The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Rove Gets It Wrong: O'Donnell's Loss Is Conservative Win

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Rove Gets It Wrong: O'Donnell's Loss Is Conservative Win

By Jeffrey Lord on 11.2.10 @ 9:46PM

What startles in the Karl Rove declaration that there is a "lesson" in the defeat of Christine O'Donnell is that he simply doesn't get it.

O'Donnell moved the conservative ball in Delaware forward -- big time. As with Goldwater in 1964 or Reagan in 1968 and 1976, or Pat Toomey in 2004 and in examples from one end of the country to the other over the years… her decision to not accept the rabid ideology of extreme-statism in GOP clothes has held fast. Mike Castle was not a conservative. End of story. He had every intention of continuing to pursue the statist agenda (Cap and Trade but one item) if elected. He -- and his Delaware GOP Establishment supporters -- were the real ideologues here. They were and are about power. That's it. That's all. Just as is true of Lisa Murkowski in Alaska and so on.

Christine O'Donnell took the heat for conservative principles.

She lost tonight. To which the answer has to be: so what? Was the conservative agenda advanced? Yes. Indubitably yes.

Ms. O'Donnell deserves conservative thanks.

Karl Rove is setting the boundaries for a very serious discussion to come.

View all comments (42) | Leave a comment

Eric Cartman| 11.2.10 @ 9:57PM

The Pillsbury Doughboy still doesn't get it. He'll try to spin this as his "warning not heeded" moment. Putz. Can Rubio please kick Rove in the Crescent Dog.

Alan Brooks| 11.2.10 @ 10:22PM

Rove is dodgy as hell. He spins O'Donnell's loss as a win?
Rove is a meatball.

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 9:58PM

She was not qualified. Period. End of story.

Eric Cartman| 11.2.10 @ 10:14PM

You may be right, but neither is Coons - he's just a Lefty rubber stamp. And Rove acted like the little wussy boy he is about it. Period.

Bo| 11.2.10 @ 10:21PM

This race could've been won by an unqualified leftist tool. Not by an unqualified flakey conservative. That's why those of us with brains wanted Castle.

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 10:35PM

She also cost Toomey his Senate seat. But, the fanatics will never admit to reality. Same with Engle, win or lose.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:05PM

Duuuhhhh !

Pat Toomey is winning by 22,000 seats.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:08PM

Typo Toomey up by 22,000 votes

Aaaand, Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Corbett is giving his acceptance speech right now. right now.

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 11:17PM

Wait till they find those " temporarily lost " ballots in Philly. He needs a 50k cushion.

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 11:20PM

Now he is up 33k with 94.4 reporting. I don't trust Rendell-can't believe Hannity can't see through that piece of crap.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:34PM

Fast Eddie wants to do sports talk and eat Cheesesteaks, hit on media broads & do hairy cannonballs in Philly public swimming pools ,when they ain't closed due to budget crunch.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:40PM

96% in Toomey up 33,000.

They're gettin' ready to call it with Toomey up 3.6%

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:50PM

Now Toomey Up by 73,000 Votes with 1% Out.

I'll Call It First.

TOOMEY WINS !

gearjammer| 11.3.10 @ 12:13AM

Big win!

Bonner| 11.3.10 @ 2:52AM

You said a crappy thing about O'Donnell and you were wrong, RINO boy. You and Castle are both ball-less wonders.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:22PM

Phillies already in and another Black Panther was caught at 12th & Fairmount Polling Site against the Court's ruling.
Former Eagle Republican John Runyan just won across the river.
Toomey Land Lancaster & York Counties are yet to come in.

George Bumgardner| 11.2.10 @ 9:59PM

Nice to see Jeffrey Lord back! Haven't seen him in quite some time. Also, nice to see his commentary is just as nutty as ever. O'Donnell may not be a witch, but she is a buffoon, and the lesson is that while the American people are a very tolerant people, they don't have much use for candidates that insult their intelligence. But, I will admit, that she is most definitely not a witch!

Margie| 11.2.10 @ 10:23PM

Nah. Actually, the people of DE aren't quite sick enough of Left wing politics and politicians. It's like the alcoholic who hasn't hit rock bottom yet. Maybe next time. Maybe by then they'll have drunk to the dregs and want to get sober. Maybe not. Maybe they like it the way it is.
It isn't Christine O'Donnell's fault. It's the fault of the voters.

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 10:38PM

Now you sound just like a democrat with their we all are too stupid and racist mantra. The people do not want a spaceshot in the Senate save for California, Vermont and a few others.

Bruce Berger| 11.2.10 @ 10:05PM

Great Jeffrey, we can agree that COD "deserves conservative thanks", but can we also agree that the Republicans in Delaware could have done a helluva better job in finding an electable conservative candidate for that state.

I get why people didn't like Castle, but was the best alternative COD? I don't buy that for a second.

