Chris Coons’ Senate Announcement Events — Live Reports
So today is the day and Chris is making the traditional 3 county announcement today, ending up at a celebration event in Wilmington.
Have you been to any events? If so, tell us about what you saw and who was there and what you think about this pending race in the comments below.
Tags: Chris Coons, DE-Sen, Election 2010
I’m going to try to attend the 3 PM announcement at the IBEW Hall, if I can get away from work.
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Comment by watchman on 19 April 2010 at 11:22 am:
Just back from the Rehoboth event. Talk about your homogeneous crowds…the tea partiers don’t have anything on us!
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Comment by watchman on 19 April 2010 at 12:20 pm:
ok…there was one young african-american man standing off to the side, his demeanor vacillating between disinterested and plain uncomfortable. He never clapped, and didn’t even seem to be paying attention. I wondered to myself, why’d he even come out? But when the speech ended he SPRANG into action! That’s right, the whole crowd was vanilla and mostly white haired, and the one young black man at the event was someone the campaign brought with them from New Castle so he could help break down and pack up the podium, signs, and sound equipment.
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Comment by watchman on 19 April 2010 at 12:44 pm:
I never said the GOP was diverse, I just thought we were.
Just got home from the Chris Coons announcement. The crowd was pretty diverse. Chris gave a rousing speech. The theme of his speech was that Castle is a part of Washington, he serves the Republican party and not Delaware, we need new leadership and that Chris Coons has demonstrated leadership in NCCo. Liberalgeek took a video of the speech, so I hope he’ll be posting it soon.
GOP is scared. Look what just arrived from the spam machine. I can’t remember a Castle campaign going so negative.
“Chris Coons squandered the largest budget surplus in New Castle County history and then left county taxpayers with the bill. In fact, after promising not to raise taxes, Coons was responsible for the largest property tax hike New Castle County residents had ever seen,” Ross said. “Chris Coons’ big spending, big taxing ways are the last thing we need in Washington DC. Delawareans just can’t afford Chris Coons.”
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“Through massive taxes and spending, Chris Coons nearly led the families of New Castle County off a financial cliff. Now Coons wants to bring his tax-and-spend record to Washington so he can rubberstamp the Democrats’ failed economic agenda. Delaware families deserve an independent-minded Senator who will fight for checks and balances in Washington, and there’s no doubt that voters will hold Coons accountable for his reckless fiscal record this November,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Marchand.
Going after the NCC tax increase, huh? Come on Chris Coons, Castle is sticking is jaw out there… hit it… hit it please… Financial Services committee… housing and banking meltdown on Castle’s watch… loss of banking jobs… home value lost…. hit it hard please Chris…
LOL, seriously. Mike Castle, who voted for Bush’s budget-busting programs: tax cuts for the rich, war in Iraq and Medicare Part D is going to talk about fiscal responsibility. Really?
Watch how this plays in tomorrow’s News Journal. I predict “he said — he said” with the balance in favor of the Republican press release, and not on Coons’ announcement today. They just stole our news cycle and the WNJ will happily play along. In the interest of being “fair and balanced” of course.
Yup, here’s more from the GOP Spam Machine:
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“As Democrat Chris Coons (D-DE) formally declares his candidacy for the U.S. Senate today, Delaware voters are reminded of Coons’ tax-and-spend record that nearly bankrupted New Castle County.
“As County Executive, Coons raised property taxes three times and supported a litany of other taxes on families and businesses – from a new hotel tax to a tax on 911 emergency calls. In just one term as County Executive, Coons’ tax-and-spend agenda took the county’s financial health from what Coons called “fundamentally sound” in 2005 to the verge of bankruptcy. As Coons himself admitted, the county was “months from being out of money – unable to operate” under his watch in 2009.”
Much more like this please: “he serves the Republican party and not Delaware.”
Coons is a good speaker. I would like to see Coons and Castle debate.
And the common theme–the GOP has never brought another idea to the table of how to address or resolve the budget issues that NCCo has faced. At least Chris stepped up and made unpopular but necessary choices to keep county services in tact. That is the only card they have to play, and it is already falling on deaf ears…Chris even acknowledged today that his decisions will be attacked by the opposition and he stands ready to defend those choices because the repubs can’t say how they would have done things differently…..They must be getting their talking points from the last Gordon campaign as well, and we know how effective that was!
