To 2016…And Beyond!!??
I figure it’s time for a clean thread to discuss what might happen in Delaware and nationally during the upcoming election cycles.
I’ll start. Looks like we’re gonna have a Carper proxy vs. a Biden proxy in the D gubernatorial primary: John Carney (Carper) vs. Tom Gordon (Biden). Word on the street is that Gordon would like Trinidad Navarro to run for County Executive. Let’s see…a minority and…a former cop. Pretty much covers Gordon’s core constituencies. Now all he has to do is to gin up a primary…
Serial bloviator Colin Bonini says he’s running for Governor. Greg Lavelle says he might run as well. While I don’t think Ken Simpler will run, he might not be able to resist going after Carney’s congressional seat, assuming that Carney runs for Governor. Hey, if all goes as planned, Governor Carney could then appoint Sean Barney to fill out Simpler’s term. Barf bags all around.
Otherwise, I don’t foresee Sean Barney or Brenda Mayrack as viable candidates moving forward unless they want to run for the General Assembly before perhaps trying to move back up the ticket. Mayrack, in particular, rubbed a lot of people the wrong way (not me, BTW) and is sorta a persona non grata right now among party people who supported her. Barney still has a shot, but only b/c Tom Carper doesn’t give up easily, and Barney has always been a wholly-owned subsidiary of (and prototype from) Carper Cyborgenics. However, I think he’s more likely to cash in his ‘public service’ for a lucrative job lobbying on behalf of the financial services industry. Like most former Carper staffers.
I think Jack Markell will likely be the next Executive Director of the Rodel Foundation, unless Hillary Clinton taps him to be Secretary of Education. I don’t see her winning, so Rodel Foundation, here he comes.
I would like to see Mitch Crane challenge Karen Weldin Stewart again, hopefully this time with fewer additional D challengers and this time with a plan that includes campaigning in NCC.
The biggest unanswered question is: Who runs for Carney’s congressional seat? The progressive bench is thin, assuming Matt Denn serves as AG for four years. Bryan Townsend would be great, but I’m not sure he’s a ‘commute to Washington’ type of guy. So…who runs for that seat?
OK. Have at it.
I don’t think Mitch will run, he enjoys chairing the sussex Dems
How can rubbing Democrat Party people the wrong way not be a good thing? Brenda Mayrack was a strong candidate who ran a good race but was utterly let down by the top of the ticket and the people who have SHREDDED the Dem value proposition.
Jason, it wasn’t her politics that rubbed people the wrong way, just interactions with people. She’d be a better candidate the second time around, as she’s likely learned that candidates cannot micromanage their own campaigns, but there at least needs to be a little time for healing.
OK, here are some progressives who I’d at least like to see consider stepping up:
Karen Peterson, Bryan Townsend, Mike Barbieri, Paul Baumbach, Sean Matthews (not yet, but maybe later), Darryl Scott, Drew Fennell, Lisa Goodman, John Kowalko, Ed Osienski, Melanie George Smith, Kim Williams, Erik Raser-Schramm. Of course, Matt Denn.
Who else? Let’s put together as comprehensive a list of progressives or, at least people to the left of the DINO’s in office, that we can. Maybe we can even generate a plan for candidate recruitment. Previous experience seeking elective office NOT a must. Just mention their name(s) regardless of how far-fetched a candidacy might seem.
I may be wrong, but I don’t think you’ll see Darryl Scott run for anything again except Capital School Board.
I think John Carney realizes he has found a home in the house of representative’s and I believe he will stay there, until carper kicks the bucket, then he will go for the senate. Beau Biden will be our next governor, someone like Gordon or Barney will be the LT Governor candidate. I would love to see Mitch run and win our insurance commissioner seat, but I think he really enjoys chairing the Sussex dems. Plus Karen weldin-Stewart has Wilmington on lock down, and Mitch would be hard pressed to win there, and the unions wouldn’t back him then, I don’t see it happening in 2016
BTW, this nightmare scenario just poked into my consciousness: Gordon/Schwartzkopf, the ALL-COP ticket. Geographical balance, and all cop.
At the risk of starting another flame war, Calvin, Beau ain’t running for anything.
And Gordon ain’t running to be the #2 of anything. And there’s a reason that Carney had that huge ad buy framing himself as the ‘defender of the middle class’, and it wasn’t Rose Izzo. BTW, the people in that commercial were almost entirely comprised of parents who send their kids to the same expensive school that John Carney does. Which IS John Carney’s middle class.
