“This is Not a Race.”
Those are the words of political analyst Stuart Rothenberg. And he is talking about the race to unseat our supposed moderate Congressman Mike Castle. And I wholeheartedly agree. Karen and Jerry may be nice people. They may have deeply held beliefs and principles deserving of our respect. Indeed, we respect them for even running for political office in the first place. But if you have no money, you have no chance, especially against an incumbent who has a MILLION AND A HALF in the bank!
The eight-term Delaware lawmaker crushed his Democratic competitors last quarter, ending the period with $1.55 million in the bank compared with Democrat Jerry Northington’s $10,036 and Karen Hartley-Nagle’s negative $700, according to campaign finance reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission. No report could be found for challenger Michael Miller.
The figures aren’t a good sign for Democrats hoping to pose a credible challenge.
(Emphasis Added).
Negative $700? Jesus. Karen, you really need to consider whether you should remain in this race. To run against a sitting incumbent, you will need hundreds of thousands, even in Delaware. And especially against an incumbent who continues to raise money as if he did have a real threat to his reelection. Apparently you only have one person besides yourself donating to your campaign: your state treasurer. And Jerry, you only raised $4,500 of money raised from others and not yourself.
Meanwhile…against such horrible fundraising by his challengers, why is Castle going gangbusters on raising money? Surely, he can ease up on the gas pedal, right? Hell, he can spend $50,000 this fall and win reelection. He has a $1.5 million cash on hand. Surely he does not ever need to raise money again, either this year or in 2010. So what, pray tell, other office is the Congressman angling for? Given his adherence to the “Delaware Way,” he will not challenge Carper or Biden. He won’t be running for Governor again, or any lower state office. So he must believe that our next President will be Barack Obama, and he must believe that President Obama will select Joe Biden for his cabinet, forcing a special election for the seat in 2010 between Governor Markell or Carney’s appointee and a Republican.
Castle’s fundraising indicts a continued desire for higher office, and his lack of faith in the prospects of his party’s Presidential nominee this fall.
I don’t understand the Mike Protractors, KHNs etc of the world. I understand tilting windmills, but start as a rep or council member. do some good (if you can) and make a name for yourself. Why continue to look foolish running the campaigns you do?
Agree with all the money stuff. But gas heading toward $5/gallon, a federal administration that has ignored the law and Constitution and gotten personally wealthy doing it, mortgage crisis, recession, have to have an impact on Castle’s viability. The term is only for two years; it would be in our best interest to put in ANYONE other than Castle, and we can correct it in a short time. Also, as the lone representative of a small state, how much possible harm could a ‘newbie’ do?
And then there’s the chance, God forbid, that Castle might join the Legislature In the Sky prior to the election.
If the KHN campaign is not a train wreck, then they are working overtime to make it seem like one.
With negative $700 – Karen can’t even pin Castle down a little bit. So he will have a free in helping put down ticket Republican like Copeland.
Castle sucks. This is a travesty.
i was just perusing KHN web site. what has she done?
Obviously, the ‘bring on mat to start a blog and get the grass roots thing going’ didnt work, and she doesnt have anything under her news heading since april.
I have to agree with Rothenberg too — neither of the Dem candidates seem like much more than vanity candidates at this point. I do respect the both of them for their commitment and their effort, but Castle just never seemed to be the real target for either campaign. And just because I am thinking alot about the Delaware blogosphere and grassroots, neither made much of an effort (or maybe impact is the right word) to try to spark a real crashing the gates kind of effort. Which, if you are light on resources against an incumbent, seems to be the path that gets you anywhere near winning.
And as for an impact on Castle’s viability — we (bloggers and progressive Dems) probably need to step up on this. Mike Castle is demonstrably not a moderate, but he gets a pass from the media since that is the path of least resistance. Crafting and sending out an alternate narrative is likely our job.
You think Jason is not vocal enough critisizing Castle? That’s like saying DV is ‘low-key’ about his hotness.
There is plenty of criticism, but there is not much counter to the “moderate” narrative, I think. And to be an effective counter, we’d need to find ways to address that narrative outside of this blog — like LTE, our own opinion pieces, writing to other news sources that insist on the moderation thing.
More folks than us need to hear the evidence.
But to the money – I think he keeps it around to scare off potential democratic heavy weights.
Folks, keep in mind, no one in the republican party really likes mike. Put up a pro-life democrat and you’ll get half the Evangelical and Catholic votes in the state.
Do not believe everything you read ESPECIALLY in the Snooze and you, the best of the best informed, should know better than to accept Snooze reporting as gospel.
Right or wrong?
Also, try to remember the Dems are in a primary and not in the general yet. Good Dems should be saying good things about other Dems…not bustin’ on ’em at every chance.
