Delaware Senate Primary Update: NRA, DeMint Endorse Christine O’Donnell

Posted on | September 11, 2010 | 26 Comments

Once Sarah Palin endorsed, the avalanche was on:

The National Rifle Association endorsed conservative commentator Christine O’Donnell Friday in Delaware’s Republican Senate primary. The Tea Party-backed O’Donnell is looking to upset Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) on Tuesday.

Via Memeorandum and also CNN:

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint announced Friday night his endorsement of the Tea Party-endorsed candidate. . . .”I’m proud to endorse Christine O’Donnell for U.S. Senate in Delaware,” DeMint wrote Friday on his Twitter page. “She will stand strong for the principles of freedom.”

Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post:

What is clear now is that if O’Donnell wins — and that remains a long shot — Palin will receive the lion’s share of credit and grow even stronger among grassroots activists as 2012 gets ever closer.

Well, certainly Palin’s influence would be enhanced, but it must be pointed out again that co-blogger Smitty first called our attention to Christine O’Donnell back in March. It was obviously the Smittylanche that made the crucial difference here.

By the way, if anybody has any news of Friday’s Sussex County rally for Christine, please share it in the comments, with links.

Category: Christine O'Donnell, Delaware, Election, Senate

Comments

26 Responses to “Delaware Senate Primary Update: NRA, DeMint Endorse Christine O’Donnell”

Bob Belvedere
September 11th, 2010 @ 12:54 am

Right you are Stacy! Smitty deserves the credit for being the first.

I think it would only be fair for all of us, his friends, to work to insure that, when we take control of the Congress in January, some O-Dough comes his way.
Kojocaro
September 11th, 2010 @ 1:11 am

but what about the fact she cant get her fiscal house in order vote for castle you jabroni

/Sarc
waylay
September 11th, 2010 @ 3:00 am

Allahpundit calls it a win/win situation for the Tea party:

If the path to total conservative victory runs through a pure Republican caucus, then we should prefer electing Democrats to RINOs. Which, as I explained above, is why this is a win/win endorsement for DeMint. Even if O’Donnell beats Castle but loses the general election to Coons, as most people expect, it’s still a win for “true conservatism” because it keeps the Republican membership in the Senate pure and principled. No Mike Castle there to dilute it.

I call it a lose/lose situation. Either its a heartbreak to see O’Donnell lose in the primary or (if she wins the primary) to go on and gift the election to the dems, and possibly costing a senate majority.
Thane Eichenauer
September 11th, 2010 @ 4:44 am

Re: Kojocaro

Yea, because Mike Castle has such a stellar history of building a stable financial house for the US taxpayer.

Go Mike Castle (not)!
Wondering Jew
September 11th, 2010 @ 7:13 am

Well you guys (some elements of the conservative grassroots that have managed to make enough noise to finally drag DeMint and Palin in) broke this one, and you own it as far as I am concerned. If O’Donnnell wins, I expect her to be able to win a general election victory without causing the grassroots to lose its focus and jeopardize our 15 or so other races polling closer than this one at least half of whom have better candidates on our end, by any objective measure of a combination of ideology and accomplishment. You’ve also signed up for the her not bringing discredit to conservatism through her future words or actions, which seems to me to be a bit of a tenuous bet, given her history.

Conversely, if Castle wins, I’m fully signed up to defend the fact that he will vote for a Republican leader, that he’ll give us cloture on 75% of the stuff we care about (something not picked up in ACU scores) and that otherwise, he’ll probably vote with us about 52% of the time (his ACU score) and piss us off with his RINOcity the rest of the time. But I know what I am getting and would rather check a basic box in this race, and concentrate on about 10 outstanding folks I could elect in other races all of whom are clearly better representatives for conservatism than either of these candidates.
Kelly
September 11th, 2010 @ 1:57 pm

You know what? If she loses, I’m happy to own it.

Unlike Castle supporters who will never own it when he stabs us and the entire party in the back time after time.
DaveP.
September 11th, 2010 @ 4:43 pm

Gee, WJ: I guess that you just need to show your patriotism and dedication to retaking Congress by throwing all of your support behind Christine, then. Otherwise, you’re just being divisive and aiding the Democrats.

