Karen Hartley Nagles Needs To Hang It Up: Part 1 of 1,567
I’ll start with a comment rescue.
“Even though Karen Hartley Nagles’ numbers were higher than Dennis Spivak who had $350,000 and hadthe parties support…Karen did better than Spivak.”
No, actually, she didn’t. Once you account for the higher turnout, she did worse — she got the same percentage in a two-way race that Spivak got in a three-way race. And Castle didn’t even have to use the abundant negatives in her personal history.
And let’s turn your question around: Why should the party spend money on a candidate who can’t raise any herself? Dennis Spivak spent his own life savings running. What did KHN spend?
Bottom Line: KHN was horrible. Her campaign was dysfunctional. She can’t get enough of scapegoating people for her own shortcomings. She never made a strong case for why Castle should be replaced.
I was chagrined to hear that she made some comments that she is still interested. She needs to do the right thing and move on.
She’s thinking of running again?!? I guess it just shows that reality-denial doesn’t just happen in the GOP!
She should run for McWilliams’ seat. That might be a race she can win. If not, then I would have to agree, time to move on.
Why should the party spend money on a candidate who can’t raise any herself?
That is what party money is for. Not every candidate has a pile of their own money to run with, nor should we expect they would.
It is also not realistic to expect a candidate to ask donors for money without the party behind them.
Dennis Spivak spent his own life savings running. What did KHN spend?
I imagine she also spent her life savings.
Hey I helped get McWilliam’s get elected to her first term over some I forgot his name, (Charlie Arrogant, Cruel, Despicable, Two faced Copeland). What is your problem with McWilliams.
Rod
North Wilmington
I got it wrong Anonie,
Hey, I helped get McWilliam’s get elected to her first term over some I forgot his name, (Charlie Arrogant, Cruel, Despicable, Two faced Copeland) disciple. What is your problem with McWilliams.
“I imagine she also spent her life savings.”
Really? Doesn’t show up in her financials. Or are you saying she didn’t have any money? Is that a reason I should vote for her — to keep her off welfare?
“That is what party money is for. Not every candidate has a pile of their own money to run with, nor should we expect they would.”
You’re either incredibly naive or being stupid on purpose. The issue is that she inspires no confidence, because she has no resume. I suggest she cobble together something so she can BS the public — worked for Weldin Stewart, didn’t it?
“It is also not realistic to expect a candidate to ask donors for money without the party behind them.”
Now you’re really being one or the other. The fact is she can’t raise any money; you want her to have guaranteed party backing before she asks? This is why your girl gets nowhere: She couldn’t draw flies if she wore a cow patty on her head.
Evidence that you’re full of that cow patty stuff:
John McKenzie ran against the hand-picked Democrat in a primary, then took on Lianne Sorenson, a well-regarded incumbent, and lost by 3%, all with very little money that he nonetheless raised himself. How? By offering more good ideas in a five-minute conversation than KHN has in five years of running.
You might not be Liz, but you sound just like her. Nothing is KHN’s fault, somebody else should have given her a handout. You’re not a progressive — you’re a sponge.
McWilliams is leaving the state for a new job.
That is what party money is for.
No, actually, it is not. It is to help alot of candidates who are also helping themselves. An ability to raise some money is a key bar to clear for pretty much any candidate — it is part of how to get your party’s attention.
One of the major failures of the KHN campaign was to capitalize on this year’s Change theme in any effective way. The DNC and DCCC would have been delighted to get behind any viable candidate who could help turn the Northeast completely blue. A candidate taking on Mike Castle here has the advantage of proximity to blogs and bloggers that could have helped to nationalize this campaign. Nationalizing the campaign reaches out to a huge network of progressives who have been raising money for like-minded candidates (especially those going against an R badly in need of leaving) like they were printing it this season.
So many great opportunities completely missed.
you want her to have guaranteed party backing before she asks?
If winning your primary doesn’t guarantee you party backing, what does?
The protection afforded to Castle is a stain on Dem integrity. It is one thing to be bi-partisan, but another to forfeit your match.
I want Beau to run against Castle in 2010. If Beau runs, it doesn’t matter the least bit whether or not KHN challenges him in the primary because Beau would win the primary in a landslide.
My point isn’t about Karen Hardly-Able – it is about Dems who won’t fight for the House seat.
