Open Source Delaware Political Hierarchy Map
In the spirit of Dominique who is learning up on Delaware polticos, I want to flesh out who calls the shots and who is who’s bitch in Delaware politics.
There will be some poeple who appear in both the Democratic and Republican chart, but for simplicity we’l start with Democrats. I’ll begin, but warn you that what follows if the product of pure speculation. (That is where the “open source” part comes in. Help me out and we’ll have a document for the ages.)
Democrats
Joe Biden has the most juice in Delaware. Directly underneath him are Tom Carper and Beau Biden. (Beau due to his close connection to Joe) Under them there is a tier that includes Carney and Markell. I think John Daniello probably resides on this tier as well.
Just under them it starts to branch off. I would say that Matt Denn is in the “club” but at a lesser station than everyone previously mentioned but a slightly higher station than Thurman Adams who is at the top of the next tier. Adams looks down on the rest of the GA, party officials, Sam Latham, Theo Gregory and Jim Paoli.
Next we have…
What about Windsor Smith?
What about Harris McDowell? where does he fall in this scenario?
I disagree that Beau is that close to the top and I think that Carper is actually on top of what is Delaware DEM (cough incumbents, cough) politics being as he has worn so many hats and has a much, much farther reach with the kinds of henchpeople that served under him in some capacity, we are talking hundreds of drones here.
You guys are all wet. If you are talking about perception based on position and how they got there (or stayed) you may have a point, but if you are talking about actually being able to control the reins of the state, you are in the worng zip code, let alone ballpark.
Thurman Adams has the most juice in state politics, period. You can’t really count Biden, Carper and Castle in the mix. They are not State players. They are usually given deference if they want something, but they hold no real sway if their desire on the state plane is counter to the will of Thurman. Case in point – Castle came to Delaware to lobby a state bill for stem cell research. It failed. Guess who didn’t want it?
Beau is no where near on Adams’ level, even though he may have his dad and statewide office. Case in point- DeLuca just introduced a bill to decimate the civil side of the AG’s office because Thurman is not happy with something Beau has done. Also, Beau wouldn’t even run until he had met with and gotten the blessing of Adams.
Adams is more powerful than this – or any – Governor. He says who is approved for appointments, very often before their names ever see the light of day. That’s Cabinet members, judges, boards and commissions – anyone who needs Senate approval.
And, as everyone likes to note on the blogosphere – he’s got the Senate Rules with the desk drawer veto.
Now, does he have political weaknesses? Yes, but they are few and far between. Does he have as great a control in local issues in New Caslte County? No, but you’d better bet if DeLuca has an interest, Adams will go along. Does he sometimes need the support of others to get his will done? Yes, but that’s politics, no one can control everything in one set of hands – it takes strings and knowing how and when to pull them.
Get off the web and get in the real world if you want to know how it works. Politics is not something that can be fully understood in the ether.
I was going to say the same thing, PO. It’s all about Adams in this state. He holds the keys to the kingdom.
I. Francis Biondi? Joe Farley, Sr? Delmarva?
I am reluctant to crown Adams emporer of all he surveys.
My guess is it’s a cartel that includes those mugs known as ‘heavy hitters’ ($$$$$$) and their thug minions.
Wilmington being a cartel unto itself….for the rest of the story stay tuned.
How about Carper / Adams at the top
Adams has sway over the day to day policy but it still appears that Carper is the King maker overall ever since he took over his party in NCC
The state’s politics has always had a funky me too aspect to it according to upstate and downstate power. There is no doubt that Adams is the more visible ‘power’ nor that Carper has the reins of the ‘party itself’ but I get the feeling that one has to be from upstate and one from downstate at all times.
One reason that Ruth Ann was put on the ticket was because it was slower lower’s “turn” at the helm.