Comment Rescue: Who Won Where
From commenter Marcellus Wallace, who may need to get a promotion to contributer here at DL after this analysis he just posted this evening:
I believe LBR is a nice woman with legitimate high-level government experience and great potential. But her public performances (and lack thereof) left the impression that she is not ready for prime time, to put it charitably. I wanted to figure out how she won so convincingly. So I made sweet Excel love to the district-level data on the Department of Elections’ web page, so you don’t have to. My takeaways are below. Please note: the data is the data, but the conclusions are mine.
For starters, it would be easy to say that LBR won because of strong support in the City and surrounding areas, and that is true. But the real story is that she administered a broad-based, statewide ass kicking. All told, LBR won 28 of the 41 RDs statewide. In 13 of those 28 RDs, LBR earned more votes than Townsend and Barney combined.
As expected, LBR handily carried each of the RDs in the City of Wilmington (RDs 1-4), as well as the surrounding RDs that I’ll call “Greater Wilmington” (RDs 1-4, plus RDs 6, 7, 10, and 13). But she also won in places that surprised me, including:
• RD27 (Glasgow) – This is Earl Jaques’ district, and given its proximity to Newark, I would have thought Townsend would have won. Instead, LBR had more votes than Townsend and Barney combined.
• RD28 (Smyrma) and RD29 (Cheswold/W. Dover) – My guess is that neither of these districts is a hotbed of progressive activity. For years, RD28 has been represented by a racist tree stump, Bill “Lumpy” Carson (his actual nickname), and the 29th is ably represented by Charles W. “Trey” Paradee, III, a guy from an old Dover family that is so rich that they’re comfortable enough giving effete nicknames to their offspring. (Does Trey have a son, and if so, is his nickname Quad?) Anyway, LBR easily won both districts.
• It was the same story even further down in Slower Lower. LBR won RD30 (Harrington), HD33 (Frederica), HD35 (Bridgeville), and HD39 (Seaford). Sure, there aren’t a ton of Ds down there. But the fact that this happened both makes me proud (progress!) and makes me giggle.
Meanwhile, Bryan Townsend’s performance was underwhelming—and my takeaway is that he’s barely a regional candidate at this stage of his career. All told, he won 8 of 41 RDs, but 6 of them were either within the city limits of the People’s Republic of Newark (RDs 23-26) or adjacent areas (RDs 21-22). Even in those districts, Bryan didn’t win big. In only 1 district – Paul Baumbach’s 23rd – did Bryan receive more votes than the next 2 candidates combined.
If you think I’m being too harsh on our ambitious little friend, compare how the candidates did in Greater Wilmington (see RDs listed above) and in Greater Newark. In Greater Wilmington, LBR won huge, taking more than 9,200 out of almost 20,000 votes, compared to around 4,300 for Townsend and 4,200 for Barney. But although Townsend won Newark proper (RDs 23-26), he lost Greater Newark as a whole (RDs 23-26, plus RDs 17-19, 21-22, and 27). Out of around 14,000 votes, LBR received 5,500 or so, with Townsend at around 4,700.
Another possible lesson? Fellating the DSEA doesn’t provide the same value as it used to. Townsend lost big in districts propped up by DSEA water-carriers, including RD19 (K. Williams), RD10 (S. Matthews), RD 6 (D. Heffernan), and RD31 (S. Lynn). Historically, the DSEAs and the SEIUs of the world could be counted on to provide a big lift to a candidate’s ground game. I don’t know if Townsend’s weak performance can be attributed to a lack of real union help, an overreliance on the ground game, or the candidate’s textbook backpfeifengesicht. I report, you decide.
As for Sean Barney, there isn’t much to say. He won 5 out of 41 RDs, all of them in the most conservative districts in the state (RDs 36-38 and 40-41) and by extremely slim margins. Sean seems like a bright guy with a good heart. But if he couldn’t gain any traction with his war hero resume and gobs of out-of-state cash, it is probably time for him to find a new line of work.
Amazing analysis!
