Tom Carper has outlived his DLC-Delaware Way usefulness. He was a competent Governor and Congressman, but since he was elevated to the Senate, he has drifted evermore right wing. He still supports the War and he still supports Joe Lieberman, to this very day.
His reaction to the primary last night?
“It’s a primary that should never have happened,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, who tried to broker a deal that would have had Markell run for lieutenant governor. “But they both ran campaigns that Delaware can be proud of.”
Still harping on the horribleness of a primary, as if it is always disasterous to let the people have a choice. That quote is a perfect reflection of his Washington and “Delaware Way” mindset: “We know best, the people will get what we give them.”
Progressives, we must begin the job of recruiting a primary challenger to Tom Carper now. The urge to primary Carper in 2006 occurred too late. Indeed, even if we had found a candidate in 2006, he would be without money or a campaign organization and no time to introduce himself or herself to the people.
We have four years starting right now.
Despite what Tom Carper thinks, primaries are a wonderful thing. They keep a politician honest to his principles he ran on in the first place. Let’s say we do find a good candidate in the next year, and he or she begins running against Carper in earnest then. In order to win the primary, Carper will have to adjust. He would have to campaign. And he may have to change his positions and enact some progressive legislation. Those are all good results of a primary, even if we do not win the primary.
So, Tom, primaries are a good thing, and you are about to find out how good they are.