Coons has back-up though – he went on a listening tour throughout the county on the budget issues.
By letting the RNC and other party hacks throw the mud, Mike can show that he personally is adhering to the civility of the Delaware Way.
If Coons and Castle debate, make sure the lecterns are very far apart, completely opposite sides of the stage would be best .
Why is that @watchman? So that the GOP can catch Mike when he falls off the stage?
It’s 3 a.m., and thus far TNJ coverage online consists of this:
Democrat Chris Coons officially kicked off his campaign for the U.S. Senate today with stops planned in all three counties.
Coons, currently the New Castle County executive, appeared with his family,
That’s it, in its entirety. Wow. Sad.
so that it isnt so obvious that chris lives in a tree and travels by way of fox.
MEthinks “watchman” is another of the right-wingnuts posing as a concern troll.
I think you’re right, Geezer. I actually have no idea what his last comment means, but I’m seriously thinking he “travels by way of FOX”.
Which, to be clear, in no way diminishes his right to voice his opinions here. It just helps to know where someone’s coming from when you read what they write.
I think the “ride a fox” crack was about his height.
For an explanation of what watchman is drunking about, see entry under: Gnome, David The.
If I’m Coons, I want the podia in proximity, to contrast most vividly one candidate’s energy and focus with the other’s slouch and inarticulation.
JM: So you don’t mind going up against the Taller Candidate Theory? Because that’s going to be the still photograph, which will get a lot more exposure in our TV-less state than the video you’re thinking of.
Just how tall is Coons? Is he shorter/taller than Denn?
because i’m sure your average voter will be watching the debate on tv rather than seeing the handshake photo form the front page of every newspaper laying around…
i mock chris because he was not my choice of castle killer. it would be nice if he won, but i’m not going to throw any money or time into THAT black hole.
About the same height as Matt Denn. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
As Ali once said, “Timmmm-ber.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/images/nba/1999/chamberlain/wilt7.jpg
No offense, John, but I think a younger Wilt could have taken him.
Wilt’s next punch will be his first.
Anyone who doesn’t think Coons’ repeated property tax increases isn’t going to be a big issue has their head in the sand. The fact Coons won re-election in 08 by deflecting the issue and claiming Gordon’s administration caused him to need to raise taxes doesn’t mean he will be able to do that this year. Coons can’t blame Castle for causing him to break the campaign promise he repeatedly made during the 2004 campaign not to raise property taxes. It was a stupid promise to make, after 12 years without a property tax increase, but Coons repeated made the promise during the campaign, and in his campaign literature. With a limited budget and limited computer/video skills, I could easily develop a negative ad. You begin the ad with old video of Chris promising not to raise property taxes during the 2004 race. You cut away to a copy of his campaign literature where he put the promise in writing. You then cut away to headlines announcing the multiple tax increases. You then state Coons raised taxes more than any prior County Executive, or whatever inflammatory language you could use and still be technically accurate (ignoring inflation etc). You then show a clip of Coons in the 08 race defending his need to increase property taxes by blaming it on Gordon. Then you cut away to a question on screen asking, “Who is really responsible for Coons repeatedly breaking his own promise? Then cut away to newspaper headlines showing in 2004 (or 03 what ever year it was) NCC was sued because it had too much money in reserves. No matter what anyone thinks of Gordon, the county was actually sued for having too high of reserves. The implication, regardless of Coons claim that the reserves weren’t really reserves because they were committed to other projects, won’t work in 2010, not only because of who the opponent is, but an actual legal fight ensued regarding whether NCC had too much money in reserves. Then you go back to the screen and point out despite Coons’ attempt during his 2008 re-election campaign to blame everyone but himself for repeatedly breaking his own promise not to raise property taxes. Coons alone is responsible for the promises he made. Coons was NCC Council President for four years prior to running for County Executive, and knew NCC’s financial position. If the financial condition of NCC was bleak prior to his election as County Executive as Coons claimed after he was sworn in as County Executive Coons should have been aware of it, and shouldn’t have cared so little about his word to be willing to make promises he knew he couldn’t keep. Or if the financial condition of NCC was as good as the Court determined in the tax payer suit over holding too much money in cash reserves, where did all that money go after Coons took over as County Executive.
