Sarah Palin’s Biggest Gamble

Posted on | September 10, 2010 | 27 Comments

Following up on the earlier post about Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Christine O’Donnell, I have spoken to a few sources, one of whom described this as “the longest of long shots,” a decision based not on political calculation but as a matter of “pure principle.”

Another source pointed out that Rush Limbaugh might have had an influence, as he returned from vacation Tuesday and pounded hard on the Delaware primary — following his friend Mark Levin, who has been O’Donnell’s staunchest defender on talk radio.

At any rate, here’s Sarah Palin’s Facebook endorsement:

The wave of positive change can really sweep across our land with the election of Constitutional Conservatives who promise to use common sense and rein in the federal government spending! Please support Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. She will support efforts for America’s energy security, patient-centered health care reform, cutting government waste, and letting the private sector thrive and prosper! We can’t afford “more of the same” in Washington. Christine will help usher in the real change we need to get America on the right track. Please visit her website at www.christine2010.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Just five days before Sept. 14 primary, can Palin’s endorsement turn the tide in Delaware? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Dan Riehl has a similar reaction, citing this endorsement by Palin as a matter of “principle . . . integrity” and certain other admirable qualities. A tip of the fedora to Dan who, as I said Tuesday, went on the warpath against RINO Mike Castle and Castle’s supporters. And I must point out that it was co-blogger Smitty who first called our attention to Christine O’Donnell back in March.

Category: Christine O'Donnell, Delaware, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Senate

Comments

27 Responses to “Sarah Palin’s Biggest Gamble”

PALIN ENDORSES O’DONNELL! : The Other McCain
September 10th, 2010 @ 1:04 am

[…] get me a telephone interview with Christine.UPDATE IV: Will Ace of Spades be eating crow?UPDATE V: Sarah Palin’s biggest gamble.Somebody pointed out that the Delaware presidential primary in 2012 — Feb. 7 — will be […]
Rob
September 10th, 2010 @ 1:09 am

Experimental CA-8 poll
Thomas L. Knapp
September 10th, 2010 @ 1:10 am

Strange race … Two big-government Republicans, one running as the GOP establishment candidate even though he frequently bucks the party line, the other one running as the anti-GOP-establishment candidate by emphasizing how much more GOP-establishment-friendly her positions are than his.

Kind of a yawner, really, especially now that Palin has weighed in. There’s no real “can Palin’s endorsement turn the tide” question here. Her endorsement means that she’s already calculated that O’Connell’s faux “anti-establishment” strategy has it wrapped up and that she’s therefore safe to endorse.
Rob
September 10th, 2010 @ 1:26 am

Dan Maes…those two words should scare people…but than again we did do a background check on Obama and he STILL won.
Jenfidel
September 10th, 2010 @ 1:45 am

I’m scared as hell that Sarah will get the Christine stink on her…seriously.
O’Donnell is a loser.
If we lose this seat to the Democrat Coons because uber-conservatives pushed Christine over the top, Sarah and the Tea Party (Express) will get the blame and the GOP will never hear the end of it.
Yes, Castle’s a RINO, but he’s solid and the people of DE like him.
K~Bob
September 10th, 2010 @ 4:05 am

Never let a Preference Cascade go to waste, folks. This election ceased being about “winning the Senate” some time ago. The Republicans just don’t know it yet.

This pick by Palin has simply underscored reality: the tea party folks–and a helluva lot more of us who aren’t “joiners”–want a lot more than just a little “tip of the balance back toward the right,” Scott Brown style. Massachusetts was the beginning of the cascade, not some imaginary, feeble, first step.

The “restoration” theme has gathered strength, and I don’t just mean Glenn Beck’s work there (BTW, not all of those folks at the Mall on the 28th were Tea Party folks). A lot of agnostics are disgusted with the statism, too. These supposedly “weak” candidates keep surprising the Republican tactical geniuses who operate by beltway rules-of-thumb.

