SurveyUSA Delaware Senatorial Survey - Coons 54% O'Donnell 33%

[Guest areafiftyone]

RIGHTOSPHERE:

SurveyUSA Delaware Senatorial Survey

* Chris Coons (D) 54%
* Christine O'Donnell ® 33%
* Other 5%
* Undecided 9%

Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party movement?

* Approve 26%
* Disapprove 47%

Survey of 2,355 likely voters was conducted October 11-12, 2010. The margin of error is +/- 2.1 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: 45% Democrat; 32% Republican; 21% Independent. Click HERE to view full results and crosstabs.

[Stella]

I was polled by Rasmussen this week, and they asked me an interesting question. This pertains to the Governor of Illinois, they asked me if my vote for Governor would be for Brady or against Quinn. I wonder if this is what is going on in Delaware, too. People dislike the idea of O'Donnell so much that they are voting against her and not necessarily for Coons. Don't forget, most of the voters would have voted for Castle.

 

The Express picked a horrible contest to build their reputation on. They also did not understand that by drawing in the national media to this contest, it would only magnify O'Donnell's shortcomings. I haven't heard anything about the debate last night except for here. My computer is old and I couldn't have watched the stream even if I wanted to. I hope she did well and can change the minds of people who doubt her qualifications.

[pollyannaish]

I was polled by Rasmussen this week, and they asked me an interesting question. This pertains to the Governor of Illinois, they asked me if my vote for Governor would be for Brady or against Quinn. I wonder if this is what is going on in Delaware, too. People dislike the idea of O'Donnell so much that they are voting against her and not necessarily for Coons. Don't forget, most of the voters would have voted for Castle.

 

The Express picked a horrible contest to build their reputation on. They also did not understand that by drawing in the national media to this contest, it would only magnify O'Donnell's shortcomings. I haven't heard anything about the debate last night except for here. My computer is old and I couldn't have watched the stream even if I wanted to. I hope she did well and can change the minds of people who doubt her qualifications.

 

Good analysis.

 

My only disagreement would be that I am not completely sure that they intentionally drew attention to that particular race. They contributed certainly...but if I was the opposition that is EXACTLY the race I would spend all my time pointing the press to. Even the Express is not that powerful...they're just the only identifiable leaders of the group. This was the perfect storm which is why there's been way more focus on it than it deserves in the national press. I think the Express as an organization will be out on their keisters after this election. Kind of like the Minutemen.

[Stella]

I was polled by Rasmussen this week, and they asked me an interesting question. This pertains to the Governor of Illinois, they asked me if my vote for Governor would be for Brady or against Quinn. I wonder if this is what is going on in Delaware, too. People dislike the idea of O'Donnell so much that they are voting against her and not necessarily for Coons. Don't forget, most of the voters would have voted for Castle.

 

The Express picked a horrible contest to build their reputation on. They also did not understand that by drawing in the national media to this contest, it would only magnify O'Donnell's shortcomings. I haven't heard anything about the debate last night except for here. My computer is old and I couldn't have watched the stream even if I wanted to. I hope she did well and can change the minds of people who doubt her qualifications.

 

Good analysis.

 

My only disagreement would be that I am not completely sure that they intentionally drew attention to that particular race. They contributed certainly...but if I was the opposition that is EXACTLY the race I would spend all my time pointing the press to. Even the Express is not that powerful...they're just the only identifiable leaders of the group. This was the perfect storm which is why there's been way more focus on it than it deserves in the national press. I think the Express as an organization will be out on their keisters after this election. Kind of like the Minutemen.

 

 

Thanks, Pollya. But I think the Express did call all the attention to Delaware by having Palin get involved in this race. She's a lightening rod for press attention. Also, once her campaign got involved with decisions being made on top of all the money the Express was giving to the race (along with press releases about it) the decision was made by them to focus on this race.

 

I wonder if they thought that O'Donnell's looks would be such a positive that people would overlook everything else. Someone will have an interesting Phd thesis on this race.

 

I know several people on this blog don't appreciate all the attention being given to this race but the dynamics are fascinating. All the outside attention by both Parties to a race that deserves absolutely no attention will be studied for a long time. If anything it will say how much effect thousands of out of state dollars do have on a race.

