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The Spectacle Blog
Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell, already under fire for a sketchy history with personal finances and a number of other odd actions (including suing the stalwart conservative publishing house, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute), now is really turning into an embarrassment. Her unnamed opponents are hiding in her bushes! And her close associates are making absolutely slanderous claims about her GOP opponent, U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, while O’Donnell herself can barely raise herself to denounce the slander — only while repeating it numerous times.
Yet TEA Partiers, with whose causes I almost always gladly associate, are working hard to make O’Donnell the next Joe Miller, pulling an upset win over the GOP establishment.
I make no endorsement of Mike Castle’s leftward drift over the years. I make no endorsement in the race. I love a lot of what O’Donnell says. I would still be at least tempted to vote for her if I lived in Delaware. But if I were a political consultant telling TEA Partiers and conservative leaders in general what their best purely political action would be, long term, what I would say is this: Go to Mike Castle and get pledges from him to move back rightward.
Politicians as experienced as Castle know the importance of honoring their word to other political actors. (Sort of like “honor among thieves,” except that most politicians really are NOT thieves.) Conservative leaders can go to him, perfectly legally, and say, look, you saw what happened to Lisa Murkowski in Alaska and to Bob Bennett in Utah. You see the polls that have you just five points up on O’Donnell. You know you are at least at some risk of failing to win the nomination. But we can call off the dogs of war. We can stop ginning up the organizational fervor that could propel O’Donnell to victory. What we ask from you is that you keep your door open to us once you are in the Senate; that you sign at least a two-year version of Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge; that you agree in writing that you will not switch parties if elected and that you would resign rather than do so….. that sort of thing. The pledges don’t even need to be public. They can’t mention any specific legislation, and they can’t be couched in terms of a quid pro quo. But they still can be binding on an honorable man, and Castle is an honorable man.
Here’s why: Mike Castle would be a heavy favorite in a general election. O’Donnell — unlike Miller in Alaska — would be an almost unwinnable underdog. And the Senate majority could very well hang in the balance with this race. With the Senate majority comes subpoena power to keep the Obama administration in check, and all sorts of other advantages that make it worthwhile for conservatives to have even a liberal Republican like Castle in office rather than an even more liberal Democrat. If conservatives are practical, these are the sorts of considerations that would enter their minds and govern their actions.
After all, conservative leaders otherwise could be left wondering what else might be hiding in O’Donnell’s bushes.
View all comments (17) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/09/03/odonnells-embarrassments
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ncatty| 9.3.10 @ 12:22PM
Yes, let's do anything to put another RINO in the Senate. Then when it all implodes the Dems can say they weren't in charge. It will be better for Castle to lose in the primary and O'Donnell lose in the general. At least there would be a REAL dem in the Senate and not another RINO. Oh yes, and just which self-appointed representative of the Tea Party is going to make this "deal" with the "honorable" Castle? All is not lost however, this post will earn the author "strange new respect" from the Beltway.
SoCon| 9.3.10 @ 12:32PM
I'm no fan of RINOs like Castle but the article I read about O'Donnell made her look secretive and unstable.
Is there no way to hold Castle's feet to the fire?
Derek Leaberry| 9.3.10 @ 12:37PM
Mike Castle believes in killing unborn babies and Christine O'Donnell believes in protecting them. That should be pretty much enough of a reason to support Miss O'Donnell. Moreover, Castle would be just another tool for the McCain-Graham cabal to use against conservatives.
Like all women, Miss O'Donnell would be better of with male direction. She needs a husband.
Oldefarte| 9.3.10 @ 12:56PM
I would recommend an enven-more-generic approach of VOTE FOR ALL REPUBLICANS [AND AGAINST ALL DEMOCRATS IN NOVEMBER; THEN/THEREAFTER TWEAK THE SYSTEM TO ELIMINATE THE RINO'S/CORRUPT/LIBERAL REPUBLICANS. Don't get too engrossed right now in the pros/cons of each/every candidate, but instead/simply FILL IN THE COMPLETE/ENTIRE REPUBLICAN TICKET ON YOUR BALLOT [IE VOTE STRAIGHT REPUBLICAN]. The Democrat Party [and no doubt the Republican as well] are now unduly controlled by their national committees/national leaders, and the DNC is extremely radical-extremist in political philosophy, whereas the RNC is not; so voting for the straight/entire Republican will benefit you and this country. The problem Republicans elected by this approach can always be dealt with subsequently on a case-by-case basis, as needed, thereafter!!!!!!!!!!!!