An ability to raise some money is a key bar to clear for pretty much any candidate
The donor community is pre-disposed to lock out citizen-politicians. Biden or Carper could have opened that door for KHN or any other Castle opponent.
In any normal state, the Dem House candidate would have been on the stage with Biden at last week’s UD rally.
Spivack showed Castle’s support was soft, but Dems failed to follow up. Then KHN won her primary without money – that should have been a wakeup call.
Comments 9 and 10 taken together illustrate the Dem conundrum.
If “the party” decides to take Castle out – it is easily accomplished. If “the party” decides not to take Castle out, but Democrats still want to be represented by a Democrat in Congress – we have to take matters into our own hands and we need a MUCH better candidate for that than Karen Hartley Nagle.
Anon 139 makes a good point. The Democratic leadership in this state is pathetic. They’re like the rich uncle you’ve got in the family who keeps control over the purse strings. The HIGH Dems, as Nancy Willing puts it, are very much real and they’re totally scripted. They know who they want, public be damned, and they will fuck anyone over who doesn’t follow their script.
I’m changing my registration today.
I think it boils down do the HIGH Dems don’t give a damn about integrity and honestly. All they care about is loyalty, as ridiculous as it may be.
The Dems who wink and participate in the secret agreement not to oppose Castle are like the Chicago Black Sox of Delaware.
The donor community is pre-disposed to lock out citizen-politicians.
I think that you simply have not been paying attention to the past year or so if you think that this is true. The typical donor community — those who tend to write the big checks — may have a gatekeeper mentality, but there are LOTS of folks with a few dollars that would be willing to pitch in provided: 1) They get asked; 2 They get asked by a candidate who connects with a message that articulates Why Me and Why The Other Guy Is Not Helping You.
This political cycle was the cycle of the HIGH whatevers getting their asses handed to them all over the US. The path is much tougher if you can’t tap into the existing infrastructure immediately, but that is no longer an especially good reason for whining.
Nice to see you come out of your wingnut closet, Mike. When you’re taking your cues from Nancy Willing, you’ve thrown credibility out the window — that is, if you have one there in your mom’s basement.
As I asked last week, did it ever occur to any of you that Castle is more useful to Biden and Carper than Karen Hartley-Nagle would be? Ever consider that? Anyone? Bueller?
By the way, keep kidding yourself about Castle’s support being “soft.” Why should you start being right now?
Cassandra,
Great points. KHN never articulated a message and if she had a coherent message, and even if she did, she didn’t have the campaign competence to get it out.
Castle is useful to no one. He is a milquetoast spineless coward who has no convictions and no ability whatsoever to accomplish anything not relating to putting cute pictures on coins. He is a waste of space who has sat quietly in the corner while the wingnuts and the Club For Growth have hunted moderate Republicans to extinction. When Boehner says jump, Castle asks “How high?”
The path is much tougher if you can’t tap into the existing infrastructure immediately, but that is no longer an especially good reason for whining.
One more thing — I think that if progressives want to keep building on this cycle’s accomplishments, one of the places to keep enhancing is the fundraising infrastructure. Many small donations from folks connected to you (resulting in a decent bankroll) is a way to tap into the existing fundraising infrastructure with a better chance to do so on your terms.
He is a milquetoast spineless coward who has no convictions and no ability whatsoever to accomplish anything not relating to putting cute pictures on coins.
I could see how someone like that would be useful to Don Carper.
Nice rant, but unconnected to reality. Castle’s reputation extends beyond Delaware. And inside Delaware, despite your contentions to the contrary, people know him, like him and — hate to rub this in — consider him a moderate.
If you people would open your eyes and take a look at people like Copeland and Clatworthy, you’d realize he IS a moderate, for a Republican.
My eternal gripe with him is that he was no moderate when it could have mattered.
I guess I should just let it go now. He will not be in the same position to do harm in the future.
I’ve asked this before with no response, but I am genuinely curious as to who might be a credible pick to run against Castle in 2010?
who might be a credible pick to run against Castle in 2010?
With party support, anybody could win.
Without party support, we would need a self-funding charismatic individual, who is able to articulate their differences with Castle from the left, and leave Castle hanging exposed out on the right in a blue state.
… in short, we would need another Jack Markell.
Karen Peterson has also run against the Dem status quo befor.
With party support, anybody could win.
And I think someone likely said that about John Carney for Gov.
