Oh, Great, Now We Have Sand "Castle" Conservatives, Too

They say neurotics build sand castles and psychotics live in them. From what I've seen at many conservative blogs, they look determined to enable the ongoing building of a sand castle of a Republican Party by helping Mike Castle in Delaware. Well, pardon me if I don't feel their pain as they start to whine when that sand castle comes crashing down on them after November.

It seems every time someone wants to challenge me on the Castle/O'Donnell issue, they have to start out with a straw-man argument. They don't like, or support O'Donnell, so why should they not assist Castle in attacking her? Yet, I've never said anyone had to, or should support her. All I've argued is, why should a conservative align with a liberal like Castle to attack a conservative, when not saying anything is a principled option? It isn't as if we all weigh in on each and every race.

I backed Lowden over Angle, but never attacked Angle. If the GOP can't produce a satisfactory candidate in DE, then maybe they need to be sent a message in this case. Invest the time and money required to build a state and local party apparatus that can offer up real choices between a D and an R - and recruit them to run, not a Democrat by any other name. Stop following the Democrats off a cliff because it's the easy way to win. What is it we as conservatives win in the end? 

Conservatives win nothing with a Mike Castle in the Senate. Most conservative bloggers are fond of saying, I'm a conservative before I am a Republican. You wouldn't know it by looking around out here today.

What is the incentive for the GOP to honestly shift to the Right if conservatives will accept whatever the GOP opts to shove down their throats? Reagan won DE statewide twice, Bush 41 won it in 1988. But Castle is the best the GOP can do statewide in DE today? I don't buy it. If we want the GOP to pay attention to Center-Right views, at some point we are going to have to make a stand.

What good is a GOP to conservatives if every Republican north of Washington is liberal? How does that advance the cause of conservatism? Frankly, it doesn't. It advances a GOP that can continue to sell out conservative principles for electoral convenience. It isn't a party that's leading anywhere, it's a party following Democrats off the cliff they have been driving America over for decades.

By the reasoning I've seen around, we should never have supported Scott Brown in Massachusetts. In this, of all years, I don't buy that a Castle can win in Delaware, but not an O'Donnell. Still, I'd rather see the GOP lose and have an identified Democrat, rather than one in Red skin.

Suddenly conservatives want to help a Republican beloved by the SEIU? Where is the principle in that? He frequently votes against his party, always to the Left. He votes against his party toward the Left more often than Kirk, Djou and most other Republicans from Blue states, including New Jersey and New York.

Mike Castle has been funded by labor organizations for a good reason. He champions their causes better than 50% of the time. One of the Labor Unions he has the closest ties to is the SEIU.

We run Obama down for not supporting the surge. Where was Castle? Right there with Obama of course.

He was there for S-CHIP. Have you forgotten that fight? His votes against the party are not insignificant. They include the Disclose Act, Wall Street Reform, he likes to spend money on everything and supports Cap and Tax.

He carries an "F" rating from the NRA. People are saying, well, this O'Donnell, she's far from ideal. But Castle's record is? Hell, I'd take a blank slate over this guy, frankly. We know he is going to undermine us on critical issues time and again and become a poster boy as the "reasonable Republican" we all loath when the Left throws it in our faces.

How does all that make him someone worthy of a conservative's help? And that's precisely what picking up on his attacks on O'Donnell does. He's an environmentalist and believes taxpayers should pay other people's mortgages. Is that really the GOP we want to be helping right now?

Not me. If I don't have anything nice to say about someone, I just shut up. Okay, that's not exactly true. Heh! But the fact is, with Castle's dogs running loose chasing O'Donnell just now in what is looking like a very ruthless effort because he's scared - as every liberal should be today, we don't truly know how much of the dirt he's throwing is true, either.

And on principle, I'm not going to pick up his dirt and drop it on her head. Why so many would be conservatives seem intent on doing just that in this case makes no sense to me. We've been fighting to take back the GOP for years. Finally we're winning. And now we should surrender to such a liberal Republican? Not me, no matter what. I'd rather have a Democrat, than a Mike Castle. The potential for damage with him under our banner is even worse than the alternative, as far as I'm concerned.

I want a center-Right GOP built on principle, not some sand castle I built to impress myself and show everyone how smart I am.

Comments

[Paul Zummo]

When conservatives win in Democratic or middle-of-the road states and districts they do so because they're excellent all-around candidates. Witness guys like Paul Ryan who consistently win in Democratic districts, or soon Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey in states that are not exactly Texas (especially in Toomey's case). All of these guys are excellent, articulate spokesmen for the conservative cause. O'Donnell? Not so much. In short, she is no Ronald Reagan.

I think there might be a bit of an over-reaction to the Fum/Friedersdorf wing of the GOP. It is true that their calls for the entire party to become Castle-ized were moronic at best, and their concerns that anything short of a complete rejection of conservatism would lead to GOP electoral doom have proven to be completely unfounded (or soon will so). But I don't want to go in the opposite direction and say that only purely conservative candidates are acceptable in all districts and states. Castle is the only kind of Republican that can win in a state like Delaware at the current time, unless a truly dynamic conservative comes along. I can live with a couple of Mike Castles as long as he's being sworn in with Rubio, Lee, Miller, and what should prove to be a much more overall conservative caucus in the Senate. And then in six years we move a little more right with Castle's seat.

