The State of the Statewides – with Early Predictions
Governor
Democrats – John Carney. This is a snooze. Carney has been the consummate company man. His reward is this cakewalk election. So he’ll be the next up to “keep Delaware competitive” by cutting taxes and basically doing whatever the Chamber of commerce tells him to do.
Republicans – Colin Bonini, Lacey Lafferty. Less boring than the D’s, this race will reveal which faction of the old DEGOP is less irrelevant than the other faction. Lafferty’s youtube ads hit Bonini hard for being so hypnotized by John Carney’s dashing good looks and all around bipartisanship. But she has no money. While Bonini is well banked, but has more or less admitted to being the warm body Charlie Copeland needed to try and avoid Lafferty topping the ticket. More R’s in New Castle than SC and Kent. Prediction: Toss-up.
US HOUSE
Democrats – Sean Barney, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Bryan Townsend, Scott Walker. Really this is a three way race between Barney, Rochester and Townsend. From what I’ve seen Townsend seems to have struck the right balance between grass roots and institutional support. Lisa Blunt Rochester would probably make a good Rep., but is not a seasoned campaigner. Barney is (somehow) still a mystery to me. Prediction: Townsend
Republicans – Rose Izzo, Hans Reigle. Another “who cares” race on the R side.. unless… Reigle finds a way to be this year’s Ken Simpler(?), and run away from modern Republican orthodoxy while painting the Democrat as callow. Can lightning strike twice? Prediction: No
Lieutenant Governor
Democrats – Brad Eaby, Greg Fuller, Bethany Hall-Long, Kathy McGuiness, Ciro Poppiti III, Sherry Dorsey Walker. The big fractured field favors BHL. It is tough to see how any of the others can breakthrough. Prediction: BHL
Republican – La Mar Gunn. He won, lost, tied and then lost his last time out, but Copeland got his warm body. Prediction: ZZZzzz….
Insurance Comish
Democrats – Karen Weldin Stewart, Paul Gallagher, Trini Navarro. Is Gallagher a plant put in this primary race to allow KWS to win with 35% again? If not, this groundhog day type clusterf*ck makes no sense to me. Prediction: Claim DENIED!
Republicans – Jeff Cragg, George Parish. Someone please say something about these guys in the comments section.. please… Prediction: No one will say anything about these guys in the comments section.
Tags: Featured
Ins Commish Race:
Jeff Cragg has lost races for Governor, state rep. GOP party chair, etc. He can’t win anything. He runs a mail boxes etc. on Concord Pike, but fancies himself some insurance guru. His dad Ernie Cragg was an accomplished self made insurance executive. But the apple fell far from the tree.
Karen Weldin Stewart will roll over Cragg easy if he gets out of primary with George Parrish. I think Parrish will win primary. He’s well liked guy with high energy from Sussex.
My first prediction falls.
Parish is especially well-liked by those who hate teh gays. I didn’t even know that Cragg was in the race. Ditto for La Mar Gunn. Jeez, you go away for a week…
Trini Navarro chose the wrong race. He’s being outraised 10 to 1 by KWS and it’s always very hard to beat a female incumbent in a Democratic primary. Navarro should jump in the Lt Governor scrum. He has high name recognition in New Castle County and the battle royal looks pretty wide open. He could grab that one with 25-28% of vote . He’s dead man walking against KWS. Waste of time and effort.
Gallagher is probably running because neither of the other candidates are qualified. I thought we were supposed to be the sane party, not the one that uses tin foil hat electoral fantasies to cope with a candidate not getting 35% of the vote.
That’s possibly a fair point. One of those guys should drop though. Fer realz
Does Carney count as a prediction? He has no opposition! There was this wonderful businessman and political blogger that could have run a progressive grassroots campaign and defeated him and then become the first progressive Governor of Delaware. Somewhere, in an alternate universe, that is happening. 😉
I agree with Townsend. I think Navarro might pull it off in the IC race. I am going to go Poppitti in the fractured field in the LG race. I think the Gordon scandal has hurt BHL.
