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The Spectacle Blog
On the heels of my feature today about Christine O’Donnell’s Senate campaign, the Tea Party Express endorses the conservative in the Sept. 14 Republican primary against Rep. Mike Castle:
“Christine O’Donnell has established a reputation as a strong voice for conservative constitutionalist principles consistent with the ideals of the tea party movement,” said Amy Kremer, Chairman of the Tea Party Express and one of the founding activists of the modern tea party movement.
In contrast, Mike Castle has proven himself to be one of the most liberal establishment Republicans who has repeatedly turned against conservatives and those in the tea party movement.
“We’re so excited to see the strength behind Christine O’Donnell’s campaign,” said Joe Wierzbicki, Coordinator for the Tea Party Express.
“We long ago announced our intention to hold Mike Castle accountable for his failed record in Congress, and now we have an excellent shot to make sure he is defeated by a solid conservative candidate,” Wierzbicki said… .
CNN notes that backing from the Tea Party Express helped Sharron Angle score a come-from-behind win in the Nevada GOP Senate primary. Meanwhile, O’Donnell’s trip to Vegas for the Right Online conference definitely helped boost her name recognition among conservative bloggers, generating coverage by Hot Air and Gateway Pundit, as well as an interview with Tammy Bruce.
Mike Castle’s Republican supporters — including Delaware State GOP Chairman Mike Ross — are dismissing O’Donnell as “unelectable,” citing her 2008 challenge to Joe Biden, who ran simultaneously for Senate re-election while campaigning as Obama’s running mate. The back story on that campaign, however, actually points toward O’Donnell’s potential to upset Castle in the primary. Without significant financial backing from national Republicans, O’Donnell was outspent nearly 50-to-1 by Biden, yet she got more than 140,000 — 35% of the vote in a high-tide year for Democrats. Turnout in this mid-term GOP primary is unlikely to exceed 30,000, so if O’Donnell can mobilize just one out of 10 of her 2008 voters to turn out Sept. 14, that might be enough to beat Castle.
Robert Costa at National Review mentions that Sen. Jim DeMint is keeping an eye on the Delaware primary, considering an endorsement of O’Donnell. Of course, many of O’Donnell’s supporters are also hoping for Sarah Palin’s endorsement, but notice how the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling is spinning last week’s Palin endorsement of Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire as a detriment. Of course, this is outweighed by the hitherto decisive benefit of Palin’s support in a Republican primary. If Ayotte wins the nomination — like Delaware, New Hampshire’s primary is Sept. 14 — that momentum will carry over into the general election, and the “Palin Factor” can’t be isolated and analyzed until the votes are counted on Election Day.
In a mid-term election year like this, it strikes me as foolish for Republicans to base decisions about Republican primaries on the hope of wooing moderates in the general election. It’s exactly that kind of ill-considered “strategic” thinking that led to Newt Gingrich’s embarrassing endorsement of Dede Scozzafava last year, and to John Cornyn’s blunder in prematurely backing Charlie Crist in Florida.
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More Blog Posts by Robert Stacy McCain
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The Empiricist| 7.28.10 @ 12:45AM
Just like Sharron Angle??? --- Unless the people of Delaware don't "cotton" that whole tea party express thing.
Tim*| 7.28.10 @ 6:58AM
We Tea Party Rebels are watching to see what Our Kingmaker Champ Jim DeMint does.
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates .
Remember In November
O'Donnell is a nut| 9.9.10 @ 8:44PM
Yes we will remember the candidates who you helped nominate in the primary who lost in the general. Hopefully it will spur everyone to finally ignore the Tea Parties.
Bo Darville| 7.28.10 @ 11:19AM
The GOP Establishment, Inc. and the Official Tea Party Organization, Inc. with their top down dictations are going to secure the Democrats another two years to finish ruining the country.
Ken (Old Texican)| 7.28.10 @ 1:14PM
Bo,
I hope you merely failed to finish a cogent thought above.
If not, you are stuck on stupid. The tea-parties are simply researching and discovering talented "originalists" and bringing them to our attention.
(I'm sending Christine a check).
