A Premortem Post on Christine O'Donnell


A few years ago, Intelligent Design was promoted by a conservative think tank as a makeover for Creationism. The Adam and Eve story was having some setbacks in focus groups when it was decided to give Creationism a new look with Intelligent Design which took the focus off Adam and Eve and instead hyped an explanation that sounded something like this: "Come on. Science didn't make people. An intelligent designer made people." As part of the sales package Intelligent Design would be billed as science to make it even more competitive with Evolution with all of its forensic evidence and proof. All of a sudden there was new energy and enthusiasm in the ranks of those who refudiated Evolution. There was something new to rally around. Everybody knows that new stuff is better than old stuff. For a while anyway.

Mention Intelligent Design five years later and you'll get a "oh yeah, what happened with that whole thing" type of response. It's just like Christine O'Donnell. I'm not saying the Delaware Republican Senate nominee is being touted as the latest argument against Evolution (though now that I think about it, that connection doesn't seem all that unreasonable). I am saying that in five, nay, one year we will be asking "Oh yeah, what happened with that whole thing."

The name of Ronald Reagan comes up often as a warning when people ridicule the most ridiculous Republican/Tea Party candidates. We are reminded of how so many doubted Reagan's ascendancy and the same comparison is being made with O'Donnell. I think this is the most sympathy I've ever felt for Reagan, having a bunch of hacks likened to him. Regardless of how little I think about the man, I can appreciate the fact that he had it more together than people like Christine O'Donnell.

Reagan was like the front for a larger infrastructure that had been behind him since his days as governor of California. Reagan himself brought plenty to the table such as his communication skills and charm, but behind him was his posse of tacticians led by Michael Deaver and Ed Meese. There was a semblance of stability and organization around him. He didn't seem like a loose Cannon. He wasn't swarmed with allegations. When he won the presidency he had the support of his party.

O'Donnell is marching to the beat of a different instrument altogether. The only campaign staff of hers we know about is a former campaign manager who has come out against O'Donnell in recent ads. O'Donnell is dogged by chapters of financial irresponsibility, none of which she seems to explain very well. It may be a testament to her experience as a marketing consultant that she has made it this far in spite of her mysterious past but that does not make her house of cards less likely from falling down.

It is fitting that O'Donnell is being backed by Sarah Palin whose own political disorganization seems to inspire O'Donnell. Palin's political bravado stems partly from a notion that she didn't get this far by taking advice from people and learning things. Well, she hasn't gotten that far at all. She lost her one national race and now she is a popular niche personality. She has proven that she is not up to the task of making herself a better candidate and because of that she is going to keep appealing to the same niche and no more.

Ronald Reagan at least looked like he knew what he was talking about. He didn't verbally meander until his mental Butterball turkey thermometer popped up inside his brain. He spoke with a purpose that revealed to many people he had a vision for America and not just himself. He didn't negotiate reality television deals, and he didn't have to spend time deflecting rumors about his past.

I'm not saying that there's no such thing as upsets, and people MAY vote for a total hot mess for Congress, but you better have your shit a little more together if you're running for any office higher than that unless your dad was president. There is a contingent of people you can sway by shouting "No taxes, no government" but the electorate as a whole needs to be convinced that you're not another Katherine Harris. Or Intelligent Design.

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