The ‘Lower 41’: Q: Are We Not Districts? A: We Are Paramecium!
Guidelines for drawing districts following the Census call for compactness, contiguity, and honoring the integrity of community, wherever practicable.
Today, we ‘honor’ four districts that were drawn with none of those standards in evidence. Artificial constructs designed to preserve an artificial majority. Any or all of the four could have, and should have, been grounds for a court appeal, but none were forthcoming. Each of the four has an interesting political story accompanying it, and two of the four promise to be very competitive this fall, with party switches definitely in play.
Any one of these four could, and should, have been grounds for a court challenge to the constitutionality of the 2002 reapportionment. Instead, the House Democratic Caucus tried to convince then President Pro-Tem Tom Sharp to increase senate districts by two and house districts by four to give them a better chance. Sharp, and I think correctly, said no way. Additional costs to the taxpayer in a state that is far below the national ratio of constituents to elected legislative officials is not exactly what I’d call ‘good government’.
Kids, you’ll definitely want to refer to the maps of these four abominations as we go along. So, here they are. Remember to click on the RD #: The 10th, 11th, 5th, and 37th.
The 10th Representative District projects to be one of the most competitive districts this fall, and represents perhaps the best opportunity for an R pickup of a seat currently held by a D.
This Brandywine Hundred district was held by Rep. Bob Valihura until 2008, where he was edged out by Dennis E. Williams, 5091-4898. As you can see from the map, it is an insanely gerrymandered district running from the Delaware River in Claymont all the way to Centreville. For a significant portion of its length, the southern district boundary is Naamans Road and the northern boundary is the state line. Anyone who knows the area also knows that there isn’t a whole hell of a lot between these two boundaries. While the current registration figures, 7169 D’s; 5516 R’s; and 3814 I’s, might suggest a relatively solid swing D district, in this case, the numbers lie. Specifically, there’s quite a bit of fool’s gold in them thar numbers. Lots of apartments, plus large communities like Greentree, which chronically underperform voting norms. Only the presence of Obama on the ticket jacked up turnout to a point where Williams was able to squeak through.
Williams was also helped by the McGlincheys and the Laborers’ Union, who, in effect, ran Williams’ campaign. This was a payback campaign, Bill McGlinchey having narrowly lost an election to Valihura. The point I’m making here is: Williams was put over the top b/c of the obsession of the McGlincheys. He had next to no significant organization of his own. With Valihura not running, it remains to be seen whether, and to what extent, Williams will be the beneficiary of a similar effort this time. If he’s not, he’d better put together an effective campaign team on his own.
His opponent, Robert Rhodunda, is right out of the Greg Lavelle Training Academy. Like Lavelle, he is from the insurance field. Like Lavelle, he has served his time in the Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred, which has devolved from a legitimate voice for the region into a launching pad for political wannabes. He’s even put in the requisite 5-year Little League stint.
Fortunately for Williams, he has a chance to put an organization together. He has a ‘primary’ which appears to be nothing more than a name on the ballot. Some guy named Kenneth Dargis, who doesn’t even include a website or e-mail address on his filing. The best that I can come up with is this letter to the editor where he castigates Sen. Kaufman and ‘liberals’. In other words, this guy at best is a Rethug plant. The irony, of course, is that Williams can campaign full bore and collect twice from contributors, once for the primary, once for the general. The question is: Will he?
Williams is a reliable Markell vote in Dover (Markell lives in his district), and I think he’s generally been good on the issues. However, if he remains as passive as he’s been during his first term, it will be his last term.
Likelihood of a Party Switch to R: 56%
The 11th District should have been one of the most competitive districts this fall, what with Gaseous Grandstander Greg Lavelle campaigning for Speaker instead of reelection. His Partisanship Uber Alles and his pomposity place him somewhere on the Likeability Scale between Newt Gingrich and Arlen Specter. His sole skill appears to be feigning outrage, usually in front of microphones. Other than when it comes to pedophile priests, his feigned outrage knows no limits.
Uh, except that the targets are always political ones or serve a political purpose. Why, just this week, there’s Lavelle expressing outrage that the AG hasn’t let him in on what the Department of Justice intends to do regarding the Minner/Tigani, et al sweetheart deals on Route 1. Sure the Feds are investigating, and the AG’s office is planning action, but dammit, nobody is replying to Greg Lavelle’s e-mails! Memo to Greg Lavelle: How about releasing the e-mails you sent to the do-nothing State Auditor about why he isn’t investigating ‘sales’ of government land for $1 along a busy highway? Oh, that’s right. You didn’t SEND any. Or, how about expressing outrage over the continuing failure to release the House travel records from Terry Spence’s ignoble time as speaker? Oops, wrong party.