I’ll start by admitting in not a fan of Bryan Townsend. I was at one point until he drank the koolaid down there in Dover. I believe the voters saw something that DL can’t see from its liberal cocoon – Bryan comes across as phony and appears to be saying whatever the current audience wants to hear. He got way ahead of himself and his ego took over, partially fueled by DL. You don’t have to like Lisa’s public performance, but one on one, she comes across as smart and genuine. Bryan comes across as phony and pedantic. I’m going to sleep so I will read the attacks in the morning.
I couldn’t disagree with you more. Bryan is perhaps the most sincere politician I’ve ever come across. But unlike you, I will not attack Lisa or you AQC. Just some advice: the primary is over, and you won, so stop punching down and stop being bitter
I don’t think AQC is being bitter here DD. I get the same thing from him. And I know others who have said similar things. Rather than just dismissing it as us being bitter, you may want to attempt to figure out why people are getting that vibe from him.
LBR is not a polished public speaker like a corporate attorney who serves in the legislature. She seems nervous…. Just like I would be. I can see myself in Lisa. She is relatable. Congress is about building relationships, especially since you are the only person in the house from DE. You need to build alliances to get things done. Soooo many people I meet in DE don’t like Bryan personally. Hard to believe that won’t repeat itself in Washington. To that extent, I have never met anyone with a negative thing to say about Lisa. I just think she represents me more than him.
Also, Glasgow is pretty diverse. Not surprised Lisa won there.
AQC supports Barbieri…tells you all you need to know about her character. Pitiful.
Outstanding analysis, tho I recoil a bit when I see the word “racist” flung around so cavalierly. It’s such an ugly, hurtful word.
Anyway, I couldn’t vote in the Dem primary, but I was happy to see LBR win, if for no other reason than its historical value. She also has a very friendly face.
I was not impressed with Sean Barney when I met him. Nice guy, but he struck me as a bit of a dimwit. And there’s no way I could vote for Townsend, less because he’s left of Sanders and more because my understanding is that he only recently moved out of his mother’s house. Oof.
It’s really nice to see a few new names in the mix – lady names, too! A girl gets tired of seeing the same boy names crop up over and over and over again…
Oh, Boy #1, did you lose a gubernatorial primary after putting in your time in the Lt Gov seat? Well, buck up, butter cup! We have great news! It’s time for you to head to DC! Be patient, tho…my crystal ball tells me that gov seat will have your name on it in due time.
Hey, there, Boy #4, is Boy #3’s boredom with DC and itch for the gov seat bigfooting your Gov run? Well, to be fair, he did wait his turn. How does AG sound…you know, just until something opens up in DC.
Gee, is Boy #2 thinking about retiring after hitting for the DE political cycle?? No worries! Boy #4 will have made his mark as AG by then. He’ll be happy to slide right in to that seat!
It’s about time we threw a few women in to mix it up with the boys. Good luck to LBR, BHL, and KHN, and good riddance to KWS! (Quick question: Do you have to have three names attached to your ovaries to get elected in Delaware, or is that just a bizarre coincidence?)
Thank you. Thankyouverymuch.
Bane and AQC FTW. He’s my senator and I hear constantly how reviled he is in interpersonal interactions. A shame. He’s so smart, but treats people poorly. That reputation is out in front, and betrayed him on Tuesday. He needs to work on this. Blaming Barney or using a split vote, she got minorities/women analysis is facile. He has pissed people off, including his own constituents.
Sadly, got what he deserved based on feedback I’ve heard. I respect you feel the way you do DD, but in the end the following is incontrovertible: Bryan got his ass kicked Tuesday. Not even close.
Disclaimer: I VOTED FOR HIM in 2012
WTF – “fellating the DSEA?” That’s the tell this is an attempted hit piece. That is no more fair or accurate than calling out LBR for fellating Emily’s LIst (to mix a metaphor). Please let’s not have this kind of analysis from a regular contributor.
‘He’s so smart, but treats people poorly. That reputation is out in front…”
LOL! Only among low-information folks who are intimidated by someone smarter than themselves. I’ve met Bryan and felt pleased he was addressing my concerns. I haven’t heard this “reputation” – maybe I need to do an anthropological expedition to Facebook.
