Plan B Forum

In Tuesday's Delaware primary, the tea party movement may inflict its most devastating wound yet to the Republican establishment.

With an assist from Sarah Palin, tea party activists in Delaware are trying to defeat the Republican candidate with the best chance to win Joe Biden's old Senate seat and nominate instead a candidate Republican leaders say has no chance of winning the general election in November.

Rep. Mike Castle is considered a slam dunk to capture Joe Biden's old Senate seat. Castle is a pro-abortion rights, pro-gun control Republican who often works with Democrats. Those traits have helped make him the most popular Republican in a state that leans heavily Democratic; Castle has twice been elected governor and was elected as Delaware's sole representative in the House nine times.

But Castle's moderate politics have enraged tea party activists and given Christine O'Donnell an opening.

O'Donnell, who has also been endorsed by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and the NRA, called that "Republican cannibalism," which she said is an indication of just how out of touch with their voters and desperate main stream Republicans have become.

The Delaware Republican party has been issuing almost daily press releases attacking O'Donnell.

One recent release highlighted a Rasmussen poll showing Castle carrying a double-digit lead over Democrat Chris Coons in the general Senate race, 48 percent to 37 percent. When Coons and O'Donnell are matched up, Coons leads O'Donnell by a 47 percent to 36 percent margin.

O'Donnell said she remains confident that voters see her as the real Republican choice.

"There's a tidal wave coming here in Delaware and my campaign is riding it," she said. "My opponent is drowning in it."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/delaware ... 467&page=2

I can recall any number of Democratic friends rubbing their hands with glee when GWB got the Republican nomination in 2000.

Lord Jim wrote:
I imagine we'll hear a number of highly humorous and entertaining pronouncements issuing from the floor of The World's Greatest Deliberative Body....

Insurgent US "Tea Party" conservatives scored another big upset victory on Tuesday, as a political novice romped over a veteran lawmaker to become the Republican champion in the fight for Vice President Joe Biden's old senate seat.

With 99 per cent of precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Christine O'Donnell beating popular moderate Representative Mike Castle by a 53.1-46.9 per cent margin and US media called the race for the relative unknown.

O'Donnell, who has survived charges of past financial improprieties, harnessed anti-establishment anger and rode an endorsement from former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to a stunning victory.

Despite the Tea Party exuberance, the results handed Democrats a lifeline in their uphill struggle to hold Biden's seat, amid deep voter anger at the sour economy and unemployment near 10 per cent.

Recent opinion polls showed Castle was expected to cruise to victory over Democratic county executive Chris Coons, who leads O'Donnell amid establishment Republican predictions that she cannot win in November.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/big-night-f ... 15bx8.html

I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't some secret connection between the backers of these candidates and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, since they are clearly the greatest beneficiaries....