Behind the DE GOP Complete and Utter Melt Down (not that I mind)
About primary night, Celia writes:
McCain’s chief backer in Delaware was Congressman Mike Castle, the face of the Delaware Republican Party since he was elected governor in 1984.
Mike Castle, the face of the Republican party since 1984. That is a succinct explanation for why the DE GOP has fallen apart. Sure, George Bush has demolished the GOP on a national level, but other states still have functioning Republican parties.
Other state Republican parties still developed down ticket candidates. Other state GOP’s still get more that 2 people to an RD for a special election. Many can still get legit people to run for Governor.
Not here. The DE GOP is defunct. Moribund. Dead.
And nobody has ever given me a good explanation why Mike Castle does not get any of the blame for that. He is a leader with no leadership skills. He is lacking any sense of his role as the head of the party.
He, literally, could not be more useless to Republicans working in the trenches here in Delaware.
Jason,
I don’t agree with your take on Mike Castle. Fromwhat I see for the most part he works hard for any candidate who asks him to participate and while yes he is a party leader the place where he is held accountable is at the polls and voters have given him their support.
The sad reality is Delaware has undergone quite a demographic shift in the last twenty years and we have been in denial about that change. Refusing to accept facts because they are uncomfortable is pure folly. (a Reagan quote).
The first step to solving a problem is accepting one exists. The Delaware GOP faces many challenges but we are not done by far.
Jason,
I agree with some of your observations, but I also think Dave has a point on FSP–given that we are such a small state (and the state bureaucracy can only be shrunk, it appears to a certain point no matter how small the State is) that we have such a high percentage of the work force in government employ, I think that’s also played a role.
Even laying aside social or cultural conservatism, its difficult to put together enough of a coalition around fiscal conservatives in a state where everybody in our legislature appears to be functioning on the spoils and nepotism system.
In that kind of environment I think it will always be an uphill battle for Republicans as a party, whereas an individual with great personal draw will still do well, as Castle has done.
Hmmm… I see. So you guys are saying that the problem is that Delaware as a whole rejects your brand of social and fiscal conservativism? I can see why you guys stay very focused on the state legislature.
No, that is not the case, historically Delaware always chose democrats who would decrease the size and scope of government involvement- they were typically from Sussex County, but that system changed some time ago.
A good place to start is a top down independent review of all state agencies and departments for staffing, mission and results.
I know we could deliver more value to taxpayers if we did this small step.
“we have such a high percentage of the work force in government employ….”
Exactly how high a percentage is that, Steve? What figure did Burris give?
If being a small state means it’s likely to vote Democratic because of the insular nature of public cronyism , nepotism, a high percentage public employees in the workforce, then can someone tell me why that of all the state’s w/ smaller populations than DE (SD, AK, ND and VT) only one tends to vote Dem (VT) and all the rest vote GOP?
can someone tell me why that of all the state’s w/ smaller populations than DE (SD, AK, ND and VT) only one tends to vote Dem (VT) and all the rest vote GOP?
No. Nobody can.