I stood outside of some of the largest polling places in the 27th on primary day. I think that the phone call from John Lewis got many people out to vote. I’m not sure if we will ever get the numbers, but it certainly goosed the African-American vote. I perceived a much better turnout by the African-American community, as compared to any other characteristic.
On the other side of the state, LBR was on TV all of the time. My parents, who live in broadcast range down there, commented on how they were always seeing her ads and that she seemed very nice.
I’m pretty happy that we will be sending our first woman and African-American to DC. Welcome to the modern world, Delaware!
Just because you have not heard that Puck, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real. Furthermore, essentially saying that everyone who is turned off by him is some low information dummy, who is intimidated by his intelligence, is the exact same condescending vibe that Townsend gives off. More of an example of why he is a regional candidate at best. The only way that type of tone works is if you’re running in Newark or Hockessin….. where all the people with those big brains live.
FWIW, Bane feels about Townsend as I do about Carper. Yet Carper is the winningest pol in Delaware history. Strange days indeed.
I will add that my sense here is simply that AQC’s points are points I have heard. It is not an accident that Bryan could not muster 25% when he has such passionate supporters. The people I run with in social and social media circles are unabashed, strong pro-Townsend supporters. They love him. I voted for him against Deluca, Tackett, Quietsch. In the last 3 years though, the anecdotal stories of how he treated colleagues and staffers in the GA have grown. Can I certify them to be true? Nope. Have I heard them from more than 1 person? Yes. More than 5? yes. Why did multiple female members of the GA join LIsa’s effort when they had worked closely with and know Bryan? I don’t think it was mere alignment with gender, I think that would be insulting to them to even suggest it, so that signaled to me that they know Bryan and did not want him to win. Included in the anecdotes are stories about bills being taken from others and stamped with his sponsorship and using terms like “do nothing bill” to describe the hard work of colleagues’ bills. He may have been 100% right to call a bill that, BTW, but I can’t see the upside if you have statewide or federal ambitions. I think one of the issues with the Townsend campaign, and this is my personal speculation, is that no one close to the candidate was willing or able to speak to these issues and give him the chance to make corrections to these conversations happening. If I’m wrong that means he either didn’t listen to his advisors (which I don’t believe Bryan would do) or no one was tuned into these concerns about his attitude and demeanor towards others at times. I know many Townsend supporters, and I like them. I also know the reasons they say the support him: smart, articulate, progressive, accomplished, effective. All true in more than one way. My question is: has that created a genuine blindspot to the retail politics strategy needed to win a statewide federal election. He had the $$, he had the name and resume, and he had the media attribution of frontrunner in July. So what happened to yield less than 25% (hint: it isn’t Barney, Miller, Walker or Weir’s fault)? I hope Bryan and his team are willing to confront that question. I think he/they may want to start in the GA.
All the talk about Townsend and his colleagues sounds like bullshit to me. You know what doesn’t sound like bullshit..?
TO WIN A STATEWIDE PRIMARY, YOU HAVE TO RUN A STATEWIDE PRIMARY CAMPAIGN. Golly, that’s innovative!
The whole time I was scratching my head about how nobody in this race seemed to have a statewide strategy, LBR was out meeting with people in Dover and activating networks of voters.
I wasn’t in those networks, so I didn’t see it, but it was clearly happening. Politics 101 people. Duh.
I’m actually not trying to attack or insult. I volunteered on Townsend’s first campaign. But, the numbers don’t lie; he was creamed. And he had arguably the best political operative in the state managing his campaign. Your candidate has an ego and arrogance problem and insulting me doesn’t change that.
The majority of DE democratic voted for someone other than LBR. That to me speaks volumes.
Those of you claiming Bryan Townsend is too young or that he is fake that bothers me. Agism has historically been a factor in many careers, politics is no different. Age doesnt necessarily mean better experience. And yes, I am biased because I consider Bryan a friend, but the reason I say he is not fake is because when I have had conversations with him regarding testing or education or poverty (the list can go on) he has always been upfront with me about where he stands on the issue many times we disagree actually. He opens my eyes to intricate details I don’t always see. He helps me think forward.