Peterson was asked to run for the seat but did not want it. Karen can do more for the state right where she is. Funny thing about politics is that people are always trying to tell people what seat to run for rather than allow them to serve where they feel they are best suited. Any one of you is welcome to run for office. Why not take a crack at it. I’m sure you can ask good people like John Kowalko or Mike Katz or Bryon Short how much fun it is to be criticized just for waking up every day.
What people like KHN don’t realize is that you need to start out at a more realistic level. It’s sort of like interviewing to be a clerk so you can be hired as a CEO. KHN did a horrible job of running for office and will always do a horrible job of running for office. The ONLY reason she got the votes she got is because so many new voters who only recognized one name on the ballot went straight down the ‘D’ column. Thank God for the rest of us who take time to look a little more closely.
I heard a sad little rumor that KHN was going to try for Diane McWilliams seat. News Flash. She ain’t qualified to do that either!
I don’t see the point of beating up so much on Hartley-Nagle.
Castle is an icon in Del. The Dems have zero interest in challenging him. Karen runs with–apparently–her own money and loses. As far as I know she hasn’t used any dirty tricks or taken stupid or harmful positions…..
What’s the beef? Would we rather nobody ran against Castle? Unless there’s a bunch of unstated stuff here, seems to me we should be thanking her, not beating her up.
Pete Schwartkopf could run a good campaign against Castle.
On another topic, was anyone else confused by Ron Williams’ column today? He said the Democrats control all the statewide offices. Did he forget about Castle and Tom Wagner, or am I missing some interpretation of “statewide”?
Is Pete a millionaire? Have to be or the party will throw you under the bus.
Thank you Alan…a breath of fresh air here in the progressive shark tank. None of these people followed her campaign, knew her issues which were more progressive than any of theirs. Its a shame, its no wonder a person who comes from the grassroots…not a multi millionare, or a developers best friend or a party insider would even consider running. And after you work your ass off…these vicious no nothings have the nerve to place her in the position of a Mike Protack or a Charlie Copeland. I find Jasons comments at the top here…sickening and without merit…does he think himself a king maker, a deal maker. Jerry Northington wasnt and wouldnt have been supported by the party either! Shame on you all.
Cassandra, please don’t act like you don’t know who the party pick is? All you so called progressives have known for months who the “chosen one will be”…thats why you have trashed KHN every chance you got. You Cassandra worked against her in the primary, I know it…and I know who you trashed her too. That person told me what you said, who doesnt know “who” you all get your talking points from?
Liz, please stop making a fool of yourself. I’m not going to ask a question I already know an answer too. You have no idea even who I am much less what I did or did not do for KHN in the primary. And your little tale of talking points is the usual delusional crap from you that lets you off the hook for 1) not knowing WTF you are talking about from day to day and 2) for doing the same discredited crap to damn near everybody you encounter.
The proof? If you had the goods you would have named the names. So get over yourself and go play these games someplace where there is an abundance of tin foil.
oh really Cassandra…true I have never met you…but I know what you have said…here is my email: elzbthalln@aol.com…feel free to email…lets take it off this blog.
Sorry — if you are accusing me of actively working against KHN in public, then you can provide the proof in public.
So lets have it or be forever known as a liar.
Sorry, Cassandra….I am not accusing you of anything in public. I am saying you did not support her from the git go…and dont accuse me of being a liar…how small minded. I certaintly do not plan to “blog” on what has happened in public, so you all can make light . Either choose to have a private conversation or forget it..I am not going PUBLIC yet.
Liz, you sound ridiculous. You made a public accusation. It’s sitting out there – comment 34. You can’t suddenly change the rules and now want privacy. I call foul.
I won’t play the games, Liz. You were the one making the accusation in public in comment 34 as Pandora notes. You got something to expand on there, do it in public because I don’t have time for the self-absorbed conspiracy crap. So deliver your proof or be known as a liar, Liz.
It is that easy.
“She couldn’t draw flies if she wore a cow patty on her head.”
Best line ever. Thank you, Geezer.
Cassandra…. a little touchy heh! No I am not ready to make it public…will so in due time though. Its not about YOU precisely, its about a few people who you appear to be getting info from. Either you are willing to speak off the blog..or forget it…this is not for public consumption. Painting as a liar without knowing the issue…is not worth going into further.
