Chris May Blog Post

After her truly surprising upset win over Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware's Republican Senate primary Christine O'Donnell has become one of the biggest celebrity politicians in the country. And that might be exactly what she wants. Even more than she wants to become a United States Senator.

Since she captured the nomination just over a week ago, the O'Donnell campaign has ignored virtually every effort this television station (CBS 3) has made to reach out to the candidate. They won't return phone calls. They've held events without notifying the media. And on Tuesday when our reporter Ben Simmoneau dropped by the O'Donnell campaign office in Greenville he was told he was trespassing and that the police would be called if he didn't leave.

In the very same week, O'Donnell found both the time and the desire to appear in two high profile venues: First, at the conservative Values Voters Summit in Washington, and later on Sean Hannity's nightly show on the Fox News Channel in New York.

Now, if you're interested in reaching the voters of Delaware, which would you do? Would you pursue air time on the television stations that cover every square inch of your state? Not the highly expensive paid ads that the Philadelphia market commands, but free air time on the evening news. Or would you head to the two venues that allow you to reach the biggest number of conservative Americans from coast-to-coast? Which path increases your chances of winning a statewide election? And which path increases your chances of becoming a political celebrity?

One thing we can say for sure about Christine O'Donnell is that she's had financial problems in the not-too-distant past. Do you think she's noticed that her friend Sarah Palin was paid (an unconfirmed) $75,000 for one speech at California State University Stanislaus this summer? And that Palin has given many, many more of those speeches since she resigned the office of Governor in Alaska?

Palin is a political celebrity. She has influence. There is a constant buzz that surrounds her. She's a star in conservative political circles. And perhaps Christine O'Donnell, having been given a taste of that world in the past week, has decided that's what she really wants, too. The chance to make money and be heard -- without getting in to the sometimes difficult process of governing.