[pollyannaish]

Thanks, Pollya. But I think the Express did call all the attention to Delaware by having Palin get involved in this race. She's a lightening rod for press attention. Also, once her campaign got involved with decisions being made on top of all the money the Express was giving to the race (along with press releases about it) the decision was made by them to focus on this race.

 

I wonder if they thought that O'Donnell's looks would be such a positive that people would overlook everything else. Someone will have an interesting Phd thesis on this race.

 

I know several people on this blog don't appreciate all the attention being given to this race but the dynamics are fascinating. All the outside attention by both Parties to a race that deserves absolutely no attention will be studied for a long time. If anything it will say how much effect thousands of out of state dollars do have on a race.

 

So here is the thing that makes me question that assumption: Why is it that Palin's/the TPP's endorsement here made the press look...and her endorsement in a bunch of other huge races did not? The only thing I can see is that she endorsed a weak candidate that is way behind—where as all the other candidates she endorsed are competitive.

 

I guess I understand your theory...but it only makes sense to me if you discount the impact of Palin and the express in all the other races where it isn't played up at all because the candidates are not so flawed. It reminds me of the year the GOP ran a bunch of great candidates and all the press could focus on was David Duke. (Although, I don't recall him having any big endorsements which actually makes it even weirder...)

 

So I guess I spread the blame a little further. Here is how I see it.

 

1. For whatever reason, the Tea Party Express, Palin, Hannity and the rest endorse a very flawed candidate. They also endorsed a very conservative candidate in my state, but he got very few votes and didn't win the primary. I have no idea how good he would have been. All over the country, they endorsed the most conservative candidates they can find...regardless of polling and regardless of how well known/well vetted they are. They endorsed on principles, not on winnability. I also think that rather than her looks being the deciding factor...it was the fact that parts of the tea party and GOP were really hoping to stoke the "year of the GOP woman" meme. IMO, this is just as bad as identity politics on the left. But it wasn't looks...it was sex.

 

2. Some won, some lost. BUT the biggest surprises were O'Donnell and Miller. Why the voters of Alaska chose Miller is no surprise. In fact, most see that as inside Alaska politics. BUT, Karl Rove and other party insiders who understand local politics were shocked and surprised by O'Donnels victory and were extremely verbal about it. They were not wrong in their assessments, but their apoplexy actually drew even more attention to it because it went to the "split in the GOP" narrative the MSM desperately wants to stoke. (It also played into the "it's establishment insiders that people are upset about, not just democrats" story they wanted to believe.)

 

3. O'Donnell is unprepared for national scrutiny...largely I think because she honestly didn't think she was going to win. She'd make horrendous exaggerations, and from what I can tell lied about a lot of things. There was a bit of unfocused panic right after the election as the press swarmed in to figure out who this woman was that made the GOP so uncomfortable and the TPP so energized.

 

4. The more internal acrimony this race creates, the more focused the press will be on it because it is seen as the most interesting race, the race with the wackiest candidate, and because it fits the stories inside their heads: Tea partiers are crazy, Sarah Palin is only a pretty idiot, the GOP right wing whackos are the only people left in the GOP, as Delaware goes, so goes the country, etc. It is THEIR story, they are trying to prove...not searching for the real story.

 

Like you, I find the dynamics fascinating and think it will be studied for years to come. Perhaps the best part is that it serves as a warning to others. BUT, I do believe that it also does horrible harm to our country. Many of the men who founded our country would not have made it past the scrutiny we have for candidates today. We pounce on every little "irregularity" as being something that disqualifies them from service. Good people, GREAT people who have taken risks or in some way have difficult pasts are excluded from office. It seems to me, that "less than perfect" people are exactly the ones we WANT in office because they have experienced the difficulty/challenges of the real world. They know what it's like to try to run a business or get a job or take a financial risk.

 

By searching for perfection, we tend to blow past visionaries to the bean counters. And I'm just not convinced that bean counters are the best leaders.

[AceRimmer]

Interesting thread. The reason I was in favor of O'Donnell over Mike Castle is that he'd be worse than RINO's like Snowe and Collins. He'd be another Arlen Specter who'd stab the GOP in the back if it served his own purposes.

 

Polly!

 

I'd like a Pat O'Brien's Hurricane from Bourbon Street about now...

