Chris Christie: Delaware “missed opportunity” for the Senate

Associated Press: WASHINGTON (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the Senate race in Delaware was "a missed opportunity" for his fellow Republicans to pick up the seat long held by Democrat Joe Biden.

Tea party favorite Christine O'Donnell won the GOP nomination in an upset over moderate Rep. Mike Castle. But she lost the general election Tuesday to Democrat Chris Coons.

Christie says he was proud to have endorsed Castle.

O'Donnell ran a nontraditional campaign that opened with a TV ad saying "I'm not a witch." National Republicans had hoped the race would help them win the majority in the Senate.

Christie told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "I think Delaware was a missed opportunity to have a really good U.S. senator." 

I am going to have to disagree with my governor on this one.   First, Christine O’Donnell was a weak candidate.  Sorry to say it but it is true.  As a Tea Party candidate, the left, the GOP establishment and the media was going to play pile on.  We saw it time and time again throughout this election.  So, when Christine O’Donnell’s turn for the assault came along, she should have been prepared. She simply could not handle the onslaught.

That being said, Mike Castle was the wrong man for the times.  From now to 2012 Republicans are going to have to face some very tough votes in order to bring spending and the deficit under control.  In order to pull that off, every Republican and a few Democrats will be needed in the Senate.  Time and time again, we have seen liberal Republicans like Mike Castle, foil GOP plans by failing to live up to conservative principles.  Both Republicans and the nation cannot afford such fickleness now.

So while Chris Christie may believe that it is important to have another R on the team, the reality is that the quality of the R’s in the senate matter more. 

Perhaps a strong willed man like Chris Christie could keep wayward senate Republicans in check; but I have little faith in Mitch McConnell doing so.

You can see the full video of Chris Christie on Meet the Press at The Right Scoop.

 

Posted by Clifton B