Christine O'Donnell Seen as 'Nutjob': Meghan McCain

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2010/10/christine-odonnell-seen-as-nut.html

October 17, 2010
Christine O'Donnell Seen as 'Nutjob': Meghan McCain
Michael McAuliff

The Tea Party movement may be bringing energy and voters to the Republican Party, but in Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell, it’s also brought someone Republicans regard as a “nutjob,” Meghan McCain declared today.

Speaking on ABC News’ “This Week,” the daughter of Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain argued that the unrestrained anger and extremism of the Tea Party has allowed unqualified, untested candidates like O’Donnell to succeed.

“I just know, in my group of friends, it turns people off because she’s seen as a nutjob,” McCain said of O’Donnell, whose best-known remarks are probably a video clip of her admitting she dabbled in witchcraft.

“I speak as a 26-year-old woman and my problem is that, no matter what, Christine O’Donnell is making a mockery of running for public office,” McCain said. “She has no real history, no real success in any kind of business.”

“And what that sends to my generation is, one day, you can just wake up and run for Senate, no matter how [much of a] lack of experience you have,” she said.

Republican consultant Matthew Dowd didn’t exactly jump to O’Donnell’s defense.

Republicans “can nominate anybody they want — they nominated somebody that’s not qualified, that’s probably incompetent, that has said some crazy stuff,” Dowd said. “The great news is, the Delaware electorate is probably going to send her packing.”.

Earlier in a debate aired on the show with Delaware Democratic nominee Chris Coons, O’Donnell made a plea for GOP help — that probably will not be forthcoming.

“The state party isn’t helping us. And we’re asking the National Republican senatorial to help us,” she said. “We’ve got the Democratic Senatorial Committee coming after me. We’re hoping that the National Republican Senatorial Committee will help us. But it’s two-and-a-half weeks left, and they’re not.”