Chairman Wolfgang von Baumgart and more…
The former secretary and current chairman of the Independent Party of Delaware sounds more like a villain out of the Harry Potter series than a political official. But hey, as Jason has said, there is more comedy gold in this News Journal piece than just funny names. Namely, the way the party contacts its members and supporters. In 2004, the party held its nominating convention in a bar owned by their nominee, Frank Infante.
“We had about 14 people show up,” said Mike Dore, now a Democrat, who was the Independent Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor that year. “We paid about $350 to publish a small advertisement in The News Journal, inviting anyone who was a party member and giving notice of the convention. Each member who attended cast their own ballot. It was very open. That’s what we were about. It was built into our bylaws.”
This was in 2004, the age of telephones and e-mails. You mean to tell me that the Party does not have the email addresses and phone numbers of their active members. I mean, everytime I go to a party function, I routinely sign those sign-in/volunteer sheets and those often request your address, telephone number and email address. If you are committed party member, would you not provide that information to the party you so fervently support?
We also know via this article that the preferred candidate of the disgruntled Independent Party members is Floyd McDowell, who is 81 years old and undergoing cancer treatments. We know the party has no access to its website. We know the party has $24 in its coffers. We know Liz Allen writes emails full of grammatical errors. We know some party officials view our Chancery Court to be a “pee wee” court.
And we know that this current Independent Party is in no way a vehicle for reform and change, not when they blatantly disregard the laws of this state, but their own bylaws.
Yeah, and I just can’t wait for the day the US Supreme Court takes up this argument!
From the same article in the News Journal:
On the continum of effective communication, putting an add in the paper narrowly beats out nailing a broadside to the church door but is slightly less effective than an aldus lamp
Smoke signals are more effective. For at least they are more visible.
What’s a paper?
It is utterly disgraceful that Floyd McDowell’s health is made anybody’s damn business but his own, especially as cover for political bossism run amok.
This is perhaps the most piss poor rationalization and ex-post justification amongst a hodge podge of them.
Floyd and I spoke at length twice in the last week. He was energetic and sharp as ever, articulating a panoply of excellent reform proposals for Delaware. He sounded strong and said his health is fine and not an issue. He is ready to hit the campaign trail.
Dr. McDowell has the desire and the commitment to lend his voice and articulate the ideals and ideals on which he founded his party.
To deny his vote and silence his voice in this manner is just despicable. Anyone who would blithely accept the benefit of this dirty deed is reprehensible.
Mr. Protack is running for Governor as a Republican, as far as we know. Floyd McDowell’s candidacy would not have ended Protack’s, we can all agree I’m sure.
But Protack is just fine serving his candidacy by kaiboshing Dr. McDowell’s…at least for now.
Doesn’t Mr. Protack state “you don’t have to be wrong for me to be right”?
Well, Floyd McDowell doesn’t have to be silenced for Mike Protack to have a voice. But apparently he is fine with it.
Utterly cold and mercenary is the best description I can conjure.
I will never believe otherwise until the day Mr. Protack withdrawals his candidacy filing and stands before the voters of the party he seeks to represent, with the decision in their hands.
I know a lot of your comment and anger is directed to Protack here, but since I also mentioned the fact that Dr. McDowell is 81 and is undergoing cancer treatments, and in the context that it would be a negative thing insofar as he being a candidate for governor, I feel I have to respond.
I agree with you that what the Executive Committee of the Independent Party did in nominating Protack was underhanded and illegitimate. I am not in any way cheering the Independence Party and its actions in this post. Indeed, it is quite clear that I am saying they do not have their act together. And the evidence of that is that their choices for their gubernatorial nominee are Mike Protack and Dr. McDowell.
Dr. McDowell may be a great and honorable man with great ideas, but his age and diagnosis are a legitimate concern. Voters do care about age in voting for their leaders. And they also worry about their health. Look at John McCain for evidence of that.
So I was in no way trying to denigrate the man. I was just pointing out that he may not be up for the campaign, and should somehow win the election, that he may not be able to serve.
Dr. Floyd McDowell actually fought Jack Dempsey back in the day! He is a fighter and has beat his illness. Problem is that Wolfe and the Gang, realized that “if they didnt act (illegally) to get Protack “political prince of darkness) as the nominee, all Floyd had to do was present himself to the members and we would be on board.
Floyd McDowell has more brilliance and is an honest and decent a man anyone would ever meet. He was effective in Georgia in getting the Voting Rights passed, got our kids out of state insitutions and into community group homes (that was a national move). His platforms and good government issues, make his arguments so tight and so correct, when he ran for Governor in 2000 with all his issues. The citizens gave his standing ovations, but they also told him, “while we support everything you offer, we know that a minority party candidate makes you unelectable”.
