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2010 Complete Election Coverage: Christine O’Donnell's bid gives Democrats new life

Delaware Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons would like nothing more than for Christine O’Donnell to become the latest tea party sensation to shock the establishment.

But the New Castle County executive is also aiming to manage expectations if O’Donnell can’t summon Joe Miller-like momentum in her Sept. 14 challenge to Rep. Mike Castle, making the case that the two Republicans have plenty of similarities that should trouble middle-class voters in a state that’s increasingly leaning Democratic.

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“Whoever wins the primary, they are both real Republicans and they are both going to pursue the same economic policies ... whether that’s tax breaks for the wealthy or deregulation. Either one would vote for Mitch McConnell as majority leader,” Coons told POLITICO Wednesday.

August polls have shown Coons losing to Castle, but beating O’Donnell by seven to 10 points. The Democratic nominee would not say which candidate he would prefer to battle this fall, but acknowledged he was grateful not to have a primary and suggested Castle’s path to victory against the former television commentator may be more difficult than he initially realized.

“I think there’s good reason for the congressman’s campaign to be concerned because as I go up and down the state, I hear a strong message that people want change. Folks are eager for new members of Congress. I think incumbents ... are facing tough questions,” he said. “Delaware’s a small state and the turnout in the primary is likely to be low, and I think the general mood is eager for change.”

While ignoring O’Donnell’s bid for most of the summer, Republicans have amped up their attacks on her over the last week.

Just as the Tea Party Express pledged to pony up $600,000 for radio and television advertisements on behalf of the insurgent, the Republican National Committee swooped in to aid Castle’s get-out-the-vote efforts. Also this week, the Castle campaign launched an attack website called RealChristine.com.

“Christine O’Donnell: Hopelessly irresponsible with her own finances,” the text reads over a black and white picture of O’Donnell, her lips compressed and wearing a nervous expression.

The News Journal reported that a state GOP aide got into a scuffle with an O’Donnell supporter after a candidate forum on Monday – an incident that state party chair Tom Ross called “sickening and unbelievable.”

Ross has ratcheted up his rhetoric against O’Donnell recently, telling POLITICO she’s not a viable candidate for any office in the state of Delaware because of her personal financial problems.

O’Donnell, on the other hand, has argued that Castle is out of step with not only Delaware Republicans, but most voters, for casting votes in support of the bailout and cap-and-trade legislation.

But Coons, who is pinning his general election hopes on painting Castle as out-of-touch on bread-and-butter issues, said “there’s more similarities than disagreement” between the GOP contenders.

“Someone who has voted with Republican leadership 87 percent in the last two years, I think is more than Republican enough,” said Coons, referring to the nine-term congressman.

O’Donnell’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.


Eric D. Schwerin
Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC
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Suite 705
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eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com
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