« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

MEMBER DIARY

O’Donnell v. Coons: The People of Delaware Won

By: Dave Poff (haystack) (Diary)  |  October 13th, 2010 at 11:00 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Christine O’Donnell and Chris Coons debated tonight on the University of Delaware campus. The outcome of this debate, hosted by Delaware First Media and the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication, will be judged soon enough by the so-called experts in the world of politics and punditry… but for simple-minded folk such as myself it became clear early on who won tonight.

The People of Delaware.

We’ve heard all the talk about bearded Marxists and witchcraft. We’ve seen all the headlines about masturbation and overdue school loans and abortion and raging far-left radical progressivism. What Delaware finally got to see tonight was the clear distinctions between these two candidates…on the issues that matter to Delawareans. Whoever supported Coons before tonight will continue to do so. Same with O’Donnell. What remains is which way the undecideds and Indys will go…and each candidate did an outstanding job of making their case.

Coons told Delawareans that he supports, by and large, the Obama agenda of tax the rich and spend like a drunk teenager with Mom and Dad’s credit card. O’Donnell told them that she only worries herself with what the People of Delaware want…not what the Republican party or the power brokers in DC want.

Coons unashamedly made his case for spending even MORE money where Obama’s agenda has come up short…O’Donnell made the case for abandoning those ideas for something…ANYTHING…that is more appropriately aligned with what we actually make rather than what the Federal Government thinks it can TAKE from citizens they deem wealthy enough to hand over their money to pay for these (and future) policy initiatives.

Delaware now knows what it’s being asked to decide: elect a big Government tax and spend Liberal or a constrained Government reduce or repeal Conservative…they will make their choice, and that decision will be honored respectfully (we hope) by both of these candidates. But there’s something else…

What Delaware ALSO got tonight, was the chance to see the Christine O’Donnell some of us around here already knew; sane, normal, fierce, stubborn, strong-willed, and determined to keep in the fight until the fight is done – despite the roadblocks that have been put in her way…especially the ones from within her own party. We also saw a Christine O’Donnell who is comfortable in her own skin.

This lady’s the real deal, regardless what some of you might have heard…and despite the “she can’t win” meme the experts keep pushing on us, I suggest folks consider the alternative to an O’Donnell victory and start thinking about how to make sure she actually does. There have been bigger underdogs in our history that have ultimately prevailed when they got the support they deserved…

Any candidate can win if they have the money and the boots on the ground. ANY candidate. At issue in Delaware, and all across the country, is whether we want to double down with the Obama agenda or ask for a new deck. O’Donnell is just one card in this game, but I like the odds.

What can I say, I always root for the underdog…it’s how I roll.

[Cross-Posted]

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • Aaron Gardner

    We have to play this hand out to the end, O’Donnell had a strong night and can easily capitalize on that.

    • http://www.hickpolitics.com Dave Poff (haystack)

      If I’m a Delaware resident, and I’m mad about the State of the Nation, I just had my mind made up for me-a vote against Obama…and against Coons…is an easy decision to make, and Delaware will do fine with O’Donnell on the Senate floor next year telling both sides of the aisle just exactly where she stands on each issue.

      I’d be ok with that.

      • Aaron Gardner

        Or at least similarly enough to pull the trigger for O’Donnell.

    • crusty

      The problem is A.P., CNN and others are already reporting O’Donnell could not name a court case she agreed with. The spin clearly is to continue the “idiot” image and pound away at it. For most readers that is all they will know.

      • http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil_truth

        The fourth estate has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the second.

  • http://cannedjam.com cannedjam

    or did Coons come off really condescending. His whole “I can’t even respond to that because I can’t formulate her words into a coherent thought” routine seemed pre-planed and not even apropos to her actual responses at times.

    He scoffed at her implication that his family’s company would stand to benefit from the green agenda, claiming he could not even understand her question, but then was some how able to go on answering it, while incidentally proving her point.