Kowalko is not ruling out a run for Gov
Maybe he doesn’t and if he doesn’t then John Carney does, or Matt Denn. Schwarzkopf is staying right where he is at. If Carney does run for Governor then I hope Bryan Townsend runs for Congress. Jack Markell has double crossed too many people, I think his political career is over, except for being a lobbyist in Washington. Maybe Beau doesn’t run, but as of right now, all signs point to Governor Biden in 2016
Another name: Kathleen Cooke. Ran a GREAT race against Dave Lawson in SD 15 in 2012. I think she can take him out this time if she runs. A HUGE upgrade.
You guys make me smile……like kids before Christmas…..and then you get what’s under the tree.
I’ll add Mike Mulrooney and Quin Johnson to the list as well.
JC: I added Quin Johnson’s name as soon as I saw your post.
John Brady? Joan Deaver?
I can’t believe people are seriously mentioning Gordon’s name as a potential candidate for Governor….or any higher officer for that matter. He’s as enthusiastic and enlightening as a black hole. There are so many better candidates that could run for that office. What would he be running on? His criminal past? His continued fear mongering about the economy? He’s as crooked as it gets…and everyone knows it.
There is a young person in Kent County who has tried to run for Dover Council before and will be 18 or 19 in 2016, I believe he will make a run for something in 2016. His message is pretty on point. I think he could be another Sara Blaire out of WV… his name is Austin Auen
EXCELLENT constituent service–even for the alum of his district!! Thanks ElSom 🙂
Teddy: Gordon is mentioning Gordon’s name for governor. He’s running on what most pols run on: overwhelming ambition. I even see a path to victory for him and, believe me, I’m not a Gordon supporter.
Mike: Here’s something on Austin Auen:
http://www.doverpost.com/article/20140401/News/140409954
Yea, he seems pretty polished for someone his age, and without a record I think he has a chance at office in 2016, maybe statewide if he does not f’ anything up
(A) He’s AWFULLY young, and (B) we don’t know what he stands for.
I mean, he does have that going against him. But in recent years young people have won political positions in many states. He could always release a platform just like every other new candidate… just saying
I had one of those Homer Simpson moments. It belatedly occured to me why Mayrack did so poorly and why the D’s GOTV efforts were so pathetic. Nobody in power WANTS a real auditor. Dohhh!
Kowalko stands zero chance for the same reason.
Gordon has that “trains on time” appeal going for him. You never know.
If Colin Bonini was the R nominee, pretty much any D this side of Richard Korn would win.
“I think John Carney realizes he has found a home in the house of representative’s and I believe he will stay there”
I don’t know where you’re getting that from. Most people close to him who are talking say he’s frustrated in the minority in Congress. As someone who posts here under an alias told me in 2008 in explaining why he favored Carney over Markell, “John Carney has spent the past eight years preparing himself to be governor.” I don’t believe he’s forgotten what he learned.
@teddy: Anyone close to Gordon can’t shut up about how he’s going to be the next governor.
I just cant picture Gordon winning anything else. In my opinion, and the opinion of many others i’ve spoken with, its shocking he even won as County Exec again. I think that had a lot more to do with his opponents than it did with his actual abilities and vision. I couldn’t imagine a worse candidate for Governor. Someone said it best earlier. He is Richard Nixon with a “D” next to his name. That about sums it up.
Do you know something I do not? I am far from a masochist. I “enjoy” being Sussex County Dem chair”? I lost every single contested race-even with great candidates, who were well funded-and the first ever mail campaign for county offices. Is this “enjoying”?
As to union support if I were to run (notice please the subjunctive mood), I was endorsed by DSEA. The AFL-CIO will not endorse against an incumbent Democrat-yet I recieved a 100% rating in 2012 and the incumbent was denied that endorsement.
Can’t believe my rube friends in westen Sussex voted out the Bond Committeee Chair. They probably don’t even understand the implications..
Why anyone would consider John Kowalko for anything is mind blowing to me. The guy is a narcissist and batshit insane. Pete, ugh. There’s another loudmouth, thug. I have never understood what qualifies him and those around him with running the state.
I put Colin Bonini in the same, albeit right wing camp with Kowalko.
I don’t see Biden running in ’16. I have to believe Carney would beat Gordon, but who knows. Gordon is as tactical a politician as any.
