Castle(s) and coasters

I must admit feeling a bit of dissapointment at the news of Congressman Mike Castle's defeat at the hands of insurgent "tea party" candidate Christine O'Donnell. Since first hearing about him around the time Beau Biden decided not to run for his father's former Senate seat, I developed a respect for a man who had won election after election in a state whose Democratic bonafides include twice voting against Abraham Lincoln. Twice!. I admire Republicans like Castle, who prosper, and even thrive, in political environments they have no business succeeding in. Candidates like Castle, in my opinion, can teach valuable lessons on how to effectively reach voters of all stripes. Better yet, Castle was about as close to a political sure thing as you can get, with a 10 point lead over Democratic senatorial candidate Chris Coons. Candidate Castle would have been alot like a free spot in an electoral bingo card. With O'Donnell, the GOP now fields a candidate that can be at best described as a wild card.

Yet the wishes of Delaware GOP primary voters cannot be denied, and the actions of the Republican Senatorial Committee immediately following O'Donnell's upset win were in extremely bad taste. Threats of withholding even cursory support for O'Donnel is at best unhelpful to the GOP's own cause. Mainstream Republicans must make efforts to create an inclusive environment for the Tea Party phenomenon, as this will help avoid the GOP's worst fears, a fracturing of the right of center voting bloc. O'Donnell won her contest fair and square, and as such, she deserves all the support the GOP establishment can muster. By the morning after Castle's defeat, the GOP establishment had changed it's tune: O'Donnell's campaign was pledged the maximum monetary amount the RSC is allowed to give.

The dynamics of the Delaware senate race have changed. O'Donnell is presently running 11 points behind Coons. As a result, the GOP will be greatly disinclined to invest much more time or money on O'Donnell. There are simply too many other races with better prospects for GOP victories, and it is only prudent to spend precious campaign dollars accordingly. Should O'Donnell find a way to narrow the gap, establishment support should increase. Initially though, O'Donnell will have to lean heavily on additional Tea Party support, monetary and otherwise. Right leaning voters all along the spectrum must appreciate the gravity of the November elections. It must be remembered that Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin are both Republicans, and the party will require the efforts of the likes of both to achieve the results all right leaning voters are hoping for. At this time, Christine O'Donnell awaits Mike Castle's endorsement. Initial reports are that he intends to remain neutral in the upcoming campaign. That would be, given Castle's stature among Delaware Republicans, simply unacceptable. His neutrality could be the difference between 9 new Republican senators and 10. I hope he doesn't make O'Donnell, and the rest of us, wait too much longer.