Let me make this real clear. I hope the state and the Feds throw the book at these ‘public servants’ who disgraced their offices as well as their corporate beneficiaries. But Lavelle’s feigning of outrage is as phony as his justification for protecting pedophile priests. Update: Lavelle’s back in the paper today feigning outrage over the plea deal of a Laurel School District treasurer. He’d do well to feign outrage (he’s incapable of the real thing) over the dire economic straits facing thousands of his Claymont-area constituents.
But, I digress. Go back to the above link and click on the 11th RD. Clearly, Lavelle wasn’t outraged about this gerrymandered monstrosity. Nor should he be since the feckless D’s have failed to challenge one of the most vulnerable incumbents around. Here’s my story on this district from April of last year. He was vulnerable then and even more vulnerable now. But not if no one challenges him. While there’s talk of a challenger in the wings, until it happens, it’s just talk.
Likelihood of R Retention: 90%. Only because a two-month candidacy just might catch fire, if there IS a two-month candidacy. Almost happened to Bill Oberle in 2008.
The 5th Representative District is the notorious ‘Barbell District’ crafted specifically for Melanie George. The D’s claim they had nothing to do with this, and that the Rethugs were so scared of her that they created the safest district possible for her. As an isolated fact, there may well be some truth to it. But crafting this district also enabled the R’s to eliminate a Wilmington minority-majority district, and to screw Rep. Rick Di Liberto, who admittedly set himself up by moving further out into the Newark-area ‘burbs. It also had ripple effects throughout the entire redistricting process b/c the stuffing of so many D’s into this district enabled R’s to have competitive districts where otherwise they’d be hopelessly outnumbered.
The real story of this district, however, is its blatant gerrymandering and the violation of just about every standard of redistricting that it demonstrates. Elimination of a minority district? Check. Ignoring the requirement for compactness? Check. Ignoring the guideline for contiguity? Check. There, of course, is another big story. The utter failure of the D House leadership to challenge this district and the others referenced in this article in court. The ‘leadership’ instead sought a political solution consisting of adding four house districts in 2002. When this costly and pointless scheme was dashed by President Pro-Tempore Sharp, as it should have been, the ‘leadership’ folded its cards. The courts had already threatened to take action if the sides could not reach agreement. The plan that was enacted had so many violations of redistricting protocol that the D’s had every possibility of prevailing in court. They chose not to, and, as one of the byproducts of that decision, Melanie George got her safe barbell district.
In general, Melanie George is one of Dover’s better legislators, the R’s have not filed a challenger, nor would they want to do anything to drive up vote totals in this insanely-solid D district. Check out these registration figures: 8869 D’s; 2323R’s; and 2936 I’s. Just about a 4-1 edge in a suburban New Castle County district. I’ll be interested to see what happens with this district in reapportionment. If Melanie George has any leadership aspirations in the caucus, and she’s certainly qualified, she’ll do well to ‘share the wealth’ with some of her colleagues with far less hospitable districts. Oh, and she’ll make sure it looks like a ‘real’ district. Barbells are for dummies.
Likelihood of D Retention: 100%
37th Representative District. It’s trivia time, kids: Who was the 37th District Rep immediately prior to the 2002 redistricting? Time’s up. Democrat John Schroeder was the Representative, and he defeated Betty Crystal, Terry Spence’s secretary (I’m not making this up), by a 65.9% to 34.1% margin. Following redistricting, Schroeder lost to Joe Booth by 44 votes out of over 6500 cast. What happened? Reapportionment, that’s what.
Schroeder represented the interests of coastal area Sussex County, and was doing a superb job in battling excessive development in eastern Sussex, without, of course, any help from the bought-and-paid-for Sussex County Council. The pre-2002 district was a compact and contiguous district, and constituents within the district largely shared similar concerns. Now, go back up and click on the current 37th District map. What Wayne Smith and the Rethugs did in 2002 was to take a tiny corner of Schroeder’s district in the Lewes area and to draw the district west and south to encompass virtually the entirety of Georgetown and rural areas south of Georgetown. Not only do Georgetown and Lewes have virtually nothing in common, but, when it comes to development and protection of Delaware’s shoreline, they often have diametrically opposing interests.