Honestly, when I look at the sea of self-promoters, thugs, and those who are just way over their skis in general… the only ones I see that I think would be worth anything are Denn and Carney. I think they’re both good guys, who are good leaders, and have the political skills to do the job. That said, both of them hate campaigning so that will have to be resolved very quickly, and I’m sure it would. I think I’d put Townsend in that box too, though I think he should spend a few more years cutting his teeth in Dover.
I think the Dems have a tough road ahead of them in Delaware, to be honest. The candidate recruitment is terrible and even the list of names above are just people who like attention, not ones that would be willing (or even good, imo) candidates for office.
The Markell/Carney face-off was an anomaly. I see the Democrat Party avoiding a primary. A Carney vs. Gordon primary for Governor could be a bloodbath, and it would certainly open the door to the Republican nominee (Provided the GOP doesn’t pick Lacey Lafferty)
Coons — for anything he wants. Great crossover appeal for even the hard Rs. You guys may reject him, but he’s staying.
Carney–Delaware’s Elvis. I don’t get it, I don’t understand it, I don’t like it–but he shows up and they were all there. He goes away, and it’s another bad lounge act.
He’s crowding my brand JC 🙂
Gordon is running, have no doubts. The question is whether the sane Democrats will be kept in limbo waiting and waiting and waiting for Beau to do something, or whether they will unite early around Carney or Denn. Gordon has the head start here, as long as he doesn’t screw up again. Again: He scares me.
The longer Beau drags this out, the more it hurts the Democratic chances. All objective signs point to him not running. In addition to the radio silence, his political director already left to work for Carney, and his AG’s office spokesman just took a job with the corrections department. These are not the actions of staffers prepping for a two-year inevitability campaign.
I did find it very amusing that the NJ story on Bonini completely ignored Lacey Lafferty, who’s been running for what, a year already? That nutball is going to produce so many laughs.
The only think many Sussex Dem “commoners” know of Gordon is that he lost his job due to scandal and somehow got it back. Not that you really need the slower lower dems, but he wouldn’t have the appeal down here that Carney et. al. enjoy.
@Mitch… those candidates losing was not because of you at all, it was a Republican wave that no one could have stopped. The way you organize the southern half of the party is something you do greatly! A true role model you are!
@MikeMsq… thank you for the honorable mention, while a statewide position is quite the stretch, I would’nt throw the idea out, I’ve been known to have some wild dreams
Kids these days
Looks like there are plenty of places to move to in the U.S., if you don’t like Democrats
See link below to view map of republicans vs democrats 114th Congress, House of representatives.
http://freedomslighthouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014midtermcolormap101.jpg
If Gordon put Schwartzkopf on the ticket, he would likely have more appeal.
Of course, that would assume no primary for Lt. Gov…
I will repeat my post from yesterday:
“If Carney runs for Governor, Mayrack will run for Lt. Governor.”
Mayrack worked as executive director of the Delaware Democratic Party and campaign manager for Carney when he ran for Lt. Governor. Carney was an early supporter of Mayrack’s campaign for State Auditor, regularly stumping for her at campaign events and fundraisers. And, it’s apparent she’s not done with state politics. In a broadcast email this week from her, she wrote, “I decided to run for State Auditor for many reasons, but foremost among them was my desire to give back to a state that has provided me with so much opportunity. And though I’m disappointed *this time,* I am grateful to this state and to all of you who supported and encouraged me, and I will to continue to look for ways to work for the people of Delaware in the future.” [emphasis added]
Carney and Mayrack are a likely duo for 2016.
I’ll also revisit another comment from earlier: “Barney will run for U.S. Congress.”
Like Carney for Mayrack, Carper was an early supporter of Barney. In spite of claims from some people on this blog, Barney earned that support, not because he subscribes to any Carper viewpoint, but because Barney proved himself to be a man of sterling work ethic and integrity. The truth is: Barney is progressive. If he ran for U.S. Congress, he would have a more wide-ranging platform to present his views and policies.
Though, I agree with others here: Barney was not a natural political campaigner. He is very much the introvert – not shy – but certainly introspective and cerebral. Then again, I think we have enough hysterical hot heads in office.
You can repeat it, doesn’t make your argument any stronger the second time around.
Keep in mind, in Delaware, candidates for governor and lt. governor run separately. No way that Mayrack is the only D to file for Lt. Governor, nor would she be the favorite if someone else runs.
And your Barney meme was roundly rejected by the voters. The man, for a living, pushed Tom Carper’s vision of corporate welfare and screwing traditional D constituencies.
