Not A Witch!

Posted by Larry Miller on October 5, 2010 under Why | Be the First to Comment

The new Christine O’Donnell ad running in Delaware is a little different than the type of thing we are accustomed to seeing. It is a peaceful presence in a political world dominated by nasty, negative sounds and images. To be sure, going negative works or it would not be done with such annoying frequency, but not right now.

Ms. O’Donnell is in the midst of a firestorm of hostility, not just from her opponent, but from elements within her own party. The funny thing about her situation is that the more the opposition rants and raves about her imaginary faults, the larger and more loyal her cadre of followers grows. While many of us, myself included, smile every time we see Chris Christie tear the rhetorical heart of some n’er do well progressive, there is a time and place for everything. There certainly will be a time for that in her current campaign, given complete unsuitability for the position of her opponent, Cris Coons.

The press, Coons, who bills himself as “strong, progressive voice for Delaware”, party insiders and even some so-called conservative pundits have tried to label her as a kook, with some flaky ideas and a checkered past. Now just may be the time for some calm, personal assurance the Ms. O’Donnell is, indeed, just like us… disgusted with politics as usual… and wanting to return to the country they knew.

In a time when the gulf between the commoners and the ruling elite is wider than it has ever been, a calm assurance that she just like the voters is what we need. The same pundits that want us to believe she is a bit strange have also complained about the ad. It’s not traditional enough to be to their liking. This may be its primary virtue. It breaks with the business as usual politics.

Not being raised in the aristocracy of politically connected and protected family, she is a non-traditional candidate who won the nomination by non-traditional means. Sure, the grassroots efforts have always been praised by party leaders, but only when they perform as directed… not when they assume control of the process. If she should roll out slick looking ads with, whatever the feminine equivalent of the candidate with his sleeves rolled up and jacket slung over his shoulder looking all the visionary as he gazes off into the distance, it would be difficult to convince the voters she has not been sucked into the organizational system.

A lot of people have given unsolicited advice, and probably much of is it well intentioned and a lot of it is good. However, her campaign has a vision that must be the primary focus, not the niceties of political tradition. Instead of disparaging an ad that may not fit the mold, we should be wishing her well and doing what we can to help.