Bryan Townsend has sponsored and co-sponsored many bills while in office, many which have passed. He is an engaging, active listener and unlike many other politicians he picks his fights wisely always thinking ahead to the longterm and the greater good. Thinking about what he can work out.
My opinion, and he might disagree, he depended too much on door knocking. A spot in Congress is too big for that, but I bet he learned a lot about what he can work on as he continues to be a fair Delaware born and raised Senator who genuinely cares about his constituents.
never met townsend, but i’m leery of people who are intimidated by intelligence and think politicians exist only to kiss their ass. sounds like a trump-voter mentality to me. but, again, i’m speaking theoretically. maybe i would detest the guy if i knew him personally. he might just be that exception that proves the rule.
Political junkies hate to hear it, but most voters make their pick on personality, not positions. Bryan has the right positions; for this many people to sound the same note of criticism about his personality is not a good sign.
“LBR is not a polished public speaker like a corporate attorney who serves in the legislature. She seems nervous…. Just like I would be.”
Sharing only because it stood out to me – someone recently described to me Val Longhurst during her first campaign using very similar verbiage. Let’s hope winning doesn’t do to LBR what it did to Val.
“for this many people to sound the same note of criticism about his personality”
I think most of “this many people” have never met Townsend and are simply repeating crap planted on Facebook or somewhere, in order to sound like they know something. That’s how you start a whispering campaign these days. Gordon tried something similar with Meyers, DL just deleted a similar comment about Schwarzkopf yesterday.
Remember how Obama was called “arrogant” when what they really meant was a) he’s black, and b) he’s smarter than you.
Breaking – Markell does something right on education!
This is more important than you can imagine, and a good start to addressing the achievement gap.
That last comment was meant for the open thread.
John Young says he does know Townsend. So does Christy. How Christy describes him is the same person I’ve met before. I’m not saying Mr Young doesn’t have his reasons, but sounds to me like it’s more of a personal type of thing. It’s easy for everyone to like you when you don’t stand for anything or don’t speak up at all or act like these decisions are simple. Townsend is willing to speak up on tons of issues, and I’ll be supporting him as long as he keeps doing it. It’s called leadership. We don’t have many of that around here nowadays.
The rumors about Townsend being dickish in Dover on votes and bills exist. I don’t know how he gets out from under them.
When people you work with don’t come to your aid during an election and go work for someone else that speaks volumes and only feeds the rumors.
I just hope Rochester doesn’t become a Carper lackey or at least lasts longer than Coons in being turned to the dark side.
“When people you work with don’t come to your aid during an election”
I’ll grant that Townsend’s leadership on education reform may have annoyed those who prefer to follow the Markell education agenda.
Kim Williams hates Markell’s agenda but supported LBR. Townsend had support from a bunch of colleagues in Dover and Lisa had some support too but Barney had none. No big surprises for any of that.
Well, we better rally around her or the republicans might win with some nutcase
“Remember how Obama was called “arrogant” when what they really meant was a) he’s black, and b) he’s smarter than you.”
Yeah, but with Obama I understood the real meaning immediately. In Townsend’s case, he’s not black, he’s just smarter than a lot of people. Lots of people are smart. To succeed as a politician, one doesn’t have to be smart, but one must be likable.
I have never met Mr. Townsend, but from things I’ve heard I suspect retail politics is not his natural forte — that he’s not a “people person,” a glad-hander, a guy who puts others at ease. There are politicians who succeed without that personality, on brains alone, but they don’t do so easily.
“I just hope Rochester doesn’t become a Carper lackey or at least lasts longer than Coons in being turned to the dark side.”
Coons was an attorney for his family’s business. It was more of a veer than a turn.
Did somebody say nutcase? LBR’s opponent is Hans Reigle. Former mayor of Wyoming (I think), a veteran and a Trump supporter.
“The first step to reforming immigration law is to completely stop all illegal immigration.” Hans Reigles campaign website.
Lol, case in point
Interesting how they never say the first step in reforming immigration law is to arrest and prosecute any CEO or corporate officer who hires illegals..
