Delaware’s Most Intriguing 2012 Races: Part I
As always, counting down from #10.
10. RD 32: Andria Viola Bennett vs. Ellis Parrott.
The undistinguished daughter of one of Delaware’s least distinguished legislators (John Viola) has parlayed her homewrecking skills into a run for State Rep, ostensibly as a ‘placeholder’ for her DUI-plagued new husband and soon-to-be former Rep., Brad Bennett. You know, the guy who tearfully lamented the damage he had done to the institution of the House. Ellis Parrott doesn’t get me excited either. An R political aparatchik and long-time Kent County magistrate, now retired. Nothing says ‘political patronage’ quite like Justice of the Peace. The post-redistricting registration numbers are, shall we say, daunting to the R’s: 6133 D, 3143 R, and 3159 I. You do the math. I haven’t the stomach for it.
9. Sussex Council District 3: Councilperson Joan Deaver vs. Don Ayotte.
Sane vs. insane. Deaver has worked hard to protect Sussex County, and has done it within a body that generally supports the entreaties of developers, especially if said developers offer perks that warm what passes for the hearts of said ‘Honorables’. Unintelligible ex-blogger Don Ayotte brings ‘teh crazy’ to the race: a self-proclaimed English major who can’t punctuate, spell or put together a sentence that makes sense. Although his mindless minions do seem to have their barnyard epithets memorized, based on the condition of many of Deaver’s campaign signs. Deaver’s one of the few serious public officials on Sussex County Council, she’s not divisive, so it remains to be seen how effective Ayotte will be. Bonus points to Deaver for opposing the frivolous wasting of taxpayers’ dollars on legal fees to permit Council to recite “The Lord’s Prayer” at the opening of Council meetings. Perhaps the wingnuts have The Lord’s Prayer confused with the Landlord’s Prayer.
8. SD 5: Sen. Cathy Cloutier vs. Chris Counihan.
A rematch of the 2010 Brandywine Hundred contest won by Cloutier by a 55-45 margin, a 1400 vote differential. So, what could possibly change enough in two years to maybe flip this seat? First, redistricting. While the D registration margin has actually shrunk due to redistricting, (a) there are still 1500 more registered D’s than R’s; (b) Cloutier lost key areas that knew her and had voted for her, meaning that there are a lot more voters who don’t know her this time around, always a problem for an aging longtime incumbent; and (c) in a Presidential year, D turnout will be far higher than 2 years ago. Oh, and lest we forget, Cathy Cloutier betrayed supporters of equal rights for gays once again, and this time she got called on it. In this race, Cloutier’s advantage primarily centers around empathy. She comes across as sincere, even though she also comes across as something of a mess. She basically presents herself as one of us, if we all were almost at the ends of our collective ropes. Chris Counihan is not a back-slapping type of guy. Thoughtful, a policy wonk, but doesn’t do the one on one as well as Cathy. They are who they are. If Chris can convince people that his intellect and ideas make him better-suited to serve in the Senate, then he’s got an excellent chance. Especially if Cloutier is forced to defend her record of promising to do something and then taking a walk when it comes time to follow through.
7. SD 21: Sen. Bob Venables vs. Bryant Richardson.
At some point soon, this district will flip to the R’s. It could happen this year. The venerable Bob Venables is well-liked in this southwestern Sussex district. There is a nominal D registration edge, 10671 D; 9979 R; and 5516 I. Venables’ personal popularity has always eclipsed registration, though, and he has a lot of supporters who are not D’s. He is actually a generous and kind-hearted guy, even though he sometimes sounds like the Senator from Mars. He also has a lot of power and pull on the Bond Committee. And he does go out of his way to help constituents, sometimes more than he perhaps should. Bryant Richardson publishes weekly newspapers in the district’s largest towns–Laurel and Seaford. Very active in the Chamber of Commerce. At some point, he’ll likely be the senator from this district, should he continue his political path. The only question is whether now is the time. Barring a significant health issue, I tend to doubt it, but my Sussex Spies likely have a better take on this race.
Important Aside: For the first time since I’ve been in Dover, both the House and Senate will have new presiding officers. The Senate President Pro-Tempore position is open due to Tony DeLuca’s primary loss to Bryan Townsend, and the Speaker of the House position has been left open due to the retirement of Speaker Bob Gilligan. Those leadership decisions, and the others, will be heavily influenced by the winners of these races. You can also bet that any and all would-be leadership candidates will be working hard to get people friendly to their cause elected. For example, it is no coincidence that both Karen Peterson and Patti Blevins were listed on the Host Committee for a recent Chris Counihan fundraiser. The two senators are among those thought to be considering a run for Pro-Tem.
6. Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart vs. Ben Mobley.
Stewart is the favorite in what should be a blue tide year in Delaware. However, 67% of Democrats in the primary preferred someone other than KWS for reelection. Ben Mobley‘s job, and it is a daunting one, will be to galvanize disaffected Democrats in large enough numbers to remain competitive. This would be a much easier task in an off-year, when there are fewer voters and fewer ‘low information’ voters. (Pointless Aside: I do not mean for the term ‘low information voter’ to be a pejorative. These are generally voters who only vote in presidential years, and they tend to be straight-party voters. My point being that these voters, should they venture far enough down-ballot, give Democrats an edge they would not likely have in an off-year election.) Still, Mobley has a compelling personal biography, wounded in combat, pursued his education, active in volunteer efforts. IMHO, he can’t screw Delaware insurance consumers any more than the delusional incumbent has. If he can convince me and many like-minded voters that he would do no more harm than KWS, he’d likely get my vote since Stewart never will. Floor’s yours, Ben.
Coming tomorrow (or whenever I can get around to it…), the Top 5.
Tags: Andria Bennett Delaware, Ben Mobley Delaware, Bryant Richardson Delaware, Cathy Cloutier Delaware, Chris Counihan Delaware, Don Ayotte Delaware, El Somnambulo, Ellis Parrott Delaware, Joan Deaver Delaware, Karen Weldin Stewart Delaware, Sen. Bob Venables Delaware, Steve Tanzer Delaware
As with all of Sussex, raw D/I/R registration numbers mean nothing down here. Venables is really a republican who never changed his registration.
I never considered Venables a “generous and kind hearted guy” except when it comes to LGBT or labor issues. He is as neanderthal as it gets. He has contempt for anyone liberal, progressive or Ds from upstate.
The other thing to consider about the Venables contest is that seat has long been regarded as Danny Short’s for the asking. If Bryant wins, Short would be stuck in the House for a good long time. So there might be some strategic-voting Friends Of Danny who pick Venables.
SA: The registration numbers do count in the coastal areas.
No, Venables IS a nice guy. Although I rarely agreed with him when I worked in the Senate, I saw many demonstrations of his empathetic nature. On a one-to-one basis, there are few senators with his empathy.
It’s what keeps getting him elected.
Sorry, I just can’t let this false meme pass.
SW, do you think that Short is essentially playing Hocker to Bunting’s Venables? Waiting for the retirement (or worse) at which point there will be winks and nods on both sides?
I think Sen. Cloutier will win easily if she digs out her “Have a nice day!!!!” sign out of the garage…
Exactly. Both men are too polite and gentlemanly at this stage of the game to run against each other. Plus right now the district includes both Laurel and Seaford, and Short would engender ill will on the Laurel side were he to knock off Venables. Far easier to wait in the wings.