[Stella]

I like the way your mind works, Pollyannaish! I also like the interesting discussions that occur on TRR. Like I said before, I hope for the sake of the GOP that O'Donnell somehow pulls this out. This election is more than about this race in Delaware or the one in Alaska. It's about a powerful organization using big names and drawing contributions from all over the country and their impact on races. If the Express is successful and pulls out these races then they will be able to choose the GOP nominee for President. They will have shown themselves to be that powerful.

 

I had forgotten about Rove and Krauthammer and the way O'Donnell and Palin labeled them as the "elite" GOP. I'm not sure if that had an impact in Delaware or if the voters even cared about this dispute since it's usually a Democrat state. It would be interesting to know if the Independents cared about that spat.

 

I feel that most people find what Murkowski is doing in Alaska outrageous. It seems the voters in Alaska might not hold that same opinion. If they are truly even, then Palin's endorsement doesn't mean much in her own home state.

 

Another thing I find interesting about this poll is that the number of people for O'Donnell is almost the same percent of people who approve of the TPM. I would like to know the answer to my question if the majority of people in Delaware resent the intrusion of the Express and all the out of state money. Since I can't fund such a poll, I will never know.

 

btw, Eric Odem and the Express also nominated a very conservative person, that nobody ever heard of, for the Senate in Illinois. That person only got 5% of the vote. People were smart enough to realize that even if they liked the TPM, the person running still had to be able to beat the Democrat in a very Blue State.

[SrWoodchuck]

I think William F. Buckley said he would,".....vote for the most conservative candidate that had a possibility of winning."

 

I'm struggling to accept that wisdom, because I feel that, as a country, we don't have the luxury of suffering any more of the same, since Obama's pyrrhic victory in '08.

 

The Democrats refuse to accept their responsibility for the mess we're in, since at least 2006[?] with Democratic control of Congress........and the MSM refuses to focus on that either. I would say it's like the elephant in the room, but it's more like the gorilla.

 

BTW: I see what I call "Palinitis" mostly from people in highly populated urban centers......while here in "fly-over" country, we're not as intimidated by her power, and she seems to be a lot more like us, or people we admire.

[Stella]

I don't think people are intimidated by Palin. The people around here in Democratland consider her a joke. Even on the radio station that broadcasts Rush and Hannity, they laugh at her non stop and love playing the tape of her when the Canadian station pretended the disk jockey was Sarkozy. She made an absolute fool of herself. It has nothing to do with her conservative beliefs either. That is never discussed. Her daughter doesn't help matters either. There are entire shows about Bristol and Levi.

 

I'm sorry to tell you the truth that most people don't want to hear who believe in her. She has an extremely steep uphill battle if she wants to win the Presidency. Maybe it doesn't matter either because if Obama is on the ticket, he will win Illinois.

[SrWoodchuck]

I don't think people are intimidated by Palin. The people around here in Democratland consider her a joke. Even on the radio station that broadcasts Rush and Hannity, they laugh at her non stop and love playing the tape of her when the Canadian station pretended the disk jockey was Sarkozy. She made an absolute fool of herself. It has nothing to do with her conservative beliefs either. That is never discussed. Her daughter doesn't help matters either. There are entire shows about Bristol and Levi.

 

I'm sorry to tell you the truth that most people don't want to hear who believe in her. She has an extremely steep uphill battle if she wants to win the Presidency. Maybe it doesn't matter either because if Obama is on the ticket, he will win Illinois.

Stella!

 

Yes, I know they laugh at her, and by extension on those of us who consider her "down-home" & patriotic, and a lot like ordinary folks that live in "fly-over" country!

 

We're just "hicks in the sticks" but our blood has run red for our country; and we refuse to be pushed to the side by

elitists on the coasts or in the media. It's one of the reasons why the Electoral College was added; so that purely high population states with numbers of government program & welfare state loving voters can't determine everything for our country. A state like Wyoming still has a voice in our choice. A woman like Palin or O'Donnell still has a base of support, regardless of elitist ridicule.

 

We're whats left of the Pioneers of Early America. Flawed, God-loving, conservative folks.

[Casino67]

"She has an extremely steep uphill battle if she wants to win the Presidency."

 

Don't all of our potential candidates?

[Stella]

"She has an extremely steep uphill battle if she wants to win the Presidency."

 

Don't all of our potential candidates?

