The surprise victor of Delaware’s GOP Senate primary, Christine O’Donnell, is riding high on a wave of support from angry middle class Americans that have found their voice in the Tea Party movement.

O’Donnell herself has struggled to find a job, hold down a home and pay her taxes.

“In this, at least, she is like many Americans in the Great Recession”, to use the recent words of Frank Rich of the New York Times.

So, the average Republican in Delaware can relate to O’Donnell, and vice-versa. But what about the rest of the electorate?

Angry America

In his editor’s letter at the beginning of the latest issue of Vanity Fair Graydon Carter, 61, the magazine’s long-time editor-in-chief, argues that America, the last remaining superpower (that is until China overtakes her), “seems to be just plain angry all the time”.

Much like Christine O’Donnell, “we are now defined more by what we don’t like rather than what we do like”, claims Mr. Carter.

Even students at UMass are angry at the current crop of politicians serving in Washington.

“Obama has failed to deliver on his promises – he promised too much”, said Jonathan Lopez, 20, an Engineering student at UMass.

Comedy Gold

For weeks Ms. O’Donnell’s sheer wackiness has been generating huge laughs for the likes of Comedy Central, Saturday Night Live and Bill Maher. But, come Election Day in November, she, and other Tea Partiers like her, may have the last laugh.

To once again use the words of Rich, “the more she is vilified”, the more her image as “a fiesty defender of the aggrieved and resentful Joe Plumbers in ‘real America'” is enhanced.

The Tea Party is riding high on a wave of anger. Watch out.

News-2-Know is a blog created by B.J. Roche’s Journalism 301 class. Every weekday, an author will write about a topic that is newsworthy and provide links on additional resources. To read the rest of the entries, click here.