The magical solution that is Colm Connolly teased the GOP once again…
If Matt Denn had not run for AG, and instead we had Kathleen Jennings or some other non-indicted deputy, I suspect Colm Connolly would have run and he would have won. But just as Denn cleared the field of Democrats, he likewise set Colm packing.
Former federal prosecutor Colm Connolly declined to run for AG after two weeks of courtship from the Republican Party, according to the state GOP’s executive director John Fluharty. Fluharty says Connolly handled the process of considering a run with an “amazing amount of grace”, but adds there are other potential candidates.
“Colm did his due diligence, came to the conclusion that for he and his family 2014 was not the year for him,” said Fuharty. “That being said, the Republican Party did not put its eggs in one basket.” [..]
“Our polling shows that this is a race we can win, that Matt Denn is a weak candidate for attorney general, and we intend to have someone soon,” said Fluharty.
I like John, but that is a ridiculous statement and he knows it. It is quite a skill to spin with a straight face. Matt Denn has won three state wide elections for three offices. He did more in the Insurance Commissioner’s office in four years than his predecessor and successors have done in twenty.
Connolly was the only viable candidate the GOP had.
To Fluharty: Shut up and release the polling.
I doubt the DEGOP can afford any polling. Has anyone been polled? I haven’t.
Well I’d hate to agree with a Republican, but he’s not completely wrong. Matt is a great person. He is a very intelligent man. He’d probably be great in any office. However, a political juggernaut, he is not.
People assume that he has the ability to raise buckets of money, but we have yet to see that materialize. Yes, he has won three statewide elections, but lets be honest, none required a fight.
Does he have a political team? Markell has a political team, Carper, Carney, Coons…. all have teams of at least 2-3 people that run their political operations or serve as advisors.
Back in November, UD conducted a a poll for about 6 statewide political figures, except they left out Matt Denn. Now, either these young political scientists determined that he was not a legitimate political threat or they simply forgot about him…. either way I think thats a sign of how people outside of political circles see Denn.
Matt Denn didn’t “clear the political field” for AG. Let’s not make this more than it is. What really happened was that he caught wind of a fight for governor and bowed out for an easier road. Matt Denn is the little brother of the establishment. They will always find some seat at the table for their little brother, but he will have to fight for a seat at the head of the table.
I just don’t think that he has what it takes to fight for a seat. Maybe thats why everyone likes him so much.
However, if the R’s think that they actually have someone who can beat him or any other dem at the top of the ballot, they’re smoking crack.
“Our polling shows that…” Means “I asked Copeland and he told me to say…” according to my bullshit to English translator.
If Denn is such a weak candidate, maybe Copeland can persuade his lawyer wife to run against him … or his lawyer cousin, Laird Stabler III, son of the late AG.
Having seen Matt Denn speak for the first time as a candidate for AG, I can tell you that he has the political chops for the role. I would guess that he will have a team in place pretty soon.
i was polled last Sunday evening in a Ken Simpler poll. One of those “If you knew X about so-and-so would you be less likely/more likely” to vote for him. They called Flowers a “TV personality” and mentioned credit card abuse. They called Barney an “aide to two Governors” as if that were a bad thing. They proudly called Simpler a “multimillionaire” who has never held public office. They also asked questions about Wagner, Mayrack and Bonini.
Ugh, the GOP stands no chance against the Dem’s in DE. To many people collecting a free ride that vote..
Yeah. Freeloading teachers, cops and nurses. Fuck those moochers.
I take Connolly at this word. The time was not right for his family situation, i.e., the pay cut from private practice to public service was simply too great. Moreover, he doesn’t strike me as a person/candidate that would shrink from political race simply because his opponent was perceived as strong.
Denn is a great guy but he has some notable vulnerability. He will be impaled by association with Markel especially for Markel’s fundraising lapses. It does not help that Markel’s stock has dropped in the last year. Denn’s tenure as the Insurance Commissioner was commendable. That said, that office, and reflected with the current occupant, doesn’t test or forge leadership skills. The Lt Gov is almost a ceremonial position although Denn raised the profile of the office. He is a tenured politician which is a liability made worse, in my view, by the fact that he decided for the safer bet (the AG’s race) over the tougher challenge (the 2016 governor’s race). In short, its more important to win political power then it is to fight over leadership, vision, policy and direction.
As for Fluharty I say – release the Kraken or shut the f$%^ up.
Question: If Ferris Wharton is not nominated to the Superior Court, what are the chances he decides to run for AG?
Well liberalgeek… While I respect your observation, hearing him speak is not as telling as watching him act. “he will have a team in place soon”…. Is this his first time running for office? Why does he not have a campaign team?
Serious statewide electeds have, at the very least, a skeleton operation in place year round. They may add a few pieces before the campaign kicks off, but they don’t have to build a new team from scratch every time they decide to run like they serve on County Council. Especially if they were preparing for a run at Governor.
He’s a tenured politician without the luxuries that a tenured politician would bring to the table i.e.
– An embedded and experienced campaign staff
– A campaign war chest.
– A willingness to fight for the seat that he really wants.
– An identity beyond, being a capable nice guy.
But even with all of that… a republican will still not beat him. lol
The people around Denn aren’t exactly campaign novices.
What people around him?
Maybe I’m out of the loop, but who are they? I’ll wait.
Call his campaign office right now. I’ll wait.
Gordon for Governor 2016
Bane,
You are correct, you are out of the loop. Ask any campaign professional, Matt is doing everything he should be doing right now.
Well, at least we now know the source of the bullshit.
If Gordon is governor, will he choose another convict for lt. gov., or run on a convicted/unconvicted ticket?
And after looking at the poll results, I understand now why the Gordon goons are here. Gordon was trying to fake public support for years before “freeping” became a thing. They used to do it via letters to the editor in TNJ.