The Delaware GOP’s civil war is on full display in today’s News Journal. This is just the beginning of the war, the part I’ll call “finger-pointing.”
“The problem is a lack of leadership, a lack of vision, a lack of inclusion,” said Steve Grossman, Kent County coordinator for O’Donnell’s campaign. The party’s current leadership comes mainly from northern New Castle County.
Several downstate Republicans say the New Castle County GOP is not very well-organized.
“We keep losing elections because New Castle County Republicans won’t get their act together,” said Don Ayotte of Georgetown, who organized a censure of state Party Chairman Tom Ross last week.
According to O’Donnell’s campaign and Sussex County Republicans it was lack of leadership from New Castle County Republicans and poor organization.
Michele Rollins has a different diagnosis:
“We need to sit back and say, ‘Do we want to be a party of social issues?’ If that’s the case, then let it be that. But I can’t be in that,” said businesswoman Michele Rollins, who lost the GOP U.S. House primary to Glen Urquhart.
But, but, CONSTITUTION!
“Let’s focus on the fiscal conservancy of the party,” said former state Rep. Tom Kovach, who lost re-election in a northern New Castle County district that saw a surge in anti-O’Donnell voters.
Lyle Humpton of Bridgeville argues the party should shift further to the right on social and economic issues.
So, the moderates blame the social conservatives and the conservatives blame the moderates. Sussex blames New Castle. They all believe they can win on fiscal issues yet failed to talk about fiscal issues in a manner that appealed to the public.
Have you ever seen those comedies where the sheriff goes up to a crowd and asks, “which way did he go?” and the crowd points in every direction? This is what this feels like.