Short ran against Venables once already, remember, back in 2004 when he was still mayor. He got 40%.
The Democrats in Seaford have already winked and nodded Short into office multiple times by running nobodies or twits. There’s apparently no active committee in the 39th now. So don’t look for any fighting when Venables retires in two years. Mike Vincent will take Short’s seat, and someone – probably Seaford Mayor Bill Bennett – will move onto the county council.
SW brings up a point I should have mentioned. Since this is the first election after redistricting, some of the Senate terms will be for two years, and some will be for four years. The 21st District term is only for two years. By contrast, whoever wins the race between Cloutier and Counihan earns a four-year term. Why? Because that seat was up in 2010, whereas Venables last ran in 2008.
If you’re coming off a 4-year term, you are running for a two-year term, but, if you’re coming off a two-year term, you’re running for a 4-year term.
Given the alternatives, Mobley has my vote.
For the record: Venables ran unopposed in 2008, 2002, 1998 and 1994. He has faced opponents only three times: In 1988, when he defeated incumbent Bill Slatcher by 93 votes; in 1992, when he beat Slatcher in a rematch by 3,404 votes; and in 2004, when he beat Short. So Bryant may very well come out on top against a guy who hasn’t had to campaign a whole lot.
“Gotta hand it to ya. You like your grapes completely sour:), Good luck with that.”
You have been asked to add some sugar and have repeatedly declined.
When a candidate’s biggest fan can’t find any objective basis on which to compliment that candidate, it leaves the impression that the candidate has nothing worth complimenting.
JP,
If a person didn’t support someone and thinks they will cause harm in their office, seeking an alternative is being a sore loser? I don’t think so. Also, think it’s sour grapes or not. KWS should fear D to R voters, it’s a real possibility.
“No, Venables IS a nice guy.” I emphatically disagree with this statement. I have had private conversations with him as well as witnessed other conversations.
No. Not no way. Not no how.
We can agree to disagree El Som, but my personal experience as well as several others some of which I witnessed first hand and some I heard 2nd hand, he is not nearly as empathetic as you give him credit for.
He will let the seat go to Short when he retires. Probably in 2 years. Venables is no friend to the Democratic party. He is not lifting a finger to help the 40th over there, nor is he helping someone who wishes to be his democratic heir apparent. Then again, he hasn’t really been campaigning hard for himself. Not yet anyway.
There is a 39th district committee. Its small, but its there. Their chair recently passed away. Its hard to get an activist group started/recruited in an area where they peel Obama stickers off your car and business’ refuse to host events, even as a paying customer.
Committee size or strength has little to do with candidate success (or recruitment for that matter).
The D/I/R numbers may be only slightly more accurate in the eastern part of the county than the west. And that is only in certain eastern Sussex RDs. Even Schwartkopf still needed R votes to win.
Deaver I think will outwork Ayotte. Ayotte is considered a loose cannon even in Republican circles.
Deaver has Republican support, some of it even outside of her district. Why? Because she is perceived to the only one on the Council that takes the job seriously and wants to get something done.
The other council race down here is a tough one for Ds. Gary Wolfe is challenging Sam Wilson. Gary, a former Milford school board member, is working hard fundraising and door knocking. He has a pretty good campaign team put together. It will be a Milford v. Georgetown voter turnout matchup.
A Gary win would change the make-up of the 5 member council. Particularly on land use issues. Deaver and Cole get voted down 3-2.
SussexAnon:
The 39th committee members you speak of might want to let the state party know they exist. The RD list online lists zero folks from the 39th. I pity them, really; the party has been such a non-entity for so long – failing to run people against Fallon and Short, more recently Mike Vincent in his last two races – that it’s going to be a 10-year constant fight to get legitimacy. They can’t afford to sit any election out now.
Deaver might have some GOP support, but it’s not going to make the difference. The pro-paving-our-county-property-rights crowd hates her, and the hallelujah-Jesus contingent thinks she’s going to hell. Jud Bennett does not speak for the modern GOP.
Wolfe is going to have to do a lot of work. Sam has good name recognition, and that matters a lot in a downticket race. I hope he’s really up to it. Relying on Milford alone won’t lead to a win. Last time around, Mike Wyatt was counting on Georgetown proper vs the rural areas, and that failed miserably. Wolfe winning would not change the makeup of the council except on big controversial development issues. The GOP would still lead, 3-2, on everything else. And with Parrish putting pressure on Cole to step down in 2014, the nutjobs would gain an even louder voice.
Deaver wins because she’s the only thing standing between Sussex County, and one party rule on land use issues. Ayotte is using two issues against her: 1) She tried to get Easter off of the calendar. A false point because she never proposed taking the word “Easter” off of the calendar, she just wanted the idea opened to discussion after several of her constituents brought it up. 2) Some guy in Sussex is pissed at Joan because he didn’t get his way. I don’t know how this point sells to anyone with two firing synapses in their brain since Deaver is ONE vote out of FIVE and can’t stop shit from passing or failing.
As for Venables, he wins as long as he keeps his hearing aid turned up during debates and doesn’t answer questions he didn’t hear.
“The undistinguished daughter of one of Delaware’s least distinguished legislators (John Viola) has parlayed her homewrecking skills into a run for State Rep,”
LMAO! Classic.
Re: El Som vs SussexAnon on Bob Venables. SA says “Venables is really a republican who never changed his registration…Venables is no friend to the Democratic party.” Maybe you’re right, SA. Venables is certainly out of step with his caucus on social issues, perhaps a generational thing. And he’s certainly both liked and respected by a lot of Sussex County Republicans. But maybe you’re wrong about which party he belongs in, because you’re COMPLETELY, and bizarrely, wrong about his character. He IS one of the most honorable men in Dover. If he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank. He may not tweet (or, for all I know, even email), but he has served the people of his district well. El Som knew him, and he got it right. He really is a genuinely nice, generous and kind-hearted guy. I’m a liberal Democrat from New Castle County and I hope he puts Richardson away (even if he does so in his characteristically polite and gentlemanly way).
Bottom line: Delaware is a lot more interesting with Bob Venables working in Dover. I hope we can keep him for a couple more years at least.
Since there are only a handful of large land owners (developers) in Sussex, the fact that some of them may dislike Deaver is not terribly relevant in the election. Most people think that Joan approaches things in a reasonable manner, with appropriate consideration for her constitutents needs and wants. The primary opposition to Deaver comes from the far right prayer and Sheriff crowd. And of course having someone like Ayotte has her opponent is a plus for Deaver. I am not predicting a Deaver win, but she does have a great deal of support from the Independents, including me, who jumped on board as soon as I heard that Ayotte was going to run.
Dave – It goes beyond the small number of developers. There is a large segment of the GOP that holds Property Rights! as gospel, and believes that the government cannot tell you what to do with your land. That sentiment is bu no means restricted to large landowners.
True, but SC (R)s won’t vote for a (D) anyway. If Joan wins it will be from the (D)s and the (I)s. And I haven’t seen any ordinance from the council, shepherded by Deaver that compromises private property rights.
“But maybe you’re wrong about which party he belongs in, because you’re COMPLETELY, and bizarrely, wrong about his character.”
I am not questiong Venables’ character. You can be a republican and a stand up guy. I am saying he is not a nice guy. At least when it comes to disagreeing with him.
Venables himself has stated he doens’t know why he is a Democrat other than he registerd D for the first election as a young man.
