Now that Christine O’Donnell and other insurgents have won their respective primaries with upset victories in Delaware and elsewhere, it’s absolutely fascinating to watch the dinosaur media’s antics as they drink from the same vat of Kool-Aid and form what’s almost an identical narrative:
“Hooray! The GOP just lost its chances to take the Senate.”
“This proves that moderates have no home in the GOP.”
“Even real Republicans ( whom we normally despise) are joining in characterizing this as an extreme movement.”
Even more interesting was the response of the GOP establishment and the way it played in the media. Karl Rove, for instance didn’t even bother congratulating O’Donnell but spent most of his time last night on Hannity bashing her and repeating Mike Castle’s talking points about her “character” and “attitude” claiming she had ignored the questions about her financial problems…when in fact, she did. Expect the usual suspects to highlight Rove’s remarks no end today.
John Cornyn, head of the Republican National Senatorial Committee was even quoted as trashing O’Donnell’s chances to win and as saying that he and the rest of the committee are going to “have a little pow-wow” over whether to commit any money to the Delaware race.
What we’re seeing here, of course, is the reaction of the Old Guard – both the GOP and the media – to a revolution in the making. And they don’t like it.
While O’Donnell does indeed have some baggage, the choice was between her and a couple of politicians who were essentially votes for the Obama agenda.. Once people figured that out they simply asked themselves how much, in the end, did it really matter whether there was a ‘R’ or a ‘D’ behind their name if it was just going to be business as usual with the same old faces?
Most of the media has yet to grasp the fact that people are increasingly asking themselves that question. And the GOP will survive only to the extent it recognizes that reality. Otherwise, we’re talking about a reprise of the Whigs here.
One more thought… conspicuously absent has been more than passing references to Sarah Palin, who once again seems to have powerful coattails.
That’s something that apparently bothers the political establishment as well as the media; apparently they would just as soon let that little factoid pass.