he never held public office what do we really know about him other than what he rells us. His only public records are that of a lawyer pushing for a gun ban in NH.
Go Kelly Ayotte!
First, Lamontaigne has a poor (F) rating on the 2nd Ammendment.
Second, an out-of-control Freeper, "Pissant" by name, who apparently has a pathological hatred of Sarah Palin, made some poorly thought-out accusations of me for questioning the supremacy of Lamontaigne.
There should be a mature and polite discourse on this forum, but some folks are too damned immature to do so and their behavior can prove to be the tipping energy.
I looked at both and they were fairly close, but the 2nd Ammendment issue and the behavior of their respective backers made the difference.
My thoughts exactly. Perhaps these “establishment” types are worried that their gravy train is about to end. The thought makes me smile!
thanks...glad to know Ayotte is not Mike Castle. Sounds like she’d be a good choice.
I can understand the reasoning on 2nd Amendment, but how can the behavior of someone who probably has never met the person be a factor? I mean, suppose Dennis Rodman said he was starting up a "Draft Sarah Palin 2012" campaign? It is irrational to base your support of someone on the behavior of one of their supporters. Especially on the Internet.
It will be a tough fight today between Ovide and Ayotte.
Though thankfully it looks like Binnie is out.
It’s one thing to read about a candidate, but I also think it’s important to listen.
In addition to being conservative, Ovide sounds authentically conservative. He speaks as and for conservatives and does NOT sound canned. He doesn’t just spout catch phrases like “jobs jobs jobs” He truly speaks to the bigger ideological core issues like liberty.
Ayotte, sounds much more “moderate” and careful not to offend the sainted “independents” whenever I hear her speak.
I’ve read all of the second Amendment criticism of Ovide and honestly I think it’s a non-issue. Ovide is running for national office and abolishing the 2nd amendment has NO traction there (even if he wanted that, which he says he doesn’t)
For me it comes down to who do you believe. I believe Ovide over Ayotte.
Amazing that after being treating to years of cries about how the GOP had been wiped out in the Northeast, the GOP establishment is afraid Conservatives would lead them to electoral disaster.
It is a message I teach my Boy Scouts. They are Scouting to everyone else. How they conduct themselves tells the world what Scouting is.
I am tired of the negative campaigning. When I hear someone trashing the other person as opposed to extolling the virtues of their own candidate, I sense that there is something seriously wrong with their candidate.
I decide accordingly.
That’s, true, if the keep at it someone may win the kenndy seat. Damn, All nuts are not on trees.
The problem with that is that negative campaigning works. And what do you mean by "negative"? So many people are sissies these days and think that even pointing out policy failures or policy deficiencies or differences is negative campaigning. I'm all for it. Get it out there.
What makes me sick is stuff like McCain basically campaigning for Obama in 2008. It was so saccharine sweet he seemed reticent to even mention differences.
Of course, I'm different than lots of people.
Hey, you can’t judge a candidate by whether Sarah Palin endorsed them.
Sarah Palin endorsed John McCain and Rand Paul.
Soon the only acceptable use of the word terrorist will be to describe TEA party members.
If he don't understand the constitution, and wont agree to protect it, how can you trust anything the bastard says?
The NYC MSM has to be scared. They have lost control.
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