I am sure Dover was a real interesting place when Charlie West and Thurman Adams was up there too. And the Atkins antics must be positively riveting for you.
Once again, agree to disagree.
Considering the County Councils job basically boils down to land use issues, Wolfes election can be a game changer. The County down here doesn’t have much to manage other than land use and sewer districts. Oh, and blame DelDot.
As always, Sussexwatcher, the offer is always on the table for you to get involved in the party and become a SussexDoer. Phone banks are running daily. Lit drops on weekends. I can think of several candidates that could use some help, too.
Too busy to help with this election? No problem. Candidate recruitment begings Nov. 7th. SW, you can be in charge of those races you mentioned.
This offer is for everyone in Sussex. Be the change.
In 2010 the average divorce rate was 50% of couples getting married. However, should we cloud everyone’s simple mind with facts. Now for some other facts. It takes two to get married and it takes to to get a divorce. Kinda of an old saying. . So why is she the marriage breaker, why can’t the X be the marriage breaker? Because it is easy to blame Ms. Bennett.
The X has moved on, she has hooked up with someone. A little to fast for me to think that maybe it looks like a fish and it smells like a fish, therefore it is a fish. So before you judge someone you don’t know maybe you should look at the qualifications of a person, or once again is that clouding your simple brains.
I give Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and A+++++ for getting on with their lives despite all of the “stuff” they have to put up with, like you all smearing their names every chance you get. How about you looking at the qualification of the candidates. or is that clouding your simple minds..
I know Andria Bennett, used to work across the hall from her on occasion, and I stand behind everything I wrote. I know more about the two of them, stuff that I haven’t written, and so do many others.
I know her father and know that he is both undistinguished and ethically-challenged. He’s closely tied to Tony DeLuca over at the Department of Labor, yet another undeserving double-dipper.
I saw the underhanded manner in which Bennett tearfully apologized for disgracing the institution of the House while clandestinely planning for his newly-minted bride to take his place.
These are the kind of people who bring disrepute on the institution. Which, if you’ve been paying attention since I’ve started blogging, is something I’m determined to bring to light and to put an end to.
You never worked across the hall from Andria. For a short time you worked down the hall and then your office moved to a different floor. You did not know her except to say good morning once and a while. You never worked with her directly or knew her personally. Please stop perpetuating stupid non truths and live your life. They didn’t want you to work any longer in Dover and now all you do is say negative things about everyone down there. You are not the expert and weren’t even when you were down there working among them. Shouldn’t you be worried about what’s written on your board at work today rather than taking shots at others lives.
That comment brought to you by the Amalgamated Homewreckers and Political Leeches of Delaware.
ES: the nice thing about my life is most of my Karma debt is pre paid:). You have a BIG surprise coming….Karma is a Bitch!!
Seems like you’re running up another bill.
I think El is just upset that so many others that have run and won. They went and met the people and people voted for them but El didn’t win an election and then didn’t have a job. So undistinguished is a word he might use when looking in the mirror at himself. Undistinguished lazy aide and undistinguished wanna be legislator that DIDN’T WIN. Although Bennett had personal issues, he was a good legislator.
El Somnambulo, oh, my your true colors come out. Could not make it in politics so you decide to attack the institution that would not let you become a member. Why did you leave? where you let go? or did you decide being on the “dark” side was where you belonged. I do believe I have met you lurking behind the doors at leg hall looking to find something to boost your own importance. And by the way, yes, I do know you, and be careful. The worm may turn.
If a man who enjoys a lesser happiness beholds a greater one, let him leave aside the lesser to gain the greater. Buddha
Obviously you are an angry, unhappy person. Seek peace it might help your troubled soul.
No more personal attacks on Mr. & Mrs. Bennett. Why don’t you stick to the platform of the parties. Or you might find your own name in the press with some interesting facts.
Stop arguing with the angry water boy.
Basic math:
Blevins – 22 years
Ennis – 30 years
Marshall – 34 years
McBride – 34 years
McDowell – 36 years
Sokola – 22 years
Venables – 24 years
These five-fingered fossils have been running Delaware into the ground during their decades in the General Assembly.
Anyone who votes for these morons deserves the pathetic government they get.
At least new blood has to learn the ropes of stealing from the public. Greater odds of being caught.
I think it’s fascinating to see the ball-washers come out to attack anyone who dares voice an opinion that departs from the sycophant chorus of the Delaware Democratic Party insiders or its opponents.
The prevailing attitude from these ball-washers seems to be that ES should bow and scrape and thank his betters than he was allowed to serve the illustrious dullards he served. His purported betters, it should be noted, include nobody beyond the illustrious members of the Delaware General Assembly and assorted people who inhabit the world of Delaware politics because no better world will have them.
Andria Bennett should find a real job. So should Brad Bennett. Let go of the public teat and taste the real world, you pitiful leeches. Get a mfing job like all the real people do.
And that goes for the rest of you in Kent and Sussex Counties, too, who are gorging at the public trough.
I’ve seen Ayotte signs in Dem’s yards. This 66 year-old seems to have the energy of a 25 year-old. His daily door-to-door campaign defeated a strong primary opponent that had him out-funded 5 to 1.
I hear from republican circles the he has garnered support from every facet of the republican ranks. This will be a race to watch. I’ve seen Ayotte’s red GMC Sierra truck all over the entire 3rd council district. I’ve heard him several times on the radio and he sure doesn’t sound insane to me.
This race will be one to watch
“No more personal attacks on Mr. & Mrs. Bennett.”
Bullshit. First Brad Bennett marries the daughter of Brian Bushweller, mr. public safety from the brain-dead Carper crew, then screws up and drives drunk. Then he ditches mrs. #1 and marries the daughter of ANOTHER state legislator, perhaps the most undistinguished former state trooper ever to enhance his pension by “serving” in the GA, because, I suppose, she’s easily impressed.
I felt bad for the guy when he screwed up the second time. Hell, who could know that cruising the open-air drug market on Market Street could bring you car door-to-car door with a cop car? When he gave his farewell speech, I thought it was as close to pitch-perfect as a downstate peckerwood with hayseeds on his pants could get.
Then he trots out mrs. bennett #2, with whom he was reportedly at odds the night of his second DUI, to run in his stead? Or is she running for herself? The golddigging is so out of hand I can’t figure out who is using whom.
You know what, Coal? I don’t know these people personally, and I don’t want to, so it’s not a personal attack. For the welfare of all Delawareans, these people need to be deported from the state.
Traveler: I look forward to the semi-literate Mr. Ayotte serving Sussex County for many years to come. He and the county deserve each other.
And I guess being part time radio personality is a real job after being a hack of a reporter. It was ok that El was working for the state all those years but hates everyone now that the Senate would not take him back and neither would any State Agency that his boss begged. Feeding your loyal readers and listeners crap doesn’t make it true. You’ve always hated politicians and made it obvious when you were a reporter and now on your show you do the same. Most people don’t care for you or El and you both know it. You have the same few on here that you preach to but most people don’t even know you exist. People disliked you and El when you had jobs and now they dislike you both because you are hacks that take shots at people you don’t know. there are plenty of us who are new to politics and to working for the Legislature. So if your saying Andria needs to get a new job then I guess every one of us who work at Leg Hall don’t have “real” jobs. But as I stated I guess you and El have real jobs that make the Delaware a better place…. We know where you both work and that is definitely not the case. As someone stated earlier KARMA. I’ve been told you can argue with idiots so I think I’m going to take that advice. I’ve made my point.