As to this quote: ” Barney earned that support, not because he subscribes to any Carper viewpoint, but because Barney proved himself to be a man of sterling work ethic and integrity. The truth is: Barney is progressive…”
…the truth is that it was Carper, not Barney, who made the closing argument for Barney. In that closing argument, Carper lied about Barney working with Jack Markell to raise Delaware’s minimum wage when anybody who paid attention knows that Markell weakened that bill and STILL went back on his word by trying to kill minimum wage in the House. Meanwhile, ‘progressive’ Barney had already helped Carper to screw people declaring bankruptcy b/c MBNA said so.
There’s no point in arguing anymore that Barney’s a progressive. But, no doubt, you’ll get a nice pat on the head from whatever DINO aparatchik you’re seeking to curry favor with.
Barney is a nice guy but a terrible, terrible candidate. He should stick to being a staffer. And his work ethic? I didn’t see that on the campaign at all, no one did. He also showed up in Delaware like a year ago and expected everyone to just crown him king? Sorry. He gave it a shot and it’s not for him, maybe he can actually do something with those 7 degrees he has.
One more point on Brenda Mayrack. I AGREE that, if she wishes, she would play a prominent role in a Carney campaign, likely as a leading campaign staffer.
If Carney wins, I fully expect him to name Brenda to an important position in his administration. And I’m totally fine with that. Just b/c she wasn’t the best candidate, that doesn’t in any way mean that she’s not qualified for a responsible position. But I don’t know why she’d want to run for office any time soon. Her skill set is better suited for other challenges, IMHO.
On Mayrack: I didn’t say she would be the favorite, or even mine for that matter.
On Barney: You must know him better than me.
Your impudent comment about my motivations for engaging in this exchange is unwarranted. We could probably use a few less hysterical hot heads in public discourse as well.
Mitch
It is definitely not your fault. Waves like this happen. I hope you run again in the future
Well, if your argument is that he’s a ‘progressive’, he worked hard to completely obscure his progressive creds during his campaign. Which is all anybody knows about him. However, you’re not the first person on this blog to argue that he’s some sort of stealth progressive w/o providing a scintilla of evidence to support it.
I had two conversations with him. At one meeting, I flat out asked him to reassure me as a progressive that he was, if not one of us, at least someone with whom we could be comfortable. He didn’t answer. More specifically, he wouldn’t answer. But I should take your word, instead of his, that he’s a progressive.
And, of course, we should ignore his involvement with The Third Way, a think tank that nobody would label as progressive. In fact, it would likely be defined as ‘anti-progressive’.
You see, even ‘hysterical hot heads’ can bring facts and logic to the table.
Which you didn’t.
@teddy-
“I just cant picture Gordon winning anything else. In my opinion, and the opinion of many others i’ve spoken with, its shocking he even won as County Exec again.”
That’s because you have a brain in your head & your union is not forcing you to vote for a criminal.
NCC is union territory, and Gordon knows how to kiss union ass. The “law and order” type conservatives downstate might actually vote for a convicted criminal.
I’m not sure why Pete Schwartzkopf would give up being Speaker to run for Lt. Governor. However, he would be an asset in terms of geographical balance to whomever the D nominee for Governor is. And his name has been mentioned.
Sure, I know that the Governor and Lt. Governor are elected separately, but Schwartzkopf would be in line to be the next governor. (Of course, maybe Pete sees a Gordon-Carney primary as a chance for him to also enter the primary as the downstate standardbearer. I’m thinking too much, time to go to bed.)
Just saying this b/c there’s more than one way for Gordon to get elected governor. He proved he had a strong machine in 2012, and he could well beat Carney, especially in NCC. And, of the two, Gordon’s shenanigans could well make him a one-term governor with Schwartzkopf there to pick up the pieces.
I agree with El Som, I can’t see Schwartzkopf leaving speaker to be LT. Gov. In my opinion he stays put.
A couple more good progressive names: Lisa Diller and Jim Westhoff. Diller had the guts to stand up to Gordon’s bully boy tactics, and Westhoff ran a real solid legislative race in a tough district in 2012.
More names, please…
Maybe a Republican, Green party or Independent will step up to the plate and run for Governor. Someone who has better business sense and common sense. We can’t keep funding and throwing away taxpayer dollars on failing enterprises; Fisker and now a 2nd time (their talking to Fisker, again) & Bloom Energy, guaranteed money, benchmarks that don’t mean anything and no ROI for the Delmarva customers, who’s money is being used.