[Ramrod]

Dan once again you see the entire field of battle . Nice work

[syn]

"I want a center-Right GOP built on principle, not some sand castle I built to impress myself and show everyone how smart I am."

Well said, no more sand castles-they always end up washing away in the tide flowing with dead fish.

Sincerely,
Former brain-dead liberal who believes Conserving America's Founding Principles is wiser than placating a narcissistic populist culture indoctrinated to satiate self-indulgent hypochondriac madness.

[Pasadena Phil]

"Invest the time and money required to build a state and local party apparatus that can offer up real choices between a D and an R - and recruit them to run, not a Democrat by any other name. Stop following the Democrats off a cliff because it's the easy way to win. What is it we as conservatives win in the end?"

Exactly!!! Here in CA, we had an excellent Tea Party conservative running against Barbara Boxer, Chuck Devore, who was fighting the fey and effete Republican establishment state party apparatus successfully until Sarah McPalin interfered and conspired with the establishment to back Karl Rove financed mystery liberal Carly Fiorino. Her lame argument for doing so was the same RINO argument against most conservative candidates: "electability". The GOP just couldn't risk losing that Senate seat to Boxer. Why wasn't that an issue with Joe Miller? Because with Murkowski, it was personal. And Devore was ahead in the polls.

If non-Californians still don't understand why we CA conservatives are pissed-off at McPalin, then it is hopeless. IMHO, McPalin is running as a stalking horse for the establishment GOP. When she endorsed McCain, she joined the GOP establishment club. She is now an establishment Republican.

[Lightwave]

I'd argue that "center-Right" is much of the problem. "Center-Right" got us Bush but it also got us his profligate spending and massive government expansion.

I understand we need a majority of voters to have a mandate, but we need to be making the argument that true conservatism is the only future this country has that doesn't end in complete economic collapse, too.

[Jeff]

O'Connell is an idiot ... and a horrid campaigner ...

If the GOP manages to win the Senate with Castle it doesn't matter one whit if he votes with the Dems 50% of the time ... the GOP will set the agenda and thus what is being voted on ...

[Jeff]

yet another Red on Red posting ...

[Terry in GA]

Castle has an "F" rating from the NRA. He voted for Cap and Tax and he voted for DISCLOSE which would have trampled the 1st amendment. Castle is nothing but a RINO who can be bought off by the dems against his own constituents, and he doesn't give a rip about his own constituents.

Christine has the cajones to stand up for our rights, and that would be enough for me. Mike Castle is a traitor and does not serve the people who pay his salary.

[Pasadena Phil]

As with McCain in AZ, Republican voters are outsmarting themselves by thinking too much. See McCain's name on the ballot? Vote for the other guy. See Castle's name on the ballot? Vote for the other guy. Stop making it so complicated! Getting rid of both, or even one, of these guys is a great improvement. Just do it.

[Pasadena Phil]

Somebody shoot me. Please. Chris Christie just endorsed Castle.

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/09/03/oh-my-chris-christie-endorses-mike-castle/

I could learn to hate Christie.

[Rob Alloy Iv]

Let me Correct one thing about Castle as he did not just vote for DISCLOSE but Co-Created it. Conveniently it penalizes the Organizations tossing Liberals like him out of Primaries and Office and Strengthens UNIONS who helped him get elected. So anyone supporting him actively is also supporting all the things he has done as well.

[David R. Graham]

Strong concur, thanks!

[Jazz]

Dan, I'm torn on this Castle subject. One one side, I want to strike while the iron is hot and press the advantage. Conservative enthusiasm is at a high-water mark right now for the 4+ decade duration of my life, and timing could not be better to hype conservative candidates on a national scale. I have this urge for conservatives to go big, be aggressive, and grab as much as we can. These moments are few and far between.

On the other, the country is not homogeneous. For example, I live in a conservative area of Michigan (if you know Michigan at all, you should be able to figure out just exactly what part of Michigan I'm in without any effort at all.) Yet, even in this environment, I doubt Carl Levin or Debbie Stabenow could be defeated. That's no reflection on their records; rather, the unions ride this state like a bull at the rodeo. Sometimes, the national environment isn't enough. I thought Ace put it well with this passage:

The pathway to success is to change Blue to Red, and Purple to Red, and Red to Even Redder. We are doing that. We are trading in RINO Murkowski for a Senator more in sync with a true red state…

We cannot get a super-red person elected to a blue state. Period. The anti-Obama factor gives everyone about an 8% bump. Add that to Christine O’Donnell’s 35% (from last time) and she gets to 43%.

That's what we call a loss.