Geezer
I’ve googled Ayotte’s posts on Redstate.com and he sure didn’t seem illiterate to me. Maybe your feud with him has slanted your opinion and that’s not unusual. He has a different take on America than you but he’s does write well.
Hit a nerve I see.
No, traveler, he doesn’t. He started to use spellcheck after his first months of embarrassment. And given his penchant for using multiple “handles,” for all I know you’re him.
Jessica: You are engaging in what is known as an “ad hominem” attack — that is, you are attempting to defend Andria (sp?) Bennett by attacking her attackers and finding them (well, me) too biased to judge her.
Here’s your problem: Her father is a legislator. Her new husband is a legislator (and how she pried him loose from his first wife I neither know nor want to know, but I know it doesn’t reflect well on him that he can’t find a civilian who’ll sleep with him.)
Brad Bennett gave an emotional farewell speech after his second DUI in which he cited the dignity of the institution, and days later his wife declared for his seat.
I don’t give a flying fig what you think of it. To the taxpayers of Delaware, that’s a gigantic F You.
Darn Geezer
You must have had a bad day. Did your dog bite you or something. I was reading and know you have a feud of sorts going with Ayotte. Now you are berating poor Jessica. Have a beer and calm down.
Oh Geezer
“And I guess being part time radio personality is a real job after being a hack of a reporter.”
Are you a part time radio personality and a failed reporter, no wonder you’ve got a hard-on for Ayotte, at least he wrote full time for a daily newspaper, mostly front-page copy. Nobody understood why you hated him so much. Thanks Jessica for revealing Gezzer’s true nature.
Sleeping Bull
You comment is in defense of the famous failure Geezer, I suppose.
Give up while you’re behind, little man.
I wonder where Ayotte stands on the proposed Castaways project.
Right. And that’s why you’re posting here, because we’re not worth your time. Get a real job, little leech, and then lecture others.
Thank you Jessica
My sentiments of Geezer exactly. He usually wants to be the most correct one in the discussion. He’s smart but damaged and refuses to acknowledge the fact. These kind of people get ahead in life until they are discovered for what they really are. Geezer is an adversary of anyone who disagrees with him politically. If he were were smart, he would not comment on blogs, because it will eventually cost him his job.
You’re not allowed to out where someone works, Jessica.
Joe, we have rules. You’re off-topic. Get back on topic. Which is: Delaware’s Most Intriguing Races 2012 Races.
Otherwise, nobody will be able to read you the next time you trot out the ‘hypocrite’ word.
” nobody will be able to read you the next time you trot out the ‘hypocrite’ word.”
Howzzabout the first time? Can I be sly and slipocrite? Or enjoying fried chips as a dipocrite? Hip hip Bo bip Banana fana fo fip Mee Mi mo Hippy
remember the stooges’ alphabet song. The Stooges as professors! Kind of appearing one way but embracing the opposite ideology. Did you know that the hippopotamus can hold its breath longer than any other land based mammal? I’ve clocked one in Philly underwater for eleven minutes. Never even looked up to smile. Fat bastard.
Attacking the messenger is the tactic of those with no argument to make, traveler. And feel free to tell me who you are whenever you grow some balls.
No [Ed.] it’s not about being a messenger. It’s about the opinion of few small minded people who think they know everything about everyone else. You and your [Ed.] friend both have a lot in your closet that people have opinions about but they aren’t pertinent to the conversation because it’s never the truth about you and [Ed.]. It’s about hiding who you are and where you work however having no limits on spreading crap that you don’t know first hand about everyone else in this state.
Andria Bennett won the primary because she worked hard while McGlumpy rested on his laurels. It’s really that simple and Democrats need to decide whether to support her or allow another Republican into the House.
As for “traveler” I’m guessing he’s either a very fat man, possibly fat enough to fall through a kitchen floor, or a friend of a man that fat.
Don Ayotte will lose to Joan Deaver, coastal Sussex Republicans will vote for Deaver, they aren’t right wing zealots, the Lopez/Urquhart race proved that.
Jessica, you would do Andria a much bigger service by not being a POS. Andria will need every vote she can get.
What did I do to you that made me a POS unless you are El or Geezer under a different screen name.
Jessica
anon called you a POS simply because you don’t believe their crap. Don’t worry about it.
Geezer and anon are the biggest hypocrites that exist on this blog.
I don’t know Andria Bennett from Adam, and I don’t want to. I know all I need to about that family: They’re a bunch of people sucking off the public teat and making a spectacle of themselves in the bargain.
Two fathers in the General Assembly, one while already coasting on a police pension. A son and now a daughter, too. While you downstate hayseeds can’t find a job without someone in government to get one for you, the rest of us foot the bill.
Here’s an idea: If you have something to say about Andria Bennett, say it. But apparently you don’t, so you want to attack people who think she’s a sleaze. I might be the biggest sleaze in the world, and it won’t redeem Andria Bennett. If you’ve got a case to make, make it, or STFU.
You don’t know what you’re talking about fat [Ed.]!!! Rep Bennett’s father who is now deceased, Rep Viola nor Senator Bushweller were ever police officers. Jackass! You’re the sleaze that lives off other people by perpetuating lies. So get over yourself you have always been a sleaze and an ass just like your sidekick the the voters nor the GA WANTED !!!
Sorry, had Viola confused with someone else.
So, back to the topic: Downstate trash like you who can’t find jobs that don’t depend on taxpayers. Discuss.
Jessica, what are Andria’s qualifications that would make her a good legislator? Geezer’s correct that you haven’t said that yet.
No matter what I say about her good or bad nobody on here is going to change their minds bit it really doesn’t matter because from what I understand she knocked on quite a few doors and people voted for her against someone That most said was very much like an incumbent. Maybe you should talk to someone that actually talked to her and then voted for her. I think she is a smart and nice person that learned a lot from people she has worked for. If she doesn’t do a good job the people will not vote her back in two years. I have never met her opponent so I’m unsure what he was like.
[Ed.], takes a sleaze to know a sleaze. I don’t know if any of you have seen the movie The Contender but moral of the story is sometimes things aren’t always what they seem or what people say. I didn’t work there when one of your buddies worked there but there are plenty of stories about him. Not good stories. The great thing about this country is everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. It doesn’t make what people say fact or the truth.
Why does everyone on here criticize so much but they don’t even step up enough to use their own name? Actually that is the only credit to El Som is he didn’t like how things were and he stepped up to try and make a difference. Now he spends most of his time trashing people. How you people have families and say such awful things is horrible. I hope your not passing your hate down to your children. I try not to be judgmental in front of my kids.
I haven’t always worked for the state. I’ve worked several different places including a grocery store and my fsmily’s business. Again why was it okay for your friend to work for the state of Delaware specifically the legislative branch and would still be there if he wouldn’t have gotten fired? Why is it good for some but not others? There are people out there with state jobs on hold while they work for non-merit jobs in the executive or legislative branch why is that okay?
When you explain to me how my friend’s father got him the job, I’ll say you have a point. But we both know that most of the people working for the state government in Dover did not get those jobs by blindly answering help-wanted ads. Without their relatives getting them government jobs, the public-sector class downstate would starve to death.
I don’t know why people voted for her and I don’t care why. When she gets a real job, she will no longer have to listen to people complain that she’s coasting on her family’s and new husband’s coattails.