…what?
Wondering Jew
September 11th, 2010 @ 5:30 pm

Um, I’m not really sure what Kelly and Dave P.’s actual point is. All I know is that none of the logic of my Pro-Castle position in any of my posts on this topic has actually been addressed. It’s all just invective.

This is clearly a fit of pique– I think it’s a dumb idea for all of the reasons I’ve said here and elsewhere, but perhaps it will work out. If O’Donnell wins the primary I’ll be 100% behind her in the general. But the entire episode seems like poor political strategy and a waste of energies better spent on numerous other races.
K~Bob
September 11th, 2010 @ 6:11 pm

Wrong. Kelly addressed simply by the phrase “happy to own it.”

As I wrote recently, this ceased to be about “winning the Senate” a while ago. Republicans just don’t seem to know it yet.

The Tea Party folks, the Restore America folks, and everyone else who’s had enough… we’re sick and tired of the conventional wisdom. Winning the Senate is nothing more than a side effect of what should be a major sea change in US politics. We can play to win it all and maybe lose a few, or we can play safe by focusing on the Senate, and lose this historic chance.

Commit to work for the primary winner, at least. I’m sure most of O’Donnell’s supporters will.
Wondering Jew
September 11th, 2010 @ 6:52 pm

K-Bob– Remember that O’Donnell herself has lost a previous GOP primary and then run as a write-in– another black mark against her IMHO.

Others can do what they want post-primary, but given that we’ve got so many other fine Tea Party/Grassroots conservative candidates running throughout the nation, I’d rather spend my money and time elsewhere.

I fully agree that we need to get rid of the entire corrupt clique in D.C.– I just don’t think it’s possible to do so in one election. You show power by picking battles that you can win and then forcing them to call your bluff or back down in the future. If you pick battles that you lose, the establishment doesn’t fear you. We need them to fear us.
K~Bob
September 11th, 2010 @ 9:52 pm

W J,

Ordinarily, I’d agree. In fact, I was willing to accept the “better to win the seat safely” route myself just a few days ago. But then I realized this election is unlike any since Lincoln.

It requires a different way of thinking.

It’s not even going to be what the Michael Barone types call a “wave.” That is not nearly a significant enough term.

No more business as usual. That’s the mood of the country, and to stand in the way of any part of that is not a good idea.

I’ve also been around long enough to know that trying to build a power base by careful election results year after year is a big, fat, stoopid self-deception. Just when you think your folks have an edge, one of them wants to be king and stabs another in the back.

That ancient cycle can’t be stopped, but it can be held in check long enough to engage in restoration.

But NOT with Castle types.

This time it’s different. You’ve now got all the major and most of the minor talk show hosts, the NRA, Mike Pence, a closing race, and Sarah Palin poised to claim the IOU. As MKH might say, it’s on like Donkey Kong, and none of these people are backing down.

Further, this time it’s far more critical. We can’t afford to miss what is probably the only chance we have to deal a major setback to the left. If we chicken out by playing it safe, we blow the opportunity. Big time.

So not only do these people backing O’Donnell “own it” now, they have the balls to say, hell, yes, we own it.
LittleShrugger
September 11th, 2010 @ 10:03 pm

Better a Democrat fill that Senate seat, than Mike Castle. He has proven he is essentially a liberal Dem already! He favors all of Obama’s agenda and will not vote against Cap n Trade, nor vote to repeal Obamacare. Castle is also proud of his opposition to the SCOTUS ruling in favor of Citizens United! He helped write Disclose Act, so openly opposes 1st Amendment rights.With a Dem we know who our enemy is. Mike Castle,with “R” after his name will undermine Republican principles.
Wondering Jew
September 11th, 2010 @ 10:56 pm

K-Bob– I agree the ground has shifted a bit, as has the politics, since Palin/DeMint. People I really like are going all-in for O’Donnell and that does add to the value of stomping the RINO establishment once again. But only if you win– and only if your candidate is a straight shooter. I have serious doubts about both, despite O’Donnell’s charisma. But hey, if O’Donnell wins, and can win the general, I’ll be delighted.