I think just about everyone has heard how Christine O’Donnell won a stunning victory in the Republican primaries in Delaware last Tuesday. The people in the new and dynamic “Tea Party” movement are ecstatic and boasting it was their support that took her from behind and sure defeat to substantial victory. Celebrations were short lived, however. It seems that almost immediately influential and knowledgeable voices began singing songs of doom and destruction. Several very respectable personages (Charles Krauthammer and Karl Rove among them) have pointed out some brutal political facts.
First, her opponent has a strong record of electability in that state. Many are quick to point out that Chris Coons is as liberal and “left-wing” as they come and is comfortably ahead in the polls 50-percent to 34-percent. He has the support of a very strongly entrenched Democrat machine –Joe Biden has held the seat for decades! Good ‘ole Joe, who had thought the seat would be passing to his carefully groomed son and protégé, has already promised to do whatever is needed to get Coons elected.
Second, Miss O’Donnell comes to the table carrying some political baggage that she should have left at the door. She has had some personal financial difficulties that can, and will, be used by the Democrats in a campaign against her. These may very well have been minor bumps in the road of life. The kind of bumps we have all had from time to time and can easily relate to and forgive. However, they should have been brought out, explained, and put to bed long before this. Now they will be a tool to be used to make her look unreliable and untrustworthy. How she now handles these explanations could easily effect her chances of winning.
In another example of how Miss O'Donnell can expect to be treated, her old boss, Bill Mahr, has some old clips of her doing various skits on "Politically Incorrect". The one below is just the first. He is saying that he has many more and will play one a week until she does an appearance on his show. Even tough these are just skits, I won't be surprised to see some miss-guided blogs suddenly "discovering" that Christine O'Donnell practices witchcraft. That'll be a big help getting elected.
For my own part, I am very anxious to see if the Tea Party will stick with her and see her through. Now that they have rallied to her cause, will they do what it will take to win in Delaware? The real test, after all, is not winning a primary against fellow Republicans and conservatives. It will be going out and winning against a well-established and politically savvy liberal opponent. Can the Tea Party keep enough enthusiasm and raise enough money to win in a race where the opposition is supported by a media that leans decidedly left, has very deep pockets, and can muster help from some very capable dirty trick masters?
There are several voices, well-respected conservative voices, that seem ready to surrender and predict doom and gloom. I have already read how the Tea Party’s support in this one state may cause the Republicans the “one vote” in the Senate they would have needed to gain the majority. This may be true, but to me it just seems way too early to start playing “Saving Grace.” Predicting the outcomes of how people vote is very much like trying to predict how a jury s going to decide in a case. The “experts” seem to get is right about 50% of the time.
What is needed now is for Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Karl Rove and the rest to roll up their sleeves, go to Delaware, and throw their unqualified support behind O’Donnell. They will need to raise money, make appearances and sing a lot of Kumbaya if they want to ensure a Republican victory in that state and save that seat in the Senate. I believe it is entirely possible. The ground swell of anti-establishment feeling in the country may not be enough to carry O’Donnell through by itself. They will need to go support her and keep her standing upright.
One this is for sure. This is going to be an interesting test of the durability and power of the Tea Party as a movement.
On The Lighter Side, Here is a video from our friends in Taiwan showing their impression of our Tea Party:
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