 

Not Obama if the GOP runs a bad candidate or if the GOP takes over Congress and the economy doesn't improve.

[Stella]

I don't think people are intimidated by Palin. The people around here in Democratland consider her a joke. Even on the radio station that broadcasts Rush and Hannity, they laugh at her non stop and love playing the tape of her when the Canadian station pretended the disk jockey was Sarkozy. She made an absolute fool of herself. It has nothing to do with her conservative beliefs either. That is never discussed. Her daughter doesn't help matters either. There are entire shows about Bristol and Levi.

 

I'm sorry to tell you the truth that most people don't want to hear who believe in her. She has an extremely steep uphill battle if she wants to win the Presidency. Maybe it doesn't matter either because if Obama is on the ticket, he will win Illinois.

Stella!

 

Yes, I know they laugh at her, and by extension on those of us who consider her "down-home" & patriotic, and a lot like ordinary folks that live in "fly-over" country!

 

We're just "hicks in the sticks" but our blood has run red for our country; and we refuse to be pushed to the side by

elitists on the coasts or in the media. It's one of the reasons why the Electoral College was added; so that purely high population states with numbers of government program & welfare state loving voters can't determine everything for our country. A state like Wyoming still has a voice in our choice. A woman like Palin or O'Donnell still has a base of support, regardless of elitist ridicule.

 

We're whats left of the Pioneers of Early America. Flawed, God-loving, conservative folks.

 

 

The problem is that a lot of states either want to get rid of the electoral college or ignore it. I bet that our two newest members of SCOTUS would like it gone.

[SrWoodchuck]

The problem is that a lot of states either want to get rid of the electoral college or ignore it. I bet that our two newest members of SCOTUS would like it gone.

Stella!

 

Agreed. It's removal will become tyranny for Western states!

 

The consequence of losing the '08 election, will put us at the mercy of activist judges. It's a weakening of our system of balances that is also exacerbated by both Bush's and Obama's expansion of the Executive powers.

 

When you've lost representation, or it is a facade of having a choice; there aren't many valid non-violent ways of redress.

 

It's much easier for a party [soros*] or an individual [soros*] with an agenda [soros*], to influence [soros*] the direction of America.

 

 

* Some subliminal suggestion may be cotained here!

[Casino67]

"She has an extremely steep uphill battle if she wants to win the Presidency."

 

Don't all of our potential candidates?

 

Not Obama if the GOP runs a bad candidate or if the GOP takes over Congress and the economy doesn't improve.

 

I said 'our' candidate, like Republican. Whoever runs against the 0 is going to have a tough time of it. If nothing else, he is a formidable candidate, not much of anything else though.

 

 

But we have midterms to worry about now.

[ErnstBlofeld]

Thanks, Pollya. But I think the Express did call all the attention to Delaware by having Palin get involved in this race. She's a lightening rod for press attention. Also, once her campaign got involved with decisions being made on top of all the money the Express was giving to the race (along with press releases about it) the decision was made by them to focus on this race.

 

I wonder if they thought that O'Donnell's looks would be such a positive that people would overlook everything else. Someone will have an interesting Phd thesis on this race.

 

I know several people on this blog don't appreciate all the attention being given to this race but the dynamics are fascinating. All the outside attention by both Parties to a race that deserves absolutely no attention will be studied for a long time. If anything it will say how much effect thousands of out of state dollars do have on a race.

 

So here is the thing that makes me question that assumption: Why is it that Palin's/the TPP's endorsement here made the press look...and her endorsement in a bunch of other huge races did not? The only thing I can see is that she endorsed a weak candidate that is way behind—where as all the other candidates she endorsed are competitive.

 

I guess I understand your theory...but it only makes sense to me if you discount the impact of Palin and the express in all the other races where it isn't played up at all because the candidates are not so flawed. It reminds me of the year the GOP ran a bunch of great candidates and all the press could focus on was David Duke. (Although, I don't recall him having any big endorsements which actually makes it even weirder...)

 

So I guess I spread the blame a little further. Here is how I see it.