Not sure how ones uses these two phrases in the same “prediction”: “His reward is this cakewalk election” vs. ” Prediction: Toss-up”
So which is it? A cakewalk or a toss-up?
Nevermind… Forgot my “reading comprehension handbook” at home… Missed the part that it was a “toss-up” for the R’s!
Blunt Rochester is the favorite in the congressional race. Townsend and Barney will split votes and Lisa will come right up the middle in the primary. Big Wilmington turnout and only woman. Tough combination. And Emily’s List is keeping a lot of gas in the tank fueling her run. The boys will be left high and dry.
chris – that’s plausible. But not having campaign chops is an actual thing.
Prop Joe (Hawkeye) – Thanks for working through that.
McGuiness is the sleeper pick for LG. She is outhustling EVERYONE and she has the ideas, the field plan, and the war chest to surprise the scandal-ridden favorite. On top of that, 3 NCC candidates (all with different bases of support) will split the vote in NCC and give this fiery downstater the opportunity to win. You heard it here first.
John – She clearly has access to Sneaky Pete’s political network, but is that enough? I’m not sure. Especially if it comes down to hustle. Nobody out-hustles BHL.
‘…fiery downstater’. I LOVE it when campaign flaks make their presence felt.
BTW, nice job of freeping the LG poll. You’ve got your campaign priorities in order.
I’m very excited to dismantle this.
“McGuiness is the sleeper pick for LG.”
Sleeper pick? As in, you must be dreaming to think Kathy McGuiness would win that primary?
“She is outhustling EVERYONE”
Yawn. Doubtful. She’s annoying and a bit weird but “outhustling”, no one outhustles BHL and even Poppitti is everywhere.
“and she has the ideas, the field plan, and the war chest to surprise the scandal-ridden favorite.”
I don’t know what her ideas are outside of some really stupid email she sent this week about her “jobs phone” and how she was going to call businesses all the time until every shopping center in the state was filled. For one thing, we have too many shopping centers, for another thing, does her long distance plan from Utah cover those calls?
For someone who was a Republican for so long, you’d think she’d understand markets and economics better.
“On top of that, 3 NCC candidates (all with different bases of support) will split the vote in NCC and give this fiery downstater the opportunity to win.”
Ok, the lady is a Republican and lived in Utah until just a bit ago. If Delaware and it’s politicans and bureacrats weren’t such cowards, they’d make her ineligible to even run. BHL is from downstate and has deep roots there and has actually been an active Democrat for years, when Ms. “Failed Weed Shop Proprietor” was flirting with Alex Pires and the Ipod party and hitting the slopes in Utah.
Someone could have the support of every Democrat in Sussex County and it still doesn’t equal having the support of half the Democrats in New Castle County.
Democrats worthy of the name should be drumming Pete Schwartzkopf out of the party, or at least out of the Speaker’s job. Their first order of business should be to return him the head of McGuiness in a box (electorally speaking, of course.)
She’s the candidate who makes me wish we could actually vote AGAINST someone in these multi-candidate races, as in I don’t care who wins as long as it’s not her.
So, “John,” take that back to your boss — we’re coming for his head next.
Also, keep dreaming on Blunt Rochester. It seems she has inherited her father’s attitude about politics — look good in a suit and keep your mouth shut, they might interpret silence as intelligence.
I don’t know the woman at all, and I’d be kindly disposed to someone of her demographics getting the job, but that Blunt name is a serious disqualifier for me. Her father was as useless as teats on a bullhog, and her skipping that debate a few weeks ago set off alarms for me.
Agreed, but her dad is not enough of a liability. Blunt Rochester is smart enough to fly under the radar, smile and not make waves, while being heavily financed by Emily’s List. Kind of like the strategy on the TV show Survivor. Wake up Sept 14th and she’s the primary winner. Barney will be a two time loser! Townsend will go back to the state senate. Highly plausible scenario.
@Chris: I’ll take that bet.
Her dad isn’t a liability at all, he’s the key to her name recognition. But a high turnout for a primary in Wilmington is 10,000 votes, and not all will vote for her. The rest of the county turned out 24,000 Democrats in 2012, downstate 13,000.
