To SB, Carol Ann, Dennis, Mike, Paul, Dennis, Jerry, and Karen…
2008–Karen Hartley Nagle 38%
2006–Dennis Spivack–38.8%
2004– Paul Donnelly 29.7%,
2002–Mike Miller 26.7%
2000–Mike Miller 30.9%
1998–Dennis E. Williams 31.8%
1996–Dennis E. Williams 27.5%
1994–Carol Ann DeSantis 26.6%
1992–S.B. Woo 42.7%
Thank you. While the list above may look to some as a wasted effort and a failure, it is in reality a sacrifice. When our national and state party decided to give Castle a free pass for the last 16 years, you stepped up, offered your time, money and energy, and gave the voters a choice. And it was a thankless task. First, you had bloggers like me lamenting why we couldn’t recruit a better candidate. That must be insulting to hear, and I admire your forbearance in not hauling off and slugging me or those like me. Second, you had your own state party offering only lip service to your candidacy, and your own national party did not even know there was a race in Delaware to contest.
I hope you all stay involved in state politics. Follow Dennis E. Williams lead and run for the General Assembly! Jerry Northington, we need a progressive on the New Castle County Council. Same goes for you Karen. You don’t have to run for Congress to change Delaware.
Dennis Spivack put his entire life on hold and worked 16hr days 7-days a week on his campaign. He sacrificed much and we do owe him a great big thank you.
Thanks for posting this DD. I’ve been trying, in vain, to think of a way to say the same thing.
You nailed it.
Dennis E Williams, in my view, tends to be more of the exception than any rule. I don’t know of many (if any, other than Rep Williams), that can control their illogical ego (a swipe at the ones who don’t get it) and “allow” themselves to run for a more local office like he did. It’s a great, great thing to do if you sincerely want to be in public service. Plus, if the eye-on-the-prize happens to be something statewide or Federal, it’s a good path to take, after a statewide loss. It really shows that this is something you want to do and you want to earn it, not that you feel entitlement to it, like certain people unmentioned (cue porn soundtrack).
Great post, DD. Thank you to all those Democrats who went against Castle. You did a service to your state, and I hope you will all continue in politics in some way.
“I hope you will all continue in politics in some way.”
Not so fast, Mike Miller. Should you disappear from public life, there will be much rejoicing.
You’re right about Dennis, RSmitty. When he ran against Castle, he did it without any financial support from the party. And when he ran against Valihura, he did it by going door-to-door in a race that nobody thought he’d win against a well-liked incumbent.
Retail politics (the door-to-door, foot-numbing, and pound-shedding practice) is an almost-never-fail approach (unless all contestants do it, then someone will fail). What never amazes me are the ones who say they do it, but when reality rears its head, you find out they walked, maybe, one neighborhood while proxies handled the rest of the district. I can understand a candidate needing help, that’s not my point, but a candidate better damn well hit at a MINIMUM 50% of those doors his/herself (that is in reference to distrcit-races, not statewide). So, if that’s what Rep Williams did, then I have no surprise that he won.
RSmitty,
For some this wasn’t the ego trip that it appears — coming out of nowhere to run your first race for U.S. Congress. Paul Donnelly, Mike Berg – primary in 2006, and Jerry Northington – primary in 2008, saw it as a bully pulpit for things they cared strongly about. Paul was all over early-childhood education and the Mike and Jerry were all over the war in Iraq. None of these candidates expected to win but they were willing to put themselves out there for a cause they believed in. That takes commitment.
Rebecca – sorry, I need to clarify. I meant the follow-up races, not the initial ones. Do keep in mind my experiences with certain people, too. I gave you all a big clue on that in my closing phrase within the parenthesis. I have no problem with getting the message out, none whatsoever. However, when that message never changes and you show utter contempt that someone dare primary you in the follow up races, well, then, it’s not so commendable any more (cue porn soundtrack).
anonone & RS –
RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT! Ya can’t win without that doorknocking.
RSmitty – got cha! Thanks for the clarification.
The Democratic Party’s continuing support of Castle and its rejection of any, and all, contenders is disgraceful.
