Sunday, December 18, 2011

Mitt

The news shook the political world: perennial Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell made her pick in the 2012 presidential race last night. And, that pick was former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney....Ok, not really.

At first glance, the O’Donnell endorsement seems like an obvious “pariah endorsement” slot. Yes, she was the Republican nominee for Senate in Delaware in 2010 but she lost that race badly and, in so doing, proved herself to be something short of a serious candidate — though, of course, not a witch.
O’Donnell seemed to be pushing for the “pariah endorsement” in announcing her support of Romney Wednesday on CNN, telling that network that Romney’s flip-flopping was “one of the things that I like about him — because he’s been consistent since he changed his mind.” Um....
But, it’s impossible for us to categorize O’Donnell as a full-fledged “pariah endorsement” for one simple reason: the Romney campaign touted it.
“Christine has been a leader in the conservative movement for many years,” Romney said in a release put out by his campaign. “Christine recognizes that excessive government threatens us now and threatens future generations, and I am pleased to have her on my team.”
Why would Romney tout the endorsement? In theory, O’Donnell’s still retains credibility among some tea party activists. And her donor list — she raised $7.3 million in 2010 — is worth something to Romney.

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