Michael Gaynor
Meghan McCain v. Christine O'Donnell: catfight hurting the right
By Michael Gaynor
Perhaps Connecticut's Republican Senate candidate, Linda McMahon, can promote a steel cage charity match between Meghan McCain and Christine O'Donnell, bill it as Blonde Ambition v. Brunette Ambition and use the proceeds for a worthy purpose.
Just what we needed before Election Day 2010 — a catfight between Christine O'Donnell and Meghan McMain.
Last Sunday Meghan McCain criticized Christine O'Donnell on ABC's This Week.
The gist of what she said was that O'Donnell is a "nutjob" who is "making a mockery of running for public office." See www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/17/meghan-mccain-christine-odonnell-is-a-nutjob/.
Instead of wisely ignoring Meghan McCain, Team O'Donnell (now a fundraising machine) responded:
"Christine overwhelmingly won her primary battle against the establishment candidate, so Ms. McCain's vast experience in politics and running for office probably won't influence many Delawareans of any age to listen to her latest rant. Her parents are truly a class act, and am certain they brought her up to be more respectful of a possible future colleague. As Christine rises in the polls, and repairs the damage done by the establishment with their false statements, the campaign will continue to focus on jobs and the out of control federal spending."
Considering what Senator McCain said about his Senate colleague from California, Barbara Boxer (true, but strongly critical), O'Donnell's certainty is inexplicable.
In addition, if O'Donnell's 5.2% primary win was "overwhelming," how should her democrat opponent's 11% lead in the latest Rasmussen poll be described and why is a candidate being much more than overhwlemed by her own standard not only soliciting campaign contributions, but blasting her party for not investing more money in a campaign that it being more than overwhelmed?
Yes, Team O'Donnell was being sarcastic:the 26-year old McCain does not have "vast experience" and has not run for office.
But putting focus on experience is not helpful to O'Donnell.
The 41-year old O'Donnell does not have "vast experience" in either business or government service.
She has run for a Delaware seat in the United States Senate three times — 2006, 2008 and 2010 — stayed in as a write-in candidate after losing the Republican primary in 2006 and taking 4% of the vote, getting 35% as the Republican nominee in 2008 and currently behind by double digits according to the Rasmussen poll taken after her debate with Democrat nominee Chris Coons.
Naturally, Meghan McCain replied (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-10-18/meghan-mccain-on-why-shes-against-christine-odonnell/):
"On Sunday, I appeared on the D.C. news show This Week with Christiane Amanpour. By the time I had left the show and eaten breakfast at a nearby restaurant, my appearance was already creating an uproar on the Internet. What had I said that had been so blasphemous? Just my statement on the Republican senatorial candidate for Delaware: 'My problem is that, no matter what, Christine O'Donnell is making a mockery of running for public office,"' I said. 'She has no real history, no real success in any kind of business... [the message] that sends to my generation is: One day you can just wake and run for Senate, no matter how [much of] a lack of experience you have. And it scares me for a lot of reasons.'
"I did not wake up Sunday morning expecting to create any kind of uproar and I am even more confused that people seem to be so angry. Leading up to my appearance, the more research I did on Christine O'Donnell, the more worrisome her being elected to the Senate seemed to me. It wasn't even all of her bizarre comments, which have been getting endless media attention — on witchcraft, anti-masturbation platforms, and her testament that she had secret information about China plotting to take over America — that bothered me. No, what really stood out for me was the Federal Elections Commissions allegations against her pertaining to misuse of campaign funds, her alleged history of failing to pay taxes, the allegations that she lied on multiple occasions about which colleges she attended. Not to mention the fact that she has not had any real success in business, government, or public service."
Meghan McCain made a better case against O'Donnell than Coons did.
Making Meghan McCain appear to be politically astute is really hard, but O'Donnell did it!
The perpetual O'Donnell Senate campaign has become farce, because O'Donnell's ambition is not matched by her credentials.
Perhaps Connecticut's Republican Senate candidate, Linda McMahon, can promote a steel cage charity match between Meghan McCain and Christine O'Donnell, bill it as Blonde Ambition v. Brunette Ambition and use the proceeds for a worthy purpose.
A chain is as strong as its weakest link.
Among the Tea Party candidates running for the United States Senate as Republican candidates this year, O'Donnell is the weakest link.
Yes, she toppled Mike Castle in the Republican primary, but a Republican primary is not a general election and the black vote is negligible in the Republican primary and significant in the general election.
Sean Hannity and Dick Morris say that Obama's involvement in the Delaware Senate race proves that O'Donnell can win.
It doesn't.
Obama needs a friendly state where he can campaign for a winner this fall.
That state is Delaware, and the winner will be the radical, rich Christopher Coons.
Yes, O'Donnell is right on the issues, Coons is dangerously wrong and I'd vote for O'Donnell is preferable if I were a Delaware voter.
But Team Obama is trying to make O'Donnell the face of the Tea Party-supported candidates, O'Donnell is a weak general election candidate and focus on bad for the other, viable Tea Party candidates.
Emailer: "...I too have a very uneasy feeling about O'Donnell. While I have supported her monetarily, my instincts tell me a win is almost very unlikely. Whenever I think..'I won't be fooled again'...I walk right into it. She IS very weak...lacking that old 'gravitas' thing as they say..her childish whining irritates. While I am not fond of the 'network,' Rove knows better how to win of course. Once again, wishing won't make it so."
The good news for O'Donnell is that...there's another Delaware race for the United States Senate coming in 2012!
