I, like much of the political punditry, have assumed that Rep. Mike Castle (R) would be the Republican Senate nominee in Delaware for some time now. His moderate background and extensive history as a state-level elected official would make him a strong favorite over likely Democratic nominee Chris Coons (D).
However, his only somewhat serious primary competitor, 2008 Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R), has started to make some noise the last couple of weeks.
First, she was endorsed by the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List (the bizarro EMILY's List). And now she's being endorsed by the Tea Party Express, who have helped catapult conservative firebrands like Rand Paul, Sharron Angle, and Mike Lee to victories in GOP primaries across the country.
The group takes issue with Castle's moderate views (i.e., being pro-choice, his support for TARP, cap-and-trade, and Wall Street reform)--exactly the views that make him such an appealing general candidate in such a blue state like Delaware. But the Tea Party Express doesn't really seem to care about that, seeming to favor principle over pragmatism yet again.
Said a Tea Party Express spokesperson: "We long ago announced our intention to hold Mike Castle accountable for his failed record in Congress, and now we have an excellent shot to make sure he is defeated by a solid conservative candidate."
Politico also reports that Concerned Women for America PAC will endorse O'Donnell in the coming weeks.
Now, I don't buy into the hype that just because these groups support her that she suddenly has all this momentum. The conservative grassroots movement in Delaware looks to me to be significantly smaller than in states like Kentucky, Nevada, and Utah.
I think the real reason that the Tea Party Express (and other such groups) are getting involved in a non-race like this is that they are just looking for ways to stay viable as the number of competitive GOP primary elections wanes as we move closer to November. And this was just another chance for them to start some drama and get some headlines.
I'd say--at the most--this may give O'Donnell an opening to get her name out there, but I still don't think she stands a chance against Castle six weeks out from the primary. I bet Chris Coons (D) really hopes I'm wrong, as he would probably trounce O'Donnell in the general election.
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