Look, pick ten Rep candidates thus identified who have a legitimate shot, and send them a few bucks.
Put your money where your mouth is! Or shut the hell up.
Bo Darville| 7.28.10 @ 5:33PM
So, you're telling me to send Castle some money?
Alan Brooks| 7.28.10 @ 2:00PM
"(I'm sending Christine a check). "
For what, a dollar?
Tim*| 7.28.10 @ 5:47PM
Apparently , Brooks , is upset 'cause he can't use his Welfare Debit Card to donate to The Democrat Chris Coons.
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates .
Remember In November .
Bob| 7.28.10 @ 6:21PM
Yes, thank you Tea Parties and your so-called rebellion. Thank you for helping to nominate Sharron Angle, thus costing the Republicans their best chance ever to beat Harry Reid. Conservatives all across the country are now "thanking" you by giving you the finger and telling you to F*ck Off. You have outlived your usefulness. Either help nominate candidates that can win and thus have a chance of stopping Obama's agenda or shut the f*ck up.
Tim*| 7.28.10 @ 6:34PM
Make Us Cupcake !
" On major issues, 48% of voters say that the average Tea Party member is closer to their views than President Barack Obama. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 44% hold the opposite view and believe the president’s views are closer to their own.
Not surprisingly, Republicans overwhelmingly feel closer to the Tea Party and most Democrats say that their views are more like Obama’s. Among voters not affiliated with either major political party, 50% say they’re closer to the Tea Party while 38% side with the President."
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates .
97 Days To November 2nd.
Alan Brooks| 7.28.10 @ 2:26PM
.. and how do we know the check wont bounce?
Rich D| 7.28.10 @ 2:29PM
Golden rule of politics. All politics are local. Forget that at your own peril. There are plenty of politicians who get elected while supporting positions contrary to their voters. Castle is one of them. O'Donnell is not. Hello Senator Coons. 35% is the core Rep vote in DE. Rather than focusing on that, consider how she will get to 50% + 1. Great, we have a kook in Nevada, a racist in Kentucky and maybe a noboby in DE. Has anyone ever thought to ask about qualifications?
Jerry C| 7.28.10 @ 4:27PM
That should pretty much kill off her chances of getting elected.` The Tea Partiers could possible kill of the republican party.
Bob| 7.28.10 @ 6:17PM
Tea Party backing helped Angle win in NV. Awesome. Now Tea Party help can lead to the nomination of another candidate that has absolutely no chance of winning in liberal Delaware. Heck, at this rate, Republicans will end up losing seats in the Senate come November. The Tea Parties need to just go away, please.
Deborah D | 7.29.10 @ 7:52AM
Is this "the" Bob? The Bob who voted for Obama and told us how exceptional his plan for the economy was? The Bob who thought he was smarter than Thomas Sowell? Just wondering.
The Shark| 7.28.10 @ 6:22PM
Tea Parties jumped me a long time ago. The nominations of Sharron Angle and Rand Paul should have led any sane Republican to ignore you.
Bob| 7.28.10 @ 6:28PM
"In a mid-term election year like this, it strikes me as foolish for Republicans to base decisions about Republican primaries on the hope of wooing moderates in the general election."
Wow, you are so right, because in a far right state like Delaware, O'Donnell can win easily. Oh wait...
Tea Party involvement has already cost us a Harry Reid loss, now they have set their sights on costing us Delaware and New Hampshire as well. And I hate to tell you this, only getting 35% of the vote, regardless of the year, would indicate to any sane person that O'Donnell can't win. But hey, you go ahead and push a candidate that will lose in the general. Because ideological purity is so much more important that actually winning elections for national office.
Ken (Old Texican)| 7.28.10 @ 7:21PM
Bob
Sharkbait
We have this one last chance to kick the communists, (pardn the shorthand), out on their butts this fall.
That would be hardly helpful if we can't replace them with solid originalists with courage.
If the Americans who get off their dead butts to vote this fall can't see the different outcomes and vote accordingly, then the idiots like you will have voted us into serfdom.
Those free men and women among us will not accept that. Whose bed are you going to hide under?