Westhoff said earlier this year he’s not running again. Too much time away from his family.
Also, he ran in 2010, not 2012. For the record, he got 29.7 percent against Dave Wilson, running as an unabashed progressive in the most conservative area in Sussex County against a very well-known guy who’d won countywide previously.
Interesting seeing the comments about the statewide Dems’ failure to really campaign this year. I wasn’t sold totally on Mayrack — though I did vote for her — and I was nowhere near sold on Barney — El Som is right, the Carper last-minute commercial is what did him in for me. But what these two lacked was personality. I may be a crazy prick at times, but maybe I should run just to see what I could get. If there’s one thing you’ll get with me, it’s personality! Maybe not much else…
@Anonymous: You keep posting this, and it never stops being shallow and insipid.
Giving money to corporations did not start with this administration and it won’t end with this administration. Ignorant criticism is more about the ignorance than the criticism.
“Looks like there are plenty of places to move to in the U.S., if you don’t like Democrats”
You don’t get it at all, Rusty. I’d live in the Third World before I’d live among Republicans. Oh, wait…same thing.
Well, any claims that we should just give Beau Biden his privacy are out the window.
Today’s fiction in the News-Journal makes clear that Biden’s status is newsworthy:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/11/08/delawares-speculation-biden/18727837/
My fave quote?:
“”Whoever says he’s not running doesn’t have the facts,” (Tom) Gordon said. “All these other rumors are not true. People are putting out that he’s sick. He’s not and he’s running. They’re going to get started within six months on the governor’s race and he’s going to be everywhere.”
Gee, what interest could Tom Gordon POSSIBLY have in freezing the Governor’s race for 6 more months?
They’re still lying to us, and they’ll continue to lie to us right up until Biden announces (likely through press release) that he’s not running. Oh, and the press knows, but they’re just providing cover.
The one guy who could put all this to rest? Still not talking.
My favorite part was Carney saying he saw “no indication that [Beau]’s not” running.
Um, wouldn’t a failure to get quotes from Beau be an “indication” of something?
As for Gordon’s strong denials, he gave me strong denials every time I asked during his second term as CE. Then his lawyers entered into evidence the gubernatorial poll they had conducted. But I’m SURE he’s now telling the truth — right?
And all of that leaves aside the fact that Beau has done nothing in his life to prepare himself to govern the state. Taking two years off to recuperate from brain surgery hardly sounds like proper preparation to me.
BTW, I think the Lavelle trial balloon was designed to keep Bonini in check. Lavelle would have to give up his Senate seat to run for governor, wouldn’t he?
Neither Lavelle nor Bonini would have to give up their seats. Both won reelection this year.
However, Lavelle knows what we know: Bonini for Governor would be an unmitigated disaster for R’s.
Sean Barney is a man of integrity and personal decency. The truth is it was Barney who was most to the left of the four major candidates for Treasurer.
^^^
Truth.
But don’t expect that to mean much here, where some vague progressive purity is more meaningful than actually working at helping the people who need it.
I don’t think anyone said that Barney didnt have decency. I don’t think he ran a good campaign and I don’t think he qualified himself for the job. There are a lot of nice guys who fought in the military who I don’t think should be elected officials. Showing up in a state where he invested no financial or social capital, expecting to “lead us” because Tom Carper said so, rubbed me the wrong way.
Tom Carper also is a very decent man, but I won’t support him, either. I no longer base my vote for people on their decency. That’s why I supported Jack Markell, and I’m not thrilled with how that worked out.
So now I want candidates to share my policy preferences as well, or else I won’t vote for them. Is that really so horrible that you have to get snotty every time it comes up? My motivations for supporting candidates aren’t your call to make.
Also, too, I know hundreds of people who work to help others, in ways both large and small. Most of them are effective without holding any public office, let alone state treasurer.
Oh my. There’s a LOT of snottiness to go around. And the comments about Barney and Biden are emotionally driven, so let’s stop pretending they aren’t. Basically, everyone has an agenda… especially those who pretend they don’t.
Emotionally driven? Get a grip. Being angry at these people is not an “agenda.” My “agenda” is that I don’t like being treated like an idiot by assholes like the Bidens. What would my “agenda” about Barney be, beyond exactly what I’ve stated?
Tend to your own motives. I don’t question yours when you go on about education. If you’d like me to start, let me know.
My beefs with Cassandra are with her, not you. Again, if you’d like to take them up, let me know.
