Written By : Kathleen McKinley

Oh Lord, You should have been on twitter tonight when Christine O’Donnell beat long time GOP incumbent Mike Castle in Delaware for the GOP nomination. It was a free for all between Republican establishment types and Tea Party types. I’m not joking. If the twitter feed had been all of us in a room, we would have had to call the police for domestic violence. I think the same sort of thing was going on between McConnell and DeMint I’m sure.

Like I have been saying all along, the GOP thought it had the Tea Party in it’s pocket. But I think it’s quite clear now after Joe Miller in Alaska, Rand Paul in Kentucky, Sharon Angle in Nevada, and now O’Donnell in Delaware, and what looks like a Marco Rubio win in Florida, that the Tea Party (the people) are now calling some of the shots, and the establishment GOP is having a hissy fit. Politico titled their piece “The Tea Party Coup GOP nightmare: O’Donnell topples Castle.”

I think the notion that the Tea Party is the long arm of the GOP is quite shattered now.

The Politico forgot one word though. It is a nightmare for the GOP establishment. You could hear the grinding of the teeth as the NRSC put out a statement congratulating O’Donnell.

The media and the left can keep using the words, “moderate Republican” when they really mean RINO, but we know the difference. You see, we have had it. We’ve had with Republicans that vote for spending bills like Democrats. We’ve had it with Republicans voting for bigger government. We’ve had it with backdoor deals, and good ole boys. We’ve had it when “bi-partisan” only counts if you are a Republican compromising one’s values, but never a Democrat. Castle was a RINO. It’s that simple. No more RINOS. We. Are. Done.

The talking heads are all saying O’Donnell can’t possibly win the election, but that is what they said about the primary too. Maybe she won’t. I don’t know. But I wouldn’t count her out just yet. But make no mistake about it, a message has been sent.

You might hear a lot of Democrats tomorrow quoting Karl Rove last night on Hannity dismissing O’Donnell. Here’s why. A year ago Rove asked Russ Murphy, head of the 9/12 Patriots for a private meeting with the Tea Party to ask them to “get behind the party.” Murphy said the people in the room laughed (This story was told by Jon Ward, the White House Reporter with the Daily Caller on twitter). So there is a real rift between conservatives on the ground and the political elite. I suggest to the NRSC and the GOP to get it’s act together and “get behind the people.”

Remember when Palin said that she felt she needed to go and back candidates that believe the things conservatives believe? I do believe she is practicing what she preaches, and doing a dang good job at it.

Now, a message to all my Republican friends. Go kiss and make up. We’ve got a country to win back.

Update: I have GOT to add this most excellent point from Ben Domenech at RedState. He states it perfectly:

Conservatives should not tolerate the likes of Mike Castle because of the simple fact that a 51 member Senate with Mike Castle is a Senate where Mike Castle is the most important vote in the room. As Specter and others before him, that Senator will set the terms of policy debates, determining in advance what can succeed and fail. Those who advance the argument that a majority with Castle is better than being in the minority tend to place priorities on Senate committee chairmanships and staff ratios and lobbyist cash… a list which pales in comparison to the power they would wield as the broker for both sides. Again and again I saw this play out during my time as a Senate staffer, and anyone who tells you contrary is incredibly naive about the way legislative decisions are made.

As a friend of mine in the business of campaigns and elections has said, electing moderates simply to secure a majority for Republicans is a self-defeating proposition. We’ve seen this play out time and again. Career politicians abhor principle, and adore power and fecklessness. Their presence in Washington provides constant aid and comfort to the Left. They dilute the brand, confuse voters and sell out conservatives just at the moment they are needed most.

UPDATE!: NRSC’s Cornyn, head of the NRSC sends check and endorses O’Donnell . I think he felt the heat.

Rep. Mike Pence thinks O’Donnell can win.

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