The latest numbers from the Pennsylvania senate race show a curious comeback by Joe Sestak, the former no-hoper who has suddenly closed to within a few points of raging favorite, Republican Pat Toomey.
Insiders say it is partly due to the fact that ads and stories about Irish American Christine O'Donnell in next door Delaware spill over into Pennsylvania and are having an impact.
With a crazy lady next door, voters appear to be looking at the Republican slate in their own state and wondering if there are bats in the belfry there too.
The latest O'Donnell ad by Democrats plays the Twilight Zone tune and repeats her own claims that someone out there is cloning mice with human brains, as well as her comments about her spell as a witch.
Democrats only hope it seems to me is to "O'Donnellize" the race across the country and pin this particular Looney Tunes candidate to the lapel of every other Republican candidate running for office.
She is what the Tea Party has wrought, throwing away a certain Senate seat in Delaware in order to run a candidate not fit to elect as dog catcher.
There are some O'Donnell clones across the country. Sharon Angle in Nevada is also weird as is Rand Paul in Kentucky but it is O'Donnell that has caught the public moment.
She is the Democrats greatest weapon as the Sestak race shows.
In the final two weeks I would pound and ground her name across the airwaves at every opportunity if I were a Democrat strategist.
People clearly are wiling to vote for change but voting for candidates who believe in mouse/human cloning and I don't care when she said it, is bizarre indeed.
Democrats have tried and failed to personalize this campaign, first around president Bush then House Minority Leader John Boehner. Both those attempts failed.
But their real pin up girl is now ready to emerge.
Christine O'Donnell is the last best hope for Democrats in my opinion.
She is the best chance they have to put a losing Republican name and face on this election.
37 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.IrishTierney | Oct 29, 2010, 01:02 PM EDT
When did it become the job of reporters to write editorials (bias opinion). That is exactly what Patrick Roberts does. Pat your not a reporter, your a voice for the Democratic party. Your a libtard-clown and a hack!!!
cpflann | Oct 26, 2010, 10:06 AM EDT
Delaware Democrats should not get complaisant. Christine's voters are highly motivated. Castle lost the nomination by only 3,000 votes because he did not get his voters to the polls. The Democrats need a great get out the vote campaign to defeat O'Donnell and to help the lower end of the ticket. There is some evidence of this; I had 2 different canvassers knock on my door over the weekend.
Monsoonman | Oct 25, 2010, 08:10 PM EDT
What the United States needs is to combine delaware, connecticut, rhode island and vermont into one state. they are far over represented for their size.
GuinnessGrrl | Oct 25, 2010, 07:46 PM EDT
I don't think she's the Democrats only hope, but she has no chance of winning. FiveThirtyEight has Coons winning 57.3% to O'Donnell at 40%. Even Rasmussen, whose polls skew conservative, their latest telephone survey of Likely Voters in Delaware shows Coons earning 51% of the vote, while O’Donnell draws 40% support.
maloney | Oct 25, 2010, 07:14 PM EDT
Roberts, bet you a fin Toomey wins. Along with Angle & Paul. Poor Crissy will have to sit this one out, but god bless her.
SeamusRua | Oct 25, 2010, 02:20 PM EDT
JFlanagan is correct, send them all down the river. You may now return to screaming at each other.
McNamara31 | Oct 25, 2010, 02:08 PM EDT
Vote Republican!!Take Our Country Back!!To The Dark Ages!!
cpflann | Oct 25, 2010, 01:23 PM EDT
What Delaware needs is a Senator who can get things done for the state, not someone with no legislative experience who can't name 1 Senator on the other side with whom she can work.
Searlit | Oct 25, 2010, 12:10 PM EDT
killowen: :)
jflanagan | Oct 25, 2010, 12:05 PM EDT
What we really need is for all the incumbents to lose the election, even though that would never happen. Maybe then the politicians will pay more attention to the electorate and not the special interest groups that have bought BOTH parties and the mostly self centered greedy pols.
