Well I went to the monthly Sussex County GOP meeting tonight. I have been going now for a little over a year. Tonight was different.
What should have been a post-election celebration for those GOP candidates who won, like Cindy Green (Register of Wills) and Scott Daley( Recorder of Deeds), or maybe just a coming together for those who were unsuccessful such as Glen Urquhart and Christine O’Donnell.
Instead it ended up being a defining moment. One that may have lasting effects on the state GOP.
Sussex County GOP committeeman Don Ayotte put forth a resolution to censure state committee chairman Tom Ross. The complete resolution was as follows:
” Mr. Chairman,
I make a motion to censure State GOP Chairman, Tom Ross for making inappropriate statements and failing to immediately endorse and fully support a lawfully elected republican candidate for the US Senate. Inappropriate statements include, ” she couldn’t be elected dog catcher,” when speaking about US Senate Candidate Christine O’Donnell. Tom Ross fails to represent the will of the rank and file republicans in Delaware.”
The ensuing, debate was lively at times and passionate. There were those in the meeting that were in favor of the censure motion and those who felt it was ill-timed.
For my part, I felt the motion was too narrow in identifying Mr. Ross’ statements about Ms. O’Donnell. I felt that a motion to voice a vote of no confidence would have been more appropriate. To state that the rank and file GOP voters no longer feel confident that Mr. Ross understands, respects or is likely to represent the will of the Delaware GOP voters as Committee Chairman.
Much of the discussion was about whether or not the committee could vote on the resolution and whether or not they had a quorum. The discussion went back and forth and finally a vote was taken of the room. Of the over one hundred people in attendance I would say 95% were in favor of the censure motion.
I have to say that I don’t feel that much will come from the motion directly. But what it should do is to serve as notice to Mr. Ross and the state committee that they are short timers.
Some may see this as division among the GOP. I see it as a coming together of conservatives.
And in closing let me point out one thing that did happen, that gives me pause. Among the Tom Ross apologist in the room there was one woman who was very vocal. She was also taping the meeting with a digital camera. Let me say as an O’Donnell supporter who witnessed this tracker style of intimidation. A tactic used by the Castle campaign and the Coons campaign. A tactic reminiscent of “Big Brother”. I find it despicable, that this so-called Republican would use these strong-arm tactics against fellow members of the GOP. And while I know her name oh so well I won’t release it here, but I can guarantee that I will tell every Republican that I speak with, the type of tactics that those who support Tom Ross as State Committee Chairman are willing to use.
This is an intriguing development. But will any other regions follow? And while much noise is being made in the southern part of the state demanding Mr. Ross’ head, what I have yet to see is anyone stepping up to say they want the job.
Votes of No Confidence are nice and all, but who is willing to put their name on the ballot?
I’m practically a psychic, and my almost psychic powers tell me that woman’s video isn’t for anything but her own use, and you owe her an apology.
She was probably taping it because she may want to write about the meeting someday and she wants what she writes to be accurate because that’s the type of person she is. Ever think of that, Frank? Or do you just immediately jump to conspiracy theories?
This went further than a vote of no confidence. It was a direct repudiation of Tom Ross’ actions and leadership ability during the midterm elections. His behavior was reprehensible and we won’t tolerate it. He has lost the ability to lead our party and we will find new leadership.
The Sussex County Committee has taken the first step toward rebuilding an effective party to take back our state and our country.
When asked to briefly speak, I stated that it is necessary to remove Tom Ross from his position, to move forward and put together an effective team in Delaware to defeat the democrats in a general election. A large portion of the Sussex Committee agrees with me. It is my hope that the Republican Committee’s of both Kent and NCC, will soon follow.
We all have a lot of work to accomplish over the next 18 months if we desire to be successful as a party and as far as I’m concerned, the work starts now.
The GOP is dead in Delaware. Just wait until the Ds eliminate a few more R seats in the House and Senate through redistricting.
You all wanted Christine and you got her! She is the new state party, good luck with that.
Anon
I also know this woman that digitally taped the censure part of the meeting and I believe that Frank is correct in his assumption that she was merely using intimidation tactics to squelch the motion of censure. I know this woman and wonder why she is not a democrat. She doesn’t reflect the conservative values that I espouse.
I was not intimidated.
taping a meeting is an intimidation tactic? Call the gestapo!
You will Mike. There are plenty of people looking at the job. It is a thankless job. In the past it used to be paid. Terry Strine and Tom Ross refused any pay and worked out of dedication, but not everyone can afford that. We should restore at least part time pay to the position.
I really would be surprised if Mr. Ross wants to stay in the job. Maybe I am wrong, I would welcome an open field including Mr. Ross presenting ideas how to move forward.
I think it was healthy to vent after the election. Now let’s move forward. Tom Ross made some mistakes and some people called him on them. I think rightfully. Now let’s move on.
The man is not our enemy. The resolution was measured. It did not call for resignation or no confidence. I applaud that. There is no reason to do that when we have elections. As you said, it put everyone on notice that there was unhappiness. It was not a disruptive approach.
The state GOP is now run by Odonell, Phillips, Sam Wilson and Bodenwieser. This is gonna be fun to watch.
David
It was a measured response and not a personal attack. I was also prompted by people to censure Rom Sams but declined to do so. He had nothing to do with the debacle of the midterm elections. Tom Ross has done many good things. The time for change has come and we need new leadership to move forward and rebuild our party. We of Sussex County should lend a hand if asked to help our brothers and sisters in NCC rebuild their Representative Districts. Maybe a class on recruiting committeepersons. We have a team in Sussex that are retired professionals and would be glad to present a detailed class with literature for those interested.
As you know, it is the committeeperson that is at the grass roots of the party. They are the people that know the people in their district and man the polling places during the elections. They also know the candidates and can speak for them as greeters at the polling places. This has proven effective in Sussex County and Kent County. I am sure the Gop in Kent would also be willing to help.
Republicans who ridiculed and tacitly undermined O’Donnell may be Republicans, but they aren’t conservatives. And they certainly contributed to her defeat. The quandary is that Sussex is a conservative enclave in a very liberal state. Hence, Republican pragmatists in Sussex will abandon ideology in favor of electability, in statewide races. Thus, there will always be tension between the conservative Sussex faction, and the statewide GOP.
There are certain states where the population centers politically overwhelm the more rural areas, and Delaware is one of them. Therefore, the choice for conservatives is either to acquiesce to the NCC majority and support ‘moderates’ (who ran the national GOP into the ground), or, continue to remain steadfast to the cause of conservatism, and endorse conservative candidates.
I prefer the latter course. Of course, this will require a major ‘re-education’ program in NCC. There is no logical reason for those people to have utterly abandoned the two-party system. Thus, it must be an ‘education’ problem- there is no other rational explaination. The private sector can address this situation by introducing conservative talk-radio to Wilmington; and the Republican Party must organize a voter primer that clearly articulates the basic fundamental reasons why extreme liberalism, and thus, the Socialist-Democrat Party, threatens our traditional way of life and our children’s future, and why a return to conservatism is essential as a means to limited government, liberty and opportunity- as our Founders intended.
I don’t have all the answers; I may not have any of the answers. But I do know that quitting is no answer at all.
Lost in all of this is Glen Urquhart, who:
Ran a GREAT campaign with significant financial resources;
Ran as a 100% Conservative;
Ran with unqualified Republican support after the primary;
And unfortunately still lost. Big time.
Are we blaming that on Tom Ross and the party as well, or are we admitting that 100% conservative candidates can’t win in today’s Delaware even if they run superb, well-funded campaigns?
The truth is there if you’re willing to find it.
By the way, I heard Glen was the voice of reason amid the cacophony of Crazy Eileens last night. Well done, Glen.
Republicans who ridiculed and tacitly undermined O’Donnell may be Republicans, but they aren’t conservatives.
“You can teach a parrot to say “tax cuts” but that doesn’t make the parrot a conservative. ” — Tom Ross
For the benefit of Sussex Republicans, let me explain – O’Donnell is the parrot.
Rick, youre premise is wrong. Delaware is not “a very liberal state”. It’s a very uninformed state and there are quite a few people living the entitlement mentality. It’s a very union controlled state. These are all things that can be fixed, changed, altered but it’s going to take a message that is more than just “Be a Republican because…you shouldn’t be a Democrat.”