It’s out of their hands now, thanks to Michael Steel’s inability to bridge the gap between the base and the elites. (I don’t think he’s totally at fault there).

This isn’t just a “wave” that’s building. Now is when all of the nail biters need to stand up and stop worrying in the dark. It’s a once-every-150-years chance to put things back together from the mess all the big-government types have made of it. You don’t do that by holding back the surge. You don’t play it safe. You have to roll with it and manage the chaos.

If O’Donnel loses, it’s not all bad. Besides, it’s not just about stopping Obama. If that’s all the “safe route to victory” accomplishes then we ARE screwed.
Bob Belvedere
September 10th, 2010 @ 7:31 am

K-Bob is dead solid perfect.

WOLVERINES!
Joe
September 10th, 2010 @ 9:48 am

Palin wanted to help the Tea Party. So she endorsed Christine. Does anyone know how close it is? I doubt Palin is seriously hurt, if at all, if Christine loses in the primary. The endorsement will be forgotten about. The bigger threat is Christine winning by a narrow margin and melting down in the general. Then Palin gets blamed for losing a Senate seat to the Dems (and possible conrol of the Senate).

We will see.
Ric Locke
September 10th, 2010 @ 9:52 am

There’s another aspect of it.

This is a primary. Primaries are supposed to be where the Party sorts out which way it’s going to go in the future.

Tea partiers and their allies, including Palin, would like to win primaries, of course. But if they can’t, they want the RINOs who do win to feel the hot breath of rabid challengers at their heels.

Castle almost certainly has a better chance in the actual election than O’Donnell, in large part because weak Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents might see him as a way to ride the wave K-Bob describes — he’s a Republican and therefore benefits from discontent with the current Administration, but his policies aren’t all that different, so there’s less of the “scary evil Republicant” factor keeping them from pulling the lever for him.

But as conservatives, we’d like for Castle to know that he almost blew it this time, and likely will next time if he doesn’t change his ways a bit. I don’t think Palin expects to win this one explicitly, but if O’Donnell can scare Castle a little bit straighter, Sarah will call it good.

Regards,
Ric
nathan hale
September 10th, 2010 @ 9:53 am

Yes, and they sent Biden, back to the Senate five times, until he moved to the next level of incompetence
Firelight
September 10th, 2010 @ 9:56 am

Palin isn’t the only supporter of ODonnell, Rush, Hannity, Levin, Tea Party Express, and lot of other conservative bloggers.

If Delaware liked Castle soooo much than why is Christine closing the gap???? Answer that Jenfidel?

The people like something Christine is offering and my guess is the true conservative nature. All these attacks on her and now the FEC filing just look like sour grapes by the establishment.

Basically the FEC complaint is saying it is illegal to donate to ODonnell, lol. I think that will get a smack down once it goes before a judge.
DanO
September 10th, 2010 @ 10:14 am

Ric, you nailed it.

“Tea partiers and their allies, including Palin, would like to win primaries, of course. But if they can’t, they want the RINOs who do win to feel the hot breath of rabid challengers at their heels.”

That is the implied threat that hopefully keeps incumbent Repubs from thinking that they are permanent members of the Ruling Class.
Ah, The Narrative Shifts : The Other McCain
September 10th, 2010 @ 2:40 pm

[…] ShiftsPosted on | September 10, 2010 | No Commentsby SmittyAfter Sarah Palin’s “Biggest Gamble“, endorsing Christine O’Donnell, frequent commenter Kn@ppster posits:Strange race … […]
Dave C
September 10th, 2010 @ 5:41 pm

Ric Locke and K-Bob have nailed it..
Delaware Senate Primary Update: NRA, DeMint Endorse Christine O’Donnell : The Other McCain
September 11th, 2010 @ 12:41 am

[…] NRA, DeMint Endorse Christine O’DonnellPosted on | September 11, 2010 | No CommentsOnce Sarah Palin endorsed, the avalanche was on:The National Rifle Association endorsed conservative commentator […]