Mitch Crane kicks off his Campaign today in Dover
It starts at 12:30 over at the Old State House on the Green in Dover. Mitch will be joined by a number of legislators who already support his candidacy to unseat the incompetent advocate for the insurance industry, Karen Weldin Stewart. Indeed, I am told that a few legislators plan to announce their support today at the kickoff.
For more information on Mitch’s campaign (which he has been unofficially running for over a year), go to his website, http://www.mitchcranefordelaware.com/, and as always if you can make a donation, that is always appreciated.
I think at this point KWS would lose to a statue. Mitch seems to have alot on the ball.
She would lose to Mitch if it were a two person race. But the powers that be have seen to it to put two other candidates in the race. Indeed, I have heard that Dennis Spivack has said that he is only in the race to help Karen win.
So the anti-Karen vote is diluted with more candidates in the race. Meanwhile, there are some long time female Democratic activists who support Karen only because she is a woman, no matter how incompetent she is and no matter how anti-consumer she is.
Karen will win easily. Mitch will lose because he ran a bad, negative campaign attacking a record he helped build as Karen’s consumer protection director. About all he has done well is collect and tout endorsements because we know how important they are. Dennis and Paul have as much right to run as Mitch does. Let voters decide who the best person is amongst the four. If Mitch is as great as hyped he will have no trouble winning but…Mitch is a hyped candidate of insiders. He may not even finish second when the public votes.
Let them all run on their records and ideas. I love how the Crane supporters are trying to bully all the other folks out to have the luxury of a one on one shot. Its a democracy dude. Its called healthy competition. Don’t buy all the shadow conspiracy theories.
Spivack has run for US Congress as a longshot a few times. Give him a fair shot to make his case.
Beautiful weather over at the Old Statehouse today for a great event. There were about 40 supporters in addition to the 8 or 9 elected officials standing with Mitch. Ed Osienski, Darryl Scott, and Becky Walker all made their endorsements today. A few of the legislators gave very strong arguments as to why this particular election is important. Interestingly, Representative Kowalko noted that he had endorsed Karen in 2008, but after being disappointed with her tenure in office, has decided to support Mitch to replace her. For his part, Mitch gave the most impassioned speech I’ve seen him give to date.
Spivack ran for Congress ONCE, and still has an unpaid $129K debt that is 6 years old. And please provide your proof that Mitch or anyone on the campaign is bullying anyone out of the race.
They think someone saying their candidate sucks is bullying. Boys need to grow a fuckin pair. This is politics.
Okay, let me rephrase. Too many Crane supprters act ENTITLED that they should be the only opponent in the race. Mitch has a lot to offer, and if hes so good, should have no problem mowing down the competition. The point is, lets have the competition. This is not a coronation, its an election, where real people (for better or worse), not self importnat party insiders, decide the final esult.
By the way, Hillary Clinton still has a large unpaid campaign debt too and shes the most popular lady in the Party. So that is no disqualifier of anything.
“Mitch has a lot to offer, and if hes so good, should have no problem mowing down the competition.”
That’s a ridiculous statement. First, nobody cares about the office. Second, when you split the anti-incumbent vote, the incumbent usually wins.
“The point is, lets have the competition. This is not a coronation, its an election, where real people (for better or worse), not self importnat party insiders, decide the final result.”
You’re wrong again. Who do you think is finding all these people to enter the race? It’s not KWS or Elliott Richardson — it’s KWS’s only supporter in the Delaware Way delegation, hard-drinkin’ Harris McDowell. Why do you think Dennis Spivack, of all people, has entered the race?
So, in effect, Harris McDowell has chosen the state insurance commissioner for us — or at least the Democratic nominee. It doesn’t get any more insidery than that. He needs to be defeated even more badly than KWS.
Endorsements. LOLZ.I am sure endorsements will propel Mitch to victory as they always do.
JJ you are correct. Practically every Mitch supporter here and offline echoes the same view. At heart they know he is a weak candidate…He can only win in a two-way race against a vulnerable incumbent by capturing the generic anti-incumbent vote. 95% of Delawareans have no clue who Mitch is so there is no pro-Mitch out there other than among insiders.
The problem is there is no strong rationale to vote for Mitch in a four or five candidate field. Paul has the most experience and knowledge of insurance issues–over three decades of such experience. Mitch’s experience is limited to a couple of years, and it must suck since Mitch is disowning much of that record. Dennis is the true progressive in the race and viscerally hates insurance companies. Plus he is the only insurance outsider in the race. Dennis and Paul have nothing to do with Karen’s record. Voting for Mitch because you don’t like her consumer record is like voting for Tim Geithner because you don’t like Obama’s economic policies or Donald Rumsfeld because you don’t like Bush’s foreign policy. Mitch was part and parcel of her administration for two years and didn’t say a peep until he decided to run against her…
Harris McDowell has unlimited slush funds to finance $9,000 in filing fees alone for two phony candidates as well as fund three statewide campaigns? In Craneland you would think State Senator McDowell were Governor McDowell. Why don’t Mitch supporters produce hard evidence to support their conspiracy theory?