KWS got 14,000 votes in 2012, so that seems to be the upper limit on female-identity voting. LBR can win with 34%, but only if the other two candidates split the remainder perfectly. I don’t think Barney will hold up his end of that scenario; I see him with around 10,000 votes, LBR with 15,000 and Townsend with enough to move on.
On the IC front, here are the vote totals from the 2012 primary:
MITCH CRANE 14429 30 . 3 %
PAUL J. GALLAGHER 9454 19 . 9 %
DENNIS SPIVACK 8129 17 . 1 %
KAREN STEWART 15590 32 . 7 %
If Gallagher starts with his 20% again, and KWS her 33, how much of the rest can Navarro corral? I’d normally say he starts with Crane’s 30%, as he similarly represents a responsible Democratic response to an official widely viewed as corrupt, incompetent or both. So where do the nearly 8,000 supporters of Spivak’s spittle-flecked campaign turn? I’ll take Navarro.
All these numbers are based on the same 17% statewide turnout as 2012.
Yeah, John…..Ok. People really believe creepy, Park City McGuiness will be winning this one. This is the same woman that uses BHL’s talking points in public. She hasn’t done anything except for switch parties several times, and pretend like people like her. Nobody besides Pistol Pete and Ernie Lopez are in Park City’s camp. But as El Som said, great job freeping the poll and keep your priorities in order. I’m sure Park City is smiling.
I think McGuiness has a chance to win, as does Poppiti, BHL and maybe another candidate to be determined. I agree with DD that Hall-Long has been damaged. Yes, BHL is as paripatetic as always. But her Senate victory margin was significantly diminished (even imperiled) when the sign-stealing story came out (her home base no less), and this Gordon thing could well have legs. No doubt it’s hurt her. She can only hope that it’s not of the negative synergy 1 plus 1=3 variety. Especially since she has family roots in Sussex County.
There’s just such a primoridial ooze about that McGuiness campaign, though…
If Emily’s List is going to be funneling money to LBR they’ve shown no sign of it so far…she’s by far raised the least (her COH is being propped up by self-loans…wonder if she can actually afford to spend that money…). Emily’s List endorses tons of candidates and will be spending a lot on Hillary and Senate races in PA, CA, NH. I don’t see them making any real kind of investment in Delaware.
Barney, on the other hand, will have tons of IE money from VoteVets, who only endorses a few people. And Townsend, though he doesn’t have a big national group behind him, has raised $100k more than anyone else (again, not including LBR’s self-funding).
The reason why LBR was a no-show for that Newark debate was b/c she was at an Emily’s List fundraiser in DC.
As for Barney, looks like he’s abandoned pretty much everything but the ‘I’m a veteran, and I’ll represent veterans’ card:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/firststatepolitics/2016/05/14/sean-barney-hangs-congressional-run-military-service/84021626/
Dare I say it? He’s a ‘single issue’ candidate.
I’m still baffled by the number of candidates for Lt. Governor.
I thinks Townsend has the ground game and the name recognition to squeak it out for congress. I would love to see Rochester win, but haven’t seen here anywhere, yet. Navarro may pull this out as KWS still cannot find a campaign manager. Also, isn’t Gallagher friends with KWS?? BHL is the odds on favorite for LG. McGuinness is “creepy” and can’t figure out her party, Ciro seems to be running so he can show off his pictures with celebrities and there are three other candidates too…
The profile in TNJ was written immediately after Sean Barney announced his plan to honor and care for veterans. I expect much of the content, to include quotes, video and photos, can be almost entirely sourced to Barney’s press conference for that plan. With that in mind, it’s no wonder the piece reads like a single issue story rather than a fuller profile. But, it’s not accurate to suggest he is a “single issue” candidate. To do so would ignore his remarks, interviews, policy proposals (and more) on several other issues, to include campaign finance reform, gun control, etc: http://www.seanbarneyforcongress.com/issues
C’est la vie, you forgot to mention how Sean Barney likes to take credit for others’ accomplishments. http://delawareliberal.net//2016/05/16/a-longhurst-aways-pays-her-debts/
I had to go double check if Mike Miller is still in the Congressional race. He is.