So, not only did Smith succeed in making this a much more conservative and rural district, he succeeded in stilling a voice for environmental accountability as well.This district should have been challenged in court if, for no other reason, the blatant drawing of Lewes into an area that was anathema to protection of the coastal interests. But, of course, that wasn’t done.
This promises to be a competitive district this fall. The incumbent, Ruth Briggs King, won the seat in the domino-effect aftermath of Thurman Adams’ death which led to the election of Rep. Joe Booth to the Senate and the open seat race in the 37th. Although the numbers marginally favor the D’s, this is clearly at best a swing-Republican district. The district has 5653 registered D’s; 5391 R’s; and 3191 I’s. Briggs King won a competitive race with Ron Robinson, who ran a superb race. I hope he runs for elective office again. Perhaps after reapportionment.
For this go-round, realtor and former lobbyist Briggs King faces Frank Shade, the Punkin’ Chunkin’ guy. The question remains whether the Lewes-based Shade will be able to make sufficient inroads into the Georgetown and rural areas of the district. His background suggests that he sure could, but his government experience could be viewed as a net negative by the trogs in his district.
Admitting my cluelessness when it comes to Sussex County, I rate this as a 65% Likely Republican Retention. Sometimes, geography is destiny.
I encourage anyone here who ‘speaks Sussex County’ to give me their take on this race.
Whew, didn’t figure that I’d crank out close to 2,000 words when I started this one. I’ll try to be more concise next time. And, I’ll fail.
The passivity of the Democratic “leadership” is astounding. I doubt we’ll see it returned in kind when the Democrats make some minor changes in the electoral map.
Also – I have to add that this is, pound for pound, the best political writing being done in the state right now. DelawareLiberal (and Delaware for that matter) is lucky to have El Somnambulo.
Dennis E. Williams may well be the worst of the Dems in the house. I have heard bad things from his constituents, other legislators and even his inner circle. I actually think the guy may need to be medicated for depression, based on what I’ve heard. I really wish someone would have stepped up and given him a real primary challenge.
“I actually think the guy may need to be medicated for depression, based on what I’ve heard.”
And people here complain about dirty politics in the treasurer’s race.
The guy seems to be going through some rough times and I have heard similar reports from multiple sources, as I said above. He may actually be a good guy on the issues, but his life issues may be impacting his ability to campaign and talk to constituents.
You know who else had reports from multiple sources…? Hitler.
If the above is true, we shouldn’t kick a guy while he’s down. If he is good on the issues, I hope he can succeed.
You’re perpetuating a smear, LG. Sorry, but that’s what it is.
huh? He has people in his inner circle that are complaining that he isn’t engaged. He has fellow legislators worrying about his effort and commitment. I am not happy to just let him fail, but that is the path he is on. Is it good enough to be “good on the issues” but not pick up the phone or just show up to vote with whatever Markell proposes. That’s not enough to get my support, but maybe it’s good enough for you.
Is it a smear if it’s true, A1?
I don’t know about his personal issues or if there are any. I do know that there is one guy who is helping with his campaign and from what I know his name is not one of those El listed above. If your info is coming from the guy who is helping him, that is a real shame. Otherwise, there is no inner circle with this guy.
Is it a smear if it’s true, A1?
And should everyone else judge the *truth* of this? It isn’t as though you’ve actually sourced any of these claims.
For all I know this could be right, but it is usually the rule that a tale that relies on unnamed complaints and worries is one to be taken with alot of grains of salt.
What is “true,” here, LG? Your clinical diagnosis of “depression” and the you think he “may need to be medicated?”
Everything that you have cited is either rumor, speculation or heresy. You have offered no proof, no first-hand experience, no collaborating witnesses. By the way, before somebody else writes and says “I heard it, too”, recall that hearing the same rumor or repeating the same heresy doesn’t constitute collaborating or substantiating evidence.
If you want to turn that district back to “R” and lose a reliable Markell vote, then keep up the smear. Keeping the district “D” instead of “R” is good enough for me.
Take it with as many grains of salt as you require. My point is that we should brace ourselves for a loss in that election, and my likelihood of this being an R pickup is somewhere around 90%.