Say what you want about the losses in the state and say what you want about Christine and Glen losing but if you look at the debates that stayed on the issues (it’s difficult to do that but go back and look) the ball was shifted to the right. Carney and Coons, wether you believe them or not, ran on altering Obamacare (including removing mandates and reducing the IRS’ role in enforcement), extending the Bush tax cuts (at least for some people) and individual freedoms. The window in the state shifted farther right this year than ever before.
The down ticket losses were the D’s flexing their muscles and you know what, that is fine, things will be hard for the next couple years as the D’s drive THIS truck into another ditch (what’s good for Obama is good for me too). The people will awaken but we needed to begin the process.
I heard Rich Abbott was there, and I have to wonder why. When he ran in 2008 for the 6th Senate District seat against John Clatworthy and Michael Flemming he did not endorse John Clatworthy after the primary because Abbott ran as a pro choice moderate and Clatworthy ran as a pro life conservative. Flemming endorsed Clatworthy, Abbott did not. Abbott also did not endorse O’Donnell in 2008 or 2010. Looks like he’s trying to pander to Sussex County for a future statewide run.
Rick, youre premise is wrong. Delaware is not “a very liberal state”. It’s a very uninformed state and there are quite a few people living the entitlement mentality. It’s a very union controlled state. These are all things that can be fixed, changed, altered but it’s going to take a message that is more than just “Be a Republican because…you shouldn’t be a Democrat.”
Obviously, you didn’t read my post.
Rick forgot to mention that NCC is “stuck on stupid.”
There ya go, buddy!
Rick forgot to mention that NCC is “stuck on stupid.”
If we’re so stupid how come we’re so rich?
http://www.wilm.com/pages/programs.html
I don’t know how you can get anymore conservative than Rush and Hannity on a Clear Channel station.
alpha writes in #13: ““You can teach a parrot to say “tax cuts” but that doesn’t make the parrot a conservative. ” — Tom Ross
For the benefit of Sussex Republicans, let me explain – O’Donnell is the parrot.”
I think that alpha is connecting the dots and saying that is what Tom Ross was arguing. I don’t think that it is alpha’s opinion, but alpha is making it clear whom Tom Ross was talking about.
Imagine this happened in some other year, with completely different candidates. Although we all got very involved this year, a Presidential year is actually far more important.
So let’s say in 2012, Christine O’Donnell gets elected to be the Chairman of the Delaware Republican party.
Would you want the Chairman of the party to run around taking sides in primary contests?
Why is it appropriate for the party apparatus to tell the Republican voters whom they MUST choose as their candidate?
Why would we accept ANY party chairman in ANY year involving ANY candidate to launch attacks like Tom Ross and his people did?
NOW, let it be said that Tom Ross DID come out and campaign for Glen and indirectly Christine after the primary. He showed up at the “FIRE PELOSI” bus tour at the Brandywine HQ with Glen Urquhart the Thursday before the election, reportedly straight out of the hospital.
However, the attacks on Christine before the primary were irresistible magnets to the national news media. If you push a boulder rolling down hill, and then change your mind, the boulder is still rolling down hill. We can talk about the national media firestorm. But it got started because of these juicy, astonishing comments from the Party Chairman Tom Ross.
If there is any story that journalists love it is Republicans attacking each other.
And a candidate as accomplished as Mike Castle could not run his own campaign? Why would Castle “need” the party apparatus to also take sides? Castle after 40 years could not put together his own campaign and make his own arguments about his own candidacy? Why would Castle need the GOP apparatus to break its neutrality and take sides?
Now, maybe Castle no more wanted Tom Ross’s outspoken comments than Christine wanted those morons going out and attacking Castle with allegations of sexuality. All campaigns run the risk of unauthorized and unasked for activity that people will assume the candidate wanted. Maybe Castle never wanted the party to put on a jersey and play on the football field with the campaigns.
But what is the purpose of having ANY party chairman EVER in ANY year involving ANY candidates taking sides in the campaign?
Rick, WDOV even adds Beck to the list.
http://www.wdov.com/pages/programs.html
I think the fact that they (NCCountians) are educated is exactly why they reject social conservatism.
MEATBALL points out that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity can be heard in NCC. I share Rick’s concerns that the news media blackout of conservatives played a role.
I am old and wrinkled enough to remember Washington DC *BEFORE* the Washington Times, Fox News, and most of the talk radio we have today. There was a dominant liberal news monopoly, and a news blackout against conservative ideas, activities, and candidates.
It appeared to me that Delaware is still there. Christine’s PR guy Doug (I like him a lot, but I won’t risk mis-spelling his last name), told me that it did not do much good for Christine’s campaign to put out any press statements or information… THEY WERE SIMPLY IGNORED by the Delaware news media. He said it was pointless to distribute Christine’s side of the issues or arguments, because there was an effective news blackout — MY WORDS — within Delaware’s news media.
The example he gave was of Christine’s proposal to give flexibility to veterans in health care.
Christine announced on national television on Greta Van Sustren her proposal to give FLEXIBILITY to veterans who are GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTANT from major VA hospitals or medical facilities. Christine’s proposal is out there for all to see on national television and on the internet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT7cdh2lw78&feature=player_embedded
On national TV, Christine (a) PRAISED the quality of the VA hospitals and facilities, (b) indicated that she was responding to concerns by veterans, (d) emphasized her strong support for veterans, many of whom were in her campaign, and (d) proposed to give flexibility to veterans FOR WHOM TRAVEL is a problem to be able to get ROUTINE CHECKUPS (ONLY) near to them.
Chris Coons then accused Christine O’Donnell of wanting to cut veterans’ health care and not caring about veterans.
That is a damnable lie — and worse, one easy to detect as a lie.
Christine said on national television that the idea CAME FROM veterans she was talking to. How could she not care about veterans, when it was THEIR idea?
So, Doug S. (spelling?) told me at a campaign rally that he sent a response to the Delaware News Journal Political Action Committee.
The New Journal PAC printed the lies by Chris Coons. THEY DID NOT PRINT the denial and counter-argument by Christine O’Donnell. Or, more specifically, they picked out the least relevant sentence from Christine’s response, and printed only a NON-relevant sentence. This left the impression that Christine was not denying the accusation.
So what we have is that the news media in Delaware is still a 1970′s style news blackout of conservatives, conservative ideas, and conservative activities.
David Anderson writes in #8: “I really would be surprised if Mr. Ross wants to stay in the job.”
If anyone has a copy of Tom Ross’ resume, we could send it to MSNBC. Ross might be able to get a job as a commentator on MSNBC.
(Again: It does appear that at the very last minute, Tom Ross did come out and campaign for Glen with Michael Steele, at an event where Christine was originally billed to be present It was announced that Ross came from the hospital to be there. Christine held her own event in Dover with Michael Steele, but everyone was expecting her to be there where Tom Ross attended.)
If you push a boulder rolling down hill, and then change your mind, the boulder is still rolling down hill. We can talk about the national media firestorm. But it got started because of these juicy, astonishing comments from the Party Chairman Tom Ross.
Ross was doing his job to halt the trainwreck he knew was coming. But the teabagz kept throwing more coal in the firebox.
Anon, re: Glen. As a friend of Christine, I personally (with my former boss John K.) spent an enrmous amount of time and energy trying to help Glen. I figured that a little bit of attention for Glen could go a long way, relatively speaking, compared with Christine’s overwhelmed campaign (too busy to absorb any outside help). (Although I was not a part of Christine’s 2010 campaign, I was getting phone calls from all around the country from people ASSUMING that I could get a message through when the phones were still being installed at Christine’s new HQ. I got dragged back in by people calling me out of the blue.)
My boss John K. drove all over Southern Richmond to catch up with important people and bend their ear for Glen, including a former Senator who is a personal friend of Glen’s. I banged on every door I could to get Glen on Sean Hannity, etc.
I personally know that Christine’s own campaign was 100% in agreement with helping Glen get attention on the national news shows, but with only 6 weeks to throw together a general election strategy I know they could not do everything they wished to do. (Note: I am not saying I had any actual connection with the campaign. I did not. I was not part of the 2010 campaign. But I do know personally that in terms of body language and verbal response, the idea of Christine’s people helping Glen was met with a positive reaction, body language, and hearty agreement when suggested.)
My boss met with all the top players in Washington DC and kept banging the drum to help Glen, including as a way to win both House and Senate seats. We were unsuccessful in getting anyone to pay attention.
Christine’s overwhelmed campaign (too busy to absorb any outside help).
Is that what they told you, Jon? Oh my.
alpha wrote in post #24: “Ross was doing his job to halt the trainwreck he knew was coming. But the teabagz kept throwing more coal in the firebox.”