Right or wrong?
Right!
I wish I was at liberty to add in here.
The thing is, that the two most credible sources for the Snooze article are Stu Rothenberg and KHN herself. If the article is wrong, you should point out where it is wrong.
None of us disrespects what either Jerry or Karen are doing; and nor is it a bad thing to be realistic about the state of the race for the primary or the general. We may be partisans here, but that does not mean that we put on a smiling face and pretend that all news is good news for us, you know?
Sticks…it is not about believing the News Journal. It is about believing fundraising reports. They do not lie. Is it true or not that Karen has raised negative 700 dollars this quarter, right or wrong?
As for saying bad things about a fellow Dem, how should I react to this fundraising news? With glee? Should I just ignore it? Not write about it?
I want a strong Democratic candidate to take down Castle, and good fundraising equals strength. Conversely, lousy fundraising equals weakness. That is just the way it is and to pretend otherwise is at best wishful thinking.
With respect to the general election v. the primary election, given the fact that the DE primary is so close to the general election, Karen and Jerry should be fundraising RIGHT NOW for the general. What, are you saying that Karen and Jerry will be able to raise hundreds of thousands in a few weeks prior to November? If you are, you are being unrealistic.
All great things begin as unrealistic. Delaware Liberal began…. not anticipating where they are today….. The quote from Ghandi, that appears (or appeared) on this header, expresses the hope that from being laughed at, victory ensues…
I don’t think that either candidate will raise much money. I do think that with our help, whoever the candidate will be, will run against a very flawed candidate, who will need over 1 million dollars just to stay at 50%.
You may have forgotten Wagner’s near loss to a novice two years ago. … People hate Republicans even more now.
Disclaimer: (Which is a shame, for some of the best people I know are Republicans who are equally disgusted as us with their party from the lieutenant governor and state chair…up )
Let me add why his bank account does not matter to anyone other then other Republicans to which he can donate…..
Everyone making the assumption that money is important, has forgotten the fact they they themselves have never voted for a candidate because he raised a lot of money.
No one I know has cast their vote because they got 10 pieces of mail from one candidate, and 4 pieces from another candidate…. I do know several who have gotten so pissed at too much junk mail and unsolicited phone banking, that they have voted against whoever interrupted their dinner…..
People will vote for the one who will help them. Castle/Bush, hasn’t. Its time to stop fretting and start planning on demolishing the Republican party November 4th so it can rebuild with types like Tyler Nixon, Mike Protack and maybe even Dave Burris in charge.
Final note after I left here…..
Both KHN and Jerry can find ample ammunition posted daily on Delaware Watch.
While the rest of us have been sidetracked, Dana has led the charge in my book on creating the talking points for the national campaign……
Both candidates would be wise to follow through with their own press releases echoing the same sentiments….
It couldn’t hurt.
Imagine the impact if KHN had dared to run to the right of Castle…..
This would have made for an interesting scenario.
Quite a few Delaware Democrats do not fall into the ‘progressive’ niche. Note the recent victory of a Representative who is called ‘Lumpy’ by his friends.
Art Downs: No one but Protack could run further to the right than Castle. Karen has spent tons of money, getting an office, brochures, cards etc…gearing up. She has more endorsements statewide than any of the other two. Maybe if the Party stood up for a candidate who can win, she would win.
I just love all these people sitting back, never having run a campaign, double dealing good candidates, what are you doing to help?
It’s one thing to sit on these blogs and talk to yourselves, but have any of you actually heard all “three” candidates debate the issues? If you did, you would see as the voters do, that she is far and away above the other two. Miller has already been beaten what twice by McCastle and Northington is an unknown. Karen has been at this for four years, people do know who she is, and its not just progressives supporting her, its moderates working men and women and republicans too..fed up with the far right wing Castle.
Liz Allen says: “I just love all these people sitting back, never having run a campaign, double dealing good candidates, what are you doing to help?”
I never thought I’d say this: I agree with Liz 110%.
Liz Allen says: “I just love all these people sitting back, never having run a campaign, double dealing good candidates, what are you doing to help?”
How many of the posters have ever run for office and even won a congressional primary?
How many have served as delegates to their state party convention?
How many have taken leadership role in a statewide race?
How many have shown up working at the polls at almost every election in their adult life?
How many have attended fundraisers and supported candidates?
How many have put in hundreds of hours as a volunteer invesigating vote fraud?
How many have testified at legislative hearings and done pro bono lobbying?
All I did yesterday was put in a few volunteer hours at the GOP booth at the Fair. Tomorrow I will do my thing at the 29RD Committee meeting. In between, I will write a few checks.
What are you doing?