TheOldPerfessor | Oct 25, 2010, 10:11 AM EDT
Interesting that those who call Patrick a liar do not inform us what the actual facts are. I'm waiting to be enlightened.
Sybil Meindl | Oct 24, 2010, 10:45 PM EDT
Vote Republican and vote out the socialist democrats.
1IrishMedic | Oct 24, 2010, 10:07 PM EDT
Whoever ye are Maoleitgh, you're a disgrace to the Irish, that's if you are Irish. Your name is a bit odd does it translate to "jerk republican". Seriously the O'Donnell lady is definitely daft, she knows nothing about the US Constutution or its content. Any respectable American with an ounce of common sense would put this woman in an insane asylum. Actually I think she's been paid a lot of money to "act out her role" as a "candidate. However if it makes Democrats think twice about who they should vote for, she can continue to be an idiot for the Republicans.
cpflann | Oct 24, 2010, 09:37 PM EDT
I don't think any of the tea baggers on this blog have responded to any of the serious issues raised regarding O'Donnell. Screaming abuse at people who disagree with you is really childish.
Maoleitigh | Oct 24, 2010, 09:24 PM EDT
When will you stop twisting facts and use your heads. Your liberal thoughts are totally without common sense or reality. Do you really believe all that BS?
Maoleitigh | Oct 24, 2010, 09:20 PM EDT
VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!
Maoleitigh | Oct 24, 2010, 09:20 PM EDT
That is 'REPUBLICAN"
Maoleitigh | Oct 24, 2010, 09:19 PM EDT
VOTE REPULICAN!!!
killowen | Oct 24, 2010, 07:42 PM EDT
Ding-bat.
2IFBYSEA | Oct 24, 2010, 04:46 PM EDT
I am voting for ,John Carney....a childhood friend ,who attended Saint Mark's Catholic High School,with my brothers,sister,and I. He ,is not only a long time resident ,but carries experience, with him. John,is our former Lt. Governor,State of Delaware. I honestly,know little ,of Christine O'Donnell....and do not feel able to comment. Our right to vote, is a prescious one.....one ,that many in the world do not have. I wish each candidte ,best of luck.... !!
jamthecat | Oct 24, 2010, 04:19 PM EDT
An ignorant woman who's used campaign funds to pay for personal expenses runs as a Republican and the GOP hacks think she's the second coming of Reagan. Someone points out how much of a liability she is to the GOP and he's called names and made fun of. Christine O'Donnell IS a gift to the Democrats because she is so obviously unfit for office only the mentally disabled would vote for her. Same goes for Paul Rand and Sharon Angle and that proto-fascist named Brown in Alaska. But that seems to be the profile of today's Republican voter -- crazy as hell. It's disgraceful.
cpflann | Oct 24, 2010, 03:36 PM EDT
I don't think that I have been on a blog where the posters were so uniformly rude as the responses on Christine O'Donnell. Next thing, someone will be threatening "2nd Amendment" remedies.
SyndiHolmes | Oct 24, 2010, 03:07 PM EDT
The Tea Party Republicans present ridiculous candidtes because that is how their leadership perceives the American public and the public has not failed the leadership's (lack of) expectations. People are not voting for change-the Tea Party Republicans are capitalising on anger misdirected against Obama for the bad economic times are a result of 8 years of Bush's unbalanced budgets with unfunded wars and tax breaks for the wealthy. Also, changing demographics threaten their cultural traditions which is exemplified by a mixed race man being in the White House;case in point-see bronxjames below. But they have no proposals for change- only to recycle the failed policies that got us into this predicament in the first place. Average Americans need to accept their fair share of blame for tanking the economy by being such prodigious consumers of Chinese goods to the detriment of their own jobs and the economy.