That is exactly the issue: It is *NOT* Tom Ross job to take sides among the primary candidates.
Apparently it needs to be debated what the role of the Party is. And if that is a matter of divergent views, then it is a debate that should take place.
But I don’t see how anyone can defend the idea of the Party taking sides between the candidates. All the more so, because you are suggesting that Mike Castle, a 40 year veteran, could not run his own campaign? Castle needed an unfair advantage by having the party take sides? Castle did not have the ability to make his own case, put forward his own qualifications, and let the voters decide?
Those angry at Tom Ross (as a symbol for an entire faction) categorically reject your suggestion that taking sides between candidates is part of the party’s job.
Many of us believe that there is no purpose of the GOP other than to *WAIT* until the Republican voters have chosen a candidate and *THEN* help elect whomever the Republican voters chose.
alpha wrote in post #24: “Ross was doing his job to halt the trainwreck he knew was coming. But the teabagz kept throwing more coal in the firebox.”
FURTHER, Tom Ross *CREATED* the train wreck, by inviting national news attention to the extraordinary fight going on. Journalists love nothing better than a story about Republicans attacking each other.
Christine O’Donnell was the official nominee of the GOP for US Senate in 2008. There was no train wreck in 2008. The ballot included country-club moderate (but foreign policy hawk) John McCain (who made his career bashing conservatives), and Judge Bill Lee for Governor. Christine did not create any problem on the 2008 ballot, with the Presidency and the Governor’s mansion at stake.
The trainwreck *WAS* Tom Ross. It was the extraordinary bomb-throwing within the party that attracted national news attention. With blood already in the water, the news media needed to feed the addiction, and kept attacking Christine even after Tom Ross (using his name as a symbol for an entire faction) stopped.
Mike Castle was 71 flipping years old. Congratulations on a wonderful, distinguished career. He could have simply gone on a tour of the world’ golf courses (if he golfs), giving speeches for honorariums and end a distinguished career with honor. What’s the problem? Retiring at 71 years old after 40 years in office, with a fat Congressional pension, is a personal injury to Castle? MAY I BE SO LUCKY! GEEZ! What spoiled children
alpha asked in #26: “Christine’s overwhelmed campaign (too busy to absorb any outside help). Is that what they told you, Jon? Oh my.”
No, as I already wrote, people were calling me from all around the country, unable to get through to her campaign. I was minding my own business, getting phone calls from big players trying to talk to the campaign, without success.
I posted a statement debunking lies about Christine’s 2008 campaign, and all good press releases including a contact phone number. SO then suddenly I started getting phone calls from people who saw my press statement.
can we keep this conversation about what happened at the meeting?
Don, here’s a great quote from you:
“I also know this woman that digitally taped the censure part of the meeting. . . I know this woman and wonder why she is not a democrat. She doesn’t reflect the conservative values that I espouse.”
So, if someone doesn’t “reflect” YOUR “conservative values” then what, that person can’t be a Republican? So much for openmindedness and the big tent.
Some important points are being missed here, I think.
First, the notion that Tom Ross should have remained neutral during the primary ignores an important point about the way our politics works. Delegates endorsed Mike Castle at our convention and from that point on, the party leaderships job was to support him. While we may quibble over language used by Mr.Ross, we cannot argue with him supporting Mike Castle. That was his job.
Second, the comparisons of Christine O’Donnell’s culpability and responsiblity for the 2008 results and the 2010 results are two very different things. In 2008, she was the third line on the ballot, below Sen. McCain and Judge Lee. With Biden accompanying Obama on the top line, 2008 was a lost cause for our state. This year was very different. O’Donnell was our standard bearer and responsiblity for unifying the party rests completely with her. Not Tom Ross. She is the top of the ballot. She is the leader. She failed to do so with catastrophic consequences.
Third, many Republicans will rightfully continue to wistfully wish that Mike Castle was at the top of our ticket instead. If he was, Democrats would have written Delaware off as a lost cause. They would have not have spent money desperately needed elsewhere to bring a platoon of professionals to Delaware and bus battallions of foot soldiers here to fire up the ground game. They were so foucused on beating O’Donnell that they made more than 80,000 phone calls, knocked on 45,000 doors and swamped us with a ground effort that we could not match. If Castle were our nominee, that would not have happened. Castle would be headed for the Senate today, Urquhart gets a much more level playing field, Colin Bonini is Treasurer Elect and we probably pick up about four or five state House seats instead of losing two.
If the Sussex GOP wants so badly to censure Tom Ross for the comments he made, so be it. They are certainly within their rights to do so. But the efforts to keep Christine O’Donnell’s image clean and pure are nothing short of self deception. It’s time to take a hard look at who she is, the results she produced and the carnage she has left behind. If we don’t do so in an honest way, come Thanksgiving 2012, we’re just going to be having the same conversation again, trying to rationalize why O’Donnell lost to Carper this time.
And while we’re at it, please review the following analysis, which pretty convincingly demonstrates that O’Donnell was never going to win in Delaware:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/could-christine-odonnell-have.html
Christine was too much of a social conservative to do well in New Castle County. Meanwhile, Colin Bonini, running strictly as a fiscal conservative nearly won (losing by only 6,000 votes as compared to O’Donnell losing by 51,000) votes.
And it wasn’t Tom Ross’s comments that sunk Christine’s candidacy (although I understand why some don’t appreciate them). Consider whether you would consider voting for someone with the following issues:
a) hadn’t held a steady job in years
b) fired by a conservative think tank and then sued the think tank for $6.5 million and then voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit
c) lied on her resume about her college degree, claiming to have taken all the classes but not receiving it for lack of payment (that doesn’t, of course, justify listing it on one’s resume), but then ultimately conceding that she had to take a course in the summer of 2010 to complete requirements for the degree
d) had a mortgage foreclosure action filed against her for failure to pay her mortgage
e) initially claimed the bank made a mistake; later claimed that she fell behind because she was working for a client who couldn’t pay her and so couldn’t afford the payments
f) had an IRS lien filed against her
g) had numerous bizarre statements attributed to her concerning cloned mice with human brains, anti-masturbation, and, “I’m not a witch”
h) had no substantive professional accomplishments of any stature
i) had failed to pay past campaign workers while paying her own campaign expenses
From a purely objective basis, anybody would look at the foregoing list and say that person is not electable. Of course, if you’re a diehard O’Donnell supporter, you’ll claim to the contrary, but the average voter is going to say “are you kidding me?” And that’s what they did–O’Donnell got crushed.
By the way, doesn’t it bother more folks that nothing is Christine’s fault? I mean she takes no responsibility for anything. It was the bank’s fault. It was the IRS’s fault. It was the State Party’s fault. It was her former campaign worker’s fault. Whose fault was it when she threatened to sue WDEL I wonder?
I believe that a message of fiscal conservatism with the right candidate of stature and accomplishment could succeed in this state. Colin Bonini nearly did, and I think if O’Donnell had not been at the top of the ticker, he would have. The challenge Republicans face leading up to 2012 is to find candidates with broad enough appeal to succeed downstate and upstate. O’Donnell ain’t it. She’s lost 2 statewide elections in a row. Futility (or is it stupidity) is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Should O’Donnell run again in 2012 she will lose yet again and the party will end up in an even bigger hole.
UniterNotDivider: best post here!
Not really. It is a load of crap.
As for the unelectable nonsense, can I say Karen Weldin Stewart? Every criticism “uniter” gave of Christine, I can multiply and add real corruption, scandal, and fraud. That is a office that actually manages something. I could say Chip Flowers who had numerous accusations of abusing girl friends including sworn statements. I could talk about Tom Gordon, or Paul Clark. Please don’t give me that there is such a high standard in Delaware. Should I add Brad Bennett to the mix? Kent Sheriff Jim Higdon lost big because Republicans couldn’t get excited, but Democrats will rally behind the same problems, but worse.
If a Republican has any issue, it is terrible. A Democrat can put people’s life in danger, abuse people, be corrupt, and committ fraud and it doesn’t matter. I get it, but I don’t have to pretend it is some profound statement.
I personally love the consistency of some of the most vocal people.
1. Transparency.
The people who really rail against the Delaware Republican party for back-room deals and lack of transparency are the ones that don’t want their statements in a public meeting taped. Apparently, being tied to their own comments is harrassment and meant to keep them from expressing their opinions. Why is this not true of their own efforts to get upstate republicans on record saying things? Why are the standards different depending on who you are?