 

1. For whatever reason, the Tea Party Express, Palin, Hannity and the rest endorse a very flawed candidate. They also endorsed a very conservative candidate in my state, but he got very few votes and didn't win the primary. I have no idea how good he would have been. All over the country, they endorsed the most conservative candidates they can find...regardless of polling and regardless of how well known/well vetted they are. They endorsed on principles, not on winnability. I also think that rather than her looks being the deciding factor...it was the fact that parts of the tea party and GOP were really hoping to stoke the "year of the GOP woman" meme. IMO, this is just as bad as identity politics on the left. But it wasn't looks...it was sex.

 

2. Some won, some lost. BUT the biggest surprises were O'Donnell and Miller. Why the voters of Alaska chose Miller is no surprise. In fact, most see that as inside Alaska politics. BUT, Karl Rove and other party insiders who understand local politics were shocked and surprised by O'Donnels victory and were extremely verbal about it. They were not wrong in their assessments, but their apoplexy actually drew even more attention to it because it went to the "split in the GOP" narrative the MSM desperately wants to stoke. (It also played into the "it's establishment insiders that people are upset about, not just democrats" story they wanted to believe.)

 

3. O'Donnell is unprepared for national scrutiny...largely I think because she honestly didn't think she was going to win. She'd make horrendous exaggerations, and from what I can tell lied about a lot of things. There was a bit of unfocused panic right after the election as the press swarmed in to figure out who this woman was that made the GOP so uncomfortable and the TPP so energized.

 

4. The more internal acrimony this race creates, the more focused the press will be on it because it is seen as the most interesting race, the race with the wackiest candidate, and because it fits the stories inside their heads: Tea partiers are crazy, Sarah Palin is only a pretty idiot, the GOP right wing whackos are the only people left in the GOP, as Delaware goes, so goes the country, etc. It is THEIR story, they are trying to prove...not searching for the real story.

 

Like you, I find the dynamics fascinating and think it will be studied for years to come. Perhaps the best part is that it serves as a warning to others. BUT, I do believe that it also does horrible harm to our country. Many of the men who founded our country would not have made it past the scrutiny we have for candidates today. We pounce on every little "irregularity" as being something that disqualifies them from service. Good people, GREAT people who have taken risks or in some way have difficult pasts are excluded from office. It seems to me, that "less than perfect" people are exactly the ones we WANT in office because they have experienced the difficulty/challenges of the real world. They know what it's like to try to run a business or get a job or take a financial risk.

 

By searching for perfection, we tend to blow past visionaries to the bean counters. And I'm just not convinced that bean counters are the best leaders.

 

Good Point

[pollyannaish]

I like the way your mind works, Pollyannaish! I also like the interesting discussions that occur on TRR. Like I said before, I hope for the sake of the GOP that O'Donnell somehow pulls this out. This election is more than about this race in Delaware or the one in Alaska. It's about a powerful organization using big names and drawing contributions from all over the country and their impact on races. If the Express is successful and pulls out these races then they will be able to choose the GOP nominee for President. They will have shown themselves to be that powerful.

 

I had forgotten about Rove and Krauthammer and the way O'Donnell and Palin labeled them as the "elite" GOP. I'm not sure if that had an impact in Delaware or if the voters even cared about this dispute since it's usually a Democrat state. It would be interesting to know if the Independents cared about that spat.

 

I feel that most people find what Murkowski is doing in Alaska outrageous. It seems the voters in Alaska might not hold that same opinion. If they are truly even, then Palin's endorsement doesn't mean much in her own home state.

 

Another thing I find interesting about this poll is that the number of people for O'Donnell is almost the same percent of people who approve of the TPM. I would like to know the answer to my question if the majority of people in Delaware resent the intrusion of the Express and all the out of state money. Since I can't fund such a poll, I will never know.

 

btw, Eric Odem and the Express also nominated a very conservative person, that nobody ever heard of, for the Senate in Illinois. That person only got 5% of the vote. People were smart enough to realize that even if they liked the TPM, the person running still had to be able to beat the Democrat in a very Blue State.

 

I'll be honest—I am very, very comfortable saying that this one is in the loss column at this point and that I hope the RNC isn't expending any time or energy on it.

 

No matter how riveting it has been, at the end of the day there is only one person to blame for this loss...and that is O'Donnell herself. She lied, obfuscated, exaggerated and was sloppy with her history. She was unprepared to discuss or effectively deflect "gotcha" issues. She was not able to succinctly return the conversation to the issues, when the focus was put on her. She had many opportunities, MANY and blundered many of them away early. It left her increasingly vulnerable as she allowed the campaign to be about her...rather than what the issues were.