    • AceInTX

      That was put on and it made him appear the ass in the debate….he did himself no favors with that

  • tomato

    I wasn’t able to watch the debate. However, in analysis of your interpretation has me believe this routine was scripted. It comes across as “This is beneath me to share a stage with her.” i.e. condescending. But there is a silver lining. They’re scared. They’re unwilling or unprepared to debate the issues. If O’Donnell is really a dimwitted, empty suit, then the smart approach is shut up and let her speak.

    I would have asked Coons, “What is about a woman opponent that makes you so uncomfortable?”

    • http://cannedjam.com cannedjam

      how he came off. Trying to further supplant reality with his and the media’s narrative that she is a dimwit.

      However, for me at least (my first time really seeing her talk), it did the opposite.

    • AceInTX

      http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/10/13/HP/R/39324/Tonights+Campaign+Coverage+Delaware+Senate+California+Hawaii+Governor+Debates.aspx

  • AceInTX

    talk about an arrogant, self important worthless son of a !@#$ (*%^ %^$^&

    It’s obvious that was a pre planned ploy to make her look stupid.

    At one point she made a perfectly reasoned explanation about her stance on immigration:

    1) Make it easier for immigrants who follow the law to come here legally

    2) Secure the Border

    3) Punish Businesses who Hire Illegals

    4) penalize and deport those who come here illedgally

    5) DON’T REWARD ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BY GIVING THEM A FREE PASS TO CITIZENSHIP

    And mister Smart Ass says if anyone can make sense of that they’re smarter than he is…or some such…

    I’d have given my right eyeball to have her tell him to hand her his box of crayons so she could color him a picture so he’d understand…

    And there was a WITCH in the debates tonight…but she was sitting across from O’Donell.

    How many times did she stop O’Donnell and encourage Coons to rebut her by reminding him it was a discussion round.

    then on the other hand…almost every time O’Donnell tried to make a rebuttal she was cut off and the topic was changed.

    Oh…and the Witch chastised O’Donnell for pointing out she wasn’t born with a trust fund and a silver spoon in her mouth…

    The Witch also read Coons’ religious BIO at one point just after attacking O’Donnell for her religious stances…

    Unbelievable!

    • AceInTX
  • AceInTX

    She got nailed on that question about what Supreme Court Decision she disagrees with

    • JSobieski

      Have a few SC cases like Kelo, Roe, maybe some of the campaign finance cases, etc. that you pull out of the toolbox in response to this question.

      Heck, go with Plessy v. Ferguson and take the opportunity to explain that courts, contrary to popular misconception, actually impeded civil rights in this country through their judicial activism through much of this countries history.

  • SirGladiator

    Even Politico, which normally seems to be pretty liberal, said right in its headline that she hit a home run tonight (their actual headline was “O’Donnell goes deep debating Coons”, going deep being a term for hitting a home run, since the writer, probably a liberal, couldnt bring himself to use the phrase ‘home run’ and ‘O’Donnell’ in the same headline), for me what I said at the time was that CNN ‘stopped the fight’, they actually cut out of the debate right around the half way point, not to show a miner being rescued, but simply to TALK about the miners, for no reason other than because they couldn’t stand showing Coons get totally destroyed any longer. It was a truly magnificent performance by Christine, and it showed what those of us who supported her here during the primaries knew, she is so brilliant, and vastly superior to her opponent. Even in regard to the ‘recent Supreme Court case she disagrees with’ (she couldn’t name Roe or other such, as they weren’t recent) she did say the case where they gave Miranda rights to terrorists, so she had an answer, just not timely enough for the critics. But offbeat questions aside, she showed total command of the issues, totally outclassing Coons, and exposing his far-left record over and over again.

    Tonight’s debate showed all of Delaware who the better candidate was, and no doubt she will now go up huge in the polls, as Linda McMahon is already doing in Connecticut having won her debates. She’s got a great ad campaign going, she totally crushed her opponent in the debate, and in less than 3 weeks time she’s going to be Senator Elect O’Donnell!

  • http://thesandsinstitute.org Vassar Bushmills

    …it’s really easy to connect the dots, only most candidates are fearful of doing so. Heathcare isn’t just higher costs, less service, blah blah, it is a fundamental theft of fundamental rights. Rights that it will take 1-2-3 generations to restore..if at all. The Socialist game plan is that it will never be allowed to be restored. Delawarians aren’t stupid.