I trust my sources on this, as they are quite diverse and likely don’t know each other. In fact, all of them were unsolicited opinions and impressions.
Keeping the district “D” instead of “R” is good enough for me.
And I get accused of being a shill…
I would hope that you would look at your original comment, realize that some of it was out of bounds and have it deleted accordingly.
I believe LG’s first comment could be misconstrued as showing ignorance, maybe even prejudice, toward mental health issues.
BTW, let me say, that I don’t believe for a minute LG is ignorant or prejudice regarding mental health.
I call bullshit, with all due respct, on Nemski’s comment. This is a public figure and Liberalgeek knows his way around political gamesmanship enough to discern if this is a legitimate issue.
BTW – thanks for highlighting the “misconstrued” on the follow up. I clearly missed your intent.
jason330, I’m not saying whether or not it is a legitimate issue, I just understand why some commentators got upset regarding it. I can see how the comment could seem a bit callous toward people that suffer from mental health issues.
FWIW, (admittedly not much), I’ve never heard ANY type of scuttlebutt like this. Also agree with RonH that I’m not sure that Williams HAS an inner circle.
The only real issue that I see is that Williams has a real job and works in Pennsylvania, which cuts down on his in-district availability.
And, with due respect to my friend and occasional sparring partner LG, I really don’t think that this type of speculation is appropriate. How do you deny it w/o getting into ‘Have you stopped beating your wife’ territory?
El Som, Pennsylvania is not that far away from Williams’ district. I mean if he had a full-time job in Dover, he’d have less face time in his district.
Believe me, I’m not sayin’ that Williams has spent the amount of visible time in his district that he needs to, just that he doesn’t have the type of flexible job where he can set his own schedule. Many of the legislators who still ‘work’ outside of the General Assembly have much more flexibility.
Williams will have to be more visible in his district to win reelection. It’s not as if he’s not a likable guy, it’s that he has not really become a ‘representative’ in the truest sense of how he’s tied to his district. Wasn’t it Tip O’Neil who said that 90% of political success is ‘just showing up’? Williams needs to show up.
It is my understanding that Williams lost his job several months ago. I believe that he has flexibility, although looking for a job is no easy task these days.
allow me to suggest that my sources could be wrong. I believe them to be accurate, but it is entirely possible that I am being fed bad info.
But we seem to have no problem discussing illnesses of other elected officials, Hazel Plant, for one. In my first comment on this thread, I said that he should be medicated. I’ll temper that with suggesting that if he is having issues as my sources have indicated, I hope he seeks help. I’ll leave diagnosis and prescriptions to the medical profession.
Bottom line is that he has not distinguished himself in his first term with legislation or constituent services. Make up your own reasoning for that behavior and tell me if we owe him our untempered support just because he has a D next to his name.
Hazel Plant’s health issues caused her to miss a huge percentage of GA sessions recently. There’s a direct correlation between her health and her work.
But Williams’ alleged health issues have had no apparent impact on his performance. Lots of perfectly “healthy” legislators are also utterly undistinguished.
Was there a reason for bringing this up, other than to smear someone? Yeesh.
Also, is either Dennis Williams in the GA the one who ran against Castle a few years back?
Now that’s better. 😉
But my Chip-hate meter is still in the red. 🙂
There are two Dennis Williams’ in the GA. They are distinguished by their middle initial.
My point isn’t about not discussion people’s illnesses, it is about knowing whether or not the discussion is based in some facts. In the example of Hazel Plant, we know something about her illnesses (or at least some of them) because the NJ has written about them AND Mrs. Plant herself will refer to them on occasion (when she appears) on her TV show. You don’t need to rely on unnamed sources to know something about her health — she’s put that information out in public herself.
Williams’ alleged health issues may or may not be true which we won’t really know until someone clearly delineates that. But alleged health issues aren’t needed to detail missteps or failures in legislating or constituent service.
As many of you know, once an article is posted, the comments can take the thread into areas that were unintended and unanticipated. That has happened today.
I want to make it clear that I believe that some of the assertions concerning one of the figures discussed today were both unsubstantiated and uncalled for. I find the mere mention of them to be offensive and to have crossed the line.
Even were the allegations sourced, which they were not, and even were they true, which the person floating them has not come close to verifying, they have no place in a public discourse.