So maybe Sean’s less single issue candidate and more serial embellisher of the truth?
In politics the best person doesn’t always win. On the merits, Townsend should win the Congressional race. He is very bright, progressive and accomplished a lot in Dover. But money and demographics will likely propel Lisa Blunt-Rochester. Barney will end up a two time loser in two election cycles. .
I also think BHL may be damaged goods. The race boils down to McGuiness and Poppiti. They are both getting around the state a lot and have ample resources.
#Hashbrown, that is not accurate either.
I get around to a lot of the Dem events and I have only seen LBR once in this campaign. I’m sure she’s doing something, but I haven’t heard a peep.
By contrast, I regularly see BHL, Townsend, Ciro and to a slightly lesser extent Barney and Eaby.
Yo, LG, does Griffiths have a shot at knocking off Hensley? I know there’s a D primary, but it doesn’t look competitive.
I don’t have a great feel for that race, sorry. Griffiths will work his tail off, but I just don’t know how Hensley is viewed in M’town.
LG, I also see McGuiness, Meyer and Poppiti a lot. Darius Brown seems to be everywhere too.
Even Joe and I have to admit, BHL is killing it in the poll. Just like the last poll before the kids at DL abruptly took it down.
This poll is a fraud. Votes cast for McGuiness are being counted as votes for BHL. Is someone worried about being embarrassed if McGuiness wins the poll? Cheating again…shame, shame.
LOL. Gotta love Park City’s one and only supporter. John, sorry bud, just because your unknown candidate is getting smoked in the polls, doesn’t mean it’s a grand conspiracy. You guys tried, but clearly just aren’t good enough. Maybe Kathy could consider running as a Republican again? I’m sure Ernie would love that 😉
The poll is an embedded app. It is impossible for anyone to change the software code to shift votes or have votes added or deleted. That said it is an unscientific poll and anyone with a little bit of knowledge about how cookies work can vote multiple times. That is called “freeping” and I assume it happens regularly.
Very funny, Anon. The truth is, BHL has been on the wrong side of every critical issue which true liberals should care about (death penalty, LGBT issues, minimum wage, you name it). McGuiness has always been on the correct side of the liberal agenda, and she has the guts to stand on her record (which BHL does not). You clowns should be ashamed of yourselves that you had to rig this poll so BHL would not be trounced. I understand the poll has now been shut down because enough people who voted for McGuiness called in to complain when they did not see their votes counted properly. Come September, the voters will show you who deserves to win fair and square, and it ain’t gonna be BHL.
Poor guy…raging because his candidate is a Republican…I mean independent…I mean democrat….I mean out of state resident (or maybe instate resident)? with literally no track record of doing anything. I’m sure she’s been a part of some major decisions in Rehoboth (LOL), but the reality is that BHL has voted for every LGBT and minimum wage bill since her time in the house. Do a little research on the work BHL has done for this state, and the democratic values she has always stood by and then come back and counter me with the ground breaking city ordinances kathy has worked on in Rehoboth. Did we mention how creepy Kathy is?
Poll is still up, “John.”
Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but a blog does not typically have a complaint hotline.
Delaware Liberal..your early prediction “DL POLL” is obviously having tech difficulties///like the last “poll”
I personally voted for McGuiness on the poll as did 2 cousins, my supervisor and other grad students……and Her NUMBERS NEVER CHANGED, only BHL#s increased. Votes for Kathy are credited to BHL? (as total votes increased-and did BHL)
DELAWARE LIBERAL appears to be deceiving another “poll”. Journalism =objective & HONEST reporting
For over 2 hours we watched the results increase and NOT ONE of OUR votes were accounted for Kathy all 9 went to BHL.
Delaware Liberal YOU give politics a bad name… “poll” votes transferred to another candidate???
heads up!! You sleep with dogs, you will get fleas!
SHAME SHAME SHAME
Cue the banjo…
Mary, this is a BLOG. There is nothing official about the poll. DL has no skin in the game to ensure anyone wins. How difficult is this to understand?
“Journalism=objective & HONEST reporting”
Again, a BLOG. It is opinion by nature.