Just wait until he comes out with his latest initiative, those who know about “are already calling him up”, to get their hands on it! Protack emailed Floyd after their one hour meeting asking for it…Protack has never issued one piece of legislation, and uses others…he was going to “use” Floyd’s, while working behind our backs with Wolf and the Gang”, to make sure his candidacy for Governor would be undermined.
Check out WHO’s Who, you will see Dr. McDowell…not a simpleton like Mike the Jackal Protack.
I can’t tell you how upsetting this all is for me personally. I have always tried to fight for the rights of every man,woman to vote. I offered up Robert Brown as a potential candidate for NCC chair. To now have that man take away my vote in 2008 in my own party, is dispicable.
He says in the News Journal, he will take the case to the US Supreme Court. What a laugh…try getting through a Delaware Court, Robert with your view and those of the Gang of 4, that in Delaware in IPOD, only 4 self appointed’s get to vote….no need for a convention…sounds like the USSR to me. Wondering if when the illegal meeting took place a the pizza shop, if Wolf played his “famous nazi music”…that would have been so appropriate.
McDowell’s treatments ended successfully 2 weeks ago. He is NOT undergoing cancer treatments.
McDowell’s health does not bear a wit on whether or not the voters of IPOD should have the opportunity to make that call for themselves rather than have it forced on them by fiat.
As of now only four of their voters have cast votes. If these four have their way, no one else’s votes will ever be cast or counted. It’s just plain wrong.
Phony health concerns, secret Millsboro pizza summits, petty personal differences, and a capricious campaign timeline could never make it right.
True enough, the IPOD voters should have the opportunity to choose whomever they like. We agree on that. I was speaking in general as to concern of general election voters should McDowell be the nominee of the IPOD.
Is there extra pressure on Liz now to spell-check her posts?
In case Woflfgang brings them to court as evidence of her “syntactical malfeasance”?
Freakin’ Selander. Speaking of silenced voices…would you please at least consider a semi-regular drop-in on Jensen? Heck, an hour a month.
There is wide audience for talent, insight, and humor…and the audience sure could use you.
[N.B. If I ever had the chance to be a “crossfire” co-host with the co-host of my choice, I would want Selander. In all seriousness I don’t say this gratuitously. Brian well-earned the respect I have for him.]
Are you finding fatherhood awesome (in every sense of the word)?
Best wishes to the Selander clan.
Oh and for the record, I think the grievous grievance behind the putsching of Liz is more precisely “syntactical nonfeasance”.
I am still trying to mentally sort out what constitutes acceptable syntactical feasance.
Any deep thoughts from the ether?
Thanks, TPN.
I’m thinking Chilis should have a “nominate your party’s candidate here and receive a free appetizer” dinner special.
Actually I hear the Walnut Street Deli has a $5.99 special going for a soda, a sandwich, and an Independent Party nomination for the public office of your choice.
…while supplies last.
That’s an outrage! Now I have to pay extra for the chips?
Grammar, spelling, spellcheck…my oh my! Such horrors, guess my vote should not be counted.
Guess all the other 619 voters (without grammatical, spelling errors) shouldnt have their votes counted either.
I do know how to spell stupid, arrogant, outrageous,and unconstitutional attempts to steal my vote and those 619 other party members, by Wolf and the Gang.
Wolf and his Gang, have no defense for their actions except personal attack, rumor and lack of concience. Protack must have promised the Gang something…what could it have been?
Del dem: lets see, just how old is John McCain, and did he not receive treatment for skin cancer, and he has the audacity to run for the President of the United States. Are you an ageist?
Some folks are wise, honest and humane. Its their ideas, their legislation, their platforms that will affect “all” the people of our State that is at issue. Now who can do that most effectively–how about the man who actually spent the time, money and resources to develop them. The man who knows that legislation and its evidentiary background, inside and out. Dr. Floyd Mcdowell.
Now lets say that Mike Protack actually wins the Governors race, what can we expect from him.
l) no idea about due process
2) will use every trick in the book to get his legislation passed–?
3) supports RFID (google that)
4) does not support a womans right to choose
5) created a health care plan never studied by anyone
6) takes others ideas and uses them for his own
7) is hated by republicans, unknown to many democrats
8) has used a committee of the weakest links, (unelected to their own positions) to nominate him, violating 610 other citizens rights.
There are so many more I could post, but you get the point. If he believes he can win the nomination at an IPOD convention, then he should immediately pull the fake nomination and stand for the nomination of all IPOD members who show up.
He won’t, cuz he is a coward who would loose just like he lost at the republican convention.
He will attack Dr. McDowell just as he attacked Judge Lee, rumor, lies and deception are the only tools in his toolbox.