“Sarah McBride to Primary Tom Carper” Part 2
When Tom Carper decided to take on the 78 year old eminence gris that was Bill Roth, it started out with a note of sad collegiality. Without challenging Roth directly on his age, Carper made it clear that it was time for Roth to do the right thing and resign, or have the right thing done to him. He had to thread the needle and be the “Delaware Way” politician that he was while making a very un-Delaware Way move.
But the US Senate is the highest and best prize in American politics, so he pulled the trigger and while it started off cordial, it quickly descending into bitterness. Then Carper won and Roth died.
Someone said, history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes. Sarah McBride is now in the Tom Carper, looking at her 77 year old Bill Roth. But where Carper wanted Roth to retire with some of his dignity intact – it works to McBride’s advantage for Carper to stick around.
If Carper retired, Lisa Bundt Rochester would be appointed or be the odds on favorite in a primary. But Carper said he is running again so LBR is frozen out. She is far too mobbed up in the party system to attempt the needle threading that Carper was able to pull off when he took out Roth. McBride on the other hand, has played her hand perfectly. She is enough on the inside to be the one who can “sadly” announce that it is time for a change. And she is enough of a progressive that she could campaign on the sharp contrast between herself and the man who wants to party with Republicans like it is 1988.
Part 3 will go on to talk about how McBride will have access to vast pools of campaign money.
You’re performing a genuine public service here.
Sarah (I know you read our blog), are you paying attention?
Getting rid of Carper would not only rid us of a corporate owned “Centrist” it would be a sock on the jaw for the hated “Delaware Way”, and maybe even light a fire under Coons. Suspect LBR would just be more of the same as I see her as yet another corporate asset.
I’ll point to the elephant in the room. Do you think that a transgender woman can win a statewide race in 2024? I am not confident in my neighbors’ ability to make the right choice when nobody is looking (In the voting booth). Obviously, a local election in the Wilmington area is one thing; but statewide? A lot of knuckle draggers exist in both parties. Will this question be Part 4?
I’m utterly confident. Not perhaps in your neighbor, but in the vast majority of Delawareans who vote.
There aren’t THAT many knuckle-draggers in the Democratic Party.
Have you ever met her? Charismatic, empathetic, and incredibly intelligent.
I think she’s gonna run for something statewide in 2024. Might as well be something important.
Carper was already a statewide winner (Treasurer) when he primaried Roth. McBride has only won in a blue SD – which may be enough in today’s politics in Delaware, or maybe not.
Carper isn’t up to a primary with a non-fringe opponent, and isn’t up to live interviews or debates. Carper’s usual “avoid the media” strategy won’t work.
I think if Carper thinks he will lose a primary, he will resign first. Not sure what his deadline is to have LBR appointed.
At least we have a D legislature so we don’t have to worry about bathroom bills or some such crap ginning up outrage at election time. Maybe Sussex school boards could gin up some media outrage over trans participation in sports, which I would not discount as a voter manipulation tool.
I don’t care if Sarah is trans or not, but I don’t give her any extra points just for being trans. I’d vote for a yellow dog if it primaried Carper, but in a primary without Carper I’d still be looking for the least corporate, least Delaware Way candididate, and she’d have to convince me she was better than the other options.
I know his administration is forgettable, but he was a second term GUV after being a 5 term US Rep when he beat Roth:)
Yeah, I was not really paying much attention to politics at that time.
Actually, Carper was State Treasurer when he ran against incumbent US Rep. Thomas Evans, who had been caught in a love nest with Washington lobbyist Paula Parkinson. Dan Quayle stayed at the same cozy bungalow, but claimed that he was only interested in playing golf.
Biden had to basically challenge Carper’s manhood to get him into the race.
Agree that if he sees a loss coming he will pass to LBR
Yes. It is part of part 3.
Yes.
Next.
Oops. primaried – I meant “challenged” Roth. See how easy it is to mistake Carper for a Republican?
I could be wrong but My recollection is that Roth had announced he was retiring but then Carper announced he was running for the seat and no one on the R side would step up. I think people expected Castle to do it but he wouldn’t. Roth then unretired to run again but he was beaten soundly. I believe he only lasted a few more months before passing.
September 21, 1999
Roth, 78, is running for his sixth Senate term. Earlier this year, there was widespread speculation that he would retire at the end of this term, but in June he announced his intention to run again.
Roth’s office had no comment on Carper’s decision.
He died December 13, 2003, 37 Months after he lost the election. I recall no such announcement.
A big difference between Carper and McBride that I have’t mentioned yet is the fact that Carper was term limited.
I’ll discuss it at length, but snagging a Senate seat is about timing. I think McBride has it. Coons lucked into it, but you don’t get more than one chance at the brass ring.
Yes, Coons lucked into it, and he has the non-witch to thank for his good fortune. As for the rest of us, when you consider what we’ve gotten since 2012, I don’t see that there would have been any significant difference if Mike Castle had been elected.
Why do you people ignore the fact that ANY Democrat, whatever you think of their politics, will caucus with the rest of the Dems to dominate the Senate chamber? So “I don’t see that there would have been any significant difference if Mike Castle had been elected” is virtually Know Nothingness.
