RSS Feed MenuJoe Miller’s victory in Alaska has set the stage for the next race where the Tea Party wants to cause an upset victory. In Delaware’s GOP primary, Tea Party-backed candidate Christine O’Donnell is hoping to win the nomination from establishment candidate Mike Castle. Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller on Tuesday August 31st, and on Wednesday September 1st, Mike Castle’s campaign launched their official Christine O’Donnell attack site.
The site focuses on O’Donnell’s record with her personal finances and argues that she relies on campaign donations to pay for her living expenses. This seems to be similar to other messaging that some journalists have received; such as Sam Stein of the Huffington Post who received emails from Republican operatives trying to show how O’Donnell has “no discernible steady form of income.”
The site does not mention O’Donnell’s recent backing from the Tea Party movement. It does refer to how 92% of her campaign funds are from out of state, but avoids making an ideological case against O’Donnell. The Tea Party Express, which spent more than $500,000 on television ads for Joe Miller in Alaska, has announced that it intends to spend $250,000 for Christine O’Donnell in Delaware.
Christine O’Donnell may also be planning to play up her Tea Party credentials. An article from Politico reported that O’Donnell was hoping to use footage from Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington DC as part of a campaign advertisement.
O’Donnell is currently not in the best standing with Delaware’s own GOP. She has been described by the Republican chairman of Delaware as “a perennial candidate who lacks the standing in Delaware to get elected to anything.” The Party’s official twitter feed has also been linking to articles critical of O’Donnell.
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armstp // Sep 1, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Who really cares about the tea party? Great try and elect a few tea party supported candidates? Who cares? The Democrats control the presidency, will likely continue to control the senate and maybe even the house. The economy is likely to turn around by 2012 and demographics continue to work for the Dems, so the Dems will be in good shape.
TerryF98 // Sep 1, 2010 at 5:49 pm
The more teahadists the better from a dem point of view, bring the nutters on. It will give the voting public a good idea of what lies ahead if they give these fools any power.
easton // Sep 1, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Can Castle Stop the Tea Party’s Next Upset?
Terrible headline since it seems to indicate O’Donnell has much of a chance. Castle ain’t taking any chances like Murkowski did (boy did her internal pollsters fail her, she finished with how many unspent millions?)
Candy83 // Sep 2, 2010 at 12:28 am
Isn’t it late in the game for a Delaware primaries upset to be rendered by Christine O’Donnell?
bamboozer // Sep 2, 2010 at 7:37 am
I live in Delaware, Christine O’Donnell is a rather pretty joke, but a joke all the same. What the Tea party may accomplish is turning a sure thing into a close race. Mike Castle is a sure thing for the Senate, but there has been grumbling from the far right that he’s not conservative enough. If the Tea Party inflames that issue they may suceed in having these far righties sit this one out. Dumb, arrogant and choke full of good ol’ political Hubris. Having said that: GO CHRISTINE!!! I could use a good laugh.
abj // Sep 2, 2010 at 10:26 am
bamboozer -
Is the far right even that influential within the Delaware GOP?
I don’t live there, and don’t know the first thing about Republican politics there – but isn’t it mostly based on personal relationships? On that score, Castle knows most major figures in the party and seems to be well-regarded by them. Anyway, that’s just my guess…I’m asking you since you, you know, actually live there.
abright // Sep 2, 2010 at 1:38 pm
The Tea Party really is hurting the Republican party, and Republican leadership is doing nothing to stop it. From all appearances, the two are frenemies. (People who pose as enemies to whip up controversy, but are really working together.)
Follow me, now. By failing to denounce the rhetoric of the dim Tea Party luminaries, Republican leaders appear to approve of, and agree with, their bigoted, hate-filled, paranoid, fundamentalist tirades. This is a deal breaker for me. I will not vote for reactionary xenophobia.
As a result, the swing voter will see the Tea Party as an arm of the Republican Party, be repelled, and vote Democratic. For the life of me, I cannot understand why Republican leaders do not denounce the Tea Party unless they really are in bed with them.
Well? Are they?
Jim in DE // Sep 2, 2010 at 3:34 pm
It’s unclear to me why the national Tea Party organization, which was formed specifically to support fiscal conservatism and responsible government spending, would support a candidate who can’t even keep her campaign out of the red.
Story
moderategoper // Sep 2, 2010 at 6:55 pm
How can moderate Republicans win office when they have “zero” infrastructure in the Party. These people spend millions to run for office but can’t put up a blog or invest in a website. I would love to help moderate Republicans like Castle but they “have to help us help them”. These people are losing because moderates Republicans in the Party have no voice; it’s up to centrist candidates like Castle to provide them with one. Michelle Bachman is running ads for her PAC left and right. Who runs the PAC for moderate Republicans? Why are there no visible grassroots moderate Republican grassroots organizations? Its time for moderate Republicans to stand up and fight back.