2. Supporting Candidates
I’ve heard some interesting comments made about Castle because he didn’t enthusiastically support COD after the primary. After all, they claim, she won the primary, he should have gotten on board. How can these same people then support COD, who ran a write-in campaign previously. Shouldn’t she have gotten on board behind that primary candidate? Or does that standard only apply if you like someone’s beliefs?
Is it not a fact that Mike Castle sabotaged the party? Did she ever attack the Republican candidate in 2006? Let’s put it bluntly, she had a chance to win, Jan was losing by 40 points with little money.
Almost all of us had pledged to support Mike Castle if he won, publicly. All criticism was based upon issues and calculated not to cripple him if he happened to win the general election. Obviously loyalty was a one way street with him. He deserves the criticism he gets.
As for the taping, people made sure to state their name and town for the camera. There was no fear. I was not a part of the meeting. I only observed, but I must correct that mischaracterization. I am going to meetings all across the state to get a pulse of my fellow Republicans. I have no issue with the fact that people wanted to be heard. They were heard. Let’s move on. Get your feelings out now but I would say don’t something that will be a permanent barrier.
Everyone will work together in a month. Christmas Parties are coming. It will be time for good cheer and new direction.
The censure motion is beyond silly, it is stupid.
I would have been suprised if Tom Ross had run for another term as Party Chair… but nobody likes to be pushed. He may run just to show the kooks he isn’t intimidated.
If you really think a couple of soundbites from Tom Ross caused Odonnell to loose by 18%… then the answer is to keep this amazing weapon on our side and point it at the Dems. A few cranky words from WMD Ross and we will win back the gov’s mansion, leg hall and all the row offices.
You can’t beat somebody with nobody. Rather than throw a hissyfit, Don and Frank should have been looking for a strong candidate for Party Chair… someone who knows how to win friends and influence people.
naaaa it’s more fun to call names and throw a tantrum.
“Did she ever attack the Republican candidate in 2006?”
Are you joking? You must be joking.
And I think Michael Borgia should be the next party chairman. His is a necessary voice, not capitulating to either side, but not pulling punches either.
Michael
We’re not worried about Christine O’Donnell’s image. The election is over. We would like the GOP Chair to fully endorse and Fully Support the ELECTED CHOICE of the people for any position. We would like leader that would embrace all factions of the party
Anon, you know the answer is that she didn’t. Now let’s get back to the facts, Mike Castle considers it a negative to talk about his record. I consider it a negative that he voted the way he did. Either way, he was the one in control.
When Mr. Castle cosponsored the Disclose Act, he put the final nail in the coffin. He was going to manage a narrow victory until then. He offended social conservatives for decades. He offended economic conservatives with cap and trade and his votes for huge deficits and out of control spending. He offended civil libertarian and Constitutionalists with the Disclose Act. We are better off with him not be a negative pull in the GOP caucus. He would have hurt the party nationally and hurt his chances by sounding an uncertain trumpet and undermining it.
Please put forward a name then. Someone acceptable to Sussex Rs who is equally capable of gladhanding at fancy dinners in Greenville.
“Anon, you know the answer is that she didn’t.”
She ran a write-in campaign! How is that not attacking the candidate? Are you serious?
I could give you a name, but I am not even taking Tom Ross off the table. I am being open minded to see who has learned lessons. I don’t want to get into names yet. Let me talk with everyone including Tom Ross before getting behind a person. There are some really good people looking at the position. All of them deserve to be heard.
[...] Frank Knotts says “Some may see this as division among the GOP. I see it as a coming together of conservatives.” Maria Evans, whom Frank Knotts accused of “Big Brother tactics” claims that after Christine O’Donnell won the primary, Tom Ross’s rhetoric stopped. Maria Evans recorded the meeting in question and has yet to publish that recording (although she may now as people are personally requesting her to do so). [...]
Wow now we are accusing some perfectly honorable folks of using intimidation tactics simply by recording a meeting????
Where is the courage of conviction within the Conservative Movement? I welcome anyone to record anything I say at a Republican Regional meeting. It will be the same thing I say anyplace else.
There was nothing said that would be problematic. No one made a motion to move into committee of the whole and request recording cease or anything of the sort. I don’t think it was a big deal.
Maria started it by waving it the recording device around saying you are all being recorded it is my right and scooping the room. Whether she met it or not, I was offended at the attitude and I had no role in the meeting nor investment in the outcome. I could imagine if I were. In this day and age we all act like we are recorded anyway.
If the party is going to come together, I don’t think Tom Ross can continue as chairman once his term expires, NOR, however, do I think Christine O’Donnell can be a candidate.
David, as to all your examples about Karen Weldin Stewart and other democrats having questionable issues but still winning, that just goes to prove my point. There are substantially more democrats than republicans in this state. Even when independents flock to the republican candidate, the sheer numbers can keep a questionable democrat viable or electable. Witness, in part, Flowers over Bonini. However, when a republican has issues, you’re driving independents to the democratic side and you get a blowout like you did with O’Donnell.
O’Donnell may be right on many of the issues, but it takes more than being right on the issues to win (if that was all it took, there’d be many fine candidates who post on this blog). Voters want to know that the person they’re voting for has substance and accomplishments, at least when they’re voting at the U.S.Senate level (they be a little less concerned with local races). Peggy Noonan said it best on Saturday in the WSJ and I invite you all to read it:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/11/05/americans_vote_for_maturity_245294.html
I was not intimidated by Maria Evans and she had every right under the First Amendment to voice her opinion. People did Booooo her down and I don’t agree but the crowd was passionate without being too disrespectful. She has every right to record and publish that recording. I don’t believe that she felt her rights were being violated.
Could someone tell me when the next meeting is as I missed this one! After reading all of this I am sorry I did!
I am also one to believe that there are many more true conservatives in NCC than the polls reflect. It’s going to take education by groups like C Rodney Inst and Del Family Policy Council. We were shocked at how many NCC residents looked at the DFPC voter scorecard and said “I had no idea my chosen candidate supported this or that issue.” Many of those same people told us that the info changed their mind. It will take social and fiscal conservative groups working together, but it will also take a fully functioning GOP state party that has a dynamic leader who can attract good candidates and bring all sides together to support those candidates.
I supported Odonnell but I do believe she was not the right kind of leader to unite the party. The major accomplishment of her candidacy was the ouster of Mike “the cancer” Castle and the shake up of party establishment. Now that the chemotherapy has worked it’s time to rebuild and repair under new leadership.
Chris
Your comment is right on target. We have brought the GOP to the reality that election politics is a bloodsport and real warfare. What we need in the position of state chairman is a hard-charger and someone to rebuild the norther regions into a real fighting cohesive unit that can get good candidates elected.
See my recent post on:
http://www.redstate.com/delawarewindjammer/2010/11/09/delaware-gop-chairman-tom-ross-censured/
David Anderson wrote in #38: “Is it not a fact that Mike Castle sabotaged the party? Did she ever attack the Republican candidate in 2006? Let’s put it bluntly, she had a chance to win, Jan was losing by 40 points with little money.”
I am not yet at liberty to share the whole story of 2006, which is a shame. I have urged that the story be told.
Your comment “Jan was losing by 40 points with little money.” is close to the mark.
If we’re so stupid how come we’re so rich? alpha
Hey, that makes Limbaugh a genius. Glad you see the light.
…they (NCCountians) are educated is exactly why they reject social conservatism.…meatball
Yeah, I’ve seem them hanging around the park in front of the Hotel DuPont; too bad about the murder rate.
I don’t know how you can get anymore conservative than Rush and Hannity…meatball
Try calling them- you’ll never get through. You need participation- local talk-radio, like WGMD, where you can stir debate among the ossified, listless NCC population.
“I am not yet at liberty to share the whole story of 2006, which is a shame. I have urged that the story be told.”
Good. Because you have still not answered the question as to why she deserved a lick of support from anyone after her destructive vanity run in 2006. And until you do, your entire premise goes in the garbage.
Okay, let me set this straight. First of all, I think that we must make a change in leadership at this point. Not because Christine O’Donnell lost, but because the current leadership has lost the confidence of a large number of the rank and file. In my opinion this need for change has less to do with Christine O’Donnell then it does with building confidence within the party.