I disassociate myself from them in their entirety, and I want you to know that I believe that their appearance here cheapens what we seek to do at DL. Others disagree, and that’s their right.
Suffice it to say that I wish to profoundly apologize to anyone and everyone who was needlessly hurt by these unsubstantiated allegations.
I’m with El Somnambulo, the hearsay and gossip on this thread belittles the mission of Delaware Liberal. Re: LG, people who have “sources” typically don’t blab about it on a blog’s comments section.
Dennis is a good guy and he tries to do right by his constituents.
The race that matters here in Sussex is Bodenweiser and Booth. Bodie is on track to beat Booth. Bodie has money and a network.
The other races, hmmm. The sad part is these guys never go away. Spence is back for a rematch even as he knows he will never be speaker. Yes, Lavelle is whiner but oh well he wins. Some go away and come back as someone else like Vince Lofink whose name is mud but is now running his wife in Pike Creek. Must need a pay check. I guess his son did not leave a stash of cash.
The R’s will come up short as they should be worrying about the House but they will be protecting Castle and Rollins.
Perhaps I should have done a post about it, but it seemed like the comments section of this post were a less visible place to discuss it. Where do people with “sources” discuss the things they discover in your world, 10th?
And I am not sure that you are clear on the mission of DL. We are here to discuss politics, and this is interesting to some if us on this blog.
It is also noted that you did not refute the facts. Have you seen DEW’s website, as published on the election website? Nothing. Forget the causes, the effect has been a lackluster effort from a first term rep.
Thanks for your thoughts, El Som. Too bad that LG wants to use DL to smear a reliable supporter of Markell’s agenda with (at best) rumors and heresy. The only person it helps is Rhodunda (R), who most assuredly will not be a reliable supporter of Markell’s agenda.
Really, LG, I think you need to reconsider your comments in this thread. Just being a “lackluster” first term rep doesn’t seem warrant the truly ugly smear you’re perpetuating here. What’s your motivation?
By the way, if this is kind of smear is continued by DL, then there soon won’t be any difference between what you do and what Andrew Breitbart does.
A1 – What motivations do people have for reporting anything. Must everyone have an angle?
2 weeks ago, El Somnambulo wrote a post about how selfish Hazel Plant was for filing to run again for the exact same office in a different district. Not a freaking word from you about how unfair El Somnambulo was by saying that. You didn’t say a word about El Somnambulo’s description of a state rep that was consistently in a hurry to get to get to happy hour. So from my vantage point you are an inconsistent prick that likes to take out your frustrations on some of us here. We can take it, but I’ll dish it right back.
I have reasonably solid information that something is afoot with Rep Williams. Because my sources are unnamed doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. It means that you are free to disregard my assertions.
Rather, you question why in the world I would do that to harm a solid vote for Markell. What a disgusting sentiment. I want representatives that are engaged with their constituents and busy making their government work better to solve their problems. You seem to want a guy with a D next to his name and a pulse. It is particularly interesting from a guy that wants a primary challenge to a sitting Democratic president.
I have no agenda here. I am concerned about the ability of a rep to run a campaign when almost every person that I have asked about him rolls their eyes when I mention him by name. I am suggesting that Rep. Dennis E. Williams should have considered whether or not he can keep on keepin’ on in this job.
Right. Can’t believe people would draw districts that dastardly.
Mr. Tanzer, thanks for your insight. Let’s let this next redistricting be fair and impartial.
LG, floating vicious rumors and heresy about people being “depressed” and needing “meds” is not “reporting.” It isn’t even commentary or good blogging. It is smearing.
El Som covered the differences between Williams and Plant in relationship to health and other issues. Maybe you should read that again. In his post two weeks ago, El Som was writing about publicly-verifiable facts, not trying to smear Plant with rumors about her mental health.
Spreading rumors and heresy about a person’s mental health based on “reasonably solid information that something is afoot” or people rolling their eyes is just more classic smear technique. It is neither fair nor ethically right. If you have verifiable facts and figures to use to criticize Williams, then by all means do so. But smearing somebody with vicious heresy about their mental health as you have done in this thread is unbecoming to you and reflects poorly on Delaware Liberal.
Given a choice between a “a guy with a D next to his name and a pulse” who supports Markell and a gung-ho republican who does not, yes, I’ll take the “guy with a D next to his name and a pulse.”
Williams does not have a serious primary opponent and he has been very supportive of the Governor.