Really? so the “poll” is not an early predictor? an opinion of the accumulation of public polling?
what ever it is
IT WAS falsified-we watched.
The Poll, blog, whatever you label DL, the”prediction” was tainted.
Bean counters beware…..a crook is in this crock
I agree with chris’ post from another thread, if Sean Barney wants to win a state-wide D primary, there has to be more to his candidacy than noun, verb etc. I think there is more there, he was Markell’s policy wonk, but he needs to go through a debate or an opinion piece without mentioning his military service. It’s a compelling story, but everyone knows it now and the rest of his message gets tuned out. This is a better race for him than the Treasurer’s. I hope he’s improved his debating, those were painful.
I really wish Lisa Rochester had picked another office to run for, I’m a big fan of hers and I know she has a large following. She has a powerful presence that I would like to see being brought to bear on something local, Wilmington Schools for example. I don’t think this is a good race for her and even if she wins, I’m not sure what difference she will make in DC for the benefit of Delaware.
“For over 2 hours we watched the results increase”
@Mary, Really? 2 hours sitting at the computer refreshing the screen to watch a vote that is mostly tongue in cheek?
If you are old enough to vote in an actual election, please don’t. Elections are important and they need serious voters.
So, what I am gathering is that the entire McGuinness campaign sat around ONE computer monitor and watched the DL poll for the better part of a day? That is some effective campaigning right there. Someone should call David Plouffe and David Axelrod and tell them that they wasted all that time on a 50 state strategy with a grass roots campaign when all they really had to do was stare at a blog for 12 hours.
lol have they seen some of the poll options on other polls? There is nothing predictive or realistic about online polling, especially not on a blog site.
Did not “stare” as obviously some did to post inaccurate messages… actually noticed after an hour when another grad posted his vote.
More like bHL supporters sat around posting nasty unkind and untrue comments almost sounds like a jealous pack of frustrated bHL supporters.(again, if you sleep with dogs you get fleas)
Shame. This hate gives politics a bad name!
What a disgrace – this is supposed to be comments not attacks…..karma
Karma? You assholes are carrying water for a dictatorial state cop and you want to talk about karma? You want to put this clown a heartbeat away from the governorship when all she’s done so far is serve on the Rehoboth City Council, the state’s most disfunctional elected body outside Wilmington (and RB has plenty of money, so it doesn’t even have Wilmington’s excuse)? Something is in the water down there even worse than the usual coliform bacteria, because at least two of you are raging lunatics.
If this site is running polls, then at least be fair and honest with them. Don’t put fingers on the scales for certain candidates.
The only recent poll that I freeped was: “When I say ‘Diva’ you say…? ”
I voted for “Security, this man is bothering me.” twice. Once from work and once from home.
See, if you trolls actually paid attention to this site other than when there is a poll, you would know that DL never took the side of BHL. One thing is certain, however, nothing coalesces the folks around here for, or against someone like lunatic trolls throwing accusations.
Exactly what do you think you will gain by criticizing the blog that you put so much value in when your candidate was winning the “poll?” Also, and I know I’ve said this before somewhere, IT’s. A. FREAKIN’.BLOG!!! Perhaps you should “Google” the definition, if you can figure that site out.
Wow. Anonymous nice Potty mouth and you are a resident? Rehoboth so awful? Maybe you should move…
Dem19703– I guess I hit a nerve
Shame shame shame
“the Rehoboth City Council, the state’s most disfunctional elected body outside Wilmington”
You’re confusing it with Dewey Beach.
Hey, I just voted 47 times for Lacey Lafferty in the new highly scientific and technical “poll,” but my votes did not show up. It must be rigged!
I’m just here for the comments.
Mary, Mary, Mary, sarcasm is subtle and not always apparent to those with limited capacity. It’s ok. I’m sure your “supervisor” or one of your many “grad students” can explain it to you.
Yeah, I forgot Dewey. Give rich people a scintilla of power and watch them turn into mini-Trumps. But then, Dewey is about .050 ppm of CO2 from disappearing under the waves, and when it does the stick-up-the-ass Rehoboth crowd will still be denying business licenses to restaurateurs and telling vacationers to quiet down.