And I’m not even getting into the homewrecking.
Let all these unemployable clowns get as many jobs as you’ve had and maybe I’ll change my mind.
PS: Everybody knows who I am. I don’t use my own name because a so-called “liberal” tried to get me fired for using it.
You don’t like what I say? Deal with it. She runs for office, she’s subject to all the abuse thrown at her, and if you don’t like that I suggest you take it up with the First Amendment.
The fact that I’m fat, or a sleaze, or an asshole is all true — and it does nothing to mitigate the fact that Andria Bennett got her job through her father, found a second-generation layabout lawmaker, stole him away from his previous daughter-of-a-different-lawmaker wife and now is trying to keep the “family business” of milking the taxpayers in the family. Cry me a fucking river.
I agree with you about people getting jobs but I don’t think that is always the case I think some get very involved in campaigns and get offered jobs. I think that may open doors but I don’t think it keeps people in their jobs. They fired someone from the Senate less than a year ago and she had huge ties to higher ups.
There is no way a Senator KP would let that happen because she hates the Rep you keep referring to from what I understand. So she would have her gone too. I won’t adrress the home wrecking because nobody including me was there to know whether he was or wasn’t separated. Not my business. You are right when she decided to file she invited people into her life and she needs to deal with it. But everyone could be judged for something and you and I both know that to be true. You are a bully and always has been. How about saying something positive about who represents you and let’s see what we can say about them.
I don’t think you can wreck a real home by the way. I’m single but believe if someone is in a happy committed relationship it is not wreckable.
@Linda – good for you standing up to Geez – sometimes his posts are quite good and I agree with him.
sometimes not – usually we have a parting of the ways on issues that revolve around women –
For example – he never ONCE has blamed the wrecking of Bennetts marriage on BENNETT!! just on Andria
takes two to tango there Geez – and if you want to lay blame, then lay it on both of them – not just the female involved
but then again – everyone here knows that you and I generally devolve into a flame war when you start your sexist dog-whistle shit – so here you are – doing it again.
and from my perspective – upstate has a lot more TRASH than downstate – even looking at the per capita index – nice way to come across as a smug prick coz you live in New Castle
no one downstate saves all year to spend 2 weeks upstate – but you and your ilk save all year to spend 2 weeks downstate
what does that have to say for our quality of life down here and your intelligance for choosing to live up there??
kindly stop smearing everyone south of the canal as neanderthals – makes you look like a bigger ass than what you already are.
@Linda – dice HOLA a Maria De Los Angles por mi 🙂 Cuidate mucho!
y olvidas sobre los pinche vergas aqui.
Aoine: The female is the one running for the office. Or hadn’t you noticed?
You’re right, of course — Bennett is the bigger sleaze here. And a major part of my disgust is that he made a big, now obviously false, show of humility when he announced he wasn’t running again.
As for your upstate vs. downstate rant, you’re entitled to your opinion, though of course you are, as usual, wrong, especially about the two sections’ relative “intelligance.” And let’s not pretend the beaches represent Sussex County. They, and the more intelligent people they attract, are an anomaly.
I am off topic.
Dear Mr. Geezer, you truly are an interesting man. But you do appear to be a little ignorant in the state of Delaware employees.
Let me explain to you and to anyone who wants to know the difference.
1. there are two classifications of State Employees, Merit and Exempt
Merit Employees: Must apply when a job is posted. Their application goes through a ranking system. They get sent to the agency in alphabetical order. If you are an applicant and you do not make the “list” you have the right to find out why. If there is an error you can correct it.
The list goes to the agency. There is a panel of three people for a certain pay grade and higher. I do not remember that grade. The panel must be diverse. they do the interviewing and recommend for a short list. The agency hires from the short list. Now tell me honestly, if you knew someone on the short list would you not make a “recommendation call”. Of course you would.
Up and until it gets to the interviewing process the only information that one can receive is if they rec’d that application. If you find out that the process has been “corrupt” you have the right to file against it.
Now the interesting fact is this. Agencies have the right to post in house, or out house. This gives a employees with the opportunity to advance up.
When they post out house, they post for any body to apply and recently they have been getting close to 100 or more application.
Within the merit system, after a certain period you are “protected” by the merit laws. Read the merit laws. You can fire someone but you must document. This protects the merit employee from a lot of things. Especially if they have to make decisions that do not sit well with elected officials or others in higher position.
Exempt employees. This employees are State of Delaware employees who can be fired for no reason at all. They are usually the employees that come in and work at the change of each administration. You an get a list of exempt employees from the Personnel office. I suggest you do so.
I was an exempt employee and worked under 4 administration. from Republican to Democrat. I believe the owner of this blog was an exempt employee maybe not but he did work in leg hall….what does that say about him?????. But the attacks on state jobs holder both exempt and merit needs clarification. Sorry for going off topoic.
Well, this has turned into quite the Trashfest. Ms. Jessica, I worked for the legislature for about 23 years, 20 of them as one of two Chief Administrative Assistants to the Senate Majority Caucus. I resigned to run for office. I didn’t have any relatives or sugar daddies helping me to get or to keep my job. Only some senators who actually LIKED what I was doing. Honored by the AARP for my work on nursing home reform; worked for years on the revitalization of Wilmington’s riverfront, especially the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge; worked on two Senate redistrictings, and a lot more; never slept with a legislator.
I enjoyed the job, but I admit that I found the underlying parochialism and incestuousness of Leg Hall increasingly alienating. So, I decided to throw caution to the winds and run for office against someone who represented close to the diametric opposite of everything I stood for.
What I’ve written about mostly since I’ve been with DL is the Delaware Way and why it’s bad for Delawareans.
I don’t really care WHY Brad Bennett threw his wife overboard for Andria Viola Bennett. I just think, and have tried to point out why, that this ‘bait-and-switch’ of the 32nd RD is one of most singular examples of the Delaware Way at its worst.
While I’ve never been the biggest fan of family dynasties, Brad Bennett won a decisive victory over Rep. Donna Stone, and he deserves credit for that. His father, Ed Bennett, previously represented the district.
But, when someone brings discredit on the House, tearfully apologizes for bringing discredit on the House, announces that he will not seek reelection, all the while plotting and scheming with the new Missus behind the backs of his own caucus to install her as a ‘placeholder’ until he gets through his latest ‘recovery’, that’s about as tawdry and cynical as you can get. Hey, the voters will see the ‘Bennett’ brand and vote for it. That reflects, IMHO, a lack of character and morality on the part of both of them.
Try defending that lack of character and morality rather than continuing to trash the messengers. Thank you.
Coal: First of all, El Som is not the “owner” of this blog. But he’s a frequent target of folks like you because he was once employed in Dover.
Second, I really don’t give a rip about the supposed “difference” between the two types of jobs.
Let’s take the case of Lee Ann Walling, a “merit” employee who had a job description written for her and now pulls down six figures for no better reason than that she acted as flunky for Ruth Ann Minner. Let’s look at Mrs. Atkins. Is that a “merit” job, too? Do you think she got it on merit? Let’s look at Pamela Roy, wife of sleazy Roger Roy. She runs the Health Information network, or whatever the boondoggle agency Carper set up is called. You think she got that on merit? Let’s look at the illustrious Judge Vaughn, the illustrious Tom Cook, the illustrious Mr. Lofink offspring who ripped off the state for $1 million. Let’s look at Tom Sharp’s son who was accepted into the river pilots’ association with no apparent qualifications.
