Delaware Republican Senate Primary: Wade v. Smink
In a fairly surprising move the Delaware Republican party will have a primary in September between former Senate candidate Kevin Wade, who did phenomenal in 2012 with a whopping 29%, and Carl Smink, who is an 81 year old conservative from Sussex county. It’s likely that Kevin Wade has the Delaware Republican party’s backing, but simply wasn’t going to file to avoid the $10,000 filing fee. Unfortunately for him, when Carl Smink filed, the party was no longer able to simply put up any candidate it wanted after the deadline, so there goes 10 grand for Wade in what looks like an interesting primary. I’m hoping for a fun debate.
There’s been an ongoing thread about the filing deadline yesterday, and I’m sure someone else will do a great wrap up story of all the filings today, but some other interesting ones included three green candidates in the races for Congress, US Senate, and state treasurer, and plenty of state legislature races.
I thought we’d take a brief moment to examine the platform of Republican candidate Carl Smink’s current platform and Kevin Wade’s 2012 platform (does he have a 2014 site yet, anyone?). In a progressive state, it’ll be interesting to see how moderate the candidates are in order to keep themselves competitive.
First we’ll look at Carl Smink’s finally operating webpage.
*Full Spectrum Conservative
*Protect The Dignity Of Life And Marriage.
Alright, we’re off to a very progressive start. A Pro-choice and anti-gay marriage candidate. I mean, seriously?
*Get Us Out Of The Un.
Really? I understand that the United Nations has plenty of issues in regards to how effective it can be, and the argument of sovereignty is one you can make if you really want, but the United Nations has done plenty of fantastic things for the global economy, human rights, peace, and more. The UN does a lot in terms of Micro loans, helping developing nations, providing aid in humanitarian crises, and even occasionally helping to solve conflicts. I can understand running on reducing the amount of money America spends on the UN, but flat out removing us makes no sense.
*Stop Spending More Than Can Be Justified.
I would absolutely LOVE to hear all about where you plan to cut back the US budget. I’m sure we’ll see loads of cuts in useless departments like Education, Health and Human Services, Welfare, Social Security, not Defense of course, all while reducing taxes. Oh, how fun!
*Stop The Socialist Legislation. It Is A Road To Slavery.
Beware of Obamacare’s slavery amendment. It’s hidden on page 963.
*Insure That The Bible And The Constitution Of The United States Are Used As The Primary Sources For Governance Of This Country
It’s ensure actually. Also, how in the world are you going to use the bible to govern the United States of America? I’d love to see some of those commandments be enforced. Don’t get me wrong, I’m religious, but no. This doesn’t even get into the argument of how you just contradicted yourself. The Constitution would specifically prohibit governing the nation based on the bible. Please read the first amendment.
Stop Government Harrasment Of Christians.
When has this happened?
There were so many more points I would’ve loved to make fun of, but let’s move on to Senate candidate Kevin Wade’s 2012 platform. I’m sure he hasn’t changed his ideas too much since then. Though you would hope so after winning 29% of the vote.
Respect and protect life…
…From conception to the last natural breath
Way to go Delaware republicans, really racking in those moderate voters today.
Read the US Constitution…
…And believe it
Looking forward to you debating Carl Smink’s “Bible Governance” idea then. You think our current Senator hasn’t read the Constitution and/or doesn’t believe it?
Reduce the size of this bloated government…
…Right Size government
So… Can we get some details on who’s being fired? Education department going?
PLEASE have a debate. I’m looking forward to watching it.
Good luck to both candidates, I’m sure Kevin Wade will likely win the primary and then lose the general election again.
Also, if you haven’t checked out the Green candidate for Senate’s blog, you should. It’s very… optimistic. Andrew Groff
The future looks like flames, toxic garbage, mindless people eating shit, dying in landfills, not trusting anyone, savaging each other. The past feels like tragedy, missed opportunities, betrayed friendships, missed opportunities, lost loves, abandoned children.
Tags: Carl Smink, Delaware Senate, Kevin Wade
lol. Great post. In the interest of being shallow, I’ll note that Smink’s picture makes him look like he is running to be the leader of Heaven’s Gate.
“From conception to the last natural breath.”
Good to see Wade is on board with repealing the death penalty. Wait … what? Oh, never mind.
I see nothing progressive about a national department of education. It’s time for it to go.
If Smink pulls off another O’Donnell type upset, it will be forever known as “Sminks Stole”……
LOL. But you are dating yourself. I haven’t heard anyone mention a “Mink Stole” since I last had cocktails with Van Johnson at the Brown Derby.
@Geezer
I see nothing progressive about a national department of education. It’s time for it to go.
Two years ago I made a data-driven argument for the abolition of the US Department of Education, and I seriously defy any progressive here to rebut it:
http://delawarelibertarian.blogspot.com/2012/05/eliminating-us-department-of-education.html
Excellent article, Steve. This is my favorite example, and its point transcends politics of any sort:
“In 2005, for example, the Connecticut Department of Education reported that the $70.2 million in Federal funds received under Title I of NCLB had entailed $112.2 million in compliance and administrative costs–thus making the grant a $42 million net loser for the State.”
