candidate, defeating both Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams in the general election, winning with a plurality. This made her only the second U.S. Senator, the first write-in candidate to be elected since Strom Thurmond in the United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1954. According to The Daily Beast reporter Shushannah Walshe, Christine O'Donnell's unlikely prospects of upsetting establishment Republican candidate Mike Castle "changed overnight" due to Palin's endorsement. O'Donnell defeated Castle in the September 14 primary for Joe Biden's former Senate seat in Delaware. Her O'Donnell endorsement further increased tensions between Palin and the Republican establishment: leading conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer described the endorsement as "reckless and irresponsible". In 2010, former congressman and influential TV host Joe Scarborough urged his party to dissociate itself from her. Party strategist Karl Rove argued that it may have been Palin's endorsement of O'Donnell that ultimately cost the GOP the Delaware Senate seat. Commentators including Politico's Ben Smith posited that Palin's support of O'Donnell contributed to dashing Republican hopes of regaining control of the U.S. Senate. Another Palin endorsement carried Nevada's Sharron Angle to a 40.1% primary win, in the race to beat highly endangered incumbent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but the controversial Angle's nomination sank those chances. Reid prevailed 50.3% to 44.6% in the 2010 election, despite his losing 14 of Nevada's 17 counties. Angle had led by as much as 11% in March and June Rasmussen polling. Palin's influence over the primaries nonetheless further increased speculation that she would seek to be the party's nominee for president in 2012, with political pundits such as David Frum and Jonathan Chait identifying Palin as the front-runner. 2012 election cycle and candidacy speculation Beginning in November 2008, following Palin's high profile in the presidential campaign, an active "Draft Palin" movement started. On February 6, 2010, when asked on Fox News whether she would run for president in 2012, she replied, "I would be willing to if I believe that it's right for the country." She added, "I won't close the door that perhaps could be open for me in the future." In November 2010 Palin confirmed that she was considering running for the Presidency and was "having that discussion with my family". She said she realised her level of experience could cause problems with winning the nomination and criticized the "lamestream media" for focusing attention on her personal life. In March 2011, Palin