The only reason I can’t type this list all day is that only the egregious ones come to my attention. The state payroll is full of people like that. You know it, I know it, and certainly El Som knows it. If we eliminated the jobs of all the relatives and friends of office-holders, the state would save an immediate 10% on personnel costs.
The attack is not on all state jobholders, just the ones who got their jobs because Mommy or Daddy got it for them. They are just an extension of all the state jobs that Mommy and Daddy got themselves after their election to the Hall of Bozos. It’s merely coincidence that most of that group registers Democratic, I suppose.
Just a passing point on this exempt/merit issue. I was an exempt employee. That means that, for any reason whatsoever, someone in the Senate Democratic Caucus could have gotten a bug up their butt and tried to get me fired. For all I know, it well might have happened. But I worked in one of the key positions there for over 20 years without a safety net, and came out intact.
“nice way to come across as a smug prick coz you live in New Castle”
I’m a smug prick no matter where I live. It’s not an illusion.
“you start your sexist dog-whistle shit”
I’m sorry, I don’t mean for it to be dog whistling. I mean for it to be regular whistling. When men can sleep their way into jobs, I’ll concede your point. Until then, you might fare better in this world when you realize that a lot of your “sisters” are playing a different game from the one you’re playing.
“kindly stop smearing everyone south of the canal as neanderthals”
Sure thing — as soon as you muzzle the neanderthals.
“makes you look like a bigger ass than what you already are.”
You ought to look in the mirror before making such assessments. For an amateur, you’re quite the ass yourself.
Last of all, to the notion that I”m a “bully” for bashing people with whom I disagree: Any fair assessment would take into account that most of the people I bash are far more powerful than I. And if people weren’t so obsessed with my identity, I couldn’t qualify as a bully at all, as I don’t attack others based on my position in offline life.
You can’t be bullied unless you’re under the impression that I”m more powerful than you. I’m not. I have a soapbox, but that’s all that this is — a different soapbox. Here I am equal to everyone else, at least in my opinion. If you consider yourself less powerful, I don’t see how — or how it constitutes my problem instead of yours.
In short, man up. And yes, Aoine, I meant that literally.
Jessica you came here to defend Andria and your attitude is doing nothing other than solidifying people’s opinions against her. Just like another commenter is doing with KWS. Again, you are not doing her any favors here. Try giving people a reason to vote for her and support her instead of being another reason for people to dislike her.
Andria has been a great candidate and she deserved to win because she worked for it. She didn’t ride her husband’s coattails to that win, Brad was a rock tied to her leg and she won despite him, not because of him.
Traveler there are probably 50 “anons” commenting on this blog. Pull your head out of your big fat ass and realize they aren’t all me.
To DL: I thought outing people wasn’t kosher.
“There are probably 50 “anons” commenting on this blog. Pull your head out of your big fat ass and realize they aren’t all me.”
If you don’t want to be mistaken for somebody else, pick a screen name and stick with it.
“Andria has been a great candidate and she deserved to win because she worked for it. She didn’t ride her husband’s coattails to that win, Brad was a rock tied to her leg and she won despite him, not because of him.”
And what’s it say for her that she brought this rock home with her and married it?
There is no greater argument for shrinking the General Assembly than this: Of all the people in that district, the only ones deserving of service in the General Assembly both live in the same house. Bill and Hillary they ain’t. In short, there’s apparently NOBODY living in that district who deserves to serve.
anon@9:47 is right — outing isn’t kosher and I apologize that none of the Editors have been around much this weekend. Rules of the Road are here for the newbies to DL.
I’ve edited the offending posts — even though our rules state that the offenders can be immediately banned. And they will be on the next infraction.
On shrinking the General Assembly:
Here’s a list of selected states with number of legislators and total population:
California: 120, 35 million.
Texas: 181, 24 million
Florida: 160, 19 million
Delaware: 62, .9 million
One of these things is not like the others…
To be fair, other states with small populations also have large legislatures. Montana’s population is about the same as Delaware’s, and it has 50 senators and 100 reps. But they’re paid only for the 90 days the legislature is in session every other year, and get more in per diems.
It’s a more complicated issue than I can address here fully, but there’s one other important point about the General Assembly: It has lots of legislators and very little legislative staff. In that environment, lawmakers have little choice but to listen to and even seek advice from lobbyists; out-of-their-depth wannabes like Harris McDowell are considered “experts.” So we have lots of people representing us, but very few people supplying them with unbiased data.
Little wonder, then, that the General Assembly and its denizens are better at providing entertainment than good governance.
Geezer, you have so much to say, why not run for office. Or are you afraid that your views are a little bit like Hitler.
“9 million”? Since when?
“…there’s apparently NOBODY living in that district who deserves to serve.”
We can debate (though you’d lose), whether or not Andria “deserves to serve” but there is no question that she deserved to win. McGlumpy was a lazy no show. Andria was everywhere, including at everyone’s door. Delaware politics is still a retail endeavor (See: Brian Townsend).
anon: Learn to read. It says .9 million. I don’t have a problem with her winning. I have a problem with her running. And while you learn to read, try coming up with your own handle instead of using the laziest and most timid of all online names.
Also, you can’t debate the opinion of whether she “deserves” to serve. I’m just pointing out that without her father and husband, she’d apparently be unemployed. I have a longstanding problem with politicians of any party who are in politics because they can’t or won’t get real jobs in the private sector.
“Geezer, you have so much to say, why not run for office.”
So you believe only those who run for office deserve to speak? I can see why, with fluffing skills like yours, you managed to serve under both parties.
“Or are you afraid that your views are a little bit like Hitler.”
Goodness, a new record for newbies invoking Godwin. Get back to me when YOU get a real job, leech-boy.
By the way: How is pointing out all the phony distinctions between merit and other employees like Hitler? Is this an example of the reasoning skills we taxpayers are getting for our money?
“I’m just pointing out that without her father and husband, she’d apparently be unemployed.”
No, she’d be working as a teacher, that’s what she went to school for. It would be nice if the local media, or the blogs, made the effort to interview her, that way you could judge her on something more substantial than whose sperm made her and who she married.
Then let her get a job as a teacher, if she can. She might find that tougher these days, of course, but at least she’d be earning her public paycheck. What do you think is easier — being a teacher or being a legislator? What do you think is of more value to the taxpayer?
I can judge her on whatever I please. I’m judging her on her unwillingness to make a living without a handup/handout from the well-connected men in her life. And I include running for hubbie’s seat. Yes, she won it herself — in a district with so little in the way of talent that only a retired, never-popular city councilman ran when Brad stumbled. She was better than McGlumphy — congratulations. And this offers the benefit of not having to re-do the family budget.
I’m against this in every case, even the ones in which an able widow has run for her deceased husband’s seat. I think Dori Connor and Cathy Cloutier have made very good legislators, but I think it speaks to the quality of the electorate in Delaware and the overpopulation of the General Assembly that when presented with such a situation, the relatives of the retired or deceased are always the first successors to come to mind (yes, I realize that’s also politically most expedient).
This is the manner not of a democracy but an aristocracy. And it doesn’t always work out as well as Cloutier and Connor; see Plant, Hazel.
Stop whining about one spotted calf you don’t like.
Slaughter the herd:
Blevins – 22 years at the public teat.
Ennis – 30 years bending you over a barrel.
