October 4, 2010 9:18 PM

Christine O'Donnell TV Ad: "I'm Not a Witch...I'm You"

By
Dan Farber
Topics
Campaign 2010 ,
Congress ,
Tea Party

>Last Updated: October 5, 2:55 PM ET

Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell launched her first TV ad in her race against Democrat Chris Coons. The ad starts with O'Donnell declaring in a straightforward manner that she is not a witch.

Special Section: Campaign 2010

"I'm not a witch," O'Donnell says, speaking directly into the camera in a slow delivery. "I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you. None of us are perfect, but none of us can be happy with what we see all around us, politicians who think spending, trading favors and backroom deals are the ways to stay in office. I'll go to Washington and do what you'd do. I'm Christine O'Donnell, and I approve this message. I'm you."

"By issuing her 'I am not a witch' denial quote, she has now entered that phrase into the political lexicon, along with other infamous denials," media consultant Brad Phillips said. Among those famous phrases are President Nixon's "I am not a crook," and President Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

"Spokespersons should almost never use the language of denial, and should turn their statements into positive ones instead," Phillips said.


O'Donnell was referencing the "witchcraft" statement she made on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" during a 1999 appearance that was not aired.

"I dabbled into witchcraft -- I never joined a coven. But I did, I did. ... I dabbled into witchcraft. I hung around people who were doing these things. I'm not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do. . . ., " she said. "One of my first dates with a witch was on a Satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that. ... We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a Satanic altar."

The new ad was launched on the same day that stories circulated about O'Donnell saying that China has "carefully thought out a strategic plan to take over America" during her 2006 Senate campaign. She added that she couldn't elaborate. "I wish I wasn't privy to some of the classified information that I am privy to," she said according to an Associated Press report.

The ad is being aired in three Delaware counties (New Castle, Kent and Sussex), as well as Philadelphia, PA and Salisbury, MD markets.

According to most recent polls O'Donnell is trailing Coons by about 15 points.

Gallery: Christine O'Donnell's 10 Most Controversial Statements


Add a Comment See all 150 Comments
by kimsmith79 November 16, 2010 9:43 PM EST
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by jrosekonungrinn October 20, 2010 8:35 PM EDT
I think it's offensive that she thought "I'm not a witch" was important enough to say. She puts herself in line with the uneducated bigots and the twisted fantasy-enacting wanna-bes who think that witches have anything to do with Satan. Satan belongs to Christianity, and they can keep him. People are people, whatever they believe. You can say all witches are evil if you think all Asians are good at math and all African Americans can play basketball. Some bigots these days will still get up and say "I am not a homosexual", but would anyone these days dare says "I do not have African heritage in my bloodline"? When will people learn? Witches were the Wise Women, the Healers. They were the ones making the herbal teas and therapeutic oils that are so back in style these days. How about a little respect.
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by ruby633 October 14, 2010 11:59 AM EDT
Ay-yah yah,....Politics. What next? Congratulations Christine, you made history, the worst ad in the history of the U.S. dating back to the Salem witch trials and the Boston TEA PARTY. Personally, I would have preferred hearing from Debbie Reynolds. To her political strategists: This is clearly not the direction for political reform.
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by NoSpin158 October 11, 2010 11:39 AM EDT
I'm not a witch, I'm you. I'm a liar. I lied about my education, election record and reason for being demoted, then fired. I'm like my counterparts in the Senate who lie to about $10.1 trillion of the cumulative national debt occurring under Reagan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. I'm like my counterparts who lie about the Tea People being a grass roots movement that is funded by a handful of wealthy businessmen. I'm you ... I'm a liar.
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by meadce October 7, 2010 11:23 PM EDT
Black background, black hair, black dress. "I'm not a witch" - there's something wrong with this picture. What was the PR person thinking?
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by jsilver2th October 6, 2010 2:30 PM EDT
Official Notice from "Anti-Sarah Palin" Bloggers Union:

According to national trending index by Liberal Media Conspiracy headquarters in Hollywood, Ca. Christine O'Donnell effect nationwide ripple effect will completely overwhelm GOP by election day, therefore,

All "anti-Sarah Palin" bloggers are hereby given a vacation through the election- we could never come up with anything this great- be back on the job for 2012 however-
Reply to this comment
by edixope4842 October 6, 2010 8:27 AM EDT
test
Reply to this comment
by jsilver2th October 6, 2010 5:16 PM EDT
flunked
by Unblieveable October 5, 2010 10:01 PM EDT
The Witch: I'm not a witch I'm not a witch!
Sir Bedevere: But you are dressed as one
The Witch: *They* dressed me up like this!
Crowd: We didn't! We didn't...
The Witch: And this isn't my nose. It's a false one.
Sir Bedevere: [lifts up her false nose] Well?
Peasant 1: Well, we did do the nose.
Sir Bedevere: The nose?
Peasant 1: And the hat, but she is a witch!
Crowd: Yeah! Burn her! Burn her!


Sir Bedevere: What makes you think she's a witch?
Peasant 3: Well, she turned me into a newt!
Sir Bedevere: A newt?
Peasant 3: [meekly after a long pause] ... I got better.
Crowd: [shouts] Burn her anyway!
Reply to this comment
by uradufuss October 5, 2010 3:50 PM EDT
I've talked with some of her old boyfriends, and the all think she's a witch...
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by JV1970 October 5, 2010 4:54 PM EDT
I doubt that you even know who her old boyfriends are and I sure doubt that you've talked to any of them!
by JV1970 October 5, 2010 3:34 PM EDT
O'Donnell made a mistake. Instead of running this ad she should have held a news conference and looked straight into the cameras and declared in no uncertain terms and in a forceful and a straight forward manner that she is not a witch and ended this nonsense! If she is going to be a politician she is going to have to be much more forceful and direct in the future than she was in this ad.
Reply to this comment
by san850 October 5, 2010 3:45 PM EDT
She is also going to have to stop taking her cues from Sarah Palin and start presenting real ideas and solutions to the real problems we are facing.
by JV1970 October 5, 2010 4:13 PM EDT
san850 I doubt that Sarah had anything to do with this. Also I really doubt that Sarah even knew anything about this whole witchcraft story on O'Donnell until the media got a hold of it!
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