The fast approaching date for the Delaware Republican primary is Tuesday September, 14th. The choice before the voters could not be more stark. Nor could it be more momentous. On this day, the choice of a senate nominee will be made between a dynamic, young committed conservative and a cynical old liberal career politician. This little noticed primary has implications far beyond the borders of the First State.

Who shall represent us? What qualifies one to be senator? Unlike her liberal Republican opponent, Christine O’Donnell is not a career politician. In contrast to Mike Castle, she has not spent the past forty years living off the taxpayers and accumulating an estimated $8 million in personal net worth as a “public servant.” Unlike Mr. Castle, she has not received $3 million in corporate campaign donations this election cycle alone. And unlike him, she did not bankrupt the country in order to fund TARP.

Therefore, unlike Mike Castle, she has not received substantial kicked back campaign contributions from these sameTARP recipients. While the average American, of which Christine O’Donnell is one, has struggled under the burdensome economic disaster brought on by irresponsible liberal policies, Mr. Castle has directly benefitted from them.

Christine O’Donnell describes herself as a “citizen politician” and one who is committed to the “politics of principle over the politics of power.” She has earned her living in marketing and in political consulting. In this capacity, she has been committed to, and active in, the conservative movement since the 1980′s. In contradistinction to her opponent, who could be described as a poster boy for “the culture of death,” Christine is unapologetically pro life. If one were tempted to believe that Christine is simply another political wannabe, one only needs to listen to her boldly field questions concerning the third rail issue of abortion. The way in which a politician handles this issue reveals, more than any other, the character of the candidate. You will never hear Christine utter the nauseating platitude of being “personally opposed” etc. In addition to this stance, Ms. O’Donnell is committed to the Second Amendment. In this regard as well, the contrast with her opponent, who has received an F- rating from The NRA, could not be more clear. She has been vigorously opposed to the recent and unprecedented growth of government and assaults upon the free market. Voters can compare these positions with the record of Mike Castle. In his capacity as governor and the sole member of congress from Delaware, Mr. Castle has supported virtually every tax increase he has had the opportunity to vote upon. Besides voting for TARP, Mr. Castle supported Cash for Clunkers, the failed Pelosi economic stimulus packages, and the government take overs of the auto and banking industries.

From the beginning, Christine O’Donnell was vehemently opposed to the national socialized medicine legislation that was recently forced down the throats of the American people. Although Mr. Castle eventually voted against this bill, he waited until only three days prior to the vote before declaring his intentions. It is now clear that at that point Speaker Pelosi no longer required his vote. Furthermore, unlike Ms. O’Donnell, he does not support repeal of this intrusive and destructive legislation.

With an overconfident arrogance only possible in a “life long” member of the liberal political ruling class, Mike Castle has almost literally “given the finger” to conservatives during this election cycle. In this period of backlash over the attempted socialist remake of our country, Mike Castle is one of only a handful of Republicans to actively support Obama, Reid and Pelosi. In the face of overwhelming opposition among his constituents, he actually voted for the Cap and Trade energy scam. He co sponsored the Disclose Act, which is nothing more than a gag on political speech for all but those who are a part of the establishment, and most recently he voted for the “financial reform legislation” designed to reward his big corporate contributors.

It seems that Mr. Castle, an enthusiastic supporter of all entitlements, feels entitled to the Delaware Senate seat. This is, after all, the former seat of Delaware’s other political embarrassment, Joe Biden. Mike and Joe have enjoyed a long and close political partnership as well as a very cordial personal relationship. It is only natural, in Mr. Castle’s mind, that he should ascend still higher among the ruling elite. This is the way it has always worked in Delaware. 

But will Delaware Republicans cooperate? The argument in favor of supporting Mike Castle in this closed Republican primary is cynical and pathetically weak. The notion that, in November, Mike Castle would be a stronger candidate for Republicans than Christine O’Donnell is fallacious. The Democrat opponent in this race is Chris Coons. Mr. Coons is no more than a third rate New Castle County political hack. He would be an easy mark for the sincere and dynamic Ms. O’Donnell. In this season of discontent with incumbents, Chris Coons can only be seen as the lesser of two evils, when viewed in comparison to Mike Castle’s forty year record of titanic irresponsibility. 

In 1964 Ronald Reagan gave one of the most profound political speeches of all time, “A Time For Choosing.” In that speech, he outlined what was at stake in the coming election. Americans did choose that year. Among the consequences of that choice were the deaths of 57,000 American service personnel in a war that elected officials never intended to win. America’s choice that year also enabled Lyndon Johnson to enact his “Great Society” legislation. In a very real sense, it was this choice that has set us on the path of socialism that we find ourselves today. This choice has provided the springboard for President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Castle to “fundamentally transform America.” The election of 1964 had profound implications for The United States and, indeed, the world. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that the September, Republican Primary in Delaware also has profound and far reaching implications. Here is the rub: the election for senator in November is a special election to fill the prematurely vacated seat of the current Vice President. Unlike other senators, the winner of this race will not need to wait until January in order to be sworn in. It is openly acknowledged that following the major anticipated Republican gains in the coming election, Harry Reid will attempt, in a lame duck session of congress, to complete the socialist transformation of the country that is now well under way. Mike Castle’s record can leave no doubt that he would be a enthusiastic supporter of this project, as would Chris Coons. “First State” Republicans have a chance to make a difference that may never come again. Conservatives around the country can also contribute to this most vital cause and support a rising conservative star, Christine O’Donnell.