1. Booth vs. Bodie In Sussex
So, in the 19th Senate District, you’ve got one of Delaware’s most blatant double-dippers, right up/down there with DeLuca, IMHO, vs. one of Delaware’s most flamboyant would-be politicos. In a rematch of a primary so close that Bodie reportedly muttered to himself, “I shaved my legs for THIS?” That’s right, a razor-thin margin. Perhaps decided by a brother every bit as, um, eccentric as Bodie himself. Bodie attributed his loss to, well, here’s the quote from the News-Journal:
“I think God was honored in this entire campaign and he has authority as to who is the leader and who isn’t the leader, and now we know his will,” Bodenweiser said.
Turns out God had the double-dipper in the Angels’ betting pool. And, since He’s, you know, God, He had to have known about Booth’s double-dipping deal with Sussex Tech, even though Booth kept it from the public until after the primary, as did Sussex Tech. FWIW, Booth’s position: Community-Business and Industry Liaison. His qualifications? Uh, does formerly running a dry cleaning business count? The salary?: $60K plus $16K in bennies. A disgrace, and it should be the centerpiece of a campaign by a D. Oh, did I mention that Booth ran unopposed in the 2010 general election? Which is why he ‘fessed up to the Sussex Tech job in October instead of waiting until after the General Election.
Those new to our blog may wonder, “Who is Bodie?” An interesting question. Real name: Eric Bodenweiser. Here’s what his brother wrote about him in 2010 (Warning: Head Might Explode). He loves him some Jeff Christopher, and he talks about it in his own words here. He describes himself as a 9-12 Patriot and a Tea Party member. And, he’s been photographed wearing high heels.
Back to the election. In 2009, after Sen. Thurman ‘Uncle Thurm’ Adams died, a special election was held to name his successor. The R leadership chose Booth, and what passes for the D leadership initially chose…someone other than Uncle Thurm’s daughter, Polly Mervine. Political machinations ensued, the D candidate dropped out, paving the way for Polly Mervine to get skunked by Joe Booth. In 2010, the D’s ran…nobody against Booth. Not a nobody. Nobody. With Booth and Bodie now poised for a political posedown, will the Sussex D’s deign to run someone? A conservadem could win since the R primary promises to be brutal, really brutal. After all, the seat was held by a conservadem for decades, and the registration (which I grant you can be quite deceiving), is 11,301 D; 10,369 R; and 6023 I. And this promises to be such a bitter primary that there will be no R party unity following it. In fact, the D’s have a great chance to form a coalition with the R primary loser, assuming it’s Booth. It would be political malpractice for the D’s not to field a credible alternative. Of course, that’s what they did/didn’t do in 2010.
2. Cynical Gambit Pays Off. Must Say I’m Impressed.
Looks like McDowell and Williams didn’t go rogue after all. The Joint Finance Committee voted yesterday to approve a 1% pay increase for state employees and retirees. The Markell Administration was not thrilled. But the Governor sure as bleep ain’t vetoing the budget over it. So, while there were clearly political motivations involved in the way this all went down, as there always are, I salute all involved. I now have to assume that Gilligan and DeLuca were aware of this, and that it was the Governor and his staff (and me) who got played. Well played, everyone. And, yes, I get a 1% pension increase as well, so call me a hypocrite. I’ll cry all the way to the bank.
3. Carper Gets New Challenger–And He SPEAKS!
Independent Alex Pires, owner of the Bottle and Cork in Dewey.
The Bad News: Announced on Fox News
The Good News: He’s going after Carper for his banking industry ties, and he’s not afraid to hit hard:
“When people find out how dishonest the Democratic party is, and his work is, he’ll never get reelected,” Pires said. “He’s done. He’s finished. Carper, if you’re out there listening, your 36 years of taking money from poor people and living off the fat of the working class man, is done. I am the working class guy. I’m going to mop him up. I’m serious beyond serious.”
Memo to Alex Pires: If you want to win, you’re gonna need Democrats, LOTS of Democrats. Many D’s still identify with the Party, but not the Carper Corporate subsidiary it’s become in Delaware and elsewhere. You don’t want to alienate prospective supporters like me by an ad hominem blast at our party. You can blast where the Party has gone w/o blasting the traditional values of the Party, which many of us want to see the Party return to. Tone it down just a bit, you want to be seen as a credible alternative to Carper. Don’t let them define you as a fringe guy before you get to define yourself. Utilize outlets other than Fox News and WGMD. Unless you truly are a fringe R masquerading as an independent, you should make yourself available across the entire range of the political spectrum. Believe me, many of us here at DL have written extensively about the ethical bankruptcy of Carper and his ilk, we’ve been screaming for a populist alternative, and would be delighted to see you emerge as that alternative.
It’s your choice: You can run a serious campaign where you might have a real chance of winning, or you can grandstand. Hey, successful candidates have been known to grandstand as well. But, you do need to be credible. The rote response from Carper’s campaign manager indicates the classic dismissiveness that has become Carper’s stock-in-trade. I, for one, am delighted that you’re in the race, please just make this a viable candidacy and not a sideshow.
4. Bye, Bye, Beatty.
Wow, just wow. A week ago, I envisioned perhaps an enjoyable divertissement that a prospective Doug Beatty candidacy might offer. Uh, never mind. Blustering, bullying, and threatening are the opposite of proven vote-getting techniques, and when you add in some of the most solipsistic and unhinged-from-reality screeds ever seen on this blog, and yes, that’s saying something, I can only say ‘good riddance’.
5. Tom Gordon Files.
While DL has covered this story extensively, and commenters continue to have their say, I’ll just focus on one possible political implication that has not yet been addressed, or, at least, I have not seen addressed. I now think that you will see more primaries for County Council as a result of this filing. Clark-backed candidates vs. Gordon-backed candidates. “Whose side are you on?” Heard it here first.
6. Cloutier Files in 5th SD.
So now we have a rematch in a competitive district between incumbent R State Senator Cathy Cloutier and D challenger Chris Counihan. A reliable source has told me that a Libertarian has also filed, but that name has yet to appear on the Elections website. Perhaps DOE might at least have a third line for, you know, third party candidates? Brandywine Hundred, especially east of Route 202, has trended significantly more D than in the past. Definitely a race to watch this fall.
7. Alarm-ing Candidate in the 6th RD.
Eric Taylor, owner of Prevent Alarm Company, has filed as an R to challenge incumbent Debra Heffernan in the 6th RD. This district is marginally more R than it was in 2010, so it could be a competitive district, depending on the quality of Taylor’s campaign and candidacy. It’s still a swing-D district.
8. Miro Files in the 22nd.
Newsworthy only because it poses the question, “Will Manolakos primary Miro?” Incumbent R representatives Joseph Miro and Nick Manolakos were gerrymandered into the same district during reapportionment. Although D David Ellis has filed, this is an overwhelmingly R district. If there’s a primary, it will, for all intents and purposes, be the General.
9. Filings, We Have Filings!
R Sen. Dori Connor, 12th SD, sets up an intriguing race with Nicole Poore; incumbent D Rep. Quin Johnson, 8th RD; incumbent D County Councilman William Bell, 12th District; incumbent D Wilmington City Councilman Ernest ‘Trippi’ Congo, 2nd District; D Sherry Dorsey-Walker, 6th Wilmington Councilmanic District, an open seat as incumbent Kevin Kelley is running for mayor; incumbent D Wilmington Council At-Large Loretta Walsh; R Patrick Boyle, for Kent County Comptroller.
That’s it for this week. (Isn’t this enough?) What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?