“You people”? It was one guy’s comment.
I argue that Mike castle would have gotten smoked in 2018 by a VERY motivated progressive wave. We might have Senator Harris if not for Coons’ lucky break
Sarah is the most genuine person I have ever met. She is not single issue, and she has the rare quality of rising above pettiness or hyperfocus on her personal characteristics or relationships. That said, she is an author and someone who is rightly known on a national level. Before we knew that Gerald Brady had gone completely around the bend, I spoke with Sarah at length about his “Chink broads in a container” remarks. She listened and gave me an amazing amount of her time, and it was a meaningful interaction. I can honestly say that has never happened in a long life of interactions with politicians, elected officials, and candidates. I have absolute certainty that if there is an issue I feel strongly about, she would carefully consider it in depth. In SD 1 we can’t believe our luck that she is our Senator! And we know she is destined, suited for and can handle competently any role that she cares to tackle.
I haven’t figured out how Sarah finds so much time to spend talking and listening to people who are not ‘power brokers’.
But she does.
I’ve been around a long time. There is no one like her. Not to mention, she’s already done great things. I’d LOVE to see her in the US Senate.
You know who else was charismatic and had a reputation for giving you his undivided attention? Bill Clinton. It’s seductive.
Clinton was the right candidate for his time. Not sure if that’s what is needed now.
I’m sorry. That’s an utterly idiotic statement. Maybe you should meet her before commenting again.
Clinton was a phony. Sarah is anything but.
Ah, the old “what if this trans woman is a pervert?” chestnut. Didn’t pick ya for a Roganfan, puck.
Let’s do a Carper karma tour. in ’76 he comes off Dewey Beach to take the nomination for Treasurer. In 82 he defeats a popular R who was caught in a domestic scandal, He then slides through several iterations of his own domestic scandal and rises to the Governor’s chair. Next comes big karma. With only one option to continue his career he takes on Roth. We know what happened.
i believe that karma balances and look forward to seeing Senator McBride’s historic swearing in by Vice president Harris!
In that 47 year span Carper has only faced two primary opponents. Daniel D. Rappa in 1990 and 1992 and KEH.
Kerri? it was my public breaking point. Fun fact he beat Rappa with 90% in 92
Oops. Of Course. I was looking back.
Further fun fact. His R opponent in 92 was a well-known Real Estate Agency owner with zero political experience, B. Gary Scott. Yet another gift.
Voting against every dem in the primary
Ben: Saying McBride might have trouble winning the election is in no way suggesting she’s a “pervert.”
That’s not what puck said. They compared her to know sexual predator, Bill Clinton.
Ben: OK. I missed that you were referring to Clinton’s predatory behavior, which puck didn’t mention. What puck is actually saying is that Clinton was a good candidate because he paid attention when you talked him, and that that was a successful approach for that political situation but maybe not for this one. I’m sure there are idiots on the right who would talk perversion, but puck wasn’t. He’s just identifying a potential problem, which is not a slur.
Does Sarah have the requisite skills to take on Carper? I believe it. Should she?
Not in 2024. Here is the how I see the field lining up: LBR makes the jump and primaries Tom (assuming he make it that long/ the “weekend at bernies” con hasn’t been exposed) and Matt Meyer makes a run for gov. A progressive wave in 2022 finally has the leadership and domination to kneecap the corporate Dems and the cop cabal. McBride is the defacto majority whip of the delaware progressive cause. As someone above noted, any dem we send to the senate will caucus with the other senate dems, and anyone coming as a delaware freshman won’t have the gravitas to move the needle in the short term. I’d rather eep the power players tight and get our house in order first.
I lol’ed. (assuming he make it that long/ the “weekend at bernies” con hasn’t been exposed)
However, as for the rest. Nice plan on paper, but the window will close. If LBR gets in the seat will be in the hands of the corporations for 30 years,
I think LBR will dip out long before then. TBH I have seen carper in person more in the last 3 years than Lisa (ever). Senator is a cushy job but you gotta show up at least some of the time. She’ll ride it for a term or two but the sharks are in the water on day one of her term. There are plenty of consultancies/institutes/lobbying firms that will dangle six figure salaries for less work.
Regardless, I think its a better gamble to fix delaware first. break the back of the delaware way and we might have a much wider field of solid senate candidates down the line
You may be underestimating how much power a Jr Senator from Delaware can exert within the party in Delaware.
That’s how I saw it lining up as well. Except–with Sarah running for LBR’s House seat.
However, word is (and the word can change) that LBR doesn’t wish to challenge her slobbering Svengali. It’ll be up to the Diaper Dandy (I can keep this going as long as you’d like) to exit the scene. Perhaps feet first.
I feel like the moment LBR gets a whiff of incompetence/incontinence from Senator Crapper that the word will change.
Is there even enough wirgin blood in the First State to keep Count Carpula alive for one more term? Don’t answer; that’s as rhetorical as, “Say, did you hear the one about the candidate who socked his wife in the face?”
That one’s gonna leave a mark.