Almost two decades ago, Delaware Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell said that she “dabbled in witchcraft,” on the HBO show Politically Incorrect, having no idea that she would be running for Senate now, creating a national media sensation.
She stated that it was a mistake and that the only reason behind her actions was because she was in love with her boyfriend who at the time was interested in such things. Having forsaken her childhood mistake, O’Donnell, running as a conservative Republican candidate, is receiving a huge backlash for her ill-advised comments. In fact, she stated that she will no longer talk to the national media because she thinks it will not help her win the election. Ironically, before the notorious clip was played on Bill Maher’s Real Talk, Christine O’Donnell was the new face of the Tea Party Movement. She has now decided to remain local, almost hiding in her state of Delaware, in an attempt to pacify the predicament she has found herself in.
But before we illegitimately condemn her as a witch and the media burns her at the stake, we should look at her legitimacy as a candidate. She has built a platform on conservative pro life ideals. Many of her opponents classify her as an extreme conservative, which may or may not be a bad thing. In current economic times, maybe a break from the extreme liberalism floating around is a good thing, and taking a conservative view point could prove to be beneficial. O’Donnell believes, like most Republicans, that lower taxes and limited government activity can help the economy recover quickly and create new jobs for the unemployed. According to her campaign website (christine2010.com) she has a strong belief that parents should have the “maximum choice…about where to educate their kids, including private, parochial and charter schools or in the home.” Also O’Donnell believes in “a market-based approach to energy solutions that will keep competition high and energy prices low” meaning corporations are responsible for creating new green and environmental products, which should leave government out of the energy market. O’Donnell believes “that the solution to the healthcare crisis is less government meddling in the doctor/patient relationship, more competition in the insurance market and more choice for families about their health plan.” Another strong belief of Christine O’Donnell is “terrorism is an act of war requiring the full force of our intelligence and military resources rather than granting terrorists precious Constitutional rights and outsourcing our foreign policy to the U.N.”
Even though she managed an underdog victory over former Republican Governor and Congressman Michael Castle, her journey to the Senate remains difficult, as she is now facing Democratic nominee Chris Coons, who is marginally ahead of her in the Delaware polls. Another factor working against her is the GOP split. Many Republicans in Delaware have become wary of the Tea Party faction of their party, the group sponsoring O’Donnell, and have decided to back Michael Castle as an independent candidate instead, splitting Republican votes and giving Coons a greater chance of winning (Coons is beating O’Donnell in the polls by 16%). The last obstacle standing in her way stems from accusations that she used GOP funding to finance her personal expenses, allegations that have not been proved true or false, but have put some of her supporters on the fences.
No matter what happens in November, Christine O’Donnell is one of the most popular Tea Party candidates, a prime example of grassroots mobilization in this country. Many critics say she is a carbon copy of Sara Palin, turning them away from her as a potential candidate. But this campaign season she hopes to work a little magic and persuade voters at the polls that she is the right choice for the Senate.