Go ahead and start. Seriously, go for it. Call out my “blathering” about education. Just back it up with data.
My beefs with Cassandra are with her, not you.
Right. Thanks for confirming that this is personal. For all of the folks who email me about this, there you have it.
And when you are wondering about the whole “self-centered” thing, go back and re-read what you just wrote to Pandora.
Not sure how Mayrack rubbed people the wrong way. I liked her. I think she worked hard on her campaign but not smart. It was not the best campaign I have watched. Whoever said there is a place for her as a staffer might have it right.
I believe Gordon will try for Governor. I agree with whoever said that Beau Biden will not be running for anything in 2016. Not thrilled about a Gordon for governor campaign. Hoping something develops in the next year that will bring forth a candidate I can get behind.
“Thanks for confirming that this is personal. For all of the folks who email me about this, there you have it.”
Yes, when people take personal shots at me, I take it personally. Is that unusual?
This all started over the fact that you couldn’t make a case for voting for Sean Barney that amounted to anything other than “trust me, he’s progressive.” You still haven’t. But that didn’t stop you from impugning the motives of anyone who weighed the available evidence and found Sean Barney wanting.
I have explained many times my reasons for this. You won’t or can’t acknowledge them. Yet they’re hardly unique. All over the country last Tuesday, sniveling, cowardly Democrats, Sean Barney included, got their balls kicked through the roofs of their mouths. I saw somewhere that the turnout was the lowest in 80 years. I’m not the only one who was uninspired by a bunch of cowards who wanted my vote because hey, at least they’re not as bad as the Republicans, right?
The lesser of two evils is an evil.
@Pandora: Why, is there data to quantify your hand-wringing?
@Cassandra: When I say I don’t like the Bidens treating ME as if I were an idiot, I am speaking of how they treat the PUBLIC. Perhaps the rest of the public doesn’t mind being treated like mushrooms — kept in the dark and covered in horseshit. In that case, I mind for them.
It’s not as if I have a personal reason for disliking them. I dislike them because of how they behave in public and do, or fail to do, their jobs.
I thought you were smarter than this.
You get personal shots when you make them first. I’m not one of your fanboys willing to take the abuse because, you know, fanboyism.
I’m not in this thread relitigating any of the Barney stuff — especially since you are utterly wedded to your narrative and there was nothing that I could say that you would even acknowledge much less incorporate. And here you are doing the same thing over Beau Biden. I’m not here protecting him — I have one specific issue here — and here you are taking this one action and incorporating it into your No Bidens At Any Cost narrative. I care about what happens in My House, right here. And as I’ve already explained, you can change the name and the issue is the same.
Last — it is more than a little rich for you to try to dismiss my support for Barney as “trust me, he’s progressive” when you are here arguing that we should trust that you have some special insidery information about Biden’s health. The only reason that this is being litigated as long as it is is that you are really upset that I refuse to just trust your info on this. That’s it. If that counts as a personal shot, then so be it. But in the meantime you can get the fuck over yourself.
Barney and Biden have/had one thing in common. They’ve kept hidden from the public any insight into where they’re coming from and what they’ll do going forward.
If you argue that we shouldn’t trust any speculation on Biden, with which I disagree since he’s allegedly running for governor, why should we have accepted anyone’s word as to what Barney’s TRUE political inclinations were? Except for Barney’s, and he wasn’t talking any more than Beau is.
I don’t think you can have it both ways.
As to this: “…especially since you are utterly wedded to your narrative and there was nothing that I could say that you would even acknowledge much less incorporate.”
Since you said nothing about his progressive cred, there was nothing to either acknowledge or incorporate. You ‘knew’, but you weren’t talking.
Nobody is looking for “progressive cred,” because frankly nobody running for office has any. People who fancy themselves progressive would be perfectly happy to vote for anybody left of center – the actual center, not the rightward position the media imagines the center to be. There is no progressive vs. liberal schism; it is damned hard just to find a real Democrat.
Problem is, Dem orthodoxy (at least the parts that aren’t insipid musn) is now indistinguishable from Republican positions in the not-so-distant past . Sean Barney is just one of many Democrats to lose because he failed to articulate a vigorous traditional Democratic agenda.
I didn’t know I had any “fanboys.” You’re jealous over something that doesn’t exist.
I don’t care if you believe me or not. I told you what I think is going on and why I think it. It’s more than you deigned to do with Barney. I consider it a personal shot when you claim I have an agenda, but you can’t elucidate it.
