If your measure of success for a party chair is electing people with “D” next to their name, Daniello was a success. If your measure is building an engaged and active party unified by core beliefs and assumptions – he sucked.
Here is what he said about his accomplishments at the last state convention wich was viewed as a valedictory lap by people who pay attention to these things:
Chairman John D. Daniello of the Brandywine Hundred, who in his two terms as party chairman oversaw a campaign operation that led the Democrats to pick up twenty-three seats in the general assembly, hold all statewide offices save one and control a majority of county and local offices across the state, was reelected to his third term as chair. Prior to his election as state chair in 2005, Daniello had served as New Castle County Democratic Chair, New Castle County Councilman, Delaware cabinet secretary and was the Democratic-endorsed candidate for congress in 1970. With his election Daniello becomes the second longest serving Democratic chair in the country.
So, Daniello is out… who is in? I frankly have no idea who is even in the running, so I will leave that to our more connected commenters to comment.
That said, I know what skills I’d be looking for, and if the next chair’s main skill is kissing Tom Carper’s ass, we could be in for some troubled times ahead. 