Like most negative ads the attack would be to simplistic, and would ignore the down turn in the national and local economy that began soon after Coons was elected, however nothing in the ad would be false, and it isn’t Castle’s job to add nuisance. The fact is the theme behind the ad would be true. Coons was Council President for 4 years before being elected as County Executive. He repeatedly promised during the 2004 race not to raise property taxes if elected County Executive, and Coons alone broke his promise. As Council President Coons either knew or should have known NCC’s true financial condition. If he knew the promise couldn’t be kept when he made it, he shouldn’t have made the promise. And if he was sincere when he made the promise, and believed his words, then either it was because at the time he made the promise NCC’s financial condition was very good and he believed he could keep the promise, or as Council President he failed to have a minimal working knowledge of NCC’s financial picture. Neither prospect is good.
Coons property tax increases wouldn’t be the massive problem it will be for him, had he not repeatedly promised not to raise property taxes. But he did, and just like Bush seniors “read my lips no new taxes” killed him, so will Coons’ breach of his promise not to raise property taxes.
Comment by John Manifold on 20 April 2010 at 11:56 am:
If I’m Coons, I want the podia in proximity, to contrast most vividly one candidate’s energy and focus with the other’s slouch and inarticulation.
With all due respect, Chris Coons is no Jack Kennedy. Whether Coons will beat Castle in the debate we’ll see. My guess is yes, but that may be wishful thinking, or anti-GOP bias. However, Coons has not aged well, he is several years shy of 50, but looks a lot older. A few days ago a friend mentioned Coons’ wife sure is a lot younger than him, but I told her I think they are real close in age. She didn’t believe me and felt Coons had at least 10 years on his wife.
Coons clearly is younger than Castle, who reminds me of Larry King, but claiming Coons is a picture of energy doesn’t exactly fit!
Kudos to Coons I just went on his website, and it finally has some content.
Anyone who doesn’t think Coons’ repeated property tax increases isn’t going to be a big issue has their head in the sand.
Except that Coons is running against the guy whose platform caused the meltdown. The NCC tax increase was necessitated by the housing meltdown and loss of Delaware banking jobs on Castle’s watch. It is Coons’s job to connect the dots for voters.
Comment by anon on 20 April 2010 at 5:14 pm:
Anyone who doesn’t think Coons’ repeated property tax increases isn’t going to be a big issue has their head in the sand.
Except that Coons is running against the guy whose platform caused the meltdown. The NCC tax increase was necessitated by the housing meltdown and loss of Delaware banking jobs on Castle’s watch. It is Coons’s job to connect the dots for voters.
Comment by anon on 20 April 2010 at 5:14 pm:
Anyone who doesn’t think Coons’ repeated property tax increases isn’t going to be a big issue has their head in the sand.
Except that Coons is running against the guy whose platform caused the meltdown. The NCC tax increase was necessitated by the housing meltdown and loss of Delaware banking jobs on Castle’s watch. It is Coons’s job to connect the dots for voters.
I agree with you that the reason NCC had to raise taxes was because of the housing meltdown, and loss of banking jobs, however Coons always used Gordon as his excuse, and he can’t turn around and say the real reason was factors outside any County Executive’s control!
