Elections
Christine O'Donnell, the Tea Party candidate, has soundly defeated moderate Mike Castle to win the Republican nomination for the Delaware senate. The obvious question now, of course, is whether this conservative candidate can ride the winds of change-to-the-change in a liberal state - or did the GOP just kiss goodbye to their only opportunity this century to win a senate seat in Delaware.
Over at NRO, Jim Geraghty wonders (i.e., doubts) whether O'Donnell can even win over Rep. Castle's Republican supporters. I suspect most will see past their bruised feelings once they've an opportunity to size up the Democratic candidate, Chris Coons - who is likely celebrating just as hard as O'Donnell tonight, having just been rid of the more formidable of his potential opponents.
The Powerline boys summed up a likely O'Donnell win by wondering whether liberal activists, who have resisted the temptation to run extreme candidates in red states, are smarter then Republican activists, who may have just blown a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We'll soon see.
P.S. I expect Tea Party Princess Sarah Palin is pondering the same questions as raised above, though with a more personal motive and slightly loftier ambitions.
I'm taking Limbaugh's side in this one -- in the end it does no good to have a RINO in the Senate seeking liberal compromises. A candidate like O'Donnell is risky but I think it's a risk well worth taking.
what about O'Donnell suing ISI. What true conservative would go after the institutional home of Russell Kirk?
Yea, the ISI thing really bothers me as well. That law suit is not a conservative thing to do-- I wonder if the woman is "all there."
On the other hand, I agree with Tim...RINO's only reinforce the liberal status quo. Time to roll the dice, and if we lose we lose.
As for Sarah Palin, while the Tea Party seems to love her, she has said repeatedly that she's a dedicated Republican. I believe her.
The political parties have two spectra of opinion that (unlike what was the case a generation ago) have between them very little overlap. Mr. Castle is someone whose expressed views are somewhere near the boundary of the two spectra. That renders him a suboptimal candidate (bad, in fact, as he is wrong on some non-negotiables). It does not make him the second coming of Jacob Javits.
It was ill-judged of Gov. Palin to endorse Miss O'Donnell. Miss O'Donnell's employment history (what she reveals of it), financial problems, conflicts with neighbors, and domestic situation paint a portrait of someone with some serious problems in living. She needs to be sorting out her mundane life, not running for office.
Justin? I take back my comment on another post on nlt. This was actually measured and thought out. Genuinely. Thanks. It's good to see a measure of sense being spoken here (the comments from Tim Seibel and Rewald notwithstanding). A liberal I may be, but I still want an articulate and coherent right against which to flash blades.