Bryan won his Senate seat on sheer retail politics, so I don’t get that criticism. That said, I don’t think that Bryan does the usual Dem thing of putting his finger in the wind to figure out where he needs to be. He is pretty clear about where he stands and doesn’t pander. That works for me, frankly. But I never heard these other rumors, so take it for what it is worth.
I’ll give my own personal analysis of Tuesday’s election, keeping in mind that I’m only an amateur and I have my own personal biases, having volunteered for the Townsend campaign. To my mind, this race falls down two separate but closely related questions: why did Lisa win and why did Bryan lose?
Why did Lisa win:
*Lisa had a lot of powerful people in her corner, both inside and outside the state, and Delaware is a place where endorsements from the “Establishment” means something, even if they are only given tacitly. Markell made some positive comments about her, which she happily used in one of her mailers and Carney spoke at a recent picnic with her. Neither explicitly endorsed her, but the message was pretty clear. Likewise, endorsements from Emily’s List and the Congressional Black Caucus were a big get for her, and the last minute robocalls from John Lewis was a huge deal for a lot of people. If I had been undecided, hearing that Lewis had endorsed her would probably sway me. As to why she got all those endorsements, especially inside the state, you can either look at it as being because they were against Townsend or for Lisa, but the answer seems pretty obvious to me: Lisa was just better connected, having previously worked in previous administrations.
*Lisa had more money, especially towards the end, and used it. Lisa took in a ton of money from outside interest groups and was able to loan herself large amounts of money, which her two opponents weren’t able to compete with. Unfortunately, at the end of the day money can still beat grassroots.
*Because of the Mayor’s race, there was a huge amount of turnout in Wilmington, and Lisa dominated in the city proper, bringing in more votes than all other candidates combined.
*As an outflow of the last point, Lisa was the beneficiary of identity politics. It’s easy to dismiss and easier to criticize, but identity politics are a fact of life, whether we want it or not. But it’s not as simple as her being black. If that was the case then Miller would have done much better than did in the city, but he came in fifth, far behind even scum-of-the-earth Scott Walker. Lisa is a Wilmington native, and one with a fairly well-known last name and so had an inherent advantage. On the other hand Townsend was an outsider, on several levels, and was always going to have a hard time making up that ground. I did a lot of canvassing in the city, especially the 3rd RD, where Townsend barely made a dent, and the people there were, I think understandably, a bit skeptical of a bunch of white suburbanites trying get them to vote for a middle-class white guy that they’d never heard of. Of course, the volunteers were almost exclusively white suburbanites, and the people who were going to turn out were those in the city, so it’s not like the campaign had much of a choice.
Why Bryan lost
*I think, in retrospect, the campaign relied way too heavily on it’s ground game, to the exclusion of a lot of other forms of outreach. In a small senate district having a small but dedicated group of volunteers knocking on doors can be very effective, but that type of campaign doesn’t scale to the size of a state, even one as small as Delaware. I think if Townsend had been able to do more door-knocking himself it might have gone better, but there’s only one of him and obviously he’s a pretty busy guy already. Lisa on the other hand had very little ground game but was able to use her war chest on tv ads. My mother, my go-to for what the average voter thinks, told me outright that he better start running tv ads or he’d lose. I think she’s right in a certain sense: a volunteer can only knock on so many doors in a day, and of those maybe a fourth will have people home and willing to listen to a quick spiel on a good day. Meanwhile, a TV ad will reach lots of people simultaneously and won’t be seen as intrusive as a stranger knocking on your door. Also, as an aside, the campaign was extremely tightfisted with yard signs, with me not getting one till nearly the end of August. In the scheme of things they aren’t that important, especially if you’re just dumping them all over the place like Walker did, but seeing signs in the yards of your neighbors at least can keep a candidates name in your mind for a little while.
