The original plan was for Mike Castle to just ignore Christine O’Donnell, just as Joe Biden had done twice before. And in so doing, he would conserve his campaign war chest to blow Chris Coons out of the water in October. Well, Castle is no longer ignoring Old Christine. He is going on air before the primary.
It looks like Rep. Mike Castle isn’t taking his Tea Party Express-backed primary opponent lightly: The Republican has purchased $113K worth of airtime before the primary. […] A Dem source that monitors media buys tells Hotline On Call that Castle has purchased $113K worth of airtime for Aug. 31 to Sept. 6 in the Salisbury, MD, media market. That market broadcasts into southern DE. Castle has also purchased $26K worth of time on cable in New Castle County and $42K on radio.
Where Castle is spending is very interesting. He is concentrating on Sussex County with his buys in Salisbury, the homeland of Delaware’s batshit insane Teabaggers. I suspect his ad buys in New Castle County would have happened anyway, with or without Christine O’Donnell’s threatening surge. Indeed, if the reason for the ad buys in New Castle County is countering O’Donnell rather than as part of the general election campaign, then Castle is doomed. For if O’Donnell is gaining traction in New Castle County, Castle will lose the primary.