Day: April 17, 2014

Beau Biden's 'letter to his supporters' announcing that he would not run for reelection for AG but, rather, would run for Governor in 2016, was an act of breathtaking cynicism.  So let's make one thing totally clear: He is not running for reelection because of his health. Period. With perhaps a dollop of 'I suck so bad as AG that maybe people will forget just how bad if I'm out of office for a couple of years'. So, let's first look at 2016 and work our way backwards, shall we? With all that money in the bank, Beau hopes to scare off would-be challengers. If Biden's successful, this would make it almost a certainty that your Democratic nominee for governor in 2016 would either be Beau Biden or...Tom Gordon.  You see, Tommy's waiting in the wings with the implicit blessing of the Bidenistas. Either way, Joe Biden gets to play kingmaker. You like that? Neither do I. That's why I find this maneuver so cynical. And so typical of all involved. OK, let's become Matt Denn for just a second. He'd like to be governor, but he's enough of a realist to recognize that waiting for 2016 in (a) the oft-chance that Biden won't run and/or (b) the hope that he'll somehow be able to raise enough money to be competitive with Beau are possible but far from sure things. The position of AG has just opened up for this November. I betcha Matt Denn thinks he'd be a great AG. I agree. I also betcha that leaders in the Party are already beating a track to his door.  I don't think anyone could come close to defeating Denn, should he run for AG. With no information whatsoever, I think and hope that that's what he'll do. He'd be an effective and progressive AG. Which is better than what we have now.