Now to adress this taping issue. First let me revue the paragraph in the original post:
“And in closing let me point out one thing that did happen, that gives me pause. Among the Tom Ross apologist in the room there was one woman who was very vocal. She was also taping the meeting with a digital camera. Let me say as an O’Donnell supporter who witnessed this tracker style of intimidation. A tactic used by the Castle campaign and the Coons campaign. A tactic reminiscent of “Big Brother”. I find it despicable, that this so-called Republican would use these strong-arm tactics against fellow members of the GOP. And while I know her name oh so well I won’t release it here, but I can guarantee that I will tell every Republican that I speak with, the type of tactics that those who support Tom Ross as State Committee Chairman are willing to use.”
Please will someone point to the line where I said I was intimidated. Anyone who really knows me, knows that it will take more than a woman with a camera to intimidate me. I speak freely on this blog under my own name, more than some can claim, I call local talk radio regularly and I have confronted elected officials face to face when I feel they have misstepped. I was pointing out that this woman was using the same type of tracker tactics that both the Castle and Coons campaigns had used. I do believe that she had hoped to intimidate some of the committee members, or at the very least to make a recorded list of those who would dare to speak out against GOP leadership. If that was her intention then she was disapointed.
The real story here is that the rank and file voters have lost confidence in the GOP leadership. Now we must find a way to move forward. We must decide what our goals are and who best to lead the GOP machine to achieve those goals. To continue to focus on the losses and to play the blame game is not productive.
We lost because we didn’t work hard enough. Tom Ross didn’t work hard enough. And I didn’t work hard enough. Don didn’t work hard enough. Ron Sams didn’t work hard enough. Some volunteer in New Castle County didn’t work hard enough. The candidates who lost didn’t work hard enough. If we want to move this state back to the right, then we must all recognize that we must redouble our efforts. It will take a united effort. It will take hard work and new ideas on how to run campaigns. It will take more people coming to meetings and voicing their opinions, opinions that may not be agreed with by all in attendence, but that must be allowed to be heard. It is when politics becomes personal that we cease to think clearly. We must clear our minds of actual or percieved offences and move forward as the Grand Old Party that we once were and that we can once again be.
:::popcorn:::
The lady in question has been taping the meetings for 5 years to keep accurate records of the proceedings and has made it clear to me that she had no desire to intimidate anyone.
Congratutlations on a story going national Frank. We have been getting numerous media calls. of course, I have no comment. I shall see what Don said, but I missed WBOC tonight because I was visiting at the hospital before a unity meeting. The lady in question refuses to release the video which confirms her intentions where personal not to allow it to be edited.
David, I have known the woman in question for sometime now also. I will not call anyone a liar, but if her intentions are to keep an accurate record, well she might want to show up to a few more meetings. Also I have stood and sat directly next to her at some of the few she has attended in the recent past, I have never seen her recording in the past. I have had many discussions with her about the direction of the party, both as a private citizen and when she had a more public image. I don’t have any problem with her personally. I don’t even care really about the taping other than I feel it might have a dampening effect on some who attend the meetings. And again I admit my feelings are also based on the way that taping and tracking was used by the Castle and Coons campaigns. As for myself, I would happily record a message for Mr. Ross. I have sent him e-mails in the past that were not responded to stating that I would never finacially support the GOP as long as they put forth candidates such as Mike Castle, I will now extend that to include as long as Tom Ross is state Chairman.
As I said in my last comment, the real story is not the recording though some will likely want to make it about that. The real story is that the Delaware GOP rank and file in large part have lost confidence in party leadrship. The real story is how will we move forward?
The GOP is done. The money is gone. We are now Maryland. Sussex may do ok county wide and knocking off Nancy Cook was nice but Brad Bennett survived and 53,000 more D’s voted and 21,000 less Rs then in 06 because of Christine. Our brand is ruined for at least 2 cycle’s because of her. Tom Ayotte’ sophomoric PUBLICITY stunt further show’s the public the GOP is just nuts. I sat there and asked myself have we really descended into blatantly ignoring the party’s own rules? Her being on the ticket cost us the house and when Chris Weeks and Greg Hastings are in the same district and Joe Booth has lost Georgetown; look out for that means 10 years of nothing in Dover. One statewide office, no legislative majorities, no stopping tax hikes, etc. In 12 when she runs for USS against Beau, because Carper is quitting, she’ll get 32% and ALL GOP challenger’s will lose which is why no one wants to run for any office. If she had any sense of GOP loyalty she’d ask her pal Hannity to do a money bomb for DE GOP candidate’s to raise money for a 12 Victory Fund to attract candidate’s but she wont -because -they won’t do it again.
She’s like Jay and Daisy Buchanan from the Great Gatsby: they come into other people’s lives and disrupt and ruin everything and then leave. 4 treasurer’s in 7 weeks this past cycle alone says it all. The RNC backed Angle but ignored her says it all squared. The DE GOP has become a regional party in Sussex which does ok in county elections, but statewide we’re finished. John Daniello drinks at Harry’s Savoy and yesterday was quoted as saying, “we’ve got you now my pretty”.
He’s right.
We have no bench or farm team and even less donor’s.
We’re just like Maryland.
I agree with Frank that O’Donnell is not the issue here. She lost and the election is over. If we didn’t censure him, we would never be able to field a conservative candidate to run for federal office for fear that his or her own party Chairman would denigrate them and hurt their chances of winning.
We will start now to rebuild the party that can win at the Federal level. The whole idea is that we need more aggressive leadership at the top to help train the committee people in the election skills they need to communicate with their constituents in their Elective Districts. As a GOP Chairman, we need a hard-charger, a person that will not make excuses for losing or denigrate lawfully elected candidates.
Nativebluehen
May I ask what you did to help people get elected. If you are going to comment about the failure of election instead of party building then you must actively take part in helping republicans get elected.
“Tom Ayotte’ sophomoric PUBLICITY stunt further show’s the public the GOP is just nuts. I sat there and asked myself have we really descended into blatantly ignoring the party’s own rules?”
This was a well thought out resolution that was debated beforehand by a committee of 17 people, most of them committeepersons. We considered this a measured response. The meeting was out of order because Sussex Chairman Ron Sams did not intend that this resolution to ever be brought to the floor. We the committee of Sussex simply demanded our right to be heard.
We cannot allow the State Chairman to denigrate our lawfully elected conservative candidates simply because he doesn’t, “like them.” We would lose the ability to field good candidates for fear of attack by their own party.
By the way, my name is Don Ayotte not Tom Ayotte
“If we didn’t censure him, we would never be able to field a conservative candidate to run for federal office for fear that his or her own party Chairman would denigrate them and hurt their chances of winning.”
You people continue to prove yourselves to be 100% out of your mind. Ray Clatworthy. Jane Brady. Bill Roth. All conservatives who ran for federal office with full-throated party support INCLUDING from Mike Castle. (All, conveniently, were candidates who met the threshold of competence.)
The problem was not that the candidate said conservative things. The problem was that she was an AWFUL candidate.
And where is the blame to be laid at the feet of Terry Strine and Vance Phillips in all of this? Are you claiming that somehow the party atrophied over the last two years alone?
Concerning anon in #58, the part you missed was this:
“Jan was losing by 40 points with little money.” is close to the mark.
Thats’ the only clue you’re going to get. Christine’s 2006 campaign was not a vanity run. I have urged that the whole story be told, and I hope it will be.
What have done?
Gave 8 candidates 600.00. Put up dozen’s of 4 x 8 signs. Spent hundreds of dollars in gas with my truck. Had my kids wear tees shirts to school. I could go on but instead my wife, in-law, parents and neighbors vote for Coons because she has zero credibility.
We are the ONLY state in the nation to lose legislative seats.
At the polls my guys heard from voter’s that they can’t support them because of her.
However this is pointless because my time, talents and treasures are gone, because as long as she is around we are casting our pearls before swine when it comes to winning elections.
NATIVEBLUEHEN: What cost you those elections was the Republican Party attacking itself and giving irressitible juicy quotes attracting the attention of the national news media.
First, your 2006 candidate Jan Ting bombed. So the party backed nominee has no record of success. Blaming O’Donnell when the insider’s candidates don’t win is laughable.
Jan Ting got 29% of the vote in 2006. Carper got 70%.
GOT THAT? Christine O’Donnell did VASTLY BETTER than the party-backed Jan Ting in 2006. Christine lost 57% to 40%. The party’s favorite candidate in 2006 lost 70% to 29%.
If the issue of Tom Ross and party leadership is the question, can we look at their record of picking the candidates? Jan Ting’s loss of 70% to 29% does not show a record of achievement.