*Lack of statewide support was something that was always going to trip up the campaign and Marcellus is right when he says Townsend is mostly a regional politician. The other candidates had a similar problem with name recognition, but Lisa had a strong base of support in the establishment which Townsend inherently lacks. Some commenters are saying that’s because he is reviled by his colleagues, but that’s pretty silly. He had gotten endorsements from several of his fellow legislators, just as Lisa had. He might be dislike by some down in Dover, but it’s not because he treats people poorly (I’ve found him to be very down to earth and humble, even while he blows you away with the sum total of his knowledge on so many things), it’s because he’s an independent voice that’s not going to kowtow to the powers that be. Obviously some people aren’t going to like that.
*People in the comments have dismissed Sean Barney as a factor, but I flatly disagree. Anecdotally, a lot of the people I met while knocking on doors were undecided between Barney and Townsend. To many regular voters who aren’t deep in the weeds of this primary season, the two of them seemed very similar. Barney’s less than honest mailers about medicare and social security also probably garnered him some support among the reliable older voters, taking away from Townsend. Obviously not every Barney voter would have gone to Townsend, but I think a lot of them would have. I wish we could have seen how it would have gone if it was just a head to head race between Bryan and Lisa, or seen the second (and maybe third) choice for all the voters, but that’s just wishful thinking.
So that’s my analysis, for better or worse. I’m less sanguine than some here about how Lisa will do in congress, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I think she’ll be fine on the social stuff, but I think she’ll be just as bad as Carper with everything else. I do agree that we’re finally getting a person of color and a woman into the upper echelons of Delaware politics. It’s been an older white man’s club for far too long. As for Bryan Townsend, this is only another step for him, not the end. I think he should stick to what he’s doing for now, build up his legislative bona fides, and go for it the next time a statewide office opens up. Carper may retire soon, and it’s tempting to go for that post, though there’s going to be a lot of competition again. It think he should stick to state offices (I think he’d be a great AG), and build his way to a federal office.
When will people wake up. Karen Peterson won his election against DeLuca
Excellent analysis with great turns of phrase….”fellating the DSEA”…..”Peoples Republic of Newark”…..well done.
I’m not sure about that. Karen’s endorsed candidates lost this cycle. For those who don’t agree with me, watch how Bryan treats his subordinates when he doesn’t know you’re watching.
“If that was the case then Miller would have done much better than did in the city, but he came in fifth”
MIke Miller has run for this office for about forever. He’s a whackadoodle running vanity campaigns. Most Wilmingtonians have no idea what color his skin is.
“Bryan won his Senate seat on sheer retail politics, so I don’t get that criticism.”
You can door-knock an entire Senate district. But there are 21 of them, so it’s not likely to work on a state-wide scale.
He also, as I noted before, is not a flesh-presser. Some folks are energized by meeting people, as Bill Clinton is. Some are enervated, as Hillary Clinton is. I think Bryan is in the latter group.
If Townsend won his district by door-knocking, that indicates that the more you see of him the more you like him. The rumor-mongers are just grinding their axes. Anonymous is one of the chief axe-grinders here and he admits himself he hasn’t met Townsend.
I get that Anonymous is trying to solve a puzzle, but I met Townsend, and found him to be engaging and self-effacing. The self-effacing part is rare for a politician.
No axes to grind here. I don’t know the guy, so I have no personal anecdotes to fall back on.
“If Townsend won his district by door-knocking, that indicates that the more you see of him the more you like him.”
No, it indicates he’s good with people one-on-one. That’s the same thing everyone says about Hillary, but she does not make the same impression talking to a group.
Even if all these critics are just sniping at a guy they dislike, this is a lot of smoke for a non-fire.
“does not make the same impression talking to a group.”
Relating to groups doesn’t seem to be a requirement for the people Delaware sends to Washington, with the exception of Biden. Anyway, Townsend got beat by someone who didn’t even show up at the debates (which is a “fail” on relating to groups).
There’s a lot of people saying Townsend is a great guy and that these these rumors he is somehow condescending are just unsubstantiated bullshit. Everyone is entitled to his opinion but enough people are saying Townsend is engaging and a breath of fresh air so there must be something there.
(See how that works? )
“For those who don’t agree with me, watch how Bryan treats his subordinates when he doesn’t know you’re watching.”
AQC, what have you seen that most of the rest of the people who’ve met him haven’t? Do you have cameras in his house? Having met and talked with tons of his subordinates, I find it very strange that so many people would be so completely and happily loyal to man that treats them badly.