    Ronald Reagan had a way of connecting the dots while maintaining a good natured smile on his face. Every “come-from-behind” candidate should find that pose these last 20 days…and adopt it.

  • tngal

    The bias of the moderators was evident for anyone. Given its location I would like to have seen more questions come from the mouths of students. Blitzer you can get anytime. She did as well as could be expected given the interruptions.

    Her opponent’s condescending, even patronizing remarks were over the top and hopefully some of that will smack of elitism and she can pull off some undecideds. Going blank on the supreme court rulings may be rectified .Biggovernment.com asked her staff about this question. and she is against the recent eminent domain and ten commandments rulings. So maybe those in her campaign can get that message out there. They are two crappy rulings, really

    Having to overcome biased moderators and media, an arrogant opponent, and her own party is a tough fight, But she’s also having to tackle the likes of Crabby Dicks. It’s a restaurant in Sussex, and it underscores how many in Delaware are not taking either her or the race seriously. The co-owner of the dive recently put up an effigy of Christine, in witch’s garb, and a cut out of her face and stuck it out front of his restaurant with a sign announcing “eat here or I’ll turn you into a frog.” That whole witch thing has really overshadowed her message on issues. Voters should have moved on to the important stuff by now.

    http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=13310282

  • Marcus_Traianus

    That’s always been my argument in Delaware.

    Consider this;
    - Delaware’s tax burden usually gets them a ranking somewhere in the mid-to-high twenties against all other states.
    - Their total unemployment is about 8.5% (reported).
    - About 13% of the workforce is unionized (60% blue-collar),
    - They rank 12th in the percentage of population lacking health-care and about a 21% (as a percent of population) Medicaid enrollment rate.
    - In general, they rank in the top 1/3 of most entitlement programs

    Given that recitation, do you think a majority really believes Obama and his Congress has “failed”? Methinks no.

    Just like NY, Del. will continue to vote for their own destruction until there are two guys at the Amtrak station in New Castle wondering where the hell everyone went or New Jersey invades and annexes Delaware.

    Point being, O’Donnell is a great candidate. But these folks have been lied to and inculcated for so long, they need some time out of the reeducation camps before they can see the light.

  • mypalfish

    It’s not fair but it’s reality. McMahon did superbly in her debates and she hasn’t made a dent in the polls. In fact, a new Quinnipiac survey out today still shows her down double digits. Sometimes the media will target and tar and feather a candidate so they’re scarred for life (Palin and O’Donnell) and sometimes a state just doesn’t like a candidate (McMahon) even though they run a better-than-expected campaign.

    • Scope

      What’s up with that?

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      If you don’t, find Republicans to talk up and support.

      • mypalfish

        But I’m realistic enough to know you don’t rally from double digit deficits in the last few weeks of a campaign.

        You want some positive news? Mason Dixon has Angle +2 in their new poll out today.

        • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

          If you have nothing productive to add about the races you think are lost, stop posting about them.

          Or I’ll ban your account so fast the echos will go backwards in time and white out posts you already made.

    • earlgrey

      finally! They are not backing down on their beliefs and apologizing for their stances.

      The question that I have is how do we win in these states. I am not willing to give up. In every war the victor always loses a few battles.

      The question that I have, is have we just not had enough damage from the bad statist policies, or should we acknowledge that it may take some time for some to come around? Or have we allowed statism to come too far to turn back (my least favorite option)?

      I am thankful for the candidates that are not backing down. At least it is a start.

  • proudmarinemom

    on CNN, NYT and other lefty news sites, you’ll see plenty of comments trashing O’Donnell for A) wearing a black, pointy hat, B) lacking a diploma from Harvard, and C) sounding like Sarah Palin.

    ‘s that all they got?

    Have these people forgotten that this election is to fill a seat vacated by Mr. Gaffetastic, who A) believes FDR appeared on television in 1929, B) believes 10 % unemployment is progress, and C) just yesterday blurted out that he has been “chosen” to run on the Obama ticket in 2012, sounding like a high school kid who just won the Prom King competition?

    Relax, liberals. Things are looking up in Delaware.