 

Anyone who runs for office, locally or nationally, has to be prepared to answer very tough, often misleading questions about their personal life and past. Anything, that can be twisted, misrepresented, misinterpreted or dug up...will. You discover that people who smile to your face and treat you well, will turn around and stab you in the back with out even a second thought. They will throw you under the bus without mercy. That is how politics works.

 

You don't have to be perfect, but you do have to be transparent, honest and prepared to answer very tough and embarrassing questions about yourself. It's hard and as the wife of my state senator told me...you have to be happy without friends. But you can never whine or complain...because you asked for the job.

 

O'Donnell either didn't know this, or didn't care. But I hope that the folks who decide to run in these campaigns will study this case. And I hope those who vote Tea Party or GOP or Conservative will realize that running very, very tough primary campaigns are in our best interest EVERY time. They are truly trial by fire, and without them we make some pretty brutal mistakes as voters.

[pollyannaish]

I'm struggling to accept that wisdom, because I feel that, as a country, we don't have the luxury of suffering any more of the same, since Obama's pyrrhic victory in '08.

 

 

I have a personal strategy for combating this feeling...because I know exactly what you're talking about.

 

But here is why I think that insisting on purity is particularly bad this year. When we were in charge before, we should have pushed our guys harder and held them accountable. But this time out, I think that it is essential that we regain control of the House and Senate so that we can set the agenda.

 

We will not pass much at all...but we can obstruct and find areas where we could potentially work with the president. (I think it is actually possible that education may be one of those areas.) So what we need in this next congress...is people with R after their name...with the conservatives coming from the conservative part of the country and the "rinos" coming from blue states.

 

The thing is...even if we lose their votes on some things...our conservative team will be able to keep those pieces of legislation from coming up for a vote, etc.

 

As frustrating as it is...it is the way our system works, imo. I really can't get anyone more conservative than a Rossi elected in our state. It just isn't going to happen. And that is the way it is in many blue states. We can provide you with control...but we may not always be able to provide you with a vote. So. The question becomes: Do you want the control, or do you want to always vote with the minority?

[Stella]

I'm struggling to accept that wisdom, because I feel that, as a country, we don't have the luxury of suffering any more of the same, since Obama's pyrrhic victory in '08.

 

 

I have a personal strategy for combating this feeling...because I know exactly what you're talking about.

 

But here is why I think that insisting on purity is particularly bad this year. When we were in charge before, we should have pushed our guys harder and held them accountable. But this time out, I think that it is essential that we regain control of the House and Senate so that we can set the agenda.

 

We will not pass much at all...but we can obstruct and find areas where we could potentially work with the president. (I think it is actually possible that education may be one of those areas.) So what we need in this next congress...is people with R after their name...with the conservatives coming from the conservative part of the country and the "rinos" coming from blue states.

 

The thing is...even if we lose their votes on some things...our conservative team will be able to keep those pieces of legislation from coming up for a vote, etc.

 

As frustrating as it is...it is the way our system works, imo. I really can't get anyone more conservative than a Rossi elected in our state. It just isn't going to happen. And that is the way it is in many blue states. We can provide you with control...but we may not always be able to provide you with a vote. So. The question becomes: Do you want the control, or do you want to always vote with the minority?

 

On most conservative blogs, you would have been blasted for your assessment and called a hated RINO. Your well reasoned response is why I have trouble with that term. The conservative Illinois GOP would not give Mark Kirk a cent for years because they didn't like his social positions and called him the hated word. Mark Kirk is a practical man who knew he could never win an election in Obamaland as a Conservative. He survived as my Representative for 8 years on the donations of his backers and never whined that the GOP was not supporting him. A lot of people on FR don't like him because he doesn't vote with the GOP 100% but he votes with them on important votes.

 

People in Congress need to compromise or we have total gridlock. People were furious with the Dems who didn't listen to their constituents and voted for HCR. Life is very complicated and politics is even more so.

 

This Congress has been a nightmare because of all the voting down Party lines and the fact that nobody was reading the bills. (I know Mark Kirk read all of them before he voted). I wish some rule could be established that no bill could be rushed through Congress until they all had a chance to read them and discuss what they read before they voted. If the bills are too long and complicated, then something needs to be done about that, too. The voters are the ones losing in the end when Congress acts in such an irresponsible manner.

