No Wonder Copeland Disses Lee.

For several weeks now, Charles Lamont du Pont Copeland has been distancing himself from Bill Lee, claiming he is an independent voice and that he is running on his own, even when Bill Lee regularly says in stump speeches when the two are together that he will be relying on Copeland on numerous issues. 

There are two reasons why he is doing this.  First, he sees the polls and he knows that Bill Lee will be crushed like a bug in 40 days.   The only way for Copeland to win is to convince some Markell voters to hedge their bets by electing a divided administration.  

Second, Copeland is not running for Lt. Governor.  He is running for Governor-in-waiting. 

Cokesbury resident Anita Johnson, 82, who pointed out that most of Copeland’s speech sounded like he was running for governor, asked Copeland what he could accomplish as lieutenant governor.

“The lieutenant governor’s job is somewhat ill-defined,” Copeland said, “to preside over the Senate and provide over the board of pardons.”

Before we continue, what does “provide over the board of pardons” mean?  He obviously means “preside” but I have to laugh nonetheless. 

Copeland said he would be able to be an “independent voice” in Dover and speak out against measures he thinks will not help the state without worrying about partisan politics. 

Copeland also pointed out that Delaware has had a governor and lieutenant governor from different political parties seven times.

So what Copeland is really saying here is that he expects Markell to win, and therefore he will be acting as Governor Markell’s loyal opposition.   Much like the Tories under David Cameron in Great Britian have a shadow government in opposition to Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Copeland proposes to bring that arrangement to Delaware.

Like Mrs. Johnson in the article, I also believe the Governor and Lt. Governor should be a team, like the President and Vice President are a team.   Delaware’s system of electing the Lt. Governor separately is an historical relic harking back to the days in when the runner up in the Presidential elections became Vice President.   Our founding fathers quickly realized that wasn’t going to work after the crazy Aaron Burr became Vice President under Thomas Jefferson, and amended the Constitution in 1804 to have the President and Vice President be elected together.

I don’t begrudge Copeland of this campaign tactic, for it is the only way he can win.  If he hitches his star to Lee’s wagon, he will lose badly, probably so badly that it will irreparably damage his political career.   And he, and the Republican Party cannot afford for that to happen.  Because Charles Copeland is it.   He is really all the State GOP has left in terms of a future of the party.  Mike Castle?  Pfft.   He is just hanging on.  Tom Wagner?  Hahaha, no.   John Brady?   I don’t think so.   

No, Charles Lamont du Pont Copeland will be the face of the Delaware Republican Party after this election, if it is not already.   They cannot afford it to be too tarnished by losing horribly this go round.  So Bill Lee gets thrown under the bus by Copeland.