If Williams had a credible primary opponent, then I might support him or her. But he doesn’t. So it is most likely to be a choice between him and Rhodunda. Do you prefer Rhodunda? Is that why you’re smearing Williams?
The fact is that Williams unseated a long-term R when nobody really gave him a chance. He has carried the Democratic flag in Congressional races against Castle when nobody else stepped up. Maybe he won’t win this year because he isn’t the world’s best campaigner or a legislative genius. But he will be better than Rhodunda in advancing a liberal agenda for Delaware; I can assure you of that.
And, by the way, as much as I am disappointed in Obama, I’d still vote for him over any of the current repubs in 2012. That doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be criticized for his poor performance or primaried by a more liberal and honest candidate. I hope he is primaried.
If Shade connects with the state workers, he could make this uncomfortable for Briggs-King. There are alot of state employees that are pissed at her vote on the budget which re-instated thier 2.5%.
This is a district that encompasses (at least 12 schools the I can think of) both Cape district and IRSD.
Two state police troops 4 and 7.
Sussex Correctional Institute.
Stockley Center.
All the Courts in Georgetown.
All the Dnrec offices in Georgetown.
Three Deldot yards, including the South District main offices.
Georgetown DMV.
All the social services buildings
Probation and Parole.
Del-Tech.
ect…..
Not a smart vote in my opinion? What do you guys think?
Since LG persists in perpetuating the Plant/Williams analogy, here’s what I sent him offline early in this discussion yesterday:
“First: it ain’t multisourced if you provide zero sources. Second: Hazel Plant’s consistent and chronic absentee record is just that–part of the public record, a record that has been chronicled in the paper, and has gone on for two full terms now. Third: in addition to the public record, her illness has oft been written about in the press–with real sources willing to be quoted there. Fourth: your representation that Williams is ‘(Removed by me since I don’t think this was ever published)’ is offered with no attribution whatsoever, and it’s a pretty serious assertion to be making w/o attribution. Fifth: as a matter of public record: Williams has either a perfect or near-perfect attendance record in Dover. Sixth: While we are not a newspaper, we should not be a rumormonger that stoops to Access Hollywood standards either.
Did I miss anything?”
Next time you engage in false analogies here, LG, be intellectually honest about it.
Thanks to In the Know. Your take from the ground there is far more valuable than any punditry from two hours away that I could offer.
I’ll make one however about a pretty good group of D challengers running this fall in Sussex County–a couple of them in daunting districts. Since these districts will not remain the same after reapportionment, a real good showing, even if it’s a loss, sets one or more of these candidates up to be in a more hospitable district in 2012. I, for one, will be looking at how they perform.
In the Know: Not everyone who works in those facilities lives in the district. Doesn’t mean you’re not right, just pointing that out.
On the Williams issue: There’s a difference between speculating out of malice and just speculating. LG might have been wrong to speculate about DEW’s health, but I think a lot of people who have attacked him would still be attacking him had he just said, “People in his inner circle have wondered aloud to me why he’s so disengaged.” The comment that accused him of wanting Rhodunda to win, in particular, indicates that some of this “outrage” is about a liberal saying something negative about a Democrat.
The material was presented as speculation, not fact. It was intended as support for El Som’s assertion that Williams is walking, not running, for re-election.
In short, the faux outrage is tiresome. IMHO, speculating someone might be suffering from depression is not “vicious”; asserting that a male candidate hits women is “vicious.” Try to set your outrage meters accordingly.
A1: The word is “hearsay.” “Heresy” is something entirely different, though in the context you keep using it, it qualifies as a Freudian slip.
You’re right, Geezer – thanks.
I have no problem with saying negative things about a Democrat if they are based in facts and figures or even speculation about their level of engagement, which is part of job performance. I agree completely that Williams needs to step up his campaign. He does not even have a website up yet. That is a fact. But public “speculation” about a person’s mental health based on hearsay is a smear, whether intended that way or not. Unfortunately, there is still a huge stigma associated with mental health issues in this country.
From your heretical friend.
A1: I guess you’re right about the stigma, even with the huge number of people on anti-depressants these days. Based on percentages alone, I’m sure there are members of the General Assembly on them, but I have no idea which ones, which reinforces your point.