longislander1940 | Oct 24, 2010, 02:48 PM EDT
Good name calling for all the Republicans running for office. What about all the Democrats who should be in jail like Rangle and the rest of the phonies. You need money to make alot of money and keep business going. You cant keep giving it out to all the freeloaders. VOTE REPUBLICAN in November
Monsoonman | Oct 24, 2010, 02:11 PM EDT
and in typical socialist/npr fashion, irish central will delete your posts and disable your ability to write anything on their boards if you are too right.
bronxjames | Oct 24, 2010, 01:41 PM EDT
Who the hell are you to call someone crazy? I knew a lady that claimed to be a witch. I never once disagreed with her or mocked her. I saw her do some strange things (I don't drink). So if you wish keep calling people names and making jokes about them. It would funny to see that african in the WHITE house turn into a monkey. I hope that doesn't happen, the poor monkeys need help surviving not more problems. THE END FOR DEMS/LIBS IS COMING...WELCOME REPUBLICANS
Pittsburghkid | Oct 24, 2010, 12:48 PM EDT
Mr. Patrick, you have a strange picture of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has a population of 12.5 million, and Delware has a population of 800 thousand. It would be like the Ise. of Man population 80 thousand influencing Ireland population 5.2 million. Delaware is a small state about an 8 hour drive over the Allegheny Mountains from Pittsburgh. I have met more people from Ireland, then from Delaware in my life time. About Christine O'Donnell, she was right about the 1st Admentment. Also about Irish Americans, we are not classified as Irish Americans according to our government. Under the quota system in hiring There is no Irish American classifacation. We are classified as white Americans the same as English, Scotch, German, and Itialian Americans. Diversity in America means White Americans are hired last. Mr. Roberts, you read the New York Times, (which is struggling to survive in America), and you think you understand Americans. You read about the State of Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and over look mountains, population, and size.
maloney | Oct 24, 2010, 11:52 AM EDT
The democrats poster children, Alvin Greene & Grayson.
jdi2269 | Oct 24, 2010, 11:37 AM EDT
patrick roberts is an idiot!
FastEddy | Oct 24, 2010, 11:25 AM EDT
LOL ... the only hope for GOP? How about the senile and the expendables in California? Demofascists have funneled all of their west coast cash back east without full knowledge of "progressive" vulnerabilities. You moves your feet, you lose your seat. ... And Nancy is so hated on the other side of the bridges that no way in Taxafornia will she ever hold sway among the elites except in SF. Hey, ding dong, the witch is dead.
maloney | Oct 24, 2010, 10:57 AM EDT
DemocRATs must truely be desperate if the only thing they have going for them is O'Donnell. Your article is a major insult to the dems. although I'm sure that was not your intention. It's ground & pound in case your interested patty.
JimmieM | Oct 24, 2010, 10:43 AM EDT
??? have you ever seen or heard Christine O'Donnell?...you have written a bunch of words that seem to have no meaning?...the democrats best hope is to be beaten by a nice articulate lady?
cpflann | Oct 24, 2010, 09:55 AM EDT
I beg to differ. Christine is just not that important. As a Delaware resident, I'm bombarded with misleading ads every day from Christine and her fellow tea-party Republicans. What is hurting Pat Toomey are the ads reminding voters that he supports no tax on corporations, export of manufacturing jobs to China and the like. His own sound bites are being used against him very effectively.
rcrdskpr@aol.com | Oct 24, 2010, 09:41 AM EDT
roberts, how long have you suffered from cranial rectal inversion as a dummocrat? is this the best you can do? typical librocrat attack policy. roberts must be positioning himself for a press secretary job somewhere(he hopes).
diannerae | Oct 24, 2010, 09:32 AM EDT
I think everyone should give the dems & republicans a shock and vote NPA (no party affiliation):)
DonMcGuinness | Oct 24, 2010, 09:15 AM EDT
Sorry I should have said An unbiased reporter.
DonMcGuinness | Oct 24, 2010, 09:14 AM EDT
My question is, how much does the Democrat party pay Patrick Roberts to run propaganda pieces for them? Clearly he is nothing but a Democrat party hack. Of course this is my opinion. And I'm not a unbiased reporter just reporting the news.