Rather than succumbing to a lust for the instant gratification of seeing a red-blooded conservative on the DE ticket, I'm wondering if we should game this on a scale larger than just this November. If the current mood of the country is the result of a movement, then it seems to be a good idea to take the low-hanging and easier-reach fruit this cycle, like Miller in AK. Put Delaware and Maine on the back burners for now and take what we've got, especially if what Republicans have in place now pushes the bounds of palatability to the voters (note the qualifier). Let those fruits ripen, and come back next cycle and pick off those seats.

Strategy is hardly a cut-and-dried issue, and there is room for civil disagreement. (I thought your comments about Ace this morning were first-class, BTW). Both patience and decisiveness are virtues, but no matter what tact ultimately prevails, we need to realize it will face opposition - perhaps muted, but adamant nevertheless - within our own ranks. The tests for all of us - me included - are going to be throwing our support behind strategies with which we disagree if we end up on the wrong side, and not being smug if our position prevails. The time for discord is before decisions are made; a unified front - rather than sniping - in carrying them out will make victory much more likely.

Lest I leave anyone with the impression that any of my commentary is veiled criticism directed at our host, please let me disabuse you of that notion. I have nothing but respect for Mr. Riehl, and I sincerely don't want to make a spectacle of myself - most especially at his home.

[J.C. Walker]

The comment by syn, "Former brain-dead liberal who believes Conserving America's Founding Principles is wiser than placating a narcissistic populist culture indoctrinated to satiate self-indulgent hypochondriac madness," speaks volumes. Kudos to you who now has a functioning brain. It's great when you finally wake up from liberal brain deadness, isn't it? Been there years ago and the wake up was awesome \o/

[SirGladiator]

People who fear a Conservative loss to a liberal in November, yet advocate voting for a liberal against a Conservative in September, make no sense, unless of course they are in fact a liberal themselves. O'Donnell will more likely than not beat the Democrat, this is a strongly Republican year and she's a much better candidate than the scrub that the Democrats nominated. The fact that she's on the verge of beating the legendary liberal Mike Castle, who has been getting elected for decades in Delaware, tells you all you need to know about how strong a candidate she is.

The latest polling shows her coming on very strong, just 5 points behind Castle, and that's before 'any' of the Tea Party ads have aired. The Tea Party is going to push her over the top in the Primary, and in the General. Those who fear a GOP loss with O'Donnell are doing so needlessly, or only saying they're doing so because they're actually a liberal Mike Castle supporter. In either case they're 100% wrong. The only way a Conservative can win in November is if she's on the ballot, and that means she has to win the Primary. It is our job as Conservatives to help her do that, and it's a job that I enjoy doing, as supporting Conservatives over liberals is why I'm a Republican in the first place.

[syn]

"If the current mood of the country is the result of a movement, then it seems to be a good idea to take the low-hanging and easier-reach fruit this cycle, like Miller in AK. Put Delaware and Maine on the back burners for now and take what we've got, especially if what Republicans have in place now pushes the bounds of palatability to the voters (note the qualifier). Let those fruits ripen, and come back next cycle and pick off those seats."

Coming back the next cycle? If it were ten year ago then this years election cycle would not be at the crossroads of Liberty or Death.

There are not enough years left to grow enough low hanging fruit for us to live on forever.

[richard mcenroe]

"This is a PRIMARY. It is the one place where you CAN vote your conscience. It is the one place where you are SUPPOSED to vote your conscience. If you vote for someone you don’t approve of, you are voting not against the Democrats but against YOURSELF."

[lol]

boohoo, Christie is denouncing wingnuttery.

[Rcocean]

I agree it isn't complicated, unless you're only pretending to be conservative. Its absurd we have two RINO's from two of the most conservative states in the Union - Arizona and SC. Yet, NR and the Weekly standard tell us every 6 years WE MUST VOTE FOR THEM or the SKY WILL FALL.

I think Hayworth should run 3rd party and lets get rid of McCain. In 6 years we can elect a real conservative. The Right can NEVER think long term, another reason it always loses.

[Maria]

Amen Dan!

[Lisa Graas]

UGH!!!!!!!!! I just listened to Dan Gaffney's "interview" with Christine O'Donnell and I am soooooo ticked off! He just wanted to talk over her and beat up on her! She was the voice of reason, though, and I think it can only help her. Delaware voters (especially women) need to listen to this! It will fire you up for Christine O'Donnell. http://www.wgmd.com/?p=9496

[JM Hanes]

SM:

"What this comes down to is that there are people like you, who think the Bush years were just fine."

I must have explained myself very poorly indeed, if that's what you presume I think.

Fred Beloit:

"If you want more RINOs, I would have to suggest that would be because you are one yourself."

Oh, the horror! I don't happen to be a RINO, although I think it's interesting that so many conservatives seem to think they have sole rights to the Republican label. I'm just saying that if there's a lesson in the last 20 months, it's that a Republican majority, even if it includes a Snowe and a Collins, is still better for the country than a Democratic majority. Saying, as Dan essentially did, that he'd rather see a Democrat than a RINO in office, in order to make Democrats own the car that drives us all over the cliff is not my idea of sound political strategy.