If Castle used my example of an easy attack ad, and Coons responded by trying to connect the dots and blame Castle for the “housing meltdown and loss of Delaware banking jobs”, after the ad, or in a preemptory attack on Castle, he would get killed. The response ad would be effective. For example it starts with a video of still picture of Chris that is as unflattering as they can find, and a sinister voice over stating: “Chris is not a man of his word, and refuses to accept responsibility for his own actions.” Then it shows a quick montage of Coons at debates, and anywhere else the GOP has the tape of Coons promising not to raise property taxes if elected. Then the sinister voice over states “Chris Coons will promise anything to get elected.” And then state something to the effect, ____ months after being sworn in as County Executive Chris Coons raised property taxes by __%, and then the next year he did it again. While the sinister voice over is making this statements either a horrible still picture of Chris, or a montage of bad pictures is on screen. The sinister voice continues, “When Chris Coons broke his promise to the citizens of NCC not to raise their property taxes, he blamed fiscal mismanagement during the prior administration was to blame for the property tax hike. Then another montage of sound bites of Coons from early 2005 through the 2008 campaign blaming Gordon. On screen are the dates of these statements. Back with sinister voice “Was Chris Coons telling citizens of NCC the truth then? No, when he took office NCC had _____ million dollars in reserve. The highest level of cash reserves in the history of NCC. NCC was in such great financial shape that a group of tax payers sued NCC in an attempt to force the NCC to decrease taxes until the cash reserves were reduced.” While sinister voice is stating this NJ headlines are on the screen touting the amount of the reserves and the lawsuit about the reserves. The sinister voice continues while unflattering photos of Coons again appear on screen. “Now after spending the last 6 years blaming the prior administration, that had actually accumulated a record level of cash reserves, for all of NCC financial difficulties which happened under his watch, Chris Coons is now blaming Mike Castle for NCC’s financial problems. Chris Coons wasn’t being straight with NCC voters when he blamed financial difficulties, that happened under Coons watch on the prior administration, and now he’s telling the citizens of Delaware that Mike Castle is responsible for NCC’s financial woes! Vote Mike Castle for US Senate, Chris Coons has demonstrated he can’t accept responsibility for his own mistakes, and will say anything to get elected.”
End of commercial. Anon if you really think Coons can escape breaking his promise not to raise taxes by blaming Castle after he’s been blaming Gordon since he took office your head really is in the sand. Trying to blame Castle for his need to raise taxes won’t work, and worse yet he can’t even effectively blame Castle for real errors Castle is responsible, because he blamed Gordon so much, even when it defied logic, that Castle can turn this around to show Coons can’t ever accept responsibility. In the words of my hero Joe Biden “Mark my words on this”.
Comment by anon:
At least Chris stepped up and made unpopular but necessary choices to keep county services in tact. That is the only card they have to play, and it is already falling on deaf ears…Chris even acknowledged today that his decisions will be attacked by the opposition and he stands ready to defend those choices because the repubs can’t say how they would have done things differently…..They must be getting their talking points from the last Gordon campaign as well, and we know how effective that was!”
What do you expect Chris to say about his raising taxes despite promising not to do so? This isn’t rocket science, or even chemical engineering. Anyone who promises not to raise taxes and breaks that promise is always vulnerable. The sad thing is Chris knew he didn’t have to make a promise he knew he wasn’t going to keep, but he was only thinking about getting elected, and not keeping his word.
Why would you say the criticism is falling on deaf ears? I’d never vote for Castle, but I know plenty of people who don’t like Chris because they don’t trust him. Many of these people voted for him in 04 and 08, some only in 04. My good Democratic friends say they’ll vote for Coons because of the alternative, but his breaking his promise not to raise taxes still angers them, and these are people who would’ve volunteered night and day for Beau, and now will only commit to voting for Chris, they won’t even agree to put up a lousy yard sign with his name on it.
How does Chris stand ready to defend breaking his promise? This isn’t 2008, and his opponent never was County Executive. He made a promise and he broke it. He’s always blamed Gordon for his need to raise taxes, but not only does that factually not hold up to actual critical thought, but he can’t blame Gordon on his making a promise he either knew he couldn’t keep, or didn’t care if he could keep. That promise is his responsibility alone, and blaming anyone else for the circumstances that required him to break his promise doesn’t minimize the fact that he alone is responsible for making the promise.
Your statement: “They must be getting their talking points from the last Gordon campaign as well, and we know how effective that was!” is a joke! Do you really think Castle, whose been in office for ages, needs Gordon or anyone else to give him talking points on Coons vulnerability on this issue? Come on, the minute he broke his promise it became an albatross, and I agree Coons was effective at refuses to respond to any criticism during the 2008 campaign, but that isn’t because the merits of the criticism was valid, it was because the federal case gave him cover. This is a whole new ball game, and Coons can’t dodge responsibility now.