[ErnstBlofeld]

I like the way your mind works, Pollyannaish! I also like the interesting discussions that occur on TRR. Like I said before, I hope for the sake of the GOP that O'Donnell somehow pulls this out. This election is more than about this race in Delaware or the one in Alaska. It's about a powerful organization using big names and drawing contributions from all over the country and their impact on races. If the Express is successful and pulls out these races then they will be able to choose the GOP nominee for President. They will have shown themselves to be that powerful.

 

I had forgotten about Rove and Krauthammer and the way O'Donnell and Palin labeled them as the "elite" GOP. I'm not sure if that had an impact in Delaware or if the voters even cared about this dispute since it's usually a Democrat state. It would be interesting to know if the Independents cared about that spat.

 

I feel that most people find what Murkowski is doing in Alaska outrageous. It seems the voters in Alaska might not hold that same opinion. If they are truly even, then Palin's endorsement doesn't mean much in her own home state.

 

Another thing I find interesting about this poll is that the number of people for O'Donnell is almost the same percent of people who approve of the TPM. I would like to know the answer to my question if the majority of people in Delaware resent the intrusion of the Express and all the out of state money. Since I can't fund such a poll, I will never know.

 

btw, Eric Odem and the Express also nominated a very conservative person, that nobody ever heard of, for the Senate in Illinois. That person only got 5% of the vote. People were smart enough to realize that even if they liked the TPM, the person running still had to be able to beat the Democrat in a very Blue State.

 

I'll be honestI am very, very comfortable saying that this one is in the loss column at this point and that I hope the RNC isn't expending any time or energy on it.

 

No matter how riveting it has been, at the end of the day there is only one person to blame for this loss...and that is O'Donnell herself. She lied, obfuscated, exaggerated and was sloppy with her history. She was unprepared to discuss or effectively deflect "gotcha" issues. She was not able to succinctly return the conversation to the issues, when the focus was put on her. She had many opportunities, MANY and blundered many of them away early. It left her increasingly vulnerable as she allowed the campaign to be about her...rather than what the issues were.

 

Anyone who runs for office, locally or nationally, has to be prepared to answer very tough, often misleading questions about their personal life and past. Anything, that can be twisted, misrepresented, misinterpreted or dug up...will. You discover that people who smile to your face and treat you well, will turn around and stab you in the back with out even a second thought. They will throw you under the bus without mercy. That is how politics works.

 

You don't have to be perfect, but you do have to be transparent, honest and prepared to answer very tough and embarrassing questions about yourself. It's hard and as the wife of my state senator told me...you have to be happy without friends. But you can never whine or complain...because you asked for the job.

 

O'Donnell either didn't know this, or didn't care. But I hope that the folks who decide to run in these campaigns will study this case. And I hope those who vote Tea Party or GOP or Conservative will realize that running very, very tough primary campaigns are in our best interest EVERY time. They are truly trial by fire, and without them we make some pretty brutal mistakes as voters.

 

Believe me, the RNC does not expend money on people who do not have a chance of winning.

[Al_Simmons]

Let me answer you this way:

 

O'Donnell beat Castle fair and square. Was she "not-yet-ready-for-prime-time"? Maybe so. But it was SHE who had the cojones to take Castle on and to beat him. Where were the "more electable" conservatives?

 

So, if she does lose, we will have a (not-so)closet Marxist to replace Joe Biden, the clueless Marxist, for 4 years.

 

Better THAT, than having elected the "fellow-traveler" Castle, who would not only lie down with the enemy, but -

 

WOULD DILUTE THE CONSERVATIVE MESSAGE NATION-WIDE WITH HIS VERY POLITICAL EXISTENCE.

 

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is why - in the current "worst case scenario", we will be better off with the Marxist Coons than we would have been with the fellow-traveler Castle.

 

Any questions?

[AceRimmer]

Let me answer you this way:

 

O'Donnell beat Castle fair and square. Was she "not-yet-ready-for-prime-time"? Maybe so. But it was SHE who had the cojones to take Castle on and to beat him. Where were the "more electable" conservatives?

 

So, if she does lose, we will have a (not-so)closet Marxist to replace Joe Biden, the clueless Marxist, for 4 years.