Nice try at back peddling, Liz. YOU made an accusation, and now you’re running away from it. As far as I’m concerned, if you don’t put it out here – tonight – it isn’t true.
Pandora: no one addressed you, so back off. I offered a private conversation because the issue is not for public. Don’t want to address it in that fashion..fine. Don’t call me names..I dont know either of you. But have read your comments over the last months. Nothing personal with me so don’t make it personal. I am addressing Cassandra, to clarify an issue if she is not willing thats it.. as you don’t know my issue how can you call foul. Your throw out the word liar very easily and you dont even know what I am referring too. Amazing.
Uh oh–shall I call Dominique?
Actually Liz, you addressed the entire blog. You don’t want people commenting on what YOU write keep your hands off the keyboard. BTW, I didn’t call you a name. Go back and read what I wrote. Not once did I call you a liar… but I’m getting close.
Sorry Joanne, but this sort of stuff really bothers me.
Cassandra is lucky to have you–wait, DL is real lucky to have you. But clue me in–what is all this tin foil they talk about? I missed some bedtime story along the way.
Tin foil hat = conspiracy theorist.
Thanks for the compliment, Joanne. Coming from you that really means something. I’m off to bed now. Why does school start so early! Hey… can’t you do something about that? 😉
Liz – I know for a fact that none of the contributors on this blog have inside knowledge of the party goings-on. The party apparatus, as a general rule, dislikes us. Perhaps not as much as you, but it is similar.
We are critical of KHN for her sorry campaign.
None of these people followed her campaign, knew her issues which were more progressive than any of theirs.
That cracked me up. We were looking for the campaign, but there was barely a wisp of one, most of the time. Perhaps Karen didn’t have the money to run a credible campaign. Fine. Raise that money or get over yourself.
I think what is happening is that there is no one over there that knows how to run a campaign. Showing up at parades and debates is not a campaign. The only effective part of the campaign was Karen’s ability to keep you in check after the primary. For that I will always be grateful.
Let me ask you this question, Liz: What would it take for you to agree that it is time for Karen to hang it up? Another loss? 2 more?
Where Liz Allen treads, discord follows.
Mistake No. 1 for KHN — one that shows she is unqualified for office — was listening to Liz in the first place.
You are a sorry bunch. You did nothing to help Karen but post your snide sorry comments on this blog. You had no inside information, you are “gossip spewers” and have no idea of all the work she did. It wasn’t about showing up for a debate, she was literally in every RD in this state many times overs. She was in schools, churches, community centers, door knocking, working tirelessly from early am till after midnight.
When the press won’t cover you, wont print your press releases (because they took so much money from his campaign to keep his ass covered very well), and with a party boss who worked on the down low against her, whisper campaigns behind the scenes, telling labor not to support (some did anyway because they thought it terrible the party wouldnt support a candidate who WON the primary.
While you were so busy attacking here in the primary (instead of attacking the no banker left behind Castle), she was working and campaigning.
No wonder no one wants to run for such a hi level office (unless you are a millionaire) only to get beat up, by fellow democrats. We will be forever stuck with the millionaire class working against the citizens.
WDEL and WILM and the NJ were in the pocket for Castle from the git go. They demonized her wherever possible and here is AL doing the same thing he has done all during the primary. See Al and his ilk believe in the millionaire class because they spent thousands of dollars paying his salary.
This blog has become a snarky, gotcha blog that I shall refer to as a “progressive shark tank”. Jason your opinions are not credible. Who doesn’t know where you all get your information, from other sharks with an agenda.
As Alan Mueller said, “you should be thanking her for stepping up, instead of bashing her when the odds were stacked against her”. No commentary about Castles sorry votes against the citizens though…he gets a pass. Pathetic.
Jason, tell me something. Do you think your 10% Northington would have won? Do you think the party would have treated him any differently? Hell no, the party was laughing at him in the primary. Get over yourself.
Liz,
You are keeping this thread alive. Just saying.
Get over yourself. The irony of that comments stabs my eyes.
jason,
You are keeping this thread alive. Just saying
It isn’t part 1 of 1,567 for nothing.
Hang it up, Liz. You are just digging your hole deeper.
KHN certainly didn’t ask for our help, but oddly depended upon you and your conspiracy theories and visions of boogeymen everywhere. That kind of marginal crap gets no one elected (certainly not a Democrat). If there is blame to go around, you need to allocate it to the folks who were asked by KHN to help her. And it wasn’t us.