Hey Mary, do me a favor and go fuck yourself. “Potty mouth.” That’s the bunged-up Rehoboth Beach population for you. Most of them aren’t even from Delaware in the first place.
I did move. I don’t spend my vacation dollars in your town anymore.
Jason: “OK, we’re back! Let’s go to the phones. We have John calling in from Park City. John, you’re on the air with DelawareLiberal Radio.”
John: “You guys are screwing with the poll on your website. You’re stealing the election!”
Jason: “Ummm… Is this the poll about the how many roads must a man walk down?”
John: “You’re anti-freeping measures are unconstitutional! Our founding fathers warned us about sites that use cookies!” :click:
Jason: “We seem to have lost John… Let’s go to Mary calling in from the boardwalk…”
@chris access to PAC money doesn’t guarantee one a statewide race. People don’t show up to vote for you just because you’ve got money. I’d look at which candidate is actually investing in a real ground game and put my money on them.
Also wish Navarro had more of a shot, he’s a good candidate.
LOL, LG! That about sums it up.
Seriously guys, a blog poll? You are ridiculous – altho, these comments actually had me voting! Thanks!
“Yeah, I forgot Dewey. Give rich people a scintilla of power and watch them turn into mini-Trumps.” Yep, that’s the way it works. Buy a house at the beach and want to build/renovate it against existing rules? Run for office and – presto! – change the rules. You can set your watch by this behavior.
Hey, when did DL get a call in show? Also, how brutal would that be?
All jokes (and downstaters) aside, I truly am excited to see BHL become our next Lt. Governor. Is there anyone who even closely compares to her work ethic, background, and record?
Now back to the two people who actually think McGuiness has a shot….Take it away!
Yes, BHL certainly has the lack of ethics required to serve as a powerful Democrat in Delaware.
The only way she could excite me would be to leave the state.
I appreciate the enthusiasm of all you Townsend groupies, in order to not be too crushed on primary day, you have to be realistic that Barney has a real path.
But no real supporters. If he had, he wouldn’t have lost to Flowers.
As someone said elsewhere, the days of Americans in general, let alone Democrats, fawning over military service, even heroic service, are long gone. Ask Joe Sestak.
anonymous…you do realize Barney didn’t lose to Flowers, right? The lack of capacity is not a surprise coming from a McGuiness supporter. Just wanted to point it out.
Right, Barney got his ass handed to him by Republican Ken Simpler. The fact that Barney recently blamed that embarrassing loss on DELAWARE DEMOCRATS confirms Barney’s a narcissist who blames other people for his own failures. He’s playing hopscotch with job titles in a sad, desperate quest to be elected. Good luck Sean. Can DL do a poll on what office Sean runs for in 2018 and who’s to blame for his 2016 loss?
No, I just remember Barney looking lost debating Flowers. Why won’t he go get a real job? Why does he keep pestering us to put him to work? Getting shot up in Iraq, while admirable, is not an admission ticket to a political career. While I realize that Tom Carper is badly-voting proof that charisma is optional, it would help.
You do realize that I consider McGuiness an unqualified, narcissistic stalking horse for an even worse self-interested politician than BHL, right?
Bethany Hall-Long is the next in line of Democrats chosen not for any particular skill — sorry, grinding isn’t a very rare or valuable skill — but for a set of checked-off boxes on her resume. She’s a Celia Cohen candidate.
What I see is someone who has faced minimal electoral opposition over the years and when faced with her first close race — well, do you really believe that she just rolled over in bed when her husband went out, repeatedly, to steal her opponent’s signs? If you do, you just might be blind in one eye.
On the merits she’s probably the most qualified of this bunch to become governor should Carney bore himself to death. But the most important actual job of the Lt.Gov. is to sit on the parole board, where her vote could decide someone’s fate. I’d rather not have someone in that role making the decision based on the impact on her political future.
Anon, you take issue with the fact that Sean Barney ran for office in 2014. Is your objection because he lost that general election race? Or because he lost to a Republican?