Marshall – 34 years sticking it to your family.
McBride – 34 years living on your dime.
McDowell – 36 years patting himself on the back with your cash.
Sokola – 22 years of riding for free.
Venables – 24 years of laughing his way to the bank.
All told, $8 million dollars or more spent over the last quarter+ century on this group of losers.
The easiest way to prevent a political aristocracy is at the voting booth.
Which noble will you send home this year?
Como: Stop seeing the glass half-empty. The bright side is that they aren’t yet collecting their hefty pensions.
Note that McDowell and Marshall are both legacy politicians themselves.
And I find it amusing that Republicans all seem to have escaped your scrutiny. Bonini is at 18 years and virtually assured of re-election. Same with Debbie Hudson. And the Biffster is at 22 years and counting.
As for which noble I can vote against, it’s Lavelle (12 years) vs. Katz (4 years) in my neck of the woods. Which do you endorse?
Don’t get me started on pensions for legislators! What a crock of BS.
My threshold for culling the Senate herd was 20 years of public buggery in the General Assembly.
I’ll move on to the House when this crop of poison ivy is eradicated. I still have hope the smaller representative districts can police their own and make my workload lighter.
As for Lavelle vs. Katz, I’ll base it on less obnoxious signage. Lavelle in a squeaker!
[Ed.], I agree with you that I think my dad being in politics did open doors for me that may not have been open however, I had worked both on Senator Henry and Senator Sokola’s campaigns prior to putting in for the job as their legislative assistant. I purposely did not tell my father that I had heard about the opening and that I sent my resume to Senator Henry and Senator Sokola. I went and met with them and they gave me the job. It was only then that my dad called me and said why didn’t you tell me you applied for a job in the Senate. My reply was simply because I wanted them to take me seriously. The only problem I have with your theory is that Senator Sokola does not particularly care for my father so he could have said he had another more qualified applicant and I certainly would have understand. It’s unfair that no matter what i have done in life, how many charities I have volunteered, where I have worked it all gets attributed to my father. I’m 41 years old and I not a dumb woman so I’d like to believe that while I don’t deny that doors may have opened slightly due to my former last name. I don’t honestly think that is what keeps me in the job. I had a good job and was run over by a tractor trailer and was out of work for the year 2003, it took me a year of working part time before i could find a full time job and then a few years until I because a legislative assistant. I have always volunteered and had public service positions and when my husband decided to resign. It took me a few weeks of thinking long and hard about it. I had to talk to my family, my bosses, etc. I had to think of the long term effects if would potentially have on my life, my husbands sobriety, and my current job. I love my current job and I think I do a good job connecting with people. I have said this to many news reporter and i believe it has been printed multiple times, if I am fortunate enough to get elected I will seek reelection in two years. If my husband wants to run he will have to run against me in a primary. If you read article on September 12, Mr. McGlumphy stated he was going to put me and my husband through a three way primary. Well, if I am there… I say bring it. I hope to get in there after the November election and do a good job but I also know that you are not going to make everyone happy with every vote or answer you give. The good thing about that is in two years if the people of the 32nd district are unhappy then I will not win my reelection. I honestly did work very hard and walked knocking a lot of doors and did a lot of follow-up with the all the people I touched. Remember I was not the party’s choice so I did this with very little help except for a campaign manager and only two reps came down to door knock with me three times. My husband has his own schedule so we did not door knock together. It was me and not to sound stupid but I think i did darn good. The people of the this district are wonderful and they talked about their issues and listened to what i had to say. They were genuine and I’d like to think so am I. I told them sometimes answers are convoluted and not always what they want to hear but I would give them 100 percent. I know the people on here don’t care for me but I’m not the ogre you think I am. I am actually not half bad if you give me a chance. I may even end up being a legislator that makes people proud. Sorry it took me this long but it’s been a busy week.
I just read this thread, I’m not sure why.
It doesn’t make any sense to me to criticize people’s involvement in politics based on having family and friends involved in it. I know families of dentists, and families of football players, and families of actors and families of engineers. I even know of occasions where engineering families took advantage of legacy spots to get their kids into their schools. Big whup. Unless someone can demonstrate to me that those students are unable to build a bridge that carries people, I really don’t care.
It seems to me that most people spend 3years and 11 months out of any four year cycle complaining about their legislators being ineffective, yet the other side is always Professor Moriarty. I would say the balance is closer to 25% of their time legislators are wrong but ineffective, Thank God, 25% of their time they’re right but ineffective, Darn Shame, 25% of the time they’re wrong but effective, Throw the Rascals Out, and the remaining 25% they’re both correct and effective, Yeah Team. We choose our candidates depending on how we identify that last 25%, and we hate the other guy based on 75% of his record.
Miserable system, but it beats all the other systems, to paraphrase Churchill.
Andria – Grammar not really up to snuff.
Andria (,) (your) (g)rammar (is) not really up to snuff.
I knew no matter what I typed you would find fault with it. I was very emotional when i wrote that email and I am sorry if I ommitted any type of punctuation or words. Goodness gracious. You love picking people apart. Worry about yourselves. I figured I needed to sign on and address all these people who were addressing my life, etc and the masses are still not happy.
At least she takes the time to read DL and respond. Thank you, Andria.
I’ll take an Andria Bennett in the Delaware House over a right wing Ellis Parrott any day of the week.
I will take Andria over anyone. I know her very well and there is no one more committed to her constituents then Andria.
I will post a comparison in a couple of days between Parrott and Andria. Based on facts…stay tuned.
I liked Andria’s comment. It seemed honest, direct, and refreshing. It would be hard to make something like that sound sincere if it wasn’t (but not impossible). I don’t know the backstory or the policy positions of either candidate, and I don’t live in the district. I don’t know if she is General Assembly material or not, but I’d be inclined to back off the attacks and give her a chance, just a little room to breathe in this campaign.
My vote goes to any candidate who understands how to use paragraph breaks …
Ya gotta give Andria Bennett credit for coming over here and sharing her story. And, if the grammar police ran this place, those of us who are contributors here, myself included, would have been busted many times over. Besides, it took guts, REAL guts, for her to do what she did.
I especially like her claim that, if her husband wants to regain his old seat, and if she should win this time, he would have to primary her. We’ll of course see if that comes to pass.
None of this changes the tawdry and cynical way that this candidacy came about.
But I admit that I have a lot more respect for Andria Bennett than I previously had.
I’m sorry I pushed submit comment and realized I left out so many words and the grammar is nonexistent. I promise it was just a case of my fingers not keeping up with what my heart/brain wanted to say. El Som, I know you as well as others will never believe this but my husband was not aware that i was interested in filing until approximately 4-5 days after his announcement. It took a lot of discussion, debate, etc. on the toll it would take on us, on our family, my family, and that such. It was not always well received but I had made up my mind. I can also tell you that it is much harder running than I could ever have imagined but also think it has been a wonderful experience.
Never say never. I never expected to see your response here and to react the way I did.
Just gotta try and process new information and perspective as I get it, and respond as honestly as I can. I’d bore mySELF if all I did was cling to my own ideas and not allow new information to impact them.
“If my husband wants to run he will have to run against me in a primary.”
Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. As entertainment, I give it four stars.
Jessica/Andria/Coal please pick one name to post under. Sock puppetry is a no no. Thanks.