“Why do you think Dennis Spivack, of all people, has entered the race?”
http://spivack2012.com/
He believes he can make a contribution to the race and be a good insurance commissioner if elected. He isn’t running because of a personal vendetta…
The bottom line is Mitch is going to lose because he is a poor candidate running a bad, very negative campaign. The others are running solely on their experiences and records.
Wonder if Spivack would care to explain his involvement with all the the questionable DelDOT contracts that he was supposedly reviewing to make sure everything was on the up-and-up.
Being an insurance salesman doesn’t qualify you as having “knowledge of insurance issues.” And Gallagher has yet to explain his anti-Semitic remarks he made to a Crane staffer a couple of months ago.
This is precisely why Mitch has no shot…this is Delaware, not Pennsylvania. These kind of slash and burn tactics don’t fly here. Mitch loves to remind people he was hired under Matt Denn (as a merit employee–just like dozens of other people…). Who hired Spivack? Beau Biden.
Anti-Semitic remarks–to a Crane staffer. How low can the Crane campaign go? This is like Dennis having a staffer claim Mitch made a racist remark or a Karen staffer saying Mitch said he hates women. Zero credibility. Where is the evidence to substantiate a single one of the flurry of charges emanating from Mitch’s desperate camp?
I could slander Mitch as well–based on his actions at the very department he now seeks to run–but Mitch’s record and tactics are sufficient to render him a non-factor by 9/12 so I’m not worried.
Paul has extensive knowledge of what consumers are facing because he deals with and fights for consumers daily and has done so for over three decades. Mitch did, well, let’s let Mitch himself explain it:
Delaware Department of Insurance- 2007-2011
Senior Partner, Crane, Teti, Cox, Trott , Bishay & Fisher West Chester 1991-2007
Lecturer – Hazing, Substance Abuse, and Sexual Assault. 1987-present. Guest Lecturer on over 300 campuses.
District Judge, Chester County, PA 1982-1987
Mitch Crane, Attorney-at-Law 1978-1991
District Manager, Pennsylvania Lottery 1971-1978
Teacher, English and Political Science, The Greenbank School Glenmoore, PA 1969-1971
Ok so how about those 4 years at DOI? http://www.mitchcranefordelaware.com/about.html Nothing about what he did after March 2009. No surprise there…
He doesn’t mention anywhere on his site Mitch ran as both the Democratic and Republican nominee in Pennsylvania in the 80’s and 90’s…What a great progressive, because you see so many progressives winning Republican primaries!
Anon – maybe you should go back and read all of the posts about the IC’s race and you’ll find where the issue of Gallagher’s anti-Semitism was raised months ago. But no, you come on here from time to time to badmouth Mitch. Seems you have some sort of axe to grind against him. Maybe you’d like to enlighten us as to why you hate him so much.
And an insurance agent does not fight for any consumer – they sell policies so they can get commissions, period. I have never had an insurance agent intervene in any matter concerning a coverage issue. So, please, explain what you mean by “Paul has extensive knowledge of what consumers are facing because he deals with and fights for consumers daily and has done so for over three decades.” Give some facts instead of BS. Better yet, have Paul explain himself. He has never responded to our request for an interview. Hmm, wonder why.
This anon is a KWS supporter so should be forgiven if he sees someone who can string together more than a couple of sentences or two or someone with a genuinely impressive resume as slash and burn tactics. This poor bastard just doesn’t know any better.
Mitch ran as a Republican? Thats news to me. Tell us more.
and Obama smoked pot in high school – So what??
and Bush was a drunk and a coward – did you vote for him?
Im voting for the person I see now – and the recent past – not some non-consequestial item from 20-30 years ago
hell 30 years ago I was voting Republican!
I did. It was raised by a Crane staffer immediately upon Paul’s entry into the race. Nice try by the Crane campaign…
Mitch–as an impressionable person in his mid-40’s–was both the Republican and Democratic nominee for council in PA. He was a staunch advocate of the consumer and true progressive, but Republican voters mysteriously nominated him as their candidate anyway. Fortunately, he was ousted as the council president, exiled himself to Delaware and conveniently saw the progressive light as he became a progressive leader in Delaware and plotted his political comeback.
