You know, it wasn’t until I read it in the News Journal this morning that I knew that both Jack Markell and Matt Denn were Jewish. I never knew that before, even though I am more plugged into Delaware politics than your average Delawarean. Does it speak to my negligence at not have all the facts about the candidates I support? No, it speaks to one’s religion not really mattering in our politics, at least here in the Delaware Democratic Party, or at least to me. It makes me happy that I never even thought about what Markell and Denn’s religion might be. It makes me happy that it was not mentioned, at least to my knowledge, at all in this campaign. And if it was mentioned, it was not a factor at all.
That is the way it should be. One’s beliefs, or lack thereof, should not be a consideration in politics. We all know, however, that religion and politics will always be strange bedfellows. The beliefs of our candidates will always be scruntized, especially when they are out of the mainstream. But it was just a nice moment for me to realize that, to me, it did not matter.
Well, there is a multi-candidate forum tonight at the JCC off Concord Pike in Talleyville. Here are the details:
Statewide candidate forum, free and open to the public
Who: Confirmed participants — For U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent Mike Castle (R) and Karen Hartley-Nagle (D); U.S. Senate, a surrogate for incumbent Joe Biden (D) and Christine O’Donnell (R); governor; state Treasurer Jack Markell (D), Bill Lee (R) and Mike Protack (IPOD); lieutenant governor, state Sen. Charlie Copeland (R) and state Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn (D); insurance commissioner, John Brady (R) and Karen Weldin Stewart (D).
Where: Bernard and Ruth Siegel Jewish Community Center, 101 Garden of Eden Road, Talleyville
When: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. today, forum starts at 7 p.m.
Sponsors: Wilmington Chapter of Hadassah and the Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Delaware