Who is the Other in our Poll?
Right now, Other is tied with Bryan Townsend with 22% and trailing Eugene Young in our nonscientific nonrandom purely for fun internet poll of who would be the best young upstart progressive candidate to actually defeat Senator Tom Carper in a primary, or who should replace him should the Senator realize reality and retire at long last. Senator Carper will be 71 years old on Election Day 2018, and has been in elected office in one form or another for over 40 years. He has been in Congress, either as a Senator or a Congressman, for 25 years. His Third Way brand of right wing Democratic politics has been discredited time and again. He yearns for bipartisanship as a goal in an of itself in a time when partisanship warfare is not only desired but required. His time is past, and we need a new Senator.
So who is the other candidates voters are thinking of? Or are you all just not satisfied with Townsend, Williams, Meyer or Young?
Umm, Matt Denn.
Scott.
Denn
I feel like Denn would only run if Carper retires. I doubt he would challenge him in a primary. But yeah, Denn is an option.
Running against Carper is kind of a suicide mission. Carper would probahly win, but if the challenge is credible, Carper would respond by orchestrating a series of smears that would leave the challenger tarnished for a future election for Carper’s open seat – or election for any other office for that matter. I wouldn’t put it past national Democrats to get involved in a Carper primary (see Joe Sestak).
Remember Roth wouldn’t retire and Carper ran against him. Even though that’s Republican v Democrat, the precedent was set. I believe Denn would beat Carper in the primary. But it isn’t the Delaware Way or even the Democratic Party way, I can understand people’s reticence on thinking this is doable. I kind of remember hearing a lot of stuff like that during the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary. But that’s none of my business.
If Carper is becoming vulnerable but Democrats are too intimidated to primary him, that leaves an opening for a Republican to take out Carper.
Ummm Carper hasn’t stated that he is or isn’t running for re-election. Y’all might want to wait and see if he retires first before you plan on throwing him out, he may take care of that for you.
Also, despite opinion on this blog Carper is always in the high 60’s in favorability– so not sure he’s vulnerable in a general election.
If Denn isn’t willing to challenge Carper in 2018, I won’t want him in 2024.
Why?
Because if he isn’t strong enough to challenge Carper now, he’s telling me that he’ll be a Carper clone later.
” Carper is always in the high 60’s in favorability”
Carper’s favorability, like most Delaware “favorability” ratings, is based in incumbency and name recognition. It could be popped like a soap bubble by an articulate opponent D or R.
Hmmm: No. No waiting. Maybe our shining the spotlight on Carper will make him less likely to run. Plus, the last thing I want to see is for Carper to drag the process out, then choose one of his Third Way acolytes (Barney, Markell, maybe even Rochester) to fill the suddenly-vacated opening on the ballot.
I believe we must be full speed ahead in laying out the case for change and in identifying a real Democrat to replace him.
Matt Denn had to scramble when Beau Biden declared that he’d be running for Governor. The only person that benefitted was the milquetoast John Carney. I’d like to see Denn get out in front of this one and take a hold of the situation, before things are dictated to him.
Fact: Nobody with a legitimate future in politics is going to risk it taking on Carper.
I would not blame Denn or anybody for passing if Carper signaled that he wanted to be the next Strom Thurman, shuffled around the Capitol like a dress dummy during fashion week.
I’d go to the wall for Young or Denn or Townsend, but Carper is going to crush anyone who dares challenge him. Any prospective replacement has to be crazy as fuck and not care about his or her political future. They also have to start now, working on the public assumption that Carper is retiring.
Thus: Scott.
Geez, your memories are short. Remember a guy named Matt Meyer.
I disagree about a primary against Carper spelling doom for anyone who tries it. I think it would give Eugene Young both a way of making himself known throughout the state and a good way to boost his name recognition for his next mayoral run.
Delaware politics seems open for the right Democratic or Republican business person to come out of nowhere like Tom Wolf in PA. But not the Chamber of Commerce shills who have tried to run before.
“Any prospective replacement has to be crazy as fuck and not care about his or her political future. They also have to start now, working on the public assumption that Carper is retiring.
Thus: Scott.”
I lol’ed.
HAHAHA nemski… Gordon and Carper are not the same. That was a good laugh, thanks pal.
Yes, I’m sure Carper is less likely to run because of the heat of the Delaware Liberal spotlight.
Congressman Townsend and Speaker of House Kowalko wouldn’t be where they are without you guys, I’m sure he’s fucking quaking in his boots over the thought.
I’d chalk those tremors up to old age. Occam’s razor and all.
Erik Raser-Schramm (not that he would), Cassandra Marshall, or Kevin Kelley.
Matt Meyer — He’s a real “comer” — bright, caring, articulate.
this blog is now becoming a parody of itself.
Meyer all the way.
Oh, if the qualifications are crazy and unconcerned about follow up elections, I’ll declare right now. At least I’m a passionate progressive.
Any liberal who has read a newspaper recently SHOULD be crazy. These are crazy times.
For whoever wants to run, here’s an ad all mapped out for ya, gratis.
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Visuals: Photo slideshow of Carper through the years, starting with BW shots.
VO : Tom Carper. Everybody knows him. He’s been a politician serving the people of Delaware for over 40 years. His first campaign was the same year Jimmy Carter got elected president. We all owe him a great deal for his long service.
But four decades is long enough.
We sent Tom Carper to the U.S. Senate in 2000, and again in 2006, and again in 2012. We sent him to Congress five different times. He was state treasurer and governor for 14 years.
And what has Tom Carper done for us?
He’s fought for lawyers and insurance companies and Wall Street.
He’s bent over backwards to play nice with Republicans who have tried to destroy our economy by rewarding billionaires.
He’s refused to fight for a $15 minimum wage that would help our families.
He’s taken $[insert figure here] in campaign cash from lobbyists and big business.
He’s spent four decades drawing a salary from our tax dollars – more than $5.5 million. *
Forty years of Tom Carper is long enough.
Luckily, Delaware has a real choice this year – [INSERT CANDIDATE’S NAME HERE].
“I’m [NAME], and I’m running for the U.S. Senate because Delaware needs more than the tired old policies of the last 40 years. We need someone who will fight Wall Street, not take money from its lobbyists. We need a senator who will work against the Republicans in Washington, not make billionaires richer. And we need a leader who can devote their full energy to representing Delaware. I’m that person. Vote for me on September 11.”
[Camera pulls out to show CANDIDATE turning away and tossing Frisbee with kids / playing fetch with dog / walking with family in park. Campaign logo and website superimposed on screen and fade-out.]
Can someone please talk to Eugene Young? Like this weekend? I’m ready to start working for him.
* salary total is a spitball estimate