And while we’re here — you have no way of knowing who I know or who I talk to re: politics, so anything that I may have “said” is, of course, something you quite made up. And since you can’t come across with any detail or sources of what I “said” (and, FTR, I’m not especially tolerant of this high schoolish hallway beefing of yours) we all know that anything that you might happen to reveal later is a Lie.
It is only a snarky, gotcha blog because we keep running you conspiracy theorists off. You can’t come here make accusations or claims you can’t back up without either being called on it or made fun of. How you get treated here is up to you.
Cassandra: what conspiracy? Arent you jumping a little ahead of yourself. Perhaps you are afraid of what I do know you said and attempts you made behind the scenes. Wilmington is a very small town Cassandra…word gets around. It doesnt matter anymore anyway..its over and Castle is elected for another two years. Already warning the democrats that they better watch their spending. After he was on the Banking committee and let the banksters go unregulated while taking hundreds of thousands of their dollars to buy yet another election. Why weren’t you all going after him instead of attacking KHN.
We now have 13 trillion debt run up by the repukes and now he wants to warn the democrats about over spending? He had no health care plan, he will not “bail out the working class” and will be a thorn in Obama’s side voting against all the changes that must be made.
KHN did everything she could to expose his hypocrisy, but the dumbed down stupid sheep in Delaware continued to vote him and against themselves.
Liz — your conspiracies (plural) — the ones where shady people don’t fund, back or otherwise capitulate to your expectations; where political decisions are the result of convoluted narratives that you and your compadres make up out of whole cloth; plus the one that makes you think that you know anything at all about what I’ve said anywhere.
But I note for the record your refusal to back up your accusations against me. And I note for the record that makes you a Liar.
Readers of your diatribes are forwarned.
Casandra: what conspiracy…name one! What do I make up from whole cloth…nice words now back it up…..I am not refusing to back up my words…I choose to do it privately perhaps, just perhaps oh great one (in your own mind) I might just have a point..now I am done with this. You want to email me fine.. if not thats fine too.
Jason your opinions are not credible. Who doesn’t know where you all get your information, from other sharks with an agenda.
It has to be a conspiracy. How else could I have the nerve to say that KHN ran a shit ass campaign?
Someone must has slipped me that info on micro-film.
If you want to make accusations in public that somehow I said stuff damaging to KHN, you can state that stuff and the names of the people giving you that info in public. Any other response is you retreating into your conspiracy world where I refuse to go.
You should be done with this, because you never knew anything about what I had to say in the first place. Crawl back under your rock and pick your targets to play this game with better next time.
I am not retreating in any way. I believe what I heard and if there is a conspiracy it would be in the whispering campaign that went on behind the scenes from people you seem to hold in respect. I dont respect them, they are a bunch of rumor mongers with an agenda. They have been spreading those vicious rumors for more than two years..too bad you and some on this blog never bothered to check facts, but repeated the gossip.
This is the problem Liz — you have no idea who I am or even who I know. None. So any statements about whispering campaigns from people I respect holds no water. You don’t know who I know or who I respect.
From where I sit — looking at you throwing all of these accusations of stuff I was supposed to have said that you can’t substantiate — you look like the rumor monger (at best) with an agenda.
You aren’t going to help yourself in this conversation until you can substantiate your accusations.
That’s a laugh Liz. Maybe you never read this blog, or perhaps you only read the sentences that conform to your warped reality?
Anyway, I trust my own eyes. KHN sucks as a candidate. She brings nothing to her runs for elected office except Liz Allen’s willingness to go berserk.
She can’t raise money or get a coherent message out. Nobody told me that. I was an eye witness.
Jason: you are and were part of the rumor campaign. You listened to the “witches with an agenda and obviously still are”. You all got ticked when your 10% didnt win and you never tried to unify after that, but continued to bash her not Castle. If some of you had gotten off your computers and actually followed her campaign and saw how hard she worked against all odds..maybe things would be different..good luck trying to find a candidate that comes from the grassroots up to run for high office. This election proves progressives can’t get elected and I don’t know any progressives who are millionaires willing to throw their money away when the corporate deck in Delaware is stacked against them.
I agree. Protack got his message out better than KHN. And that’s just counting the messages in his own name.
