Roll Call item on Beau Biden throws a curve ball
This Abby Livingston Roll Call item on Beau Biden unfolds pretty much as expected. The “local operatives” were probably a couple of people at Dem HQ. Maybe Ed Freel, touting the ‘new’ Tom Carper (still a ‘pup’ after close to 40 years on the public dole). Perhaps the Chamber of Commerce lackey Rich Heffron or Celia Cohen touting the timeless beauty of the status quo. You know, the usual. Then suddenly the needle scratches a new groove.
Few local operatives have any idea when or how the Democrat can ascend in such a small state already dominated by his own party. Meanwhile, Republicans remain deeply divided in Delaware as their voter registration count lags behind Democrats. Operatives from both parties did not expect the GOP to pick up either of the state’s two Senate seats or single at-large House seat soon.
“Obviously, we hope we don’t have to replace anybody federally for a long, long time,” said Delaware Democratic Party Executive Director Joe Aronson.
The First State’s congressional delegation is relatively new to Capitol Hill. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, a 66-year-old Democrat, just won a third term in November after serving a decade in the House. His fellow Democrats, Sen. Chris Coons, 49, and Rep. John Carney, 56, were both elected in 2010.As a result, any vacancy in the near future would shock Delaware politics.
Biden shied away from running for his father’s seat in 2010, but he remains the first name most plugged-in operatives mention. If Biden forgoes another bid for higher office, many other local Democrats are eager to take his place in the political hierarchy. Democrats suggest Carney might run for the Senate eventually.
Other talented Democrats on the party’s radar include Gov. Jack Markell, Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, state Treasurer Chip Flowers and state Sen. Bethany Hall-Long.
Wait… what!? Some local operative is trying to bid up BH-L’s stock? Who would be doing that (other than BH-L?) and why? BH-L is ambitious as the day is long, but does she really merit a top spot on the depth chart. I mean I haven’t been really tuned in this term, but has she done something? If so, fill me in.
What do “local operatives” see in BH-L that they don’t see in Rep. Daryl Scott who I’ve heard mentioned for Auditor? And I could actually see Townsend mentioned on that list. If Beau opts out of another run for AG, seems like a great next step for him.
Tags: Beau Biden, Featured
A cynical person, not I, might suggest that the Dems needed to have a woman on the list, and the currently prominent names don’t exactly scream new blood and energy (KWS, Blevins, Peterson). But again, only a cynic would put that idea forward.
I did hear today that two Kent and Sussex Dems are already out of the gate and running for 2014 – Claire Snyder-Hall vs Lopez and Jonathan Gallo vs Outten. Sounds like someone finally realized you can wait until the last minute to challenge an incumbent any more.
Btw, that story came out in April.
UGH- gender alone is why we are saddled with the current IC
Funny thing, I never heard any ‘ operatives’ say ‘ u have to vote for Flowers Because he will be the ONLY statewide D office holder that’s black’ like I heard said about Stewart- u have to vote for her because she’s the only female statewide D office holder
That was the most insulting mysogynistic thing I had heard in a long time. The thought that this person felt she was the BEST QUALIFIED candidate because if gender alone- was an insult to her as well as all women
Lets just try to field candidates that are qualified and vote for them according to their qualifications , not gender and not race and mot orientaions – just qualification
* you CAN’T wait until the last minute. Can’t, can’t, can’t. Godammit.
Good to see Lopez getting challenged. I had high hopes for him, but his constituent services seemed to be as half-assed as his excuses for his lame GOP unity votes.
If I could describe BH-L in one word, it would be ‘peripatetic’. As in perpetual motion. Which would make her a good statewide candidate based on her willingness to constantly be on the go.
She’s intelligent and strong-willed. While I generally consider her ambition to be ‘ambition for ambition’s sake’, that hardly sets her apart from other would-be officeholders. I’m not a big fan b/c her whirling dervish tendencies often leave messes behind requiring subsequent clean-up by others, but I sure can see why she’d appeal to party regulars. And, yes, there aren’t many women mentioned in the mix, and frankly there should be.
With her Sussex ties, she’d provide some balance to, say, a ticket headed by Matt Denn. Denn/Hall-Long would be a tough-to-beat Gov/Lt. Gov. ticket.
That article is 3 months old
For once I actually agree with El Som. She has the smarts and the drive and the charisma to be a very formidable candidate statewide. If I’m Denn or Beau, I’d be looking to her to give me the edge going into the primary.
In Southern New Castle County, Bethany Hall long is known as the “whistle stop kid”. This is because she runs in to public events, and runs out before anyone can talk with her about any local or state issue of substance. She might be ambitious and intelligent, but she is not worth a damn as a local representative.
Her efforts are a mile wide and a millimeter deep. I guess this shallow insincerity would make her a rising star for the Democratic Party.
Anon: I’m pretty sure that it was Tip O’Neill who said: “The secret to success is sincerity. Learn how to fake that, and you can get away with anything.”
As Homer Simpson might say, “It’s funny because it’s true.”
Keep in mind, EPB, that gubernatorial and lieutenant governor candidates run independently of each other. While there’s nothing stopping candidates from forming de facto alliances, it doesn’t usually happen, and there’s a good political reason why.
Why alienate supporters by anointing someone else, who is elected independently, as your preferred candidate?
That, and, ‘Payback’s a bitch’.
I would like to see Beau run for Governor and Matt Denn take his place as AG. Delaware needs a brilliant AG to sort through all of the allegations of Republicans raping people.