“Anyway, Townsend got beat by someone who didn’t even show up at the debates (which is a “fail” on relating to groups).”
She didn’t show up for the debates because her polling showed she didn’t have to.
The problem with your rumors vis a vis theirs is that yours don’t explain why he got trounced. Theirs does. It might be the wrong explanation, but at least the facts fit. They don’t in your “clever” example.
He got trounced b/c Lisa was a historic candidate and b/c she was all over the airwaves. Nothing to do with axes people are grinding here. I loved the story from Josh W who actually met the young staffers who loved working for him.
“He got trounced b/c Lisa was a historic candidate and b/c she was all over the airwaves. ”
“historic candidate” – well said. That’s it in a nutshell.
I didn’t actually see any TV ads for local candidates, but then I don’t watch much TV. And I don’t listen to much local radio anymore either. So I guess I’m an outlier. If TV is deemed responsible for her win, look out for a fundraising arms race in future campaigns.
“She didn’t show up for the debates because her polling showed she didn’t have to.”
Ugh. Not looking forward to another career of telephone town halls.
A woman of my acquaintance said she voted in the Democratic primary despite knowing nothing about any of the candidates. She was voting mainly to cast a vote against Gordon, but beyond that she just went down the ballot and voted for the women.
Nobody likes to believe it, but more than a few women vote this way down-ballot, which is the main reason Karen Weldin Stewart had a career. It’s why know-nothing Karen Hartley Nagle won.
And you’ll notice it doesn’t work in reverse. The two women who ran for Lt. Gov. didn’t split the vote to allow Poppiti to win.
“Nobody likes to believe it, but more than a few women vote this way down-ballot,”
We don’t do exit polling in Delaware but I suspect affinity voting is a big if not the biggest factor. Which is probably not a bad thing, at least for the current election. Let’s hope Republicans don’t learn how to play this game.
Is this where we should use #NotAllWomen?
I think I’m missing the point, but I’ll try and explain how I read anonymous’ comment.
Yes, there are people who vote based on gender, race, religion, etc., but this seems to become an issue when a non-white male wins. Altho, Trump has changed that a bit. It’s still kinda disheartening when we move past individual qualifications (or lack of them) and lump certain groups together. For years I’ve heard people say, “Some people won’t vote for a women, black/brown person, gay person, Muslim, Jew, etc.” as if that is somehow an astute political analysis (an obvious obstacle, a reality), so I’m not sure why the flip side seems a bit dismissive – “They won because of identity politics” – something that has existed for one group, even though it wasn’t labeled that, for ages. It calls to mind the way people cite “affirmative action” as a way to “explain” a POC’s success or failure. If I read more into the comment… sorry.
I’m not attempting to dismiss it at all. What you read into it is exactly that — what you read into it. You, more than anyone else on this blog, tend to “read into” things instead of reading them.
Perhaps your problem is this tendency to try to assign motive to everything people say, and it’s always a hidden motive.
My observation was that, given two or three or multiple unknown candidates, some women go down the ballot voting for the women. It doesn’t mean anything more than that. I didn’t say that women won’t vote for men, or that men won’t vote for women, or that gender trumps everything else. Go back and read it again. The example I gave was of a woman (happens to be my spouse) who didn’t know anything about the candidates and so just voted for the women, which led to some bad choices (KWS, for example). She also voted for Poppiti because she knows him, ignoring the women on the ballot for that office.
BTW, some people — and I specifically referenced Velda Jones-Potter — do get their jobs because of affirmative action, whether that offends your always-tender sensibilities or not.
In short, why don’t you try reading things instead of reading into them? That way you won’t come off as the PC Police, which frankly is about all you do here.
“Yes, there are people who vote based on gender, race, religion, etc., but this seems to become an issue when a non-white male wins. ”
It’s an lesson for progressives to focus on affinities as much as issues, if not more so.
Then there is this racebater.
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/columnists/carron-phillips/2016/09/16/phillips-mike-purzyckis-arrogance-going-problem/90502444/