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t held the same job my entire life, nor do I think my skills are limited to just one role. That isn’t unusual for political candidates or elected officials either. For example, Bryan Townsend previously ran for State Senate and now he wants to be in Congress.
Matt Denn lost his first race for the State Senate to a Republican, before he ran for Insurance Commissioner, Lt. Governor and Attorney General.
The list of other examples could go on for days.
Sean has spent most of his career in public service. He certainly has the education, background and experience to work in the private sector. But, he wants to continue to serve in the public sector. I think that’s only admirable.
“Is your objection because he lost that general election race? Or because he lost to a Republican?”
My objection is that he wants an elected job. Why? We don’t owe him one, and he has shown me no reason to give him one.
“Bryan Townsend previously ran for State Senate and now he wants to be in Congress.”
No, he previously GOT ELECTED to the State Senate and has done good work there. It’s asking to be hired vs. asking for a promotion.
“He certainly has the education, background and experience to work in the private sector.”
Then let him prove it. Take your “public service” bullshit and put it back in the bull.
anonymous….IS there anyone you DO like? You are an angry little guy, aren’t ya?
Townsend is the least objectionable. Other than that I see a collection of apparatchiks, careerists and pocket-liners, headed by our next governor, all of whom adhere to the idea that government exists to provide jobs for people who have “the education, background and experience to work in the private sector” but never get around to proving it.
Anonymous- I must have missed that debate with “Barney looking lost debating Flowers”. There was no debate. There was no Primary.
It is so easy for people hiding who they under a pseudonym to criticize people who run for office and expose themselves and their loved ones to ridicule, innuendo and outright lies. I have not given my support to any Democrat running for Congress or Lt Governor and I know all but one of them. I respect them for what they are putting themselves through. There are differences in qualifications and in the issues they stress, but most all of them are better than their potential Republican opponents.
Sean Barney did lose because the Democratic turnout was dismal-as did Brenda Mayrack. Bethany Hall-Long did support every bill advancing LGBT rights as they came to the floor- Hospital Visitation Rights; Non-Discrimination; civil unions, marriage and gender identity protection. Kathy McGuiness has served well as a city commissioner in a very non-disfunctional Rehoboth Beach government. Bryan Townsend has performed admirably as a state senator. Lisa Rochester served with distinction in the state cabinet as did Greg Fuller as Sussex Register of Wills. Ciro Poppiti advanced manufactured homeowners’ rights in a key rent justification arbitration -and has streamlined the workings of his Register of Wills office. Sherry Walker has been a leader in death penalty repeal and fighting for justice for the people of Wilmington. Brad Eaby has been a progressive voice on the Kent County Levy Court. Sean Barney almost gave his life for this country and ran an honest campaign for State Treasurer by not promising to do what the office is not empowered to do. He does have passion for issues that are within the power of a congressman to address.
Those of you who find it so easy to criticize and slander should consider running yourselves. This State makes it easy-no petitions, just file a form, write a check. You have almost 2 more months to do so. If you are in Sussex and want to run for office, I have some for you-as long as you espouse Democratic values and stand for issues and not the depersonification of your opponent.
There was at least one debate before Flowers dropped out. In spite of all the baggage he was carrying, I thought Flowers beat Barney pretty handily. Flowers is an impressive debater and it won’t surprise me if he turns up again in politics either in DE or elsewhere.
Mitch Crane, well said.
I’m sorry, fellas, you have apparently mistaken this for a Democratic Party hackfest. It’s a liberal site. You have no idea what we’re talking about.
The audience here isn’t a bunch of rubes who think that holding public office is “public service.” We’re people who know who the 10 most powerful people in Delaware are, and that outside of Joe Biden and Pete Schwartzkopf, none of them hold elective office. We know which few public officials are truly serving the public, those who are making a decent effort and those who are serving themselves. We know which ones are smart enough to know what they’re talking about and which ones are carrying water for special interests.
I’ll grant you that many if not most of these people are putting forth at least some effort. But you must grant me that most of them wouldn’t piss themselves if their pants were on fire unless they got permission from their caucus.