If you’re looking for a woman to run statewide, may I suggest Melanie George Smith, she doesn’t have a preacher father telling her what to do and she can stand on her own two feet.
“may I suggest Melanie George Smith, she doesn’t have a preacher father telling her what to do and she can stand on her own two feet.”
No, she has a powerful “educator” father who has ripped off the state for decades. Wouldn’t vote for her for dog catcher.
“she doesn’t have a preacher father telling her what to do”???? What does that mean? Senator Hall-Long voted against the positions of her father on two important bills enacted this session- Marriage Equality and Gender Identity Protection. She did so even if it caused problems in her family. She did so even if her “conservative district” was opposed ( an argument made by some other Democrats). Seems to me that Bethany Hall-Long has principles.
Orlando George is MGS father? I take back everything I said about her. To use an outdated phrase: My bad.
Will every “principle” of BHL require an outpouring of emails, calls, and blog outings? “Principles” shouldn’t require the kind of effort it took for BHL to do the right thing on Marriage Equality.
@anon: It’s probably unfair of me to take out my disgust at Lonnie on Melanie — she is by all accounts a very good legislator — but I’m skeptical of anybody who has a House seat carved out especially for her based on her bloodlines. Same reason I’m very skeptical of Beau.
@Anon1: What the f are you talking about? “blog outings”? El Som posted some tripe he heard or was whispered to him about how she was going to allegedly vote, and thats a “blog outing” Cmon.
So she’s damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. give me a break. You don’t like her, that’s fine, but cut out this self-righteous nonsense about marriage equality. She voted for it – and for the gender bill. Get over it and move on.
@Anon1: What the f are you talking about? “blog outings”? El Som posted some tripe he heard or was whispered to him about how she was going to allegedly vote, and thats a “blog outing” Cmon.
El Som wasn’t the only blogger to “out” BHL:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=%22betha&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS425US425&q=%22bethany+hall-long%22+%22marriage+equality%22&gs_l=hp..5.0l5j41.0.0.0.6133………..0.grfYa4WoC14
To summarize the approximately 400,000 links above, ThinkProgress, the dailykos and the Washington Blade also outted her.
Besides, I think that Melanie George Smith has her eyes set on a judgeship, not higher elective office.
FWIW, I think she’d be an excellent judge.
BTW, didn’t ‘out’ BH-L. It was common knowledge by pretty much everybody and was especially known by those lobbying on either side of the issue. I didn’t in any way purport that I was breaking news on this. Had this been a song, it would’ve been public domain.
One person’s song is another person’s tripe.
Bethany told people she was not going to vote for marriage equality because of her father. Granted, she changed her mind and did the right thing ultimately, but it was a political move, not a principled one.
Please help me here: Is Bethany Hall-Long the daughter of Rev. Bob Hall?
anon1 “Delaware needs a brilliant AG to sort through all of the allegations of Republicans raping people.”
That’s got to be one of the most ridiculous statements that’s ever been posted. If you truly believe allegations of rape are limited to one party your a flipping idiot.
Turk184, while I don’t know, her campaign resume reads more like one for higher office than one for State Senate reelection:
http://www.hall-long.com/meetbethany.html
“With her Sussex ties, she’d provide some balance to, say, a ticket headed by Matt Denn. Denn/Hall-Long would be a tough-to-beat Gov/Lt. Gov. ticket.”
No one in Sussex County has any clue who she is, trust me. She may have family, but not political ties.
She’s a descendant of a former Delaware governor, according to her bio.
Granted, we’re talking 1802…but that’s the good ol’ days for many nostalgic downstaters.
A couple of months of campaigning with relatives in Sussex would fix up the “nobody here knows her” problem. Her real problem will be the letter behind her name.
Other than the fact that she is a dedicated campaigner, I’m not hearing anything about her accomplishments in Leg Hall which might indicate an interest in higher office.
jason I’m surprised you still think accomplishment has anything to do with interest in higher office–otherwise the race for State Treasurer last time around would not have ended in a nearly dead heat between Colin Bonini and Chip Flowers.
What about a Beau Biden/Hall-Long ticket? Hall-Long background as a UD Nursing professor and graduate from public high school (Indian River?) in Sussex County means she has strong roots downstate.
Other Thoughts……………
Copland/Hall-Long ticket?
She’s actually a good legislator, and has worked a lot on health and social services issues at a sophisticated level of policy development.
I know that I sound like I’m endorsing her, and I’m certainly not. But she’d rank as above average when it comes to being a diligent legislator.
Maybe, as I spend one more day home from work trying to put an end to the Mother of All Summer Colds, I’ll delve into that stuff.
What she works on may not be sexy, but it’s solid stuff.
The party probably would support her move since they have two able legislators to move up to the Senate in Rep Jaques and Quinn Johnson. Thereby keeping the Senate seat in the “D” hands.
And let me be clear, I’m not opposed to BH-L taking on a bigger office. Her elevation into these conversations by “operatives” just seems out of the blue to me.
She’s up for reelection to her Senate seat in 2014, and I doubt that she’d be interested in Auditor or Treasurer. And I don’t see her primarying a sitting D federal officeholder, although that’d be fascinating…
But she’d be able to run for something in 2016 w/o jeopardizing her Senate seat, since she wouldn’t be up for reelection then.
Is she even interested in running? I swear I just saw BH-L yesterday in a video promoting the new Smurf movie. She was wearing red if I can remember correctly.