I just wanted to draw the distinction between a low-level smear and a truly vicious one. Also, a smear does not have to be fictional to be a smear, does it? Because those allegations about Carper are true, to the extent that they did occur in a deposition. But they were also long in the past and had nothing to do with his job performance. I think that made them a smear.
Good points Geezer. Anonone never passes on a chance to climb up on his trusty high horse named “Holier Than Thou.” If you could make electricity out of faux outrage, Anonone could power the eastern seaboard.
True, Jason, but he’s at least partially right on this one. I hope Mr. Williams can get back to form, and if his health is an issue I hope it improves. Look, we can dislike the politics of these people, but occasionally we’re reminded that they are flesh and blood. When Bob Valihura was going through his marriage ending, I felt bad for him even though I don’t care for his politics.
I felt bad — for a minute, anyway — even when the old dinosaurs like Adams and Vaughn died. They had made it crystal clear that they’d leave office only with their boots on, but I still kept hoping they’d see reason and leave before drawing their final breaths.
Of course, the smaller the circle, the better empathy operates. I’m still having trouble working up any for the Cheney family.
My horse reaches to the heavens.
I know not everyone that works there votes in that district. However, alot of them do and the ones that do, might have family there?
ITK: Gotcha. It also explains, for those upstaters who don’t understand this, that the state government being the state’s No. 1 employer is especially true downstate. This is why both parties are afraid to gore the state workers’ ox.
As a bit of a mental health expert and one who takes medication to control my mental heath issues i put a few things out there. Depression is a recognized illness which is diagnosed by a DOCTOR. You would not post a speculation that an official should get out of a race because “people are telling me” that he or she has cancer. Likewise you have NO CLUE as to this person’s health Mental or otherwise. IF you are being told about specific observed behaviors then by all means report them. But to speculate that they are a symptom of a disorder is in fact smearing. Your posts have gone far to perpetuate and strengthen that which those who deal responsibly with their mental health issuses must face daily. Stigma is caused by ignorance.
Please look at how your postings are perceived.
In the 19th Senatorial:
Bodenweiser indeed has a network. So does Booth. Both hail from Georgetown. The key to the district will be Bridgeville and Greenwood, where Booth has been assiduously working since he got elected last year.
Bodenweiser has the motivated partisans – the TPers, the 9/12 Pats, the former SCCORRs, the WGMD listeners. His primary voters are going to be Urquhart and O’Donnell voters. Look for a really strong showing for those two in the 19th Senatorial.
Booth, on the other hand, is the statesman, the known reliable quantity. If he can portray Bodenweiser as a nutjob, the Rollins and Castle party loyalists will pick him.
It’s sad, but this primary will probably decide the race. The anemic Democratic Party in Sussex failed to put up a candidate. Though it has until September to do so, such candidates usually don’t win.
Look for similar GOP locks in the 38th (Hocker), 39th (Short) and 41st (Lee) House districts.
In the 37th: Briggs King is going to win 55-45. Shade will put up a fight, but she’ll have the real estate money and the Georgetown base, which as El Som has noted makes up the bulk of the district. He’ll attract the Lewes-area anti-development crowd, but it won’t be enough. He’s also hamstrung by the fact that he can’t campaign during the day while he’s on the job with Sussex County. She can do anything anytime.
One thing I noticed in the 37th is that Briggs King has not updated her website (or at least hadn’t as of two days ago) since the Special Election.
However, I think that people who determine credibility based solely or primarily on the quality of the candidate’s website make one key mistake: Next to nobody, save partisans and political junkies like us, ever check out the candidates’ websites. Sometimes, even the worst campaigns attract the best computer geeks.
BTW, anon’s description of the Bodenweiser/Booth primary makes my mouth water. I’m changing my vote for most intriguing primary. The D’s could possibly steal this seat with a credible candidate. It’s really pathetic that they don’t have one.
I mean, consider the very real possibility that Bodenweiser wins the primary and coasts to election unopposed despite a potential coalition of disaffected Booth supporters and registered D’s.
Booth’s problem; even main stream R’s in Sussex Don’t like Castle much. Rollins is a big money casino mogul who is seen by many moderates as the reason casino’s are being kept out of sussex. In otherwords he is on his own. Bodie may be a little out there but he is out there in the field where primary voters are found. Bodie has a shot.
….the TPers, the 9/12 Pats, the former SCCORRs, the WGMD listeners. His primary voters are going to be Urquhart and O’Donnell voters. Look for a really strong showing for those two in the 19th Senatorial.
