I seriously don’t know if I buy into your position. Winning Delaware was just about impossible for her based on her type of conservative policies. Yes, maybe some other groups might not have liked her and did a few things but she had a lot to overcome. Just saying.
She had a lot to overcome, yes, thanks to their hardball smearing tactics. The Rove attacks were beyond the pale, foaming-at-the-mouth, and even to this day they don’t miss an opportunity to take a shot or three.
There is no diminishing what they did to her, not just some locals here and there. It was vile, straight up. Of course, this is what they do to all who aren’t in their “club”. Standard operating procedure, i.e. Hermain Cain, Sarah Palin, DJT on a national level, but this also happens at the state level. Local levels vary, no doubt.