© Michael Gaynor
October 20, 2010
Perhaps Connecticut's Republican Senate candidate, Linda McMahon, can promote a steel cage charity match between Meghan McCain and Christine O'Donnell, bill it as Blonde Ambition v. Brunette Ambition and use the proceeds for a worthy purpose.
Just what we needed before Election Day 2010 — a catfight between Christine O'Donnell and Meghan McMain.
Last Sunday Meghan McCain criticized Christine O'Donnell on ABC's This Week.
The gist of what she said was that O'Donnell is a "nutjob" who is "making a mockery of running for public office." See www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/17/meghan-mccain-christine-odonnell-is-a-nutjob/.
Instead of wisely ignoring Meghan McCain, Team O'Donnell (now a fundraising machine) responded:
"Christine overwhelmingly won her primary battle against the establishment candidate, so Ms. McCain's vast experience in politics and running for office probably won't influence many Delawareans of any age to listen to her latest rant. Her parents are truly a class act, and am certain they brought her up to be more respectful of a possible future colleague. As Christine rises in the polls, and repairs the damage done by the establishment with their false statements, the campaign will continue to focus on jobs and the out of control federal spending."
Considering what Senator McCain said about his Senate colleague from California, Barbara Boxer (true, but strongly critical), O'Donnell's certainty is inexplicable.
In addition, if O'Donnell's 5.2% primary win was "overwhelming," how should her democrat opponent's 11% lead in the latest Rasmussen poll be described and why is a candidate being much more than overhwlemed by her own standard not only soliciting campaign contributions, but blasting her party for not investing more money in a campaign that it being more than overwhelmed?
Yes, Team O'Donnell was being sarcastic:the 26-year old McCain does not have "vast experience" and has not run for office.
But putting focus on experience is not helpful to O'Donnell.
The 41-year old O'Donnell does not have "vast experience" in either business or government service.
She has run for a Delaware seat in the United States Senate three times — 2006, 2008 and 2010 — stayed in as a write-in candidate after losing the Republican primary in 2006 and taking 4% of the vote, getting 35% as the Republican nominee in 2008 and currently behind by double digits according to the Rasmussen poll taken after her debate with Democrat nominee Chris Coons.
Naturally, Meghan McCain replied (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-10-18/meghan-mccain-on-why-shes-against-christine-odonnell/):
"On Sunday, I appeared on the D.C. news show This Week with Christiane Amanpour. By the time I had left the show and eaten breakfast at a nearby restaurant, my appearance was already creating an uproar on the Internet. What had I said that had been so blasphemous? Just my statement on the Republican senatorial candidate for Delaware: 'My problem is that, no matter what, Christine O'Donnell is making a mockery of running for public office,"' I said. 'She has no real history, no real success in any kind of business... [the message] that sends to my generation is: One day you can just wake and run for Senate, no matter how [much of] a lack of experience you have. And it scares me for a lot of reasons.'
"I did not wake up Sunday morning expecting to create any kind of uproar and I am even more confused that people seem to be so angry. Leading up to my appearance, the more research I did on Christine O'Donnell, the more worrisome her being elected to the Senate seemed to me. It wasn't even all of her bizarre comments, which have been getting endless media attention — on witchcraft, anti-masturbation platforms, and her testament that she had secret information about China plotting to take over America — that bothered me. No, what really stood out for me was the Federal Elections Commissions allegations against her pertaining to misuse of campaign funds, her alleged history of failing to pay taxes, the allegations that she lied on multiple occasions about which colleges she attended. Not to mention the fact that she has not had any real success in business, government, or public service."
Meghan McCain made a better case against O'Donnell than Coons did.
Making Meghan McCain appear to be politically astute is really hard, but O'Donnell did it!
The perpetual O'Donnell Senate campaign has become farce, because O'Donnell's ambition is not matched by her credentials.
Perhaps Connecticut's Republican Senate candidate, Linda McMahon, can promote a steel cage charity match between Meghan McCain and Christine O'Donnell, bill it as Blonde Ambition v. Brunette Ambition and use the proceeds for a worthy purpose.
A chain is as strong as its weakest link.
Among the Tea Party candidates running for the United States Senate as Republican candidates this year, O'Donnell is the weakest link.
Yes, she toppled Mike Castle in the Republican primary, but a Republican primary is not a general election and the black vote is negligible in the Republican primary and significant in the general election.
Sean Hannity and Dick Morris say that Obama's involvement in the Delaware Senate race proves that O'Donnell can win.
It doesn't.
Obama needs a friendly state where he can campaign for a winner this fall.
That state is Delaware, and the winner will be the radical, rich Christopher Coons.
Yes, O'Donnell is right on the issues, Coons is dangerously wrong and I'd vote for O'Donnell is preferable if I were a Delaware voter.
But Team Obama is trying to make O'Donnell the face of the Tea Party-supported candidates, O'Donnell is a weak general election candidate and focus on bad for the other, viable Tea Party candidates.
Emailer: "...I too have a very uneasy feeling about O'Donnell. While I have supported her monetarily, my instincts tell me a win is almost very unlikely. Whenever I think..'I won't be fooled again'...I walk right into it. She IS very weak...lacking that old 'gravitas' thing as they say..her childish whining irritates. While I am not fond of the 'network,' Rove knows better how to win of course. Once again, wishing won't make it so."
The good news for O'Donnell is that...there's another Delaware race for the United States Senate coming in 2012!
© Michael Gaynor
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