Irony is an amusing thing. Here is Crane from the 90’s:
“Crane, a Democrat, launched a successful write-in campaign in May for the Republican nomination and now is on both party ballots in the November election. The effort, Ford said, was denying voters a choice of candidates.”
(Fast forward to 2012 and the Crane campaign is feverishly trying to deny voters a choice other than Mitch and Karen.)
“”The voters have an absolute choice to do what they want,” Crane said”
(Fast forward to 2012 and the Crane campaign seeks to dictate the binary choice most convenient to him!)
“I didn’t want to run,” Crane said, “but the people prevailed on me. It’s no longer an ego lift; it’s an obligation.”
(It is never about Mitch–it is always about Mitch sacrificing his saintly self to help the people!)
“Ford, who worked with Crane three years ago to help him win a similar Republican primary, said it wasn’t until after May’s election that she questioned her support for him.
“I saw something that Sunday after the primary,” she said, referring to Crane’s successful bid to become a candidate for both parties. “I saw that it was wrong. It was a manipulation of the system.”
(Mitch Crane trying to game the system? No way!)
In one election 40% of Mitch’s votes came from Republicans…This wasn’t Mitch in his 20’s; this was Mitch in his mid-40’s…
http://articles.philly.com/1991-08-18/news/25807178_1_write-in-campaign-fourth-ward-borough-council
Oh anon, you are so silly. First of all, it was LEGAL and a common practice for candidates for judgeships and those town councils to seek both party’s nominations. It actually made the process less partisan by allowing candidates to cross-file. Hell, Ed Koch did it in NYC (actually, he was the D, R, and Liberal nominee one year). No story here. And you’re going to complain because a Democratic candidate got Republican votes. That’s laughable. You sound like a spurned lover.
So tell us, why do you have the hard on for Mitch? What did he do to you that has pissed you off so much?
And please don’t come on here and “complain” that Mitch is running a negative campaign. You’re a KWS/McDowell lackey who’s doing the same thing. But you don’t have the balls to say anything at any candidate forum.
Wow, I did not know Crane got himself on Republican ballot in PA.
Good research! I’d like to hear Mitch discuss this more fully on radio. That is what elections are for, to get info and hear the truth, instead of just bashing everyone else.
Ed Koch? Another faux Democrat…It was legal but it is revealing the great progressive won Republican primaries. Progressives don’t do that. The types who do are centrists…Mitch in suburban PA in the 80’s and 90’s was a politician who was supported by voters in both parties, like Carper. He moved to Delaware and reinvented himself in his 50’s as a great progressive. The common thread throughout his career is doing whatever is most politically convenient for him at the time. He even has the chutzpah to run against Karen’s consumer record when he was her consumer protection director for two years!
I am not a candidate nor am I a campaign staffer. Mitch’s staff and Mitch himself are engaged in a lot of negativity.
It is a shame Vincent White was forced out the race but let’s, as Mitch used to say, give voters a choice. I trust voters over insiders rife with agendas…May the best candidate out of the four win! If Mitch is desperate for a two person race it is because he knows he is six months away from defeat…
And who appointed you as the arbiter of what a progressive is or isn’t? Huge fail on your part. But please, keep trying, because we all need a big fat belly laugh (you do know what big fat bellies look like, don’t you?).
The truth is that when Mitch ran for the bench, the Republican establishment attacked him with anonymous mailings saying:
“Mitch Crane is the son of New York Jewish Communists who fled the US to avoid the draft. If he is elected, the red flag of Communism will fly over the courthouse in West Chester and criminals will go free”.
That is the actual quote!
Mitch was elected with a coalition of progressive Democrats, African-Americans and college students. His election surprised everyone in the establishment.
Four years before that, when he ran for city council, he was attacked as a Communist and people were told he was a “Jew”. He was the first Jew elected to the council in the history of West Chester and probably the first person elected who was not born in West Chester.
He has never been a “moderate”. What a joke!
As for the DOI, his job heading consumer services was to over see handling of complaints and to RECOMMEND hearings when laws are broken and recommend laws where needed. But you would know that, seeing that you were probably working there as well (only way you could come up with some of your [mis]information.).
By the end of 2009, Elliott Jacobson had totally taken control of policymaking and no hearings were held and no consumer laws saw the light of day. In early 2010, Mitch told KWS that he would leave if things did not change. She said they would. They didn’t. He gave notice in June 2010! In the Fall, He took leave to run the combined campaign in Sussex County and helped get Chip Flowers elected as Treasurer.
But hey, keep trying. You aren’t scoring any points here for your candidate. Oh, and you can remove your hand from behind of JJ’s back. Interesting how you two are tag-teaming today.
