I hope that the internecine (someday I'll have to look up the proper pronunciation of that word) warfare within the Republican Party can be laid to rest in Delaware, now that the voters in the Republican primary have made their choice. While, as Michelle Malkin has noted, O'Donnell is not a perfect candidate, Mike Castle is the kind of squishy Republican who simply cannot credibly be considered as the linchpin of a roll-back of establishmentarian liberalism. Even if O'Donnell loses the general election, her primary victory sends a message that will be useful to the Party brass long term: the people are not going to support a Republican Party that is too lazy or too timorous to fight the tough ideological battles that are the absolute prerequisite for a return to limited government, constitutional supremacy and the end of rule by bureaucratic fiat and legislative overreach.
Stacy McCain and Smitty celebrate, as well they may, since Smitty was, I believe, the first blogger of any prominence to publicize O'Donnell's campaign.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The first reaction of the party brass has been that they are not going to pony up any money for her campaign. Let Palin, Tea Partiers, and DeMint finance her campaign is the comment by an anonymous GOP hack quoted at The Corner.
ReplyDelete"CNN’s Mark Preston quotes an unnamed GOP official: “Until she demonstrates some viability in the polls we are not going to have any money for her.” The official said it is now incumbent on Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party Express to support O’Donnell. 'They got her here.'”
This same clown would have expected, of course, that all conservatives would support any RINO that the RSCC dragged across the finish line, no matter how squishy he was. How long did they support Arlen Specter against any conservative challenger? So much for getting behind the candidate who wins the primary in the name of party unity. It seems the GOP brass are the PUMAs this time.
Exactly right. Where is that spirit of unity the establishment talks about?
ReplyDeleteMore to the point, Michael: that same clown is probably in his cubby, venting about how donations to the GOP funding machine aren't good.
ReplyDeleteAnd wondering why. Oh, the irony!
It appears the NRSC must have got a spanking from their constituents and have now backtracked:
ReplyDeleteUpdate: The National Republican Senatorial Committee will support the O’Donnell campaign, according to a statement that was just released by its chairman, Sen. John Cornyn.
“I reached out to Christine this morning, and as I have conveyed to all of our nominees, I offered her my personal congratulations and let her know that she has our support. This support includes a check for $42,000 – the maximum allowable donation that we have provided to all of our nominees – which the NRSC will send to her campaign today,” Cornyn said in the statement.
Btw, what's up with our Dark Lord Rove? Has hw been eating Democratic lotus roots, or what?
ReplyDeleteI consider each of these victories like rounds out of those old siege guns breaking down the walls of the politcial class fort and tearing members from the ramparts.
ReplyDeleteI call them "Lott Shots".:)
It's my understanding(whoa!) that Rove worked behind the scenes in the Castle campaign at one time. Take it for what its worth.
Rebecca, in spite of the joking, I've always had mixed feelings about Rove. He's a brilliant strategist and has a keen understanding of politics.
ReplyDeleteBut he's been, well, slimy.
I came to this conclusion when he was quoted when explaining his support for illegal immigration:
"I don't want my 17-year-old son to have to pick tomatoes or make beds in Las Vegas."
I'm not sure that this can be taken out of context, as the White House suggested. But I believe that it places him firmly in the intellectual elite category, by placing him and his own above "mere" menial labor, i.e., illegal immigration. I don't it was coincidental that he resigned a few months later (August 2007).
In any case, I think he's showing his true colors with these tantrums. In this regards, he's no better than David Brooks or similar (empty) talking head.
Earlier today, a friend of mine described Lord Karl (heh!) as being utterly without morals or ethics. I couldn't disagree.
PS:
ReplyDeleteJust read this relevant comment on another blog:
The most *ahem!* interesting thing, in the apocryphal Chinese sense, was the instant response from the Establishment Republicans. Several people have noted that in his entire visible career, Carl Rove *never* went off like that against a Democrat.
We’re taking notes, we are.
That's a valid point, and one that I never thought of.
"Temper tantrum" doesn't begin to cover this.
Jeff: That's a great point.
ReplyDeleteI confess, it's actually rather interesting to watch the reaction of the establishment (Sheesh! I sound like a hippy!) I always knew there was this sense of entitlement that the "old hands" acquired over the years, but I don't think I've ever seen this vicious a response. And I think the viciousness is a good sign; it means they're genuinely worried. As they ought to be.
Exactly right, Paco. In a way, Karl Rove is acting like the Demonrats about the time their polls started tanking.....and haven't stopped since.
ReplyDelete(Just as a reminder of that.....)
"In a way" because I suspect that O'Donnell is merely a convenient target for Rove. I believe that he'd rather castigate us Tea Partiers for Not Following The Message, thereby proving him right.
But he's certainly not that stupid or disconnected. Just very very frustrated.
Boo freakin' hoo.
PS again:
ReplyDeleteAnd, yup, it's fun to watch the heads of the old guard pop. Almost as much fun as watching the melt down of the Demonrats.
How do YOU like looked at as irrelevant, boys? Hmmmmmmmmmm?
Jeff: I wonder what Rove thinks "The Message" is? Lie back and enjoy it? Eat your peas? Shut up?
ReplyDelete"More to the point, Michael: that same clown is probably in his cubby, venting about how donations to the GOP funding machine aren't good.
ReplyDelete"And wondering why. Oh, the irony!"
Quite right JeffS. I haven't donated to the RNC for years because of the squishiness. What they don't understand is that given two parties promising them a welfare state, the voters will elect the party that actually believes that is a good idea, and not the one that is dishonestly pandering to them. That is what killed the Liberals in Britain in 1920s, replaced as the Opposition by the Labour Party that believed in the welfare state.
Lord save us from RINOs.
Paco: I think I'd go for "Shut up". It's his style.
ReplyDeleteMichael: "Lord save us from RINOs."
Amen.