These far right R outsiders always underperform in November. Since this is a primary with a lot of moving parts the nutbag brigade might be able to backup the trash talk a little bit, but consider me a sceptic.
yes but the party of the late pro tem can’t find a candidate. not even “Polly want a Gucci” is willing to run. Thus the Right wing nuts have a real shot to put one of their own in the Senate.
Hazel Plant is pretty sad existing off her old husband but R’s do it also. Connor, Cloutier? This year Janet Kiplatrick who bragged at Joe Miro’s post convention party how she could keep her state job with the GOP caucus and campaign at the same time.
No shame.
Janet Kilpatrick was involved in politics as Roger Roy’s aide long before she married Vince Lofink.
Jason – I think you missed my point. Unless the Democrats put up a candidate, whoever wins the primary will win the general election automatically. Thus, this is the time and place for the ultra-conservatives to make their stand and quite possibly win.
The Democratic party in the district should be ashamed. There were six candidates last year wanting the nomination to succeed Adams. One of them, Polly Adams Mervine, lost awfully to Booth. Another, Eddy Parker, who initially got the nomination, I hear has sworn off politics because of the nastiness from the Adams clan. Jim Westhoff is the only one who’s entered politics this year, as the nominee for the 35th against Dave Wilson. The others – former Sussex Councilman Lynn Rogers, Bridgeville school board member Willis Dewey and businessman Scott Wilkins – apparently weren’t interested outside of a special election.
There is always the possibility that if it looks like the Ds aren’t going to put up a candidate, perennial challenger Matt Opaliski will run on the IPOD ticket just to prevent an uncontested race. (I think this would be his fourth run for the seat.) Could Democrats hold their noses and vote for him to keep Bodenweiser out of the Senate?
Yes. Good points. I was looking past that to the November impact. Democrats and other sane people in the district should be sickened by the prospect of sending Bodenweiser to the Senate to “represent” them.
Well, there’s your problem. You’re equating Sussex Democrats with sane people. 😉
Booth has acknowledged that he very well may lose this primary. Rumor has it that Booth is having preliminary and very unofficial talks about switching parties. If the polls show him loosing the primary he is considering a party swtich before the Sept 1 deadline.
There’s more to being a Democrat than having a ‘D’ for your party affiliation. Booth has nothing in common with Democrats. Just like, say, Arlen Specter, for that matter.
This is all the more reason why the D’s should actually find a credible candidate and put them on the ballot. By ‘credible’, I do not mean Polly Adams Mervine.
APB to all our Sussex ‘homies’: Is the party doing anything about this?
That did not to stop Arlen Specter, or John Atkins for that matter either. The D’s need a credible candidate, but all they have is a 3rd string at best.
The first string would be Jones or Rogers. Jones is a veritable Canadian since his retirement, and Rogers is allegedly mad at the party for not simply placing a crown on his forehead during the special election. The second string was just tested in the special and failed -miserably-. The third string is just small town elected officials and mid level state/county employees.
If Booth doesn’t switch parties the Rethugs will own that seat for a long time.
I think you paint a bleak, but accurate, picture of prospective D fortunes in this district. However, I sure as hell wouldn’t want Booth in the D Senate Caucus any more than I liked the idea of Thurman there.
During reapportionment, the D’s can give Booth an almost impregnable R district, and strive to protect and/or develop more attractive D districts.
Getting rid of neanderthals like Adams and Vaughn has, albeit slightly, made the Senate more (all things are relative) progressive.
I, for one, don’t want to go back.
Humphrey – Did you attend any of the meetings during the 19th special selection process? I heard that Rogers was very lackluster, and his pitch basically boiled down to “Well, Thurman promised me this seat when he was going to retire, and that’s why part of Milton was gerrymandered into the district last time.” Do you know if that’s accurate?
Booth will never switch D probably a Bodenweiser rumor. That guy is a 100% whack job. I for one would never have Booth a D. Let Booth crush Bodenweiser and then lets give Booth a run when we cut the lines.
Bodenweiser is an absolute NUT anyone who votes for that guy should be ashamed of themselves. Worse case we start a write in campaign. Opaliski ran against Booth / Adams / Jones and I think he got like 300 votes or so nice job Matt and at least that guys is normal. Those 300 drink the same punch as Bodenweiser.