It is pretty humorous that Karen’s “anon” claims that she will easily win reelection and that Mitch will not be a factor in the election, but then uses every single post trying to come up with an attack that can work against him. Then, on the one hand Karen’s “anon” claims that Mitch has run the most negative campaign im the history of Delaware, while, while using the other hand to fling as much mud as possible with every single negative post. I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised Karen’s camp is resorting to what are typically Republican tactics. After all, she did hire a Republican to run her campaign. Who knows, maybe next she’ll claim credit for the auto bailout?
JJ and anon: It’s plain that you’re shilling for KWS, or is it Harris himself? You complain of negativity yet have nothing positive to say. You’re clearly not politically naive, so we know your bullshit about letting the voters decide is bullshit.
We’re on to you, Harris. Look at the bright side: You’ll finally be able to tell the truth about where you live.
Anon, you have single handedly turned the KWS campaign into it’s own bad, negative attack during this comment thread.
And there’s this: Would so many anti-Mitch trolls show up if they weren’t afraid of him?
Having so many candidates file to run for IC shows a weakness in the incumbent.
Having several candidates file for a primary shows a lack of depth on the part of those getting in the race late. Mitch has been planning to run and running for quite some time. And like it or not, locking up party support is part of winning elections. After all, they are democrats too.
I also find it questionable as to why the other 2 got in the race. Spivak is running on a platform of “I had a terminally ill brother who had great insurance.” and the other guy is an insurance salesman and completely unknown.
I don’t know if Mitch is running a “bad” campaign but he is campaigning all over the state, and already door knocking. Can KWS or the others say that?
“Negative” is in the eye of the beholder. Striking clear differences with your opponent(s) is not negative, its politics.
If the choices are:
– The incumbent running on a platform of “everything is hunky dory”
– The change candidate who knows what he wants to change in the IC office and actually campaigns.
– The late comer who is running on a vapor platform of “I had family with good insurance and want everyone to have the same access” without specifics (or support by anyone)
– The insurance salesman. My insurance salesmen (plural) seem more than happy to raise my rates 19-24% a year. ’nuff said.
I choose the change candidate who is putting forward a clear message on what he wants to do. It helps that he has wide support around the state, both in the party structure and out, is actually campaigning and door knocking and has an actual democrat campaign manager. I support Mitch Crane for IC.
There are plenty of weak incumbents who don’t draw three primary opponents. This is the signature, perhaps the sole, political dirty trick employed by Sen. Happy Hour McDowell. It might as well be his signature.
Dennis Fucking Spivack? Really?
It’s time to throw the book at McDowell, starting with the fact that he spends very little time in the home he maintains in his district, moving through his incompetence/crookedness in the SEU scandal and on into this — the fact that he is trying to keep Karen Weldin Stewart in office.
The Delaware Way sprinkles cancerous tumors throughout our body politic; McDowell is one of the biggest and worst.
I am not shilling for Karen Weldin or anyone. I want to see true competition, ideas and a real debate on the issues.
All races are based on multiple factors. Romney could not have won but for a crowded field. Same for McCain. Mitch seems to be doing what he has to, raise money, get endorsements and work hard. I would like to be educated more about his past affiliations–good or bad. Then I’ll make my decision whom to vote for on Sept 11. Fair enough.
JJ, you sound like someone who is pissed off at the Dem “establishment” for either not electing you as a delegate to a national convention or not supporting you if/when you ran for office. You’re posts are bullshit and you know it.
Crane himself was the Republican Party’s nominee multiple times. Clearly Republican primary voters liked his record for years…
Mitch was in today’s paper calling Karen unqualified and in the tank for the insurance companies (who are keeping their cash out this race). Nice touch to his kick-off. Mitch has been running since the summer but in the paper attributed his decision to run to the BCBSD-Highmark merger, which occurred months later. Funny.
On the one hand Karen is unbeatable because of the Harris McDowell conspiracy; on the other she is weak and the Mitch Crane juggernaut will crush her. Which is it? If it is the latter Mitch has nothing to fear from additional competition. One person echoing the Crane party line said Spivack has no support and is not even campaigning (false and false). Why the fear of him then?
Locking up party support is part of winning elections. The establishment of both parties has endorsed the loser again and again in recent elections. This is one problem people have with the attempt to coronate Mitch. At least tens of thousands of Democrats have voted for Spivack before. Mitch won a few Democratic and Republican races in PA but has not proven anything with Delaware voters; he has his chance in a few months.
Is McDowell behind Shahan, Krett and Gordon too? Was he behind Vincent White? All these people are or were running because they see an incumbent who appears beatable, not because of a conspiracy.
If looking for some fair open competition is equated to being pisssed off, then MJ must have some anger issues or something.