Wedded to a narrative? Do you mean listing the reasons I didn’t trust him, only to be told by you that I should, because you were vouching for him?
I chose the word “trust” very deliberately. You pointedly demanded trust over Sean Barney, and were personally insulting when I declined the demand.
Your inability to admit or acknowledge any error, ever, is not my problem, except when you start to apply it to me. I haven’t forgotten the first thing we ever disagreed about, and you still deny having even said it.
Heck, all I said a few weeks ago was that I understood that in your civic association position you have to work with Democrats, and you took that the wrong way, too. I generally agree with you, but jeez are you lousy at disagreeing with someone. Sometimes you’re just wrong, and IMHO Sean Barney is one of those cases.
Also, what Puck said.
You pointedly demanded trust over Sean Barney, and were personally insulting when I declined the demand.
Actually, I did no such thing. I argued that it is not fair to tar him with the rep of his employer. But hey, don’t let a good narrative go to waste.
Since you said nothing about his progressive cred,
Yeah, actually I did and you were there in person for that conversation. Pretending it didn’t happen doesn’t make it go away. But I get how the progressive purity police could bypass that entirely.
Heck, all I said a few weeks ago was that I understood that in your civic association position you have to work with Democrats, and you took that the wrong way, too.
And *this* is a lie. And here is the comment that proves it.
There’s nothing about my civic association, or any acknowledgement that I have to work with Democrats. Just some claim you pulled out of your ass that I have to somehow be beholden to Democrats. Which, of course, means that you haven’t read any of my posts about how Wilmington is governed. That’s fine, but it also means that you haven’t even bothered to *ask* what my association with the Dems is. You just spun up your narrative — just like you did for Barney and you did for Biden. And now you are upset that I won’t trust your information.
And if your sources were ohsofabulous, you’d know that your claim is pretty much dead wrong. And you can’t get upset with people for what you write, rather than what you *think* you write.
Uh…how is it “dead wrong”? I’ve told you my sources, though not their names. Now YOU claim to have sources?
And now you’re upset because I didn’t spell out what I meant by “working with Democrats”? Wow, your tiny piece of power sure has gone to your head.
In my humble opinion, you, not I, have hidden agendas. You, not I, have to work with (or against) government for public policy that will affect your personal situation. You, not I, have issues of hidden motivation.
And of course, because you’re so insecure, you will never, never, acknowledge that you’re anything less than perfect.
“Fanboys.” That’s rich, and you’re pathetic.
I’ve read lots of your quotes about how the city is run. I remember in particular the one in which you supported the idea of searching all vehicles entering certain sections of Wilmington.
“I argued that it is not fair to tar him with the rep of his employer.”
But you offered no reason that it’s “not fair.” He himself touted working for Tom Carper, and you expected me to ignore Tom Carper’s politics nonetheless. This is an irrational position.
“But hey, don’t let a good narrative go to waste.”
What “narrative”? That Sean Barney, who joined Third Way of his own volition, who clearly wanted the office as a stepping stone, would be another Carper Democrat? It has the benefit of being the rational conclusion to reach.
You, not I, were the one supporting a position without having any facts to support it.
What Puck said.
I think 2016 will be a big R year regardless. Since we now have all Sussex County seats but one, expect the R’s to go after the rest of the D seats in Kent County. Ennis, Carson, Lynn. Paradee and Bennett. From what I know some qualified people will be running who sat out this last election.
“Sean Barney is just one of many Democrats to lose because he failed to articulate a vigorous traditional Democratic agenda.”
Really Puck? If you say so. I’m not a political junkie, but I would have guessed that a 30 some odd percent turnout of Democrats had something to do with it. Unless you are asserting that’s the reason they stayed home, with the implication that if he articulated said agenda, they would have voted.
I wonder why they stayed home? Was it because they didn’t care who won that office? Felt like it didn’t make any difference? Up ballot office was a shoo in? My thought is that it was a combination of those things and perhaps more. I think most people like Coons, Carney and Denn and probably felt like those folks were going to win with no problem. I think most people don’t give hoot about Treasurer. Especially considering all the press about how powerless the Treasurer really is. So there was no real forcing function to get them off their couch.
