Can the local GOP get any more fun? On Sunday, the NJ wrote a story surveying the state of the local Tea Party (giving them alot of column inches even though they only pulled off one primary win and continue to be more like a reality TV show than a political force) and spoke to the leader of the Not A Witch faction of the Tea Party:
Christine O’Donnell, who signaled the tea party’s ascendance two years ago when she wrested the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from longtime U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, said at the urging of supporters, she’s giving serious thought to a 2014 rematch against the man who beat her in the general election, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons.
“I think I owe that to my supporters, to at least consider a run,” O’Donnell said in an interview last week. “People sacrificed. Not only came out of their comfort zone – sacrificed to work hard in order to win the primary. And I think that I owe it to them to give it every consideration.”
O’Donnell said the victory of tea party-supported candidate Eric Bodenweiser is a prime example of conservatives’ willingness to work for candidates they believe in, adding that she’s offered to headline a fundraiser for Bodenweiser. She also pointed to conservative Rose Izzo’s campaign for a congressional seat. While Izzo was defeated Tuesday, O’Donnell noted that with very little money, Izzo managed to capture nearly 35 percent of the vote against Tom Kovach, the moderate Republican president of New Castle County Council.
Absolutely. Because Sussex County teajadis got committed to one of their own, you can decide on a statewide race — in a state where you are widely STILL seen as an embarrassment — based on one shaky primary win.
Seriously, I hope she does come back. Nothing like watching the local GOP succumb to the grift. The thing to watch, though, is what they do about contending for Row Offices. The last thing any of our counties need are these teajadis making a showy business of claiming extra-constitutional powers rather than doing the jobs they were elected to. Sheriff Christopher is the example here — someone who was elected to an office he was clearly unfit for. He needs to be one and done and efforts to replicate this guy in other row offices need to be shut down.
Of course, the shenanigans of the teajadis in 2014 need to be tied to the GOP efforts to contend for offices of Governor, and others in 2016. So keep an eye out for our local GOP “contenders” embracing or running away from the tejadis over the next couple of years. What they do vis the Tea Party ought to tell you how serious they are about running in 2016.