I am not Jessica or Coal. I am Andria, the one you guys have been tearing apart for months. Give me a break. I was just very honest with everyone on this blog and you guys still don’t believe me. El Som, please can you not verify that I am me, can’t you check my computer or something to verify its me. I dont know how else to prove its me.
I can’t win. I read everything you guys say, I read people taking up for me and then I actually decide I need to speak for myself and then it’s still not enough. I can’t and will not change anything i said it was the truth. Writing an entry on this blog is not going to gain me anything or help me win this election but I thought maybe it would be nice for you all to hear my deal from me. Pandora, I don’t have enough time right now to worry about posting on a blog under different names. I am actually trying to knock doors and win an election. It’s not going to be an easy election but I am trying very hard.
Jessica/Andria/Coal appear to be posting from the same place. Often, but not always, a sign of sockpuppetry. It would be easy enough to email Pandora to clear that up.
I am home and the only one here is my husband my two cats and a sick cat that I am fostering.
Cassandra how do i email pandora to clear up that I am me?
While I don’t think that Andria, Coal, and Jessica are the same person (in fact, I think they’re all different people, and I think I know who each of them is), Pandora’s and Cassandra’s point is that, at least at times, they’re all posting from the same place. Meaning that (a) either they’re the same person; or (b) they are coordinating their efforts. In fact, we KNOW that to be the case if we’re just looking at the Coal/Jessica e-mails. The problem here is that Coal and/or Jessica engaged in a coordinated ‘shoot the messenger’ strategy, followed by Andria claiming to be Andria.
It’s pretty clear to me that Andria Bennett is who she says she is, and I respect what she has to say. The problem is that it follows a coordinated attempt to shoot the messenger, which emanated from the same location.
Hopefully, we can get this cleared up, but the onus, quite honestly, is not on us.
I don’t know Andria and I’m not in that district, but I’d be voting for her if I was.
If you make it in, be sure you earn it.
Good luck.
OK, lets get one thing straight Pandora box, and anyone else who seems to want to know who I am. I am not Andria, Jessica or anyone else for that matter, I am just ME. Never have and never will be. I do not know Jessica, I do know Ms. Bennett from her campaign. And it is not a co ordinated effort. Sorry to stop the conspiracy theory…And for the record, Coal is my real name. It is just spelled Cole. And many, many years ago I worked with El, but you would not remember me. I still see you from time to time.
“I know families of dentists, and families of football players, and families of actors and families of engineers.”
And none of them are sucking off the public teat. Try to stay on topic.
Geezer, I think you just like the word “teat.”
If this year in politics has had a major theme, it’s that government assists private persons and private industry, even when it’s not by directly employing them.
Relevance established. You’re welcome.
Coal – Let’s get something else straight. You and Andria have posted from the same IP address, as Pandora suggested. Now this doesn’t necessarily prove that you are one in the same, but there is that possibility.
There is also a possibility that since the IP address indicates that the two of you are posting from a residential location, that you would be people that know each other quite well.
The second possibilty is certainly not sock-puppetry, but it is pretty close. If someone that lived in my house said something like:
There would be some doubt about my …errr… the commenter’s actual impartiality.
This is the same thing that caught Protack up. And given that the two commenters posted from the same IP within 15 minutes of each other, I’ll use the same line with you as I used with him:
You may not be the same person, but you passed each other in the hall last night.
or… OR ….. coal is a stalker outside Andria’s house and is stealing the wifi.
Or… perhaps Andria hasn’t posted at all.
“Relevance established. You’re welcome.”
I think you’re quite confused. We’re not talking about people being helped by government. We’re talking about elected officials who got there by using their family name.
There is no relevance between the jobs you cited and the ones we’re talking about.
Thanks, LG. When new commenters suddenly show up saying the same thing that’s a potential red flag. I have no idea who’s actually posting, I only knew that the comments were coming from the same place.
I tried to confirm that the commenter is using the email address that the REAL Andria Bennett used for the Department of elections, but she didn’t seem to submit one. This wouldn’t have been conclusive, but it could be used to confirm her identity.
It appears that she may be using her Facebook page as her only campaign website as well. I can’t access Facebook from work, so I guess we will have to wait to see whether the Andria Bennett here is the Andria Bennett that is running for office in the 32nd RD.
Of course, at this point, if I were Andria, I would deny that I had anything to do with any of the comments attributed to the Andria on this thread.
Geezer, I’m not confused. I’m just not willing to let you reframe the question I answered “Can a candidate do a job,” with your preferred version of “all government jobs are makework.”
For what it’s worth, LG, after reading here last night I messaged the Andria facebook page and got a prompt response from the person running that page, who identified as Andria and we talked about the relative wisdom or unwisdom of responding to attacks here. So, for myself, I’m convinced it was Andria posting as herself last night, although I don’t know anything about other posters.
Heragain, et al. Please pick one name and stick to it. I don’t care which one, just don’t mislead people into thinking that you’re two separate posters. Dem’s the rules.
That’s not my point at all, and your inability to get it is your problem, not mine. I’m talking about people getting legacy jobs. YOu cited lots of other professions in which people follow in their parents’ footsteps, and I pointed out that they aren’t on the public payroll.
I never said all government jobs are makework. I said that the state goverment is full of people who got their jobs through relatives.
Are you playing dumb or are you actually dumb?
Sorry, ElSom.
I’m Brooke Bovard, mostly post as heragain, since it was suggested we use more anon handles during the COD debacle, when so many out of town trolls showed up. I generally have a couple of screens for DL up when I’m here, because I hate following a link and losing the page. I posted again as myself the other day when we were talking about committee work and i think I got clipped by my auto-fill.
So, many apologies to all for my misleading you, I’ll try to be more careful. I don’t mostly notice who posts as what, myself. Just not that people oriented.
Probably, Geezer, by your criteria I actually am dumb, if dumb means “Totally don’t care about your name or how you got here if you can do the job.”
Hey. Maybe there’s a theme. 😉
heragain: Let’s specify, if only for the sake of argument, that most of these aren’t rocket-scientist jobs — it’s not as if it’s hard to find someone who can do them. You don’t think it’s unfair for the well-connected to get them just because they’re well-connected? Then I guess we’re just going to disagree.
I think it’s unfair that people get them because they’re wealthy. I think it’s unfair that people get them because they’re male. I think it’s unfair that people get them because they went to Archmere. I think that most of the paths to public service are slanted. However, of the things that are wrong with this system, nepotism isn’t my particular pet peeve.
As I said, we just disagree. I guarantee more people got state jobs based on nepotism than based on all those other criteria combined.
Just completed a lengthy phone conversation w/Andria Bennett.
While it is true that she and ‘Coal’ posted from the same place, I am now convinced that (a) there was no collusion between them and that ‘Coal’ is indeed not Andria Bennett, and I know (b) that the person claiming to be Andria Bennett in this thread is indeed Andria Bennett.
While this is not an endorsement of her, I give her high marks for her honesty.
I’m also pretty much convinced that she decided to pursue this candidacy on her own.
I leave the rest to you and the voters.
After the way Andria was kicked around on this blog, I have a lot of respect for her taking the bull by the horns as it were, and standing up to post here. I also have more respect for El Som, for having the cohones to call Andria.
Thank you El..and Garlic and onions. I do not want to start anything over but Andria Bennett is one of the most committed people to helping the constituents. that is what impresses me about her. And her knowledge of getting to the core of a person issues. It is about helping the residents of Delaware.
I have enjoyed you all but time to win the race.
Peace