I have often seen identical comments from the right, that is the equivalent of “if only we had a real _______(Republican, Democrat), we would have won.” I question whether a real (conservative, progressive) would could and would win (at least in Delaware). I know that studies and surveys say that people support liberal policies, but many of those liberal battles have been won. Healthcare? check. Marriage equality? check (fait acompli), ending the war (well sort of a half a loaf but still), Minimum wage, getting there. What else you got to get liberals excited about?
Many of you are passionate progressives, but do most of the Democratic voters share your passions? I’d be curious to hear about any conversations you’ve had with people who did not vote about why they didn’t.
And now you’re upset because I didn’t spell out what I meant by “working with Democrats”? Wow, your tiny piece of power sure has gone to your head.
Not upset — just pointing out how you’ve decided to “reframe” your comment. Just so folks can know how much credibility to place in your claim to sources and information.
You need to keep your stories on the right tracks here. This:
“how is it “dead wrong”?”
references your dead wrong claim that I work with the Dems. You can’t even pay attention to which of your stories is being critiqued, there are so damned many of them.
I remember in particular the one in which you supported the idea of searching all vehicles entering certain sections of Wilmington.
And I bet you remember how I showed you *that* was wrong too? No? I rest my case. Nothing but spun up stories with little relationship to any reality. How very Nancy Willing of you.
Mouse 2016!
From Cassandra, first quoting me, then responding:
“Since you said nothing about his progressive cred,
Yeah, actually I did and you were there in person for that conversation. Pretending it didn’t happen doesn’t make it go away. But I get how the progressive purity police could bypass that entirely.”
That is a lie. I’m tired of you lying about this. If you had any demonstrable evidence that Barney deserved progressive support, you would have laid it out here. Not for me, but for persuadables.
Instead, your response was, and I’m paraphrasing:
“I told you once, and I’m not going to tell you again.”
Fine, in not ‘telling me again’, you also opted not to tell anybody what Barney’s progressive cred was.
BTW, neither did he.
Just one more point. In what sort of mental Bizarro World does someone who writes for a progressive blog claim to have proof of a candidate’s progressive credentials, but refuses to share them with her readers b/c she claims she told someone who wasn’t listening, so THEY don’t deserve to know either?
Only in a world where someone thinks that it’s better to attack someone’s credibility than to push for their candidate’s election using the ‘proof’ they claim to have.
Better to keep that proof to themselves in order to take personal shots at someone.
Brilliant! Not.
I didn’t realize I had to explain to you the ways in which you work with government officials. I was attempting an explanation for why you went in the tank for Sean Barney despite his clearly NOT demonstrating anything like a progressive agenda, approach or philosophy.
My claims to sources and information rest on 35 years in the Delaware media. Yours rest on …
@Dave: I have no illusions about my policy preferences being popular. All I am stating is that I will no longer vote for Democrats in Delaware because they misrepresent themselves as deserving the votes of progressives.
Too many people on this blog are rooting for the D team. No problem there, but stop deluding yourself that you are helping move the Overton window to the left.
“And I bet you remember how I showed you *that* was wrong too? No?”
You showed nothing. Just like now, you bluffed and blustered and wouldn’t own what you said. Your track record speaks for itself.
“Forget the chatter.”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/forget-the-chatter-this-is-the-democrats-real-problem
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/upshot/the-great-wage-slowdown-looming-over-politics.html
I find this a much more convincing analysis of last week’s results:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2014/11/yes-but-why-didnt-democrats-turn-out-on.html
Here’s something else on Austin Auen:
http://delaware.newszap.com/centraldelaware/136517-70/polytech-senior-announces-candidacy-for-insurance-commissioner
It would seem that at nearly age 70 (seriously – born 9/11/48) and having enriched herself beyond her wildest dreams with bribes and kickbacks during two terms as a sham IC, Karen Weldin Stewart would be ready to pack it in. I understand there are several viable candidates if Mitch doesn’t run, but if she’s going to go for another term, I’m sure one of her many political connections will make sure she wins, like McDowell did in 2012. On the other hand, if she, the high school dropout, can win twice, maybe a real high school graduate like Auen can win in 2016. You gotta admire his gumption.
“Why try to cast yourselves as economic moderates and cultural progressives when the disparate elements of your coalition have little in common culturally, but are all struggling with the same wretched economy?”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/opinion/sunday/delusions-of-the-democrats.html
Thanks for that link. Between that and Geezer’s link it is almost as if some Democrats are starting to get it. The elected Dems, Democrat Party consultants and “strategists” are indeed corrupt, but worse than that, their worldview commits them to a turgid mediocrity. Who the fuck wants to vote for that?