(Now does Jan Ting have a right to run? Sure. Jan Ting could even run again if he wanted. Abraham Lincoln ran many times before he finally won. But the questions iw whether the insiders have a record of great success in picking candidates adn demanding that eveyrone else fall in line with their choices?)
Second, when Christine was the nominee in 2008, she was perfectly acceptable and did not attract controversy. No one outside of Delaware paid any attention to Christine O’Donnell as the candidate in 2008. The Presidency and the Governor’s mansion were also on the ballot in 2008. It was a far more important race than 2010.
Third, it was only the GOP insider’s spoiled-brat, “my way or the highway” attitude decided to burn the house down that the race became controversial and attracted a nationwide frestorm.
The extraordinary, colorful, irresistible attacks from Tom Ross and the insiders were like manure to flies, attracting journalists and muck-rakers into a national firestorm.
What changed from 2008 to 2010? Tom Ross and Mike Castle’s bomb-throwers. Christine O’Donnell was the same in both races.
nativebluehen said in #68: “We are the ONLY state in the nation to lose legislative seats.”
You are the only state in the nation where the party chairman so viciously and publicly took sides in a primary and attacked the eventual nominee. In no other State did the GOP insiders invite a national firestorm with juicy, irresistible, extraordinary attacks.
The news media loves to cover Republicans attacking each other. Although we are using Tom Ross as a figurehead for an entire faction, if Tom Ross sets the house on fire, don’t be surprised if the neighborhood goes up in flames.
In no other State did we see the kind of behavior that we saw from Delaware’s Republican insiders.
“What cost you those elections was the Republican Party attacking itself and giving irressitible juicy quotes attracting the attention of the national news media.”
You are simply wrong. Christine failed to prove that she had any competence. The anecdotal evidence, exit polling and the vote totals bear that out.
And the national media feast was more on her statements on Bill Maher, her STUPID witch ad, her failure to understand the Constitution, her insane statements about people hiding in her bushes, her incessant lying, her accusing Dan Gaffney of being on Castle’s payroll, her inability to earn income, her failure to raise any money in Delaware, her inability to keep a treasurer, getting caught in a lie about the 2008 results, getting caught in a lie about her degree, the revelations by former staff, her current staff’s brutal attacks verbally on the opposition, her staff’s physical intimidation, her tossing the News Journal out of events, her claim that she was ignoring the national media in favor of the local media she shut out, the accusations of Castle having a gay affair.
Tom Ross was only a mere fraction of the coverage. I know that’s all you have to cling to, but come on, you’re embarrassing yourself.
“Thats’ the only clue you’re going to get.”
Ting’s quality as a candidate doesn’t matter. The only relevant point was that instead of helping, she ran against him in a primary. And when she lost, she didn’t endorse him or rally to his cause. She ran a vanity write-in campaign.
By expecting the party to rally to her cause in 2010, she proved herself to be a pure, unadulterated hypocrite.
You’re clueless. The “insider’s” are maybe 10 people most of whom are 80 and whose kids have so raided the trust fund that there’s no money left. There’s NO infrastructure, no hidden millions, no resources, etc. In 06 a candidate asked for the “list” of volunteer’s and the first 4 people were dead, and 6 of the next 10 in assisted living. HQ can’t produce what doesn’t exist. Why don’t you block your neighborhood? Mail each voter that hasn’t voted in the last elections a certified letter and have them stricken from the rolls if they no longer live there? Or visit with every little league coach looking for candidate’s? Or invite every hard R to a beef and beer at the Leipsic fire hall? I have a whole list of things you can do if you so like. These things take money and people both of which are in extremely short supply.
Primaries are passionate and comments get made, but when people at my parish tell me they can’t vote Republican because she discusses eating lunch on a satanic altar, means the entire ticket has no validity because she’s on top of it.
We’re finished and yet she’ll find a way yet to keep that money. I’m told her year end report will show 1 million dollar’s in it.
She’ll form a foundation and live quite well off of it. Notice the only national press she now gets is from comedy types. Rush and Sean now know they’ve been had. She told me once that Ann Coulter would do a fundraiser for her. Gee, that never happened either.
The person to fire right now is Rakestraw, she is the source of all evil in the GOP.
Let Ross stay till may, provide a decent interval with a good replacement in the works.
All of you know it alls, get up to NCC and help win the NCC Prez race or stay the whiners most of you are.
Nativebluehen
When you write, using a pseudonym, nobody knows who you are. Don’t get upset when someone inquires what you have done to help. Your certainly have a right to comment.
I applaud you for your contributions and talents to help our candidates.
But the party is not over because you want to give up. We need to catch up with the rest of the states on election politics and become better organized. Our people need time to heal and build the cohesiveness that will bring about the victories that we need in Delaware. In short, we have a lot of work to do.
Don’t give up, hop aboard, we can use people like you who take an active part.
I seen that woman at more meetings than I ever seen frank at, and she’s always recording the meetings I know because she leaves her recorder on the tables in the front and stands in the back she also does more work for candidates than anyones name I seen on this site.
Don — No offense, but since you’re asking, may I ask what you have done in the last five election cycles to earn the right to question others’ commitment?
I don’t think I’ve even heard your name before the beginning of this year.
The D’s win in part because anyone can be a D. Paul Clark calls me nonstop wanting me to help him. Yet there are those in the GOP whose self appointed principles won’t allow them to sully their hands working for someone who is pro-choice, etc. BTW: I’m pro-life but support a pro-choice R bcause with an R I get 80% of what i want. With a D I get 8%. This is why Castle got my vote because D women who are educated will never go for an R whose viewed as an “extreme” conservative. An R will never get 42-45% of the NCCO vote if they are viewed like that. Without that we never win statewide.
As for Tom Ross. A little known fact is after Primary Day the RNC money for GOTV/Mall/Radio vanished the next morning. I watched the staffer’s leave. The guy’s with the DC tags literally drove off. By that Friday ALL house candidates were getting ready to be on a conference call telling them there was no money for direct mail. I’m talking Bob Rhodunda to Chris Weeks. The candidate’s cell phones were lined up in the conference room. Tom left and called me 40 minutes later teling me to have the call put on hold. He had gotten in to see a lawyer for a rich person whose in his late eighties. The lawyer called his client and Tom got to make his plea. An LLC was set up and money for direct mail was now available.
All House challenger’s got 4 to 6 pieces of mail because of him. Can any of the critics do this?
NativeBlueCrybaby-
Since your a quitter, quit the Republican Party. Who needs you?
We should prove Tom Ross is wrong by electing Christine as dogcatcher.
Um… given the beating the DE GOP took, perhaps you need nativebluehen, Rick.
This entire strategy of kicking people – who disagree with you on a small amount of issues – out of the party seems counterproductive. But… carry on. It works for me. If you don’t see the problem with purity purging, far be it for me to point out that it’s a last man standing game.
Also, this – She was also taping the meeting with a digital camera. Let me say as an O’Donnell supporter who witnessed this tracker style of intimidation. A tactic used by the Castle campaign and the Coons campaign. A tactic reminiscent of “Big Brother” – is politics 101. The fact that you view this as anything else displays how far out of their political depth the O’Donnell campaign was.
Anon
“Don — No offense, but since you’re asking, may I ask what you have done in the last five election cycles to earn the right to question others’ commitment?
I don’t think I’ve even heard your name before the beginning of this year.”
Anon, I’ve written either press releases for candidates or written articles for Greg Hastings, Jim Van Houten and Beth Miller that were published in delawarepolitics.net I’ve campaigned door-to-door for Greg Hastings.
I worked for Kevin Wade as his Campaign Press and Media Relations Officer in his bid for the congressional seat.
I worked on the Special elections going door-to-door for both Ruth Briggs King and Joe Booth with every spare minute that I possessed.
However, since you won’t use your real name, nobody knows what you’ve done, if anything, except offer negative comments.
Don — So you’re saying that you’ve been involved for less than two years, right?
Um… given the beating the DE GOP took, perhaps you need nativebluehen, Rick
Um…really? In FBCrybaby’s own words:
The GOP is done. The money is gone. We are now Maryland.
We need a quitter? I don’t think so. He’s mad because conservatives have begun to assert themselves- getting rid of the appeaser/facilitator Castle was a beginning, not an end.
Funny think is, Delaware has been Maryland for years…Biden, Carper, Minner, Castle. Yet, FBCrybaby blames O’Donnell.
Anon
I wrote Joe Booth’s first press release when he filed to run for the 37th District race in 2002.
Would you find something substantive to comment on.