Tim*| 7.28.10 @ 7:02PM
The CINO-RINO's Who gave us the likes of The Serial Traitors to Conservatism John McCain and Arlen Specter are already breakin' ranks & heading for the tall grass .
" The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Nevada finds Reid with 45% of the vote, while Angle earns 43% support. Seven percent (7%) favor some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.
But 48% of the state’s voters have a Very Unfavorable view of Reid. Forty-one percent (41%) say the same of Angle. Overall, 55% have at least a somewhat unfavorable opinion of Reid and 56% view Angle at least somewhat unfavorably.
Sixty-two percent (62%) describe the longtime Democratic senator as a liberal, and 50% characterize his views as extreme. Forty-one percent (41%) put Reid in the mainstream.
Angle, who is seen as a conservative by 81% of the state’s voters, is viewed as holding extreme views by 58%. Thirty-seven percent (37%) see the GOP nominee in the mainstream.
Not surprisingly, Democrats tend to see Reid’s views as mainstream and Angle’s views as extreme. Republicans hold the opposite perspective. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 55% consider Reid’s views extreme while 52% say the same about Angle.
Forty-five percent (45%) of Nevada’s Likely Voters consider themselves at least somewhat conservative and 24% consider themselves at least somewhat liberal. Those figures include 18% who are Very Conservative and 6% who are Very Liberal. "
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.
We Can See November From Our Houses .
Deborah D | 7.29.10 @ 7:18AM
Wow, from all of the hatred spewed at the Tea Partiers, I'd say we have a lot of scared Democrats posting here.
JmsA| 7.29.10 @ 10:28AM
And right you are, Deborah D.
ysmaday| 7.31.10 @ 4:04PM
This has nothing to do with Sharon Angle (God bless her) but Glen Beck. Mr. self righteous who on his TV program of July 30 was determined to purge anyone who was a friend to anyone who might have come out of a public toilet behind a racist. (I am exaggerating of course.) All of it is related to the shocking statements of Mark Williams who was once associated with the Tea Party Express. Mr. (racially pure thinking ) Beck interviewed a spokeswoman for the Tea Party Express and even though she has never said any thing racially derogatory, even though she emphatically said the group was not racist, even though she said they have black members, even though Mark Williams has resigned from the organization, Mr. (racially holier than thou) Beck pronounced her statements as "not good enough." I can empathise with Tea Party Express members. I have spent a lifetime being insulted as a racist by the extreme left ; I bitterly resent it when vicariousely coming from someone who should be a friend. Shame on you Glen Beck and you people in the National Tea Party Federation, and Tea Party Patriots (patriots?).
SecPress| 8.2.10 @ 9:32AM
Mike Castle is not going to become a Dem and resign. His ego is too big for that. Why would he run in the first place? That is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. Beau Biden didn't run because he was afraid of Castle. I know Delaware politics, please trust me on this.
I am no Castle fan but I can assure you that he is the lesser of two evils. I did some consulting for O'Donnell in 2008, the 2nd time she ran. She does not care about the country or the conservative movement. She only runs to pay her bills. I know that sounds crazy but it is absolutely true. In 2008 she tried to hire a maid with campaign funds, was about to have her house foreclosed on and her car repossessed. The IRS was auditing her because she didn't pay her taxes. She was only saved when her lawyer boyfriend Brent bought her house and car for her. Christine does not work, hasn't had a job in years. She has zero accomplishments. Even if she is great on the issues, with no real record it is irresponsible to elect someone like that to the Senate. She will be a national embarrassment.
There honestly is more of a chance that she would resign than Castle. She is completely delusional. She actually was convinced that she would be the keynote speaker at the 2008 GOP convention and thought that passing out sunblock packets that said "don't get burned by higher taxes" was the key to victory to beat Joe Biden. The list goes on; trust me she is a horrible person. She doesn't pay her staff (not me, I volunteered), has racked up an incredible amount of debt, and pays herself with campaign contributions. Also, the last job she had at Intercollegiate Studies Institute she was fired from for stealing their mailing list.
Castle isn't the answer either but I'd rather him for 4 years than some unemployed egotistical nut who only cares about herself.
Say No to Christine O'Donnell please!