Smink’s list of positions cracks me up:
“Rebuild America”
Full Spectrum Conservative
Standing For The Delaware And United States Constitutions
Stop The Injustices Coming Out Of Washington.
Strengthen And Preserve Traditional Families.
Protect The Dignity Of Life And Marriage.
Peace Through Strength.
Get those darn kids to stop skateboarding on the sidewalks.
Lower The Tax Burdens On Businesses And Families.
Create Favorable Business Environments, Rebuild The Middle Class.
Smaller Federal Government.
Require Government To Live Within It’s Means. Use Fiscal Sanity.
End Duplications Of Government Agencies And Expenditures.
Overturn The Obamacare Mandate.
Only Us Law In Us Courtrooms.
Get your dog off of my lawn.
No More Fast-tracking Of Legislation.
Limit Government Surveillance Of Us Citizens.
Get Us Out Of The Un.
Get those darn kids to stop skateboarding on the sidewalks.
Safeguard Us Infrastructure:(utilities/roads/bridges/rail Lines/airports)
No Amnesty Or Subsidies For Illegal Entrants.
Stop The Bank Bailouts.
Pro 2nd Amendment. Pro Civilian Marksmanship Programs.
Get off my lawn.
Vote Using Paper Ballots. This Yields A Verifiable Permanent Recordlimit. I don’t trust those new fangled voting machines.
Lower Individual And Corporate Taxes.
Stop Senate Ratification Of Entangling Treaties.
Stop Government Harrasment Of Christians. And stop harassing them, too.
Increase The Size Of The Commercial Sector By Encouraging Investment.
Don’t touch my Social Security or Medicaid, but end all other government programs.
Stop Spending More Than Can Be Justified.
Revise Senate Procedures To Allow A Realistic And Common Sense Approach To Legislation. No More Fast-tracking.of Legislation.
Introduce Legislation Deniying The Application Of Foreign Laws In U.s. Courtrooms.
Stop The Socialist Legislation. It Is A Road To Slavery.
Get those darn kids off of my lawn.
Limit The Federal Government To Its Enumerated Powers.
Repeal The Unconstitutional Legislation That Provides Sweeping Powers To The Executive Branch Which Are A Very Real Threat To Our Most Basic Liberties.
More early bird specials at restaurants.
Insure That The Bible And The Constitution Of The United States Are Used As The Primary Sources For Governance Of This Country as outlined in the 1st Amendment.
To Leave A Manageable Legacy For Our Children And Grandchildren By Defending Our Constitutional Liberties And Individual Rights.
Also,
It is freezing in here.
Stop hiding the remote!
Pull your pants up.
Also… You call that music ?!?
Definitely had to reread this….first read from “contraception to last natural breath”, then something about the “Brown Derby”, and onto plumber’s crack or caught with one’s pants down.
Either a table at the Copa, or an early morning at STUDIO 54 is in order. Cleveland is great, grateful for the Texas avoidance–oh and Wm. Bennett would agree the FED DOE has proven it’s uselessness–but hey, if you can’t hold a TSA job, and the HIPPA form has already been translated in every language, we can’t have bureaucratic skills going to waste. And to think, we really have only recently started on any grand scale messing with the 3 year olds. Why that’s 3+ more years of directives, and programming just ripe for picking beginning in our USDA hospital nurseries. There’s the future in job security for the upcoming generation. Career counseling right here–no charge.
Oh–and don’t forget….we walked.
@Joanne: You nailed it. Just like the drug war, the federal education boondoggle is a jobs program in disguise.
Nothing wrong with a Job’s Program, whether it is in or out of disguise. The CCC was a jobs program out of disguise… The important distinction I think, is whether anything lasting comes out of it? Seeing the planted wind breaks go across 100’s of miles of the Great Plains, is humbling… Wow. We did .. that? If you are going to make a jobs program, make it do something long lasting and worthwhile so society gets some benefit from it….
(btw, I know from the dates on the corners of the buildings that two schools here in New Castle County, in use today, were built as part of a “jobs” program… That’s what I’m talking about…)
Btw, I agree totally with the prevailing trend on the Dept. of Education. Those jobs are worthless… As any student of history knows, we used at the inset of a new administration, fire the old workers and replace them with political protégées. That became frowned on and illegal after President Grant. So we created the Department of Education to serve the same function… Except today, since money trumps people, we reward loyalty with consulting contracts, instead of actual jobs which would have to pay into Social Security and Medicare Funds… Consulting fees, skip that liability.
Couldn’t agree more on the original Jobs Program–earnest endeavors, with a huge contribution to American society, and the dignity of work attached.
Present day, is one massive “forms attached”–and the tools of the trade are the copier, collater, and printing office. A much adulterated version, of logging crews, jackhammers, national parks, tunnels, trestles, dams and established recreational trails and lodges enhancing and accessing this beautiful country of ours. A facelift surely could be in order, but nah……we’d rather complicate and inundate—than update and facilitate this still beautiful country of ours. Well, they got one thing right–it was rightfully a “works program”–now I guess it is just “jobs”. A perfunctory function, and not a monument to greatness.