FYI- I have never run for office nor sought election as a delegate.
I think the 7:50 post by anon is right on, Amen! The Dem. establishment has been wrong on a lot of races. Let the voters decide, it is after all the ultimate endorsement.
@JJ–
Aside from jizzing in their collective undies over Carney as a gubernatorial candidate, which specific races did the ‘establishment dems’ get wrong?
I have not felt the need to comment on the IC race for some time. I still don’t 😉
A few come to mind…
The Dem. establishment did not support Chip Flowers in 2010 even though Velda was just an appointee. Chip was too independent and would ‘upset the apple cart.’
The D establishment totally backed Hazel Plant event though she missed half a year of sesion with illness and likely could not serve another term. The people spoke and elected Stephanie Bolden rather than hand over a special election to a Plant family member.
The establishment D’s went with Gene Reed who lost to KWS.
To clarify, Chip Flowers didn’t get establishment support because he’s a completely brain-dead egotistical douchebag only in it for himself.
SW,
If you think Chip Flowers is “completely brain-dead,” either you haven’t met him or your own brain has short-circuited. And if he were “only in it for himself,” there are lots of places where he could be working, earning more and with far less aggravation, than the State Treasury.
I made my point. The Dem establishment is often wrong, thus the need for primary elections with real voters. Flowers doesn’t play ball with all the hacks and self important leaders in their own mind running around in the Dem. Party. (To be clear, each party has them.)
Isn’t he earning more while still working at the treasury?
Chipman is a sweet guy who likes to talk — a lot. He makes Joe Biden look meek sometimes.
I like Chipman upsetting the Dem apple cart.
Look at the alternative we almost got- Colin RJ Bonini.
Then who would be able to carry DeLuca and Blevins’ water in the State Senate if Colin were Treasurer?
That’s ok, Joe. Any semi-regular reader of this blog knows exactly where you stand. Hint–you’re part of the problem, yet you think you’re part of the solution.
Oh, please, JJ. Flowers’ vision of the Treasurer’s office is roughly equivalent to Jeff Christopher’s vision of the Sussex Sheriff’s office. They’re both self-absorbed jackasses.
@SussexWatcher: Love your characterization of Chip Flowers as “a completely brain-dead egotistical douchebag only in it for himself”. Totally spot-on but even more so when applied to Karen Weldin Stewart. Mitch pointing out she’s unqualified and in the bag for insurance companies rounds out the picture, but Mitch is being kind.
@Sock puppets anon and JJ: You’re in a huff about Mitch threatening your cash cow KWS, hence the constant attacks. You clowns are wasting your time here. Your girl is toast. She has only her own stupidity and arrogance to blame. She’s lucky she even got one term courtesy of her sugar daddy McDowell. He wants to keep her in office because to him the only qualification needed is the ability to shovel money into his pockets.
Let’s not forget that a 3-way primary was the only way KWS was able to win last time. The ultra-liberals focused on single-payer threw their votes away for Savage, while Reed and KWS split the rest, and her name rec took her over the top. That’s what she’s hoping for here.
As for Flowers, I have met and spoken with him. He is the kind of guy who doesn’t pay attention in class because he’s thinking Important Thoughts, but still believes he’s the smartest guy in the room. But he has Carper’s promptness superpower (that is to say, never on time), so maybe he is going places after all.
The only difference between Flowers and KWS is that she doesn’t pay attention in class because she can’t comprehend what’s going on in the first place. She said during her swearing in speech that her mother called her “retarded” (sic)and wanted to put her in a home. Her mother was apparently smarter than she is. At the same speech, KWS called her election a “rise from rags to riches”. I guess you could say that since she comes from white trash.
Flowers’ and KWS’s mothers raised narcissistic liars who walk over dead bodies to further their agendas. They ALWAYS think they’re the smartest people in the room, to the great amusement or disgust of the other people. The corker during KWS’s tenure was that she went around to law firms and presumed to “teach” lawyers in courses they got professional credit for attending when she has no education herself. Then when she’s off Elliott Jacobson’s script, every word she says proves she’s brain-dead. She only did that once at each law firm she went to until word got around and the others didn’t want her to show up.
As for Karen hiring a Republican to run her campaign, I seem to recall that Markell’s first choice for his Chief of Staff was a guy named Dennis Rochford. Before a pension issue made it hard for him to take the job…….
JJ you might as well give it up. You and your bud anon are getting pathetic. The stupidest IC ever is going to lose big time — get used to it.
And how did Chip get involved in this? Anon & JJ have a huge problem. Too many wedgies in elementary school? And anon and JJ, we’re on to you.
Its no surprise that any thread about KWS always gets so many negative comments. I bet she has the world record if not on all blogs, then definitely on this one. That alone should tell her groupies that the game will be over this November.
