Inspire real people to engage in the political process
Initially, I wasn't really sure about including any stories from my childhood [in this book], because they don't only involve me. My parents and siblings were put through so much scrutiny and hardship when I ran for office and declared myself a public
person. The moment I became a candidate, my life became an open book-- and my life is so intertwined with their lives that my family was thrown right out there with me. Then I realized that my goal in writing this book is to inspire real people to engage
in the political process. And real people have real lives and real problems. When we share the hard truths of our lives they often stand as an inspiration to others.
We've all had our share of rough patches, and I believe we lift each other up when we talk about them; we can learn from each other's mistakes, and find strength in the struggle.
Parable of the Peanuts: instill hard work and determination
Grandpop always had a story or two he'd share to instill the work ethic in us. The most memorable was a kind of parable about hard work and determination, centered on a bag of peanuts. He told it to us so often that years later it made its way into my
campaign speeches. He used to sit us down and say, "Listen, no one is going to hand you a bag of peanuts. If you want a bag of peanuts, you have to earn it. You could work hard and buy two peanuts at the end of each day. Then, eat one peanut and put the
other in a bag. The next day, do the same thing." As he spoke, he'd raise his hand to his mouth as if he was eating a peanut. "Eat one," then gesturing, "put one in a bag. And before you know it, you've earned yourself a bag of peanuts!"
It was a simpl
bit of homespun wisdom, but he handed it down to us kids as if it held all the secrets of the universe. To this day if anyone in my family says, "Eat one peanut." whoever's in earshot will respond, "Put one in a bag."-- complete with hand gestures!
If I were a witch, I'd've turned Karl Rove into a supporter
When Bill Maher showed that old interview, I couldn't think how to respond. Not at first, anyway. The general election was a little more than a month away, and we still didn't have any TV commercials running. Meanwhile, the Coons campaign had launched a
whole series of misleading and distorted ads, quite a few of them attacking me, my family, my background, or my beliefs. Like it or not, like me or not, this nothing comment about a guy I'd known back in high school had set in motion what was starting to
feel like a modern-day witch hunt-- with me cast as... well, as the witch. It would have been silly, if it wasn't so darn serious, if there wasn't so much at stake.
For a while, I managed to defuse a lot of the talk. I even tried to joke about it. When
a reporter asked me about the Politically Incorrect clip, I said, "If I was a witch, I would have turned Karl Rove into a supporter by now"--referring Bush's chief of staff, whose only acknowledgement of my campaign was to lead attacks against us.
Q: Comments that you've made in the past, which are in your own words because they're on the videotape; you even released an ad that opened up by saying "I am not a witch". So what do you say to voters who are uncomfortable by these remarks
O'DONNELL:
This election cycle should not be about comments I made on a comedy show over a decade and a half ago. This election cycle should be about what is important to the people of Delaware. My opponent has said that the statements that we made in our
20s should be off the table, and after he made that statement, days later, he started running ads, going back on his word using those statements to misrepresent my character. My faith has matured over the years but regardless of my personal faith, when
I go down to Washington, D.C., it is the constitution that I will defend and it is by the constitution that I will make all of my decisions.
Decision to black out national media from DE debates
Chris Coons says he's not ducking anything, and he's ready for the tough the questions. "I'm looking forward to any debate that allows Christine O'Donnell and me to have Delaware's voters get a better understanding of our ideas."
Coons has agreed to eight debates before November 2nd. He says he rejected a debate hosted by the 9-12 Patriots for one reason only. "The 9-12 Patriots Group has endorsed her and is an issue group.
We're looking for and have accepted opportunities for debates at independent venues like the University of Delaware, the Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters."
And when it comes to
Christine O'Donnell's decision to black out national media, Coons says she can do whatever she wants. "That's her choice. If my opponent decides to stop answering questions from the national media, I hope Delawareans will take that into account."
Charged with spending $20K after campaign had ended
Christine O'Donnell is facing allegations she used her campaign cash in 2009-2010 as her personal piggy bank. Documents filed with the Federal Election Commission charged that she illegally spent more than $20,000 of her campaign dollars--when she was no
longer a candidate.
O'Donnell denies doing anything wrong, saying there is, "No truth to it."
To be fair, Chris Coons finds himself having to answer questions about an article he wrote in college, where he described himself as a "bearded Marxist."
Source: Anderson Cooper 360 coverage of 2010 Delaware Senate debate
, Sep 21, 2010
Bases campaign on “Deal with Delaware”
My Deal With Delaware is that I pledge:
I will never vote to increase taxes.
I will limit myself to 2 terms.
I will never vote for “pork barrel spending” or corrupt “earmark favors.”
I will always vote in favor of life and families.
Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, www.christineodonnell.com
, Aug 31, 2006
Member of the Tea Party movement.
O'Donnell is a member the Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is a populist conservative social movement in the United States that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally coordinated protests. The protests were partially in response to several Federal laws: the stimulus package; te healthcare bill; and the TARP bailouts. The name "Tea Party" refers to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the source of the phrase, "No Taxation Without Representation."