Niko| 11.2.10 @ 10:06PM

"She was not qualified. Period. End of story."

While the immoral, corrupted, moron Castle was.

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 11:21PM

Fool.

Bonner| 11.3.10 @ 2:54AM

Are you on Castle's payroll? Hope you're out of a job, meathead.

PCC| 11.2.10 @ 10:06PM

Mr. Lord makes a good point about taking a long-term view on conservative success. I'm sorry Ms. O'Donnell lost. I like her conservatism and I like her. I hope she runs and wins next time. However, if control of the senate comes down to one vote (and even if it doesn't, it was a conceivable outcome), I'd prefer a Mike Castle winner to a Christine O'Donnell loser.

Bonner| 11.3.10 @ 2:55AM

You RINO losers are all the same.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 10:11PM

We Tea Party Rebels Honor And Salute Christine O'Donnell.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong woman stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
To Paraphrase TR

Christine purged The RINO-CINO Mike Castle in Delaware , as Pat Toomey Purged RINO-CINO Arlen Specter in Neighboring Pennsylvania.
Then The Ruling Elite GOP Fops back shot her.

We Tea Party Rebels will get payback on the back shooters. Bank it.

The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.

Carpe Diem!

Barry O.| 11.2.10 @ 10:22PM

I'd like to thank the Tea Party Rebels for growing the Democrat caucus by one seat in the Senate (thus far).

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 10:55PM

Duuuhhhh!
The Seat is a Democrat Seat held by Democrat Senator Ted Kaufman,appointed to fill the term of Democrat Senator Joe Biden, now VP Biden. This was a Special Election. Democrats didn't grow a Seat.

Tim*| 11.2.10 @ 11:30PM

Elk,Blair & Fulton Toomey Counties Are yet to come in.
This Is Pennsylvania's Alabama " T " .
We Pennsylvania Gun & Bible Clutchers are gettin' Payback for 2008.
The Talkin' Heads are discussing Pat Toomey's Win coming in.

Walt Gilbert| 11.2.10 @ 10:12PM

"O'Donnell moved the conservative ball in Delaware forward -- big time. As with Goldwater in 1964 or Reagan in 1968 and 1976..."

Yes. O'Donnell is JUST LIKE Goldwater and Reagan. I mean EXACTLY like them. Practically a clone.

Bo| 11.2.10 @ 10:24PM

When you take the handoff, fumble, split your pants trying to pick the ball up, and watch the other team score... that's moving the ball forward these days.

Sean| 11.2.10 @ 10:20PM

A Castle weakens the Republican brand name. Democrats control the presidency and Senate. They will get slaughtered in two years.

ryanh| 11.2.10 @ 10:24PM

Christine O'Donnell lost because she is a BAD candidate. Thats all. Had she been a Rand Paul she would have won. Being a tea partier is not enough. If it were we wouldn't be losng so many Senate seats despite Obama's pathetic ratings. We need GOOD candidates whoa re also true conservatives. There are better candidates who are tea party conservatives than Christine O'Donnell. Why didnt we find someone else? Did we think winning Biden's old seat will be that easy? Next time lets be smarter about candidate selection. Otherwise we will lose the 2012 election as well. Blaming Rove is just being in denial. Why dont we look at what's really going on like grown ups.

Dim*| 11.2.10 @ 10:25PM

RINO!

gearjammer| 11.2.10 @ 10:40PM

Yup.

bobmontgomery| 11.2.10 @ 11:00PM

There was a primary. Your "good" candidate, the "electable" one, didn't win. O'Donnell was maligned and dissed and not supporte.d by the partybosses. You want a genius and a silver-tongued orator as your candidate? Vote Obama. Smart as a whip, that one.

Dean from Ohio| 11.2.10 @ 10:39PM

Blackbeard is reported to have shot his first mate in the leg under the table one evening. When questioned, he reportedly said something like, ""if l didn't shoot one of you now and then, you'd forget who l am."

Mike Castle needed to be reminded who's in charge, and politically speaking, he was.

Jim Lakely| 11.2.10 @ 10:46PM

Excellent take, Mr. Lord.

Tweeted! @jlakely

BOBMONTGOMERY| 11.2.10 @ 10:49PM

We presume that all these people who keep telling us what the qualifications are to hold elective office would also tell us that the words "separation of church and state" are in the First Amendment.

Katherine| 11.2.10 @ 10:53PM

I agree with Bruce Berger. COD was not the best electable conservtive candidate. Repubs need to do better next time. If Repubs want 2 win the Presidency please don't elect someone like COD against Barack Obama and be so arrogant to think just because he/she is a Tea Party conservative he/she will win. Pick someone who is electable, smart, has intelligent ideas and who can intellectually hold their own and yes preferably a white Christian male. BO is not going to be easily defeated. Underestimating him or te Dems is not a smart idea.