John - TMF| 9.3.10 @ 1:04PM
Humm looks like a Conservative Kamikaze Run to me...
Castle... odious RINO... He definitely isn't Conservative, and his loyalty quotient with the GOP is likely to be spare at best.
O'Donnell at this pace... from the looks of what is coming out of her "campaign", will go up in flames faster than the Hindenburg after Labor Day.
Sometimes... just sometimes, the people who "know" actually do KNOW something.
If the choice is between a RINO Castle, and a Permanent Liberal Democrat seat (see Biden's tenure in Club Senate for reference), hold your nose and take the RINO. If for no other reason than the R count will make it less likely that Harry Reid will rule the Senate.
O'Donnell is either an incompetent mouthing the "right" things, or seriously flawed and being backed by people desperate to find anyone to defeat their bug-bear.
In politics you win some and lose some, you hope to win more than you lose with enough consistency to effect policy. It looks sort of like Delaware is mostly a write off. Time to cut the losses, not spend time and energy backing a dodgy candidate. It is better to move on to more fruitful territory.
R/The Mighty Fahvaag
Nick| 9.3.10 @ 1:36PM
John-TMF,
Miss O'Donnell is the real deal: A committed Christian Conservative.
Castle is a stinking liberal snake.
Was it better to have S-P-E-C-T-E-R re-elected? Was it better when Senator Cornyn had the NRSC endorse Charlie Crist in Florida, because he "could win?" Are we better off because we have McLame, Grahamnesty, Snowe, Collins?
Castle is 71 and has been in the House since 1993. Before that he was governor. It is time for him to be retired.
SoCon| 9.3.10 @ 1:08PM
Your last two sentences made me laugh, Derek. I believe there's some truth to your sentiments (Todd is definitely Sarah's rock) but I also think they're rather simplistic.
Nick| 9.3.10 @ 1:21PM
Mr. Hillyer,
If you would believe any promise made by Caslte, may I sell you a bridge? Or, maybe some beach front property?
Cliff| 9.3.10 @ 6:16PM
What promise has Mike Castle broke?
Just name one.
Nick| 9.3.10 @ 7:20PM
Cliff,
Castle promised we had reached "peak oil" production a couple of years ago, on the House floor, along with Roscoe Bartlett.
He also took an oath to God that he would "[...]support and defend the Constitution of the United States [...]," and then voted against the second article of amendment to the U.S. Constitution, i.e. the right to keep and bear arms, multiple times.
There, that's two. Any questions?
Spicy Joker| 9.3.10 @ 1:31PM
I'm not fan of Mike Casshole, but Christine O'Donnell is no Joe Miller or Marco Rubio.
Stan Redmond| 9.3.10 @ 5:29PM
O'donnel is a rookie campaigner and reacting badly to attacks from the GOP. I would rather have her anyday of the week over Castle. What particularly bothers me is Castle's condemnation of her paying rent with campaign funds, financial difficulties, and her living in an apartment.
Screw you Castle. People aren't all living large in DC on the government dime (like you). Castle is of the opinion of only elite wealthy people are able to go to DC. Maybe if Odonnel had married a billionaire like John Kerry he would not be so contemptuous of her. The whole situation really shows his contempt for regular people.
Both GOP and Dem parties are shameful. Alvin Greene, Odonnel, Palin, are not in the DC club and the DC club is going to destroy them and keep driving the country to ruin.
SoCon| 9.3.10 @ 5:45PM
The only reason John Kerry is a billionaire is because the creep married Teresa Heinz, the very wealthy widow of Republican Senator, John Heinz.
Mimi| 9.3.10 @ 8:19PM
Listen ...You guys...Knock it off...Right Now!! Have you lost the faith? Providence is on this case. He's not about to let this "Last Hope On Earth " go down. Reach in your pockets and send her some funding. She surely is on the right side of America. We desparately need young Conservative blood. Support her.....TRUST!!!
Yosemeti Sam| 9.4.10 @ 1:00AM
" O'Donnell's Embarrassments ...."
Can these 'embarrassments' be any greater than the EMBARRASSMENT - residing in the Peoples' White House?
Jack Bauer| 9.4.10 @ 7:25AM
Castle says HE WON'T VOTE TO REPEAL OBAMACARE.
So, why should conservatives vote for Castle?
Hiding in the bushes? This RINO is up front. Well, lightbulb him.