It is a mark of shame on the soul of every Democratic Party DE registrant not to speak out publicly about working for the opposing party and/or not supporting ‘our’ own candidates.
That’s what gets me: a candidate rises from the people and is shot down. The annointed candidate(s) like Carper, who votes like a Republican, is faithfully supported….regardless of whether he supports a sitting Dem president or continues w/the interests of the corporations.
If Carper where any sort of Dem, or dare I say a man (of the people), he would introduce a bill to repeal those repressive bankruptcy laws.
Susan, for the love of God, it is DEMOCRATIC PARTY. You are using the language of Limbaugh, I will not allow it. I am editing your comment.
“It is a mark of shame on the soul of every Democratic Party DE registrant not to speak out publicly about working for the opposing party and/or not supporting ‘our’ own candidates.”
Some of us would prefer to think for ourselves, thanks all the same.
DD – wow, so you have people with litmus papers, ready to administer a test at any given moment, too? 😛
Delaware Dem,
I think you’re starting down a treacherous, icy, soapy, slippery, teflon slope when you start editing anybody’s comments to meet your personal editorial standards.
Seriously. Even RSmitty doesn’t complain when I refer to the “repub” party.
I could care less when conservatives or Rethugs do it, because that is all part of the game, but I hate it when supposed liberals and Dems do it. Hell, even my own father does once and awhile and I have to correct him. They do it when they are not mocking the Dems, instead just using the term in normal conversation.
SRC’s nagging is tiresome and inaccurate. The Democratic Party has scoured the state for years for a legitimate contender against Castle. Carper dialed his entire donor list on behalf of Cari DeSantis in 1994. No one did anything for succeeding candidates until Spivack because they weren’t worth the effort. (Dennis Williams called on Clinton to resign when the Starr RePorn was released.)
Carper is friendly with Castle – as are most other people in public life – but he does nothing exceptional when he triangulates GOP opponents by noting that Castle agrees with him on an issue. Biden did it constantly both times he ran against Clatworthy (“I stand with Bill Roth and Mike Castle; my opponent, on the other hand …”).
Delaware Dem,
I understand your feelings about the term completely, however, comments should reflect the writing and thoughts of the author.
If you don’t like the term or anything else about a particular comment you can certainly write about it in another comment. But don’t start editing other people’s comments without their permission. It isn’t right. I don’t think that you would want people doing that to you on this blog or any other.
John,
That was an informative post, thanks. I guess “legitimate” is in the eye of the beholder.
JM –
You are wearing my Carper hate away like sand carving out an arch in an Arizona butte. It is going to take 1,000 years, but it is working.
Jason – Nothing like watching a confederacy of t-baggers to focus on what unites us.
DelDem, perhaps I subconsciencely use the somewhat pejorative term because I see little that is democratic about how the party runs. On the other hand maybe it’s not subconscience at all. From Wikipedia:
“Democrat Party” is a political epithet used in the United States instead of the name (or more precisely, the proper noun) Democratic Party. The term has been used by some conservative commentators and some members of the Republican Party in speeches and press releases. Some Democratic Party candidates, party officials, and non-partisan commentators have objected to the term.[1] New Yorker commentator Hendrik Hertzberg wrote:
There’s no great mystery about the motives behind this deliberate misnaming. ‘Democrat Party’ is a slur, or intended to be – a handy way to express contempt. Aesthetic judgments are subjective, of course, but ‘Democrat Party’ is jarring verging on ugly. It fairly screams ‘rat’.[2]
So, I stand corrected on not using the proper noun…..but the statements I made about the Delaware Democratic Party are valid.
John Manifold, the party scoured the state for years to find the perfect opponent for Castle?Really? Have you heard the term ‘groomed’ for a position? ‘They’ have had decades and have not yet been able to produce someone…….I find that incredulous.
SRC: Manifold told the truth. THEY scoured the democratic party…..they could not FIND one. When a good candidate arises from the people, THEY do everything they can to make sure Castle wins.
Poor Dennis: Still stuck with all those left over bills, the PARTY didnt have the good graces to helphim raise a few bucks. When they are done with you…your cooked.