MJ,
Messed up as most of JJ’s thoughts may be, he did nail why Chip started taking heat on this thread:
“Flowers doesn’t play ball with all the hacks and self important leaders in their own mind running around in the Dem. Party.”
The comparisons with Sheriff Jeff are absurd: Flowers wants the Treasury to run like a 21st century operation, Christopher thinks he’s a 19th century sheriff in the Wild West.
And there’s some real truth to the “smartest guy in the room” statements. The problem with the other Dems is that in a battle of the brains they know Chip will outsmart them. Rather than take advantage of his intellect, they’ll try to take him down in order to protect their own self-interests.
Chip is a self-absorbed little prick that thinks he is God’s gift to women – and the State, in that order.
and that’s just for openers…………
watched him at a function recently, very recently and he has worn out his welcome among the “self-important” hacks in the Dem Party. He has been so puffed up with his own importance with eye-candy dripping off his arm at every event for so long he cannot see the damage he has done – on top of being rude and abrasive to folks he should not have been rude and abrasive to.
It was (nearly) actually sad to see him try to say hello and be recognized and be snubbed (and loudly ignored, maybe next time he should show up on time – no one paid attention to the late entrance) – I nearly felt sorry for him.
He is no good at subtlety and no matter HOW smart he thinks he is – or anyone else thinks he is, that will never make up for his lack of EQ (Emotional Quotient) something he lacks and that has damaged him.
Give me a moderately intelligent person that is personable any day over a smug, self-important prick like Flowers.
I am not sure how this thread devolved into expressing continued personal saltiness over Flowers, but he, who is a great guy in my book, is never going to be the candidate of the establishment. Good! He has brought significant reforms to Treasury, such as increased transparency, and I hope he continues to do so. Step outside the bubble and talk to normal folks now and then. Flowers isn’t up this year but his re-elect number will shock some in the political community. Book it.
“If it (the party’s endorsement going one way, the voters going another) would happen over and over again, yeah. Then OK, the structure must be broken,” said Erik Schramm, the New Castle County Democratic chair.
That was before Flowers defeated VJP by nearly double digits, Trinadad Navarro crushed Mike Walsh nearly 2-to-1 (the RD’s in New Castle split between him and Walsh while the city committees backed Walsh). In 2008 RD’s went about 23-2 (92%) for Carney; voters went 49% for him. Gene Reed? Lots of money, lots of endorsements en route to 39%. Korn-Matlusky is the only statewide primary the establishment has gotten right recently–and even there Korn was perceived as the stronger general election candidate but Wagner successfully hit him on his lack of an auditing background, an attack he could not level on Matlusky. That probably decided the race in favor of the GOP.
As I said in 2010, the establishment thinks one way and regular voters another. The insurance race gives us another competitive statewide primary. It will be close and the establishment may get it right this time but if the non-endorsed candidate wins again maybe it is time for the establishment to look in the mirror? What good is a party infrastructure if it continues to misread the electorate?
“It was (nearly) actually sad to see him try to say hello and be recognized and be snubbed”
I am not going to name names but the people who loudly ignored and snubbed him are part and parcel of the problem I have spoken of…It is funny how you are taking them at face value.
“he has worn out his welcome among the “self-important” hacks in the Dem Party.”
When was he ever liked by the establishment? They loved the unelected Velda, remember? He continues to be a polarizing figure among the establishment because he committed the sin of defeating the party’s chosen one, he is bringing change to the Treasury, and last but definitely not least he is feared by partisans of various other statewide politicians who fear him as a potential threat to their guy’s future ambitions…
There is a structural defect here that goes beyond particular politicians and particular races.
Amen. Anyone who is outspone and won’t be in someone’s back pocket is a threat to the establishment. Ever wonder why the D establishment/ big shots won’t really take on Tom Wagner? because Tom Wagner rolls over on everything and is not a threat to the power structure. if Wagner were properly investigating corruption or was seen as a legit threat for higher office, then the Dem Party would work to eliminate him from public office. Instead, they enable him to stay there and collect a pension and paycheck to continue the Delaware Way and roll over on the tough issues!!!
Velda was endorsed because the party leans towards the incumbent. Yes, she was appointed, but she was still the “incumbent.” She was doing a good job. Her shortcoming was she was not a politician and only did her job as it was defined. Chip was the change candidate.
After Chip won the primary, the party actually got behind and supported Flowers for Treasurer. Ironically, Korn was not supported even though he was the endorsed candidate.And there is a lot of backstory as to why this happened and its a bigger problem than endorsements during a primary. If there is something to be mad at the “establishment” about, lack of support for Korn is it.