Go soak your head. I have no idea what you are talking about.
If you’d like to make the case that Karen ran a good campaign I’d be all ears. That should be entertaining.
This election proves progressives can’t get elected
Wrong. It proves that no amount of sock-puppetry can compensate for running a shit ass campaign.
I can’t believe this thread is still alive… with more public accusations, no less. Sorry Liz, but you lost your chance to take this topic off line by making wild accusations against Cassandra, and now Jason. You made this public. You need to put up your proof or apologize. Frankly, I’m not expecting either.
Jason, you must stop saying all those nice things about Castle.
You’re all arguing with a crazy person. This woman wants to be an insider so badly it oozes from her every pore. Here’s my favorite statement from her ongoing rants:
“You had no inside information”
This is what it’s all about for Liz, having inside information. She’s a gossip. She’s not a serious force for advancing anything beyond herself.
Don’t you get it, Jason? You OWED Karen your support — just like the Democratic Party OWED Karen money to launch her empty-headed campaign. Liz Allen is a screeching leech — no idea of how to move her agenda forward, but plenty of bile to spew at others.
Want to know why progressive politics in Delaware is such a tough fight? Look no further than Liz, who has inserted herself on issue after issue, accomplishing nothing beyond alienating people left and right.
The sooner everyone shuns her, the faster progressive causes will thrive.
Geezer spoken like a small fat bellied fascist.
Holy shit. Are you seriously commenting on this thread again?
Liz – you are a complete and utter mess. This blog hungers for a candidate that will challenge Castle in a meaningful way. There was no coordination on our part to sink her candidacy, she had you for that.
I know that Mike Matthews adores you, but I try not to suffer fools. You see conspiracies where there is only disappointment. All we, as a state, can hope for is that every person that might consider running for elective office in the future, sees you for the malignancy that you are.
I hope that some day I’ll run for office and one of my mailers will say that I am despised by Liz Allen. I am certain to win votes with that strategy.
Please seek medical help.
Would a better candidate have been Jerry Northington? Dont you fools get it…the party picks, the party supports and if you don’t have your own millions no matter what a great candidate or issues you have…you have to have the party’s blessing. If you think any progressive has the party’s blessing you are delusional. All of you think that if the candidates blog they could win an election. Did Jack Markell, Karen Weldin Stewart, Matt Denn or any of the others come on these blogs and blog about their races. None of you have ever run a campaign, especially a state wide one and give no credit to anyone who dares to stand up and challenge the party. The democratic party never supports a woman candidate, verify that by asking any woman in office if the party ever supported her. The Delaware Democratic Party is a “white men only party”. Fix the party from the top and perhaps their can be a different outcome.
You can slander me all you want, I could care less. At my age and having been through many of these campaigns, perhaps I have a different understanding than you young ones who have been involved for a few years. Progressives or calling themselves progressives trashing, bashing other democrats when they do run is the main reason candidates stay off the blogs rather than be subject to the sharks here. When you look at the small number of people who read these blogs you are mostely irrelevant. FYI, the party hates the progressive wing so any blogger has a shot in hell of winning the party favor.
“FYI, the party hates the progressive wing so any blogger has a shot in hell of winning the party favor.”
See, that’s her inside information at work. Aren’t you glad she’s on your side?
“[You] give no credit to anyone who dares to stand up and challenge the party”
Right. They viciously savaged Jack Markell, for example.
“The Delaware Democratic Party is a “white men only party”. ”
I’m sure Margaret Henry, Melanie George Marshall, Hazel Plant, Karen Peterson and Bethany Hall-Long would all agree with that.
Liz you must be as wacky as karen nagle. Like two peas in a pod. I thought god would only punish us with one as nutty as nagle but then I heard about you. I will say some thing you have been waiting to hear (you will probally never hear it again so listen up ) (ready) you and karen are normal and sane every one else is crazy. NOT!!!!!!!!!! Good luck talk to you if you ever come back to the world we all live in. Is it nice to be on your own island, oh wait you have you little partner. Have fun in your own land The Land of Odd.
Gee, I guess the suggestion I had planned to make for Democratic Party Unity in 2010 is a little premature, huh?
It is never too early to start pushing for Democratic unity John.
Unity is really the only bullet the Republicans have left in their gun (their policies having been trounced). If we get unity on our side, they have nothing.