 

Better THAT, than having elected the "fellow-traveler" Castle, who would not only lie down with the enemy, but -

 

WOULD DILUTE THE CONSERVATIVE MESSAGE NATION-WIDE WITH HIS VERY POLITICAL EXISTENCE.

 

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is why - in the current "worst case scenario", we will be better off with the Marxist Coons than we would have been with the fellow-traveler Castle.

 

Any questions?

 

Hua! I've said the same thing. Castle was another Arlen Specter waiting for his moment to stab us in the back.

[octex]

Good thread, everyone!

 

This race is important because the person elected will immediately be seated in the Senate, since it's the Biden replacement slot. That could definitely have an impact on the voting during the lame duck sessions following the election. The people of DE voted for Christine because they KNEW that Castle would just vote with the Dems most of the time.

 

I'm really interested in seeing the next Rasmussen poll on the DE Senate race. O'Donnell aced the debate with Coons on Wednesday night. Some criticized her for not having a ready answer to the question about a recent SCOTUS decision with which she disagreed. I couldn't think of a recent one that I've disagreed with either. She showed a lot of poise, as she was actually competing against not only Coons, but Blitzer and some ditzy local radio woman who kept cutting off Christine but let Coons ramble past the allotted time limit.

 

I agree with Al and Ace, in that Castle would have been just another Snowe or Collins in the Senate. Brown ® was elected in MA, a heavily blue state, so most of us expected that he would not be very conservative. He's the type of GOP candidate that might possibly get elected in Stella's IL, which is dark blue.

[Stella]

Good thread, everyone!

 

This race is important because the person elected will immediately be seated in the Senate, since it's the Biden replacement slot. That could definitely have an impact on the voting during the lame duck sessions following the election. The people of DE voted for Christine because they KNEW that Castle would just vote with the Dems most of the time.

 

I'm really interested in seeing the next Rasmussen poll on the DE Senate race. O'Donnell aced the debate with Coons on Wednesday night. Some criticized her for not having a ready answer to the question about a recent SCOTUS decision with which she disagreed. I couldn't think of a recent one that I've disagreed with either. She showed a lot of poise, as she was actually competing against not only Coons, but Blitzer and some ditzy local radio woman who kept cutting off Christine but let Coons ramble past the allotted time limit.

 

I agree with Al and Ace, in that Castle would have been just another Snowe or Collins in the Senate. Brown ® was elected in MA, a heavily blue state, so most of us expected that he would not be very conservative. He's the type of GOP candidate that might possibly get elected in Stella's IL, which is dark blue.

 

O'Donnell would never win an election in Illinois and octex, you are correct that Brown could have been elected in Illinois. The ironic thing is that when we first moved back here, 30 years ago, Illinois was a GOP state. The state composition has drastically changed in the last 30 years. Now, taxpayers have been fleeing the state in the last decade. Instead of your European ethnic groups, the city of Chicago has changed to a true melting pot of Asian, Hispanic and Middle Eastern groups. The number of Blacks has stayed about the same.

 

Also, the downtown area under Mayor Daley, has become a young people magnet for professionals who would have gone to NY in the past.

 

Even DuPage County, which always had been a GOP stronghold, has become more Democrat in the past decade. Once Chicago became a sanctuary city and you automatically became registered to vote through Motor Voter at the drivers license facilities, (thereby allowing illegals to register to vote) there have been a predominance of Democrats in the state. This election will be interesting because the only way a Republican will win any office will be as a protest against the Democrats in office. Even Democrats don't like being unemployed with no jobs in sight.

 

The GOP Senate candidate, Mark Kirk, is running on his independence. We shall see if it works.

[Argyle58]

There is more to this story than O'Donnell as a candidate. She is a female conservative candidate. Palin and O'Donnell are not the only two under fire. Some of the most nasty Dim attacks (along with their proxies in the LMS) are levelled at Whitman, Fiorina, Angle, Bachman and Haley. Political attacks are not only coming from their Dim opponents, either, but in a large part from the GOP PTB. Liberals are calling this "The Year of Conservative Woman, a Setback for Feminism". The fact that women do not just fall on their swords on the altar of Liberal Thought is so abhorrent to the left that these female candidates are the subject of attacks far beyond any sort of normal political mud slinging.