Korn didn’t lose because of a “lack of auditing experience”. He lost because the party didn’t get behind him in the general election. It was an amanzingly close election.
As for ego? Most politicians do have big egos. Successful ones, anyway. It takes an ego to want to be the leader for a room of people, it takes a huge ego to want to be a leader statewide.
And lets not forget this little fact: Chip during the primary was touting how he received EVERY endorsement available in Sussex County in an email he sent out. Apparently he saw establishment endorsements as important, too.
FYI: The primaried candidate endorsements by the “establishment” for that election cycle (statewide) were not unanimous endorsements.
Most of this “establishment” chatter is just bunk. But even I love a good fact-free conspiracy railing against the “man” every now and again.
That and simply being out of touch with regular voters. Look at the vitriol spilled toward four politicians in this thread. Randomly ask 10 people what they think of Chip, Karen, Mitch, Harris. Voters don’t care about the stuff discussed in this thread. There is a structural problem here of people like us thinking one way and regular voters another. Let’s use Chip as an example. Chip Flowers controversial? Yeah, on the cocktail circuit.
Bringing this back to the insurance race, Mitch has a good chance of winning but if he does it won’t be because of endorsements. It will be because he is a hard worker with encyclopedic knowledge of insurance issues.
Let’s remember 2014 will bring a primary for auditor and there may be a primary for governor, lieutenant governor or even both offices in 2016…
The establishment didn’t want Wagner.
“She was doing a good job.” Voters wanted more. Her incumbency was a big factor in the establishment supporting her but this illustrates the problem. Not a single regular voter cares about whose “turn” it is. Voters look at who they think will be better for them and they, by a large margin, opted for what Chip was offering over Velda’s status quo.
The general election story is more complex than that. Let me put it this way, there was not a big rush to rally around Chip after the primary. Remember he, the big primary winner, was not even allowed to speak at the party’s primary night party? I agree Korn was not supported in the general but I am not sure how much of an effort he made to get that support. Chip reached out to the party, sent staff to the party’s coordinated campaign meetings, etc. Korn lost by a percentage point so you can point to a number of reasons for such a close loss but Wagner’s auditing criticism had an impact.
“The primaried candidate endorsements by the “establishment” for that election cycle (statewide) were not unanimous endorsements.”
I know. Here’s the problem:
1) Velda beat Flowers 2-1 in endorsements; Flowers won 54-46% with voters.
2) Navarro and Walsh were even in New Castle County and Walsh won the city’s endorsements; votes were 2-1 for Navarro.
3) Something like 92% of RD’s went for Carney; only 49% of voters went with him.
4) I don’t recall the details for the 2008 insurance race but Gene Reed was the pick; only 39% of voters selected him.
We are seeing the same movie this cycle. Mitch will dominate the endorsements but the election is a toss-up between him and the incumbent. That consistent discrepancy between the political community and Delaware voters is on display again. Bold prediction: we will see the trend again in the 2014 auditor’s race.
Here’s the fundamental question: why is there a consistent gap between what us in the political community think and what voters think? Unless we correct this it will eventually come back to haunt us Delaware Democrats. This discrepancy is hardly bunk. It is reality and a consistent trend.
Aoine – your comments about women are just downright disgusting. Whether you like Flowers or not, you seem to be judging women by their looks. In this day and age, are you saying the women on his team are not intelligent because of their looks (they are candy). You are a disgusting pig believing that women have no role in politics. I’ve met some of Flowers female workers and they are hard working, smart and deserve a chance to be in this profession. If all you have on him is he fact that his female workers are good looking and he arrives late, he must be doing a great job. Anti-female pigs like you are usually found in the Republican Party, not ours. I don’t know which campaign or team you are working for (crane, denn, spivack, biden or even jack), but I’m not voting ever for your candidate.
Great points but there is a major flaw to comparing if Mitch gets the party endorsement to when Potter, Walsh, or Reed won the party endorsement. The difference is that none of those candidates was running against the incumbent. (in fact, 2 of them were incumbents) Incumbents have a very low bar in order to win their party’s endorsement. The two questions you need to ask are 1) when was the last time an incumbent Democrat running for reelection wasn’t endorsed by their party? And 2) what does it say about this insurance commissioner if party leaders vote no confidence?
No confidence, you mean like how there is no confidence in the Baker-Montgomery administration and the shell game being foisted on the taxpayers with RDC state funding and hiding the truth from the Legislature. There should be no confidence in Baker- Montgomery- Purzicki and the whole lot of them. Funny how Markell/ Jeff Bullock ran away from this shady hotel financing deal FAST once the News Journal started sniffing around……
If Jim Baker were running again, the insiders endorse him! Will the City Committee lose all credibility and endorse Bill Montgomery after 11 years of failed leadership, vacant buildings and escalating crime? if so, that would be a total joke.
