Deadline Day
Today we find out if Beau Biden has an opponent for reelection. The general consensus is that the GOP will let Biden be reelected unopposed. Republicans have been both mocked and praised for this move.
Praised because the GOP, for all their talk about how unpopular Obama and Biden are, fears the President and Vice President’s presence in the state, and presumably a challenge to Beau will bring them and more Democratic money, which will in turn spike Democratic turnout (for the only way Republicans can win is to depress Democratic turnout). So no opponent for Beau, no Obama-Biden or big time Dem money, no excitement or turnout on the Democratic side = wins by Rollins and Castle and the possibility of taking back the State House.
Mocked because, in a democracy where you are one of the two major parties, to allow a major elected position to be unchallenged is the ultimate sign of weakness. It happens to the Democrats too. Both parties leave county council seats and General Assembly seats unchallenged for strategic reasons. I personally hate it because it denies voters a choice. Thus, Republicans should be mocked for denying a choice to voters. They should also be mocked for strengthening their supposed enemy, not that I mind all that much. A reelected Beau Biden is a stronger Beau Biden. By 2014, a term term incumbent Attorney General should be a formidable candidate for the U.S. Senate (if Castle wins this year and then, as promised, retires), or for the Lt. Governorship or Governorship in 2016. The GOP may well regret this move, especially if O’Donnell and Urquhart win the primaries, as they will be left with Tom Wagner being the only winning statewide GOP candidate again.
We will also find out today if the Dems field a candidate in the 19th Senate District. Rumor has it that Lynn Rogers will run if St. Bodie Girl wins. I can confirm that Sussex County Democrats will be making a push to take over the County Council. Dennis Cordrey is mounting a campaign to knock off Glenn Urquhart employee Vance Phillips, and now, with one more seat to take over the Council, it looks like they have recruited Dagsboro resident Russ Melrath to take on 4th District Council member George Cole. Melrath is a retired State Farm insurance agent who has been active in Sussex County politics since he moved there ten years ago. Melrath faces long odds to win the seat, but by him running, he and the Democrats have offered the people of Sussex County a choice.
Go Russ Melrath! Where can I donate?
I will find out. I believe he will be setting up his campaign committee shortly.
Cole was unopposed 4 years ago, so I wrote-in a vote. Glad to see he’s being opposed. Although Cole is “good” on development issues (he often sides with the council’s lone Democrat, Joan Deaver), he has been on the council forever. A takeover of the council by Democrats will prevent Sam Wilson and his gang from reapportioning Deaver out of her seat.
Doug Campbell the conservative activist will be the third party candidate.
I have not been impressed with Deaver during her tenure as a councilwoman, and I think she won simply because the republicans destroyed each other in a nasty primary. It’ll be interesting to see how she does in her re-election campaign in a couple years.
Thanks, A. Price. Yes, your comment and any related comments will be moved to the more appropriate Open Thread when that is posted. But I would agree, it is encouraging and probably directly related to the new push by Obama to restart the peace process that he mentioned last night.
Yogie – what has Deaver done to disappoint you?
She seems to make a lot of fuss just to cause controversy. She has been very unsuccessful in progressing democratic issues, although I realize she is the only dem on the council.
Overall, she just rubs me the wrong way. I am not impressed with her speaking ability. She does not seem to be well versed on the issues, and she often sounds silly during the council meetings.
Lastly, she has decided to endorse candidates in competitive primaries, and I do not support elected officials that make this practice a habit.
OK. Fair enough. I’ve also had my differences with her (she verbally, and unfairly, attacked Sussex Family YMCA members who supported the Townsend-Lingo project) and she also speaks out of both sides of her mouth.
If pedo-doctor Earl Bradley walks because of an invalid warrant, Beau may not have much of a political future. I think he’s been middle of the road as an AG.
Anyone heard if any candidates have emerged today?
I got this in a press release from the Delaware Democratic Party:
I haven’t seen anything about someone challenging Booth/Bodenweiser.
As George Cole has demonstrated, one party controlling the Sussex council doesn’t mean a unified front. A Democratic majority in Deaver, Cordrey and Melrath wouldn’t mean shit if just one of them (I’m thinking Cordrey the likely possibility) is a property rights fanatic like the old Dem triumvirate of Dukes, Rogers and Jones.
The Sussex Dems (and the Republicans, for that matter) are schizoid about development and growth. It’s far more of an east-west split. The asterners like Deaver and Cole want to block growth; the westerners like Phillips and Wilson want it to go full-speed ahead.
The swing vote, either way, will be Mike Vincent, a Seaford Republican. He’s been cautiously staking out some middle ground.