At least the R’s are transparent with their issues. The Dem’s, who claim open government, do such things behind closed doors and keep it quiet. The election may say that the Dems are favored, they are just snakes in the grass, esp. in NCC against anyone conservative in SC.
What happened to the campaign to separate NCC from the rest of the state – say anything below the canal and to the Chesapeake Bay should be Delmarva? I know the feeling is mutual on the entire Eastern Shore. As long as we are the mat or feet that NCC walks on, we will be ruled by progressives. It is the same for way on MD’s & VA’s Eastern Shore, ruled by Baltimore and the liberals from DC. Is that truly what we want?
“can I say Karen Weldin Stewart?”
While some of the criticisms of Christine also accrue to KWS, KWS’ financial problems did not leave the same sort of paper trail that CO’D's did. That made it much harder to make the case in print that KWS had no visible means of support. In addition, KWS has a powerful patron in Harris McDowell, and has been involved in Delaware politcal circles since the days of David Levinson.
“I could say Chip Flowers who had numerous accusations of abusing girl friends including sworn statements.”
That’s all true — but those accusations did not hold up in court, and they don’t speak to his ability to do that, or any other, job.
As for your other examples, you are talking about corruption. Many voters take the position that all politicians are corrupt, some simply aren’t exposed. The difference is that people questioned CO’D's competence, and rightfully so.
“He’s mad because conservatives have begun to assert themselves- getting rid of the appeaser/facilitator Castle was a beginning, not an end.”
Translation: We’d rather be right than victorious.
anon A, no there was no reason to rightfully question Christine O’Donnell’s competence.
NOTE, again, as before the gigantic difference between someone TRULY asking a “question” (meaning they sincerely want to know the answer) and slimy attacks, though sometimes structured as “questions.” Like most people, I will genuinely answer questions forever without becoming annoyed, even to the 100th follow-up question, if someone is honestly trying to find out information. But someone who is so dishonest as to try to pass off slimy attacks as “questions” — especially when they REPEAT the same lie-phrased-as-question over and over after being shown the truth — is infuriating.
So if anyone truly wanted to know COD’s qualifications… hmmm… well… they could have… you know… ASKED ??? (NO! Not that!)
The truth is the dishonesty factor. If we took anyone here, or their favorite candidate, and MISREPRESENTED YOU or YOUR favorite candidate in the same dishonest and unethical way that the Tom Ross gang did to COD, we could get you or your favorite candidate kicked out of the country. Were I inclined to waste the time, and I misrepresented who you are or whom your favorite candidate is, I could create a firestorm of popular demand that you be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail.
it’s the lying, silly. (I will substitute “silly” for the usual “stupid” in the cliche.)
If you are so gullible as to fall for such tactics, you will fall for anything.
I could take Ronald Reagan’s bio and make him look the way Tom Ross *LIED* about Christine.
Remember: Christine was the 2008 official nominee for US Senate. There was no problem in 2008.
The only difference in 2010 is that Mike Castle is a spoiled insider who thought that the seat was *HIS* personal property, to which he was entitled.
Christine was totally qualified in 2008. The only thing that changed in 2010 was the spoiled insiders who would not listen to the voters of Delaware registered as Republicans. All of these tactics were designed to PREVENT the will of the Republicans of Delaware from being expressed at the polls on September 14.
The insiders showed contempt for the voters of Delaware, not just for Christine. They wanted to prevent the voters from honestly deciding, by destroying the opposing candidate…. BEFORE the voters got a chance to decide.
You didn’t have to ask about Christine’s competence. She proved that she had none without help from anyone else.
anon A writes in 88: “Translation: We’d rather be right than victorious.”
We absolutely want to be victorious. And it is absolutely true that simply shouting to make ourselves feel good may not accomplish anything. The end game is to win (although win what?) not simply to have a temper tantrum.
However, sometimes it takes more than one step. The Republican Party’s reputation was ruined in the late 1990′s and under the Bush Administration by cozying up to the fat cat lobbyists (NOT ALL lobbyists are bad, NOT ALL are fat cats — but SOME are) under the “K Street Project,” Jack Abrahamoff scandals, big government, big spending, over-regulation (by Republicans), corporate welfare and bailouts (we believe in free enterprise, but competing on its own in the private economy), amnesty for illegal aliens, failing in the most basic task of securing our borders, etc., etc.
If you own a restaurant and have an incident of food poisioning, you have to show the publci that you are REPENTANT and it will never happen again. You have to show them that you are just as upset as the customers are, and you will never tolerate that, and whomever is responsible is fired.
You cannot rebuild the Republican Party by electing a big-spending, big-government liberal — exactly what Republican voters were mad about in 2006 and 2008.
If you are going in the wrong directions, slam on the brakes.
No, of course, slammng on the brakes will not — by itself — get you to where you want to go. It will bring you to a stop. But if you are going in the wrong direction, slamming on the brakes will keep things from getting worse.
anon, you prove your ignorance.
Christine was the ONLY candidate in the Senate race with ANY national / Washington DC experience — 12 years of it. She worked at the Republican National Committee. She has represented issues before the United Nations. She has pushed legislation in the halls of Congress. She was chosen by the Kingdom of Jordan as part of a group of journalists and dignitaries to tour Jordan.
Christine O’Donnel is the *ONLY* candidate among anyone we have discussed with any relevant experience or qualifications — NOT Coons, NOT Jan Ting, NOT Mike Protack.
The only qualified candidate is and was Christine O’Donnell.
The fact that you like to stew in ignorance is your problem, not ours.
Responding to anon in #71: No, the national news attention was created by Tom Ross.
It was the GOP in Delaware viciously attacking Christine O’Donnell after Joe Miller’s upset in Alaska that got the media interested.
If you start a fire, don’t be surprised if it burns the entire neighborhood down. It was the truly extraordinary — unheard of — statements by Tom Ross that made the country start looking for “THE NEXT” misrepresentation they could slander Christine with.
Getting national news attention is DIFFICULT. Try it sometime. I have. Tom Ross succeeded.
Christine’s comments on Bill Maher were unimportant and would not have been notice, EXCEPT in the context of Tom Ross’ vicious attacks.
What were those comments on Bill Maher? That BEFORE becoming a Christian around 1991 in college, Christine explored other spiritual beliefs. Since then she has been a devoted Christian for at least 19 years.
The fact that someone 22 years ago as a teenager was exploring different spiritual ideas is relevant HOW, exactly, to a campaign in 2010? ONLY BECAUSE TOM ROSS HAD ALREADY CREATED A FIRESTORM OF CRITICISM.
How exactly would what she did as a teenager in high school — leading up to an INFORMED decision for Jesus Christ in college — matter in this election except that Tom Ross had already viciously attacked Christine?
TELL US: DID MIKE PROTACK SMOKE DOPE WHEN HE WAS YOUNG?
IF WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CHRISTINE’S SPIRITUAL SEARCH AS A TEENAGER, THEN LET’S ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES. You want to play? Okay, let’s play.
DID MIKE CASTLE EVER SMOKE DOPE AS A YOUTH?
DID TOM ROSS EVER SMOKE DOPE AS A YOUTH?
DID MIKE PROTACK EVER SMOKE DOPE AS A YOUTH?
DO I CARE ? NO! But if that’s the way we are going to play, then okay, let’s play.
Christine proved that she understands the US Constitution perfectly, and Chris Coons does not.
Christine proved that — just like Gary Hart — people were following her around. She posted the video on her website. Did you watch it? NO!
Anon, have you never heard of Gary Hart and the woman caugh coming out of Gary Hart’s condo at 3 in the morning?
You are ignorant of politics, yet you try to lecture others. Go search for “Gary Hart” and “Miami Herald” and “stake out” and educate yourself.
Christine never lied.
There were no revalations by former staff, only stupid comments that revealed they were ignorant of politics. Those people SHOULD NOT have gotten paid anything. They clearly do not know how campaigns are run.
I have a friend who collects campaign related novelties because they are FAMOUS as part of campaigns. So pre-printing sun tan lotion with “Don’t get burned with higher taxes” is exactly what happens in real campaigns.
There are collectors whose hobby, or business, is collecting such things from around the country and over the centuries. Those are such a major part of campaigns that there are entire industries or hobbies focused on such things.
So someone tries to tell me there is something odd about that…. I say “You are so ignorant of campaigns you SHOULD NOT be paid.”
Refusing to be pushed around is not a brutal attack.
There was no physical intimidation.