Good questions. This incumbent clearly is very vulnerable. I think the answer to your question may stretch all the way back to the 1970’s.
I forgot to mention the endorsement numbers I referenced were the final outcomes for committees. It wasn’t the actual vote counts. The situation was even more absurd by vote count. Flowers and Markell lost some committees unanimously or received only 1 or 2 votes. Meanwhile some of their wins were of the 4-3 variety or favorite son wins. Some of the RD’s they lost unanimously or near unanimously at the party level they carried convincingly in September. No problem here lol?
This thread really illustrates the problem. Look at the attacks on Flowers. They aren’t policy attacks. Flowers is doing everything Jack and Velda did and has added to their efforts with increased transparency, expanded financial literacy outreach, reducing the number of checks issued, etc. If he completely sucked but played the game, waited his turn half these people would call him a good kid.
Yeah? Who’s gonna challenge Matt Denn for governor. Please name us some names for 2016, please.
How about John Carney for one? Other names bandied about are Coons, Flowers, and a newly branded Democratic Levin.
Levin for Gov.. no way. He has $$ but thats it. Not a poltician. He should be a Secretary of Education and shake things up a bit.
Carney will be the guy for Governor. he will do his US House time, raise money and he hates the DC commute I hear.
Coons is too happy studying Africa and all that arcane stuff. Hes a true liberal and doing a nice job in DC.
Flowers should stay put or run for Lt Gov and bide his time slowly moving up the chain.
Korn has too much old baggage and manufactures conspiracy theories. He has no financial experience to be Auditor or anything else.
Right, JJ, Levin would make a great secretary of education … if you want the Chamber of Commerce running the schools.
Seriously, Levin and Jack are joined at the hip. If Jack wants his unfinished work completed, Levin is more equipped to get it done than Denn will ever be.
Nobody’s talking about Beau. Is he taking early retirement from public service, or are we expecting Carper to take early retirement so Beau can inherit the state’s other Senate seat?
Should Beau vacate the A.G.’s office, for whatever reason, Chip Flowers would be a worthy successor.
No further comments about the way this thread started out, like the IC race, Mitch Crane’s candidacy, and his opponents in the primary?
George: It’s turned into a mutual admiration society between two people whose main interest is in fluffing their candidates.
“[Velda’s] shortcoming was she was not a politician and only did her job as it was defined. Chip was the change candidate.”
No, her shortcoming was enjoying a hefty contract for a do-noting city job. People voted against Velda, not for Chip. They were so unimpressed with Chip that Colin FU Bonini outperformed the rest of his party by 10 points.
“you mean like how there is no confidence in the Baker-Montgomery administration and the shell game being foisted on the taxpayers with RDC state funding and hiding the truth from the Legislature.”
Oh, grow up. Most of the money came from the state while Baker was still on City Council. The RDC was created specifically to keep all this wheeling-dealing out of the public eye. You’ll notice that the News Journal story had everything except any actual wrongdoing.
“Here’s the fundamental question: why is there a consistent gap between what us in the political community think and what voters think? Unless we correct this it will eventually come back to haunt us Delaware Democrats. This discrepancy is hardly bunk. It is reality and a consistent trend.”
It’s not bunk, it’s just supremely unimportant. Just as the public isn’t interested in the things that interest political junkies, it isn’t interested in endorsements, either.
“Some of the RD’s they lost unanimously or near unanimously at the party level they carried convincingly in September. No problem here lol?”
Are you just a moron? It’s virtually impossible for a Democrat to lose many of the upstate RDs in a general election. No, no problem here, genius.
And, finally, let’s examine the nonsense spewed here about primaries:
“Carney will be the guy for Governor. he will do his US House time, raise money and he hates the DC commute I hear.”
Oh, my aching sides. John Carney is the worst candidate the Democrats have tried to foist on Delaware in years. He couldn’t beat Markell in a primary, and he won’t get close to beating Denn, who will chew the face right off Carney’s head if he dares to try.
“Flowers should stay put or run for Lt Gov and bide his time slowly moving up the chain.”
Flowers has already achieved the highest office he will ever achieve in Delaware.
“Nobody’s talking about Beau. Is he taking early retirement from public service, or are we expecting Carper to take early retirement so Beau can inherit the state’s other Senate seat?”
His next office with be the US Senate. He doesn’t need anyone to retire for that to be so.
“Should Beau vacate the A.G.’s office, for whatever reason, Chip Flowers would be a worthy successor.”
Delaware will elect its first black AG sometime in the 22nd century.