After you party hacks get some real jobs you can come back and lecture those who have them on how tough it is to face a job performance evaluation every two or four years. Be sure to include that you have to put in a staggering six years of part-time work before you qualify for a generous pension plan, because I want to know how much sympathy that line gets you.
And yes, I was at that debate. Flowers cleaned his clock. Barney could offer no reason why he should be elected to that office.
Next time just post a link to the party website.
You were a judge, weren’t you? And you don’t even know that nothing said here was slander, that public officials can be subject to opinionated criticism under the First Amendment?
High barriers to the bench in Pennsylvania, I see.
Take a chill pill folks, especially the Sussex Chair. We can have opinions about these candidates and should speak freely, as long as its respectful . I think its called my first amendment rights. They want to hold PUBLIC office and REPRESENT us. Too much Delaware way in this state!! This is the one place where folks can discuss differences among candidates and our thoughts.
Remember my liberal friends, the cure to tyranny is MORE SPEECH, not political correctness and shutting down speech.
Two lessons fold who seem to fall on their own uninformed misinterpretations of law and constitutional rights:
Defamation ((slander is spoken; libel is written; slander is common law; libel is statutory) does have a high bar when it comes to public figures ( see NY Times v Sullivan). However- that bar is reached when statements that the maker knows are untrue and said with malicious intent. As anonymous certainly knows, many of the things said by people like him (maybe was him) against me four years ago met all these requirements. Some one cut and pasted and sent to me a few days ago the attacks on me that appeared in DL in 2012-remember them Anonymous? First it was said I left the Dept of Insurance because I was seriously ill-perhaps with HIV. Then it was written that I was forced to leave because I was abusive to female staffers (both attacks called for my releasing my personnel file). Finally they fell on a lie started on line and then spread throughout some communities in Wilmington that “Mitch Crane abandoned his wife and children for the man he is living with now”. I recently spoke with my former wife and asked her if she hid a child from me or if she carried for 18 years. Last year I spoke with a prominent civic leader in Wilmington and the election came up and I mentioned the wife and children rumor and he said “you mean that isn’t true”. When I said “no”, he responded with “then why would Karen tell me that?”. That is what I wish to avoid in this election.
Second- The 1st Amendment right of Freedom of Speech applies to actions by GOVERNMENT to restrict the rights to same. It does not apply to private action or private restrictions.
I am also amused, Chris, that you defend the freedom of bloggers to criticize candidates for office but then attack people who speak freely against that type pf attack.
Yes-I was a Pennsylvania judge but I am a Delaware-trained attorney. I did not lose my rights to speak out as I do (and I do so with civility, which also seems to bother the unknown supporters of one candidate against another). I did not lose that right just because I was a judge, or am an attorney, or hold a county party chair position.
Then sue those people for slander. It wasn’t me. My objection is that you’re a state Democratic Party hack who apparently thinks that this liberal site is a party organ.
What I said about the candidates were nothing but my opinions, formed after long observation, and are well within the kind of protected speech about public officials that would never qualify as libel or slander.
There’s a pernicious belief among the public that Democratic Party = liberal. It’s not so, less so in Delaware than most places. The people who keep shoving Carperbots at us — and Sean Barney sure seems like the latest model — are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
As a party official, you have a job to do. I’m under no obligation to let you do it here without pointing out that you are part of the party, and therefore part of the problem.
Interesting that Anonymous’ definition of Free Speech does not apply to non-paid political party officials who write under their real names. OK-if you see something really critical of you and others like you, Anonymous, under the name “Lewes Lou”, that would be fine with you, I guess.
Lewes Lou
Sure it would. That’s how it works. You’re allowed to say what you want. I’m allowed to point out that you’re a party official — and sorry, when you keep playing politics no matter what state you move to, you’re a hack — and that you therefore are loyal to a party, not an ideology, and should be trusted or not accordingly.
You work for the party. You have to say nice things about the self-serving jerks who make up the vast majority of it. That’s your choice, and I’m allowed to be critical of it.
You’re dying to be able to intimidate me by calling me out by name, aren’t you? Politicians are bullies, pure and simple.
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Put a D next to a blind Donkey in Northern Delaware and it would win by double digits.