And it was entirely appropriate to ban the News Journal Political Action Committee from events.
The News Journal Political Action Commmittee was caught lying about Christine and her positions.
nativebluehen said in #78: “The D’s win in part because anyone can be a D. Paul Clark calls me nonstop wanting me to help him. Yet there are those in the GOP whose self appointed principles won’t allow them to sully their hands working for someone who is pro-choice, etc”
You REALLY think that a pro-life candidate would be accepted in the Democrat party? Are you dreaming?
The Democrat party is conformist down the line. The only time they will tolerate dissent is when they know an official would lose his or her seat. Then they will allow a vote to let an official PRETEND to listen to the voters. But the Republican party is far mroe tolerant and open to diverse views than the Democrats.
I hear that a national pro-life leader is going to run for President as a Democrat in 2012, precisely to show that the Democrats cannot tolerate alternative views.
“The only qualified candidate is and was Christine O’Donnell.”
Let’s see. She told Dan Gaffney she beat Biden in two of three counties. LYING. Check.
Snapped her fingers and tried to intimidate someone who challenged her (Rick Jensen). INTIMIDATOR. Check.
Fired from a job, then sues former employer for ridiculous amount of money. ENTITLEMENT. Check.
Speaks in platitudes and talking points. VAGUE. Check.
You’re right, Jon. Christine was the only qualified candidate. How could so many people have been so wrong?
It is not worth the effort to lie about Christine, when there is so much damning material in her own words.
Alpha, there is nothing but lies against Christine.
So, Alpha, what you seem to be saying is that until someone (like me) puts together the same kind of smear campaign against Mike Protack or your other favorite candidate, to dishonestly misrepresent him, you won’t understand what we are talking about? Is that what I hear you saying?
If I follow the same dishonest formula and mispreresent Mike Protack or other candidates, will you then grow up and understand? Or are you hopelessly gullible and naive?
To ANOTHER MIKE:
Funny that during the same hour Rick Jensen did not think Christine tried to intimidate him. The comments that Rick Jensen was offering before the expiration of that very same hour on the radio were positive, calm, and supportive. Before that hour ended, Rick Jensen was recapping the good things that Christine O’Donnell had said during the interview and pointing out where he agreed with her.
So she snapped to get Doug’s attention. Doug had only worked for her for 3 weeks.
Now, another Mike, can you tell us WHY Christine snapped to get Doug’s attention?
This will be rich!
Go ahead…. You are a mind-reader now?
All-seeing, all-knowing. You are willing to say things that have no basis in fact. You are a liar.
So tell us from your psychic abilities what exactly Christine wanted when she snapped to get Doug’s attention.
In MOST such situations, it would have been the PR guy’s job to pull out briefing material, a fact sheet, talking points, etc.
Doug had only worked there 3 weeks. So Christine was probably angry AT DOUG — not Rick Jensen — for being “SLOW” to pull out relevant information they had brought with them.
Why do I say that? Because Rick Jensen himself — who was there — obviously did not detect any such animosity directed at him. His conversation closing out the hour indicated that he thought the interview went great.
Have you read the lawsuit? Obviously not.
You are not allowed to fire someone for talking to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Please tell us what is wrong with suing to uphold the law?
Do you think it is okay for employers to retaliate against employees who talk to the EEOC?
By the way, YOU-WHO-WILL-TELL-ANY-LIE while accusing others….
NOTICE how Christine did not know she was on camera… BUT DID NOT GESTURE AT RICK JENSEN.
She was angry AT DOUG, not Rick Jensen. She snapped at her PR guy.
LOOK AT THE VIDEO — DOUG IS OFF IN A CORNER TEXTING ON HIS PHONE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve2XrPQ_DfQ
DOUG WAS ACTUALLY *CLOSER* TO RICK JENSEN BEFORE, PHYSICALLY
LOOK HOW DOUG IS RIGHT NEXT TO RICK JENSEN’S SHOULDER — BEFORE — PHYSICALLY CLOSER TO RICK JENSEN
At the very start, Doug is standing on the other side of Rick Jensen, so close to Rick Jensen that their shoulders are almost touching.
When Christine gestures for Doug to come over to him, Doug *MOVES AWAY* from Rick Jensen and moves over to Christine FARTHER AWAY from Rick Jensen (although it is a small room).
Staff working on a campaign should include research materials, talking points, briefing materials, etc.
So when Rick Jensen (stupidly) asked THE SAME QUESTION for the 10th time that Christine had answered in great detail, it would be the PR guy’s job to pull out whatever material they had brought with them in preparation for the appearance, and HAND Christine their research notes and talking points and information, to HELP HER answer the question in more detail. (It was a stupid question, of course, because you don’t cut the budget in 30 second sound bites. You pour over the budget for weeks at a time, and ask lots of questions about each individual line item on the budget.)
So notice as you lie that Christine was directing her displeasure AT DOUG – not at Rick Jensen.
The idea that Doug standing next to Christine would intimidate Rick Jensen? HOW exactly?
Notice how Christine DID NOT ask Doug to go talk to Rick.
Christine demanded that Doug be “on duty” so that she could talk to him or get stuff from him.
Doug standing next to her was to remain “on duty” for her. It had nothing to do with Rick Jensen.
THNK MUCH? Was Rick Jensen going to lunge across the table and physically tackle Christine? What possible relevance would Doug standing next to Christine have?
THIS: His job is to be by her side to hand her notes, take notes, and assist her. He is supposed to be there by her side, available to assist, not wandering off somewhere else.
She obviously gestured to Doug “STAY HERE! DON’T WANDER OFF!”
Trying to suggest Doug was intimidating is a laugh.
Doug is a nice lovable teddy bear. Intimidating he is not.
Doug’s only “fault” was in not knowing the candidate longer than 3 weeks. No one can develop a good working relationship in only 3 weeks.
Then threatening the station over the recording was a bad idea wasn’t it? That was stupid. Can we admit that they made a non-story a story and it hurt us?
Bad ideas are not the same as lying or the other accusations.
NO campaign is free of mistakes.
However, videotaping someone without their knowledge and consent is * ILLEGAL *
I sure as hell would not have made an issue of it. Listening to the interview, Christine sounded damn good. Rick asking the same question Christine had already answered did not sound so good.
But being offended at discovering she had been videotaped without her knowledge or consent is an understandable reason to be upset…. particularly if she feels that she is being singled out for different treatment.
Once the radio station convinced her campaign that they videotape everyone, they calmed down.
The idea that Doug standing next to Christine would intimidate Rick Jensen? HOW exactly?
I guess it’s like Howard Dean’s scream. I mean, it’s on video so it must be true, right? Maybe it was misinterpreted, but once the ball starts rolling you just have to live with it.
No it is not in 42 states including Delaware. We are a single consent state. Next, what do you expect when the station has podcasts and videos of everyone? How do you think that happens if you are not being recorded?
Okay, anonymous says in comment #76: “I seen that woman at more meetings than I ever seen frank at, and she’s always recording the meetings I know because she leaves her recorder on the tables in the front and stands in the back she also does more work for candidates than anyones name I seen on this site.” Well since you hide behind a screen name I have no way to know that you even go to meetings. I stated that I have been going to Sussex meetings now for over a year. In that time I may have missed one or two meetings. In that time the woman in question has been there maybe half of the meetings. She personally told me this is due to her job. I don’t fault her for not being there, the meetings I missed were also because of my job. We all have lives to live. If she has been recording other meetings, she has done it without my seeing it as I said before, while sitting next to her on occassions. I actually like her, she is a good person and an intelligent person. We have disagreed over issues, but we have always been able to discuss issues civilly. I hope that can continue.
I do find it odd that we say that we want new people to show up and then treat them as if they are less important because they weren’t there for the Nixon elections. I suggest that you go back and read my post about doing all that you can. We cannot all do everything, but if we all do all that we can, then we have done all that we can.
Instead of the finger pointing and excuse making let’s talk about what we will do, not what we have done. I personally admit that I am new to actually getting out and working for a campaign. I plan on continuing to work for candidates that I agree with. I will not support blindly candidates that do not represent my views on issues, just because they are Republican. I believe that straightline conservatism will appeal to more people overall rather than this idea that we can somehow water down conservatism to appeal to small groups.
I can vouch for Franks attendance. As a committeeman I’ve attended every meeting for the last 16 months and have spotted Frank at almost all of them. He is hard to miss, a tall grey haired man that doesn’t speak much unless spoken too. He is hard to miss and everybody knows him.