I’m so confused!
Okay, I’m one of those undecided contributors DelawareDem referenced. I like both Carney and Markell, and – admittedly and shamefully – confess that I’m not very up to speed. So… convince me. Why should I support one over the other? (Geez, even the DSEA couldn’t decide!) What are the differences, and why do they matter.
Markell is out to reform a broken system, Carney is out to keep the state laden to special interests.
You should vote for Jack Markell. From what I have seen, this man has given thoughtful consideration to many of issues that we face here in Delaware. I am impressed with him. Carney has never stood out as being anyone but an empty suit. I found that Markell also understands the issues of affordable housing, how miserable the Liveable Delaware proposal was and what a failure it has been. Carney isn’t innovative enough or bothered to stand tough when he needed to. Where was he with the Delaware Psychiatric fiasco, or the prison rape? Markell is genuinely addressing the issues in Delaware. I am a Republican. I would like to see a Markell/Lee election.
To me, the difference between Carney and Markell is the difference between Howard Dean and Terry McAuliffe, if you follow. The latter liked a top down party structure. The former led a bottom up grassroots and netroots movement.
Carney is just the latest candidate endorsed by the establishment. He will be indebted to the party elders and the special interests that Minner was indebted to. Perhaps he will be his own man, but if the Eminent Domain fiasco was any indication, he won’t be.
There are also differences between their healthcare plans, with Markell’s plan mirroring the Clinton plan to immediately mandate coverage, costing $111 million a year, while John Carney would phase in coverage incrementally and not include mandates.
To me, Markell is the progressive choice. Carney is the establishment choice.
While Ruth Ann Minner & Bob Byrd ran the most incompetent, scandal-ridden, money-wasting bullshit government ever, Carney was the guy who sat quietly and let it happen without a peep.
Wait, no, that was Jack Markell.
Wait, no, that was Matt Denn.
I guess I’d have trouble telling the difference, too.
Obama-Lee: The ‘throw the bums out’ kind of change we need.
Pandora,
You can look here for Markell campaign boilerplate or here for the same sort of thing for Carney, and I think Markell wins that battle of the resume, but I think this race is more about what type of governing style the candidate will bring to the job.
Carney is a good guy and well liked, but he has the mindset of a “company man.” He is patient and has worked “the Delaware way” to its fullest under the direction and influence of Tom Carper. He waited his turn and didn’t make waves and became the Lt. Governor and now it is his turn to move up one spot.
Markell on the other hand is entrepreneurial. The treasurers office was his first political job and he won re-election with the most statewide votes of any candidate (beating out even Joe Biden) because he brought that entrepreneurship to the office.
In a way this is a kind of win/win situation for Democrats because Carney would not suck in the job. But I feel strongly that Markell would bring more to the table. I think even Carney people agree that Carney will be beholden to the system and people who enabled his rise. I believe Markell will be independent and able to make the changes in state government that we need.
Do you want the same old/same old or do you want innovative thinking? Are you pleased with someone who has spent his adult life in politics or someone who has had experience in the ‘outside’ world? Are you a believer in officials being chosen by the electorate or being chosen by ‘the party’? Do you feel that Delaware has been well served by the current administration for the past 8 years? Although I am sure both men are very good people, when I answer the above questions, my decision is to vote for Jack Markell.
Where is Mark Dumblebum when you need him?
Wow! Lots of info! Keep it coming. Carney supporters… where are you?
crickets…
Carney supporters have better things to do on Friday nights…
you’re a blogger so you should be with markell.
Ah, but Pandora’s indecision, as well as LiberalGeek’s outright support of Carney, indicates that not all bloggers are for Markell, just as not all nonbloggers are for Carney.
That all bloggers are for Markell has always been a red herring so as to both marginalize Markell and bloggers.