With 100 percent of precincts reporting, conservative activist Christine O'Donnell defeated moderate congressman Mike Castle 53% to 47%--or 30,561 votes to 27,021 votes. It seems reasonable to think that support from the Tea Party Express, Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin, pushed O'Donnell over the top.
What could Castle have done to ward off the tea party . As I wrote the other day, more moderate candidates who have won in 2010--such as John McCain in Arizona and Mark Kirk in Illinois--tacked right in their primaries.
repeal obamacare
lame duck killer
Castle has essentially chosen to say to conservatives that he is who he is--a moderate who will sometimes vote with them, sometimes against them--and they can take him or leave him.
This scene captured by Politico on Monday explains pretty well Mike Castle's approach to conservative voters:
Standing on the street corner, Castle took a passive approach to his campaigning. Rather than advance toward voters, the soft-spoken veteran congressman and former governor politely accepted their greetings as they walked up to him in front of a collection of reporters and television cameras.
That's how Castle, a moderate, approached conservatives. He was more than happy to accept their support, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to get it. While moderates like Mark Kirk in Illinois and Scott Brown in Massachusetts abandoned their support of cap-and-trade,
Sure, Castle was opposed to passing controversial legislation lik
Lame-Duck Killer!!!
http://www.joinrobsimmons.com/news/simmons-camp-responds-to-factcheckorgs-latest-report-on-linda-mcmahons-campaign-misrepresentations-about-rob-simmons