Republicans Squabble in the Wake of O’Donnell’s Victory

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In the wake of Christine O’Donnell’s victory last night over Rep. Mike Castle ® in Delaware’s GOP Senate primary, pundits are asking how in the world she did it and more importantly, what next?

On the first question, the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza cites three reasons: big margins of victory for O’Donnell in the more rural and conservative southern and central parts of Delaware, Castle’s unwillingness to court voters in those areas at all, and the fact that by the time Castle realized he had a problem, it was probably too late.

Cillizza’s critique of Castle is consistent with the complaints conservative tea party activists raised with me during interviews I conducted last week. While it’s unclear whether any degree of outreach would have swayed these folks, tea party group leaders repeatedly referenced the fact that Castle never responded to their requests to show up at their candidate forums, solidifying the impression among voters that he was arrogant and out of touch with the people of his state. Says Cillizza:

While Castle attacked O’Donnell relentlessly over the final two weeks of the race, he did little to hide his disdain for the tea party movement — a purposeful poking-in-the-eye that almost certainly revved up the conservative base against him.

One exasperated Republican strategist noted that Castle repeatedly reminded voters that O’Donnell didn’t have Washington experience — accidentally highlighting a major plus for her in the eyes of voters looking to shake up the status quo.

As to what next, Politico’s Jonathan Martin reports that Republicans in Washington are frustrated and fighting among their ranks, and most likely planning to look elsewhere when it comes to selecting which states to spend their limited resources between now and November:

But now Republicans appear more interested in trying to broaden the map by reaching for West Virginia and Connecticut, where they’re running self-funding candidates, than in trying to back a candidate like O’Donnell, who has little cash and much baggage.

“We will look at the best way to allocate our resources,” is all National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh would say when asked if the committee would support O’Donnell.

Privately, though, senior Senate officials signaled that they were almost certainly finished with Delaware.

The bulk of the frustration, meanwhile, seems concentrated on Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who threw himself into the Delaware race on behalf of O’Donnell against the wishes of most Republicans. DeMint, hardly a favorite among his colleagues as it stood, is now being blamed for imperiling any chances of a GOP takeover of the Senate, but he’s not taking the criticism lying down:

“It speaks volumes that in Jim DeMint’s world, the ‘principles of freedom’ are more important than a candidate who pays their taxes, is honest with voters and who isn’t a complete fraud,” said a senior GOP aide. “Senator DeMint may be patting himself on the back tonight but many Republicans look forward to post-November 2nd when he has to explain why he helped the Democrats retain the majority for yet another two years.”

Firing back, DeMint spokesman Matt Hoskins said: “Based on the number of Republicans DeMint has helped get elected this year, I would say he’s done quite a bit to elect a majority. Perhaps the real reason some Washington insiders are upset is that these Republicans actually have principles.”

http://washingtonindependent.com/97427/republicans-squabble-in-the-wake-of-odonnells-victory

[one...two...tree 2,762]

im·plode -

v.intr. To collapse inward violently.

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im·plode -

v.intr. To collapse inward violently.

I don't see this as an implosion at all.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I don't see this as an implosion at all.

I see it as the morons in the republican party finally getting a clue as to what most Americans want. I am still waiting for the morons in the Democrat party to come to the same awakening. I guess they will come November.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I see it as the morons in the republican party finally getting a clue as to what most Americans want. I am still waiting for the morons in the Democrat party to come to the same awakening. I guess they will come November.

Most Americans?

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Most Americans?

You're both freakin' delusional

[Peikko 1,575]

When the public demand more of their politicians than sound bite feel good rhetoric then things will change. Until then, all you will get is a change of face but same old same old when elected. You can not hold someone to account if you do not even know what they intend to actually DO when they take office. Every single political ad on the tv at the moment is a 30 sec 'vote for me because the other candidate is a liar'. I am still waiting to see a single ad that gives even ONE policy pledge. Nothing, not one thing. Absolutely appalling.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You're both freakin' delusional

Delusional about what?

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Most Americans?

Look at it this way. The dems are not taking it in the azz in the polls because the country suddenly became conservative. The reps are not losing to the tea party because of a sudden shift to the right. It is an anti-incumbant mentality that is doing it. Both sides have become tone-deaf to the will of the people. What is happening is a reaction to that. The reason the dems will lose so badly this fall is because they simply have more incumbants to kick out. From the abortion that the health care reform became to the trillions of dollars wasted in the name of "stimulus" the people no longer feel that congress is listening to them.

[Peikko 1,575]

Look at it this way. The dems are not taking it in the azz in the polls because the country suddenly became conservative. The reps are not losing to the tea party because of a sudden shift to the right. It is an anti-incumbant mentality that is doing it. Both sides have become tone-deaf to the will of the people. What is happening is a reaction to that. The reason the dems will lose so badly this fall is because they simply have more incumbants to kick out. From the abortion that the health care reform became to the trillions of dollars wasted in the name of "stimulus" the people no longer feel that congress is listening to them.

What gets me is that you (or those who vote for tea party candidates) think those who are snapping at the heels of the incumbents have something better to offer - hell, we don't even know what they have to offer beyond airy fairy notions about taking America back for the Americans. Please, give me strength - if we the people kept asking all the politicians to define what they actually want to DO when they gain office things will change. Until then, different faces, same rubbish. Yeah, I know your opponent is a liar, same as you are, now pony up some policy.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

What gets me is that you (or those who vote for tea party candidates) think those who are snapping at the heels of the incumbents have something better to offer - hell, we don't even know what they have to offer beyond airy fairy notions about taking America back for the Americans. Please, give me strength - if we the people kept asking all the politicians to define what they actually want to DO when they gain office things will change. Until then, different faces, same rubbish. Yeah, I know your opponent is a liar, same as you are, now pony up some policy.

I didn't vote for any tea party candidate. I was just explaining what I think is the reasoning behind the sudden turn of events. It is true we don't know what the new politicians will do for us, all we do know is the bums that are there now are not giving us our monies worth.

[Peikko 1,575]

Some people may remember but I did ask how Obama proposed to change how things were done in Washington beyond saying that he would bring a sea change by virtue of his being there and I was poo pooed. Well, do you think things would have been different if he had been required to give concrete proposals on how he intended to make change, what structures he would put in place to ensure that it did and permanently? Or do you still feel that vague promises have some meaning beyond developing feel good election fever?

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Delusional about what?

You are delusional if you buy into the GOP civil war talking points.

Mr. John Gary Smith is delusional if he thinks the Tea Party represents "most" Americans. Many would be more accurate, not most.

[Peikko 1,575]

I didn't vote for any tea party candidate. I was just explaining what I think is the reasoning behind the sudden turn of events. It is true we don't know what the new politicians will do for us, all we do know is the bums that are there now are not giving us our monies worth.

Some of the current incumbents do actually work hard to their constituents, and by what I have read the Delaware incumbent was one of those so I don't really buy that totally.

[Craneman 2]

Matbe they actually want change.

Some of the current incumbents do actually work hard to their constituents, and by what I have read the Delaware incumbent was one of those so I don't really buy that totally.