John Carney: Vote for me because we can’t vote for Beau Biden because he, sadly, died
I keep not posting this because I keep expecting John Carney to post some actual campaign material on his website. But the headline above continues to summarize the case John Carney is making to voters at johncarney.org
It is now after memorial day and his radio silence continues. I guess anyone in John Carney’s enviable situation might think, “Why bother having policies and positions?” His elevation to Governor is as guaranteed a stone cold lock as I’ve ever seen. There is simply no need for him to have any positions on anything. The strategic thinker in me gets it. The Delaware voter in me wishes he’d come up with some other case.
A Note from John Carney
I had intended to support Beau Biden as our state’s next Governor and continue my work in Congress. Beau knew there are big challenges facing our state — and he would have been the man to meet them. Like so many across our state, I wish he’d had that chance.
Yet, a season after Beau’s passing, we’re confronted with the fact that those same challenges Beau was ready to face still loom large along our state’s horizon. And someone has to step up to meet them.
After many conversations with my family and the people I represent, and much reflection, I’ve decided to ask the people of Delaware to give me the chance to tackle these challenges as our state’s next governor.
Through my three decades working in federal, county, and state government, I’ve seen how government works and learned how to make it work better. I’ve learned that you don’t get anything done by fighting, or demonizing your opponents. I’ve learned that Delawareans want their public officials to be honest and straightforward. I’ve learned that to be an effective leader, you need to stay true to those who elected you to lead. And I’ve learned that you need to stay true to yourself. I’ve tried to bring those lessons to bear in my work as Delaware’s Congressman. And it’s the kind of governor I hope to be.
More of the same, the Delaware way. State is on a long , slow downward trend. Not much will change. State legislature keeps kicking the can down the road. State government needs to get smaller and state benefits need to get more in line with private sector benefits . Medicaid spending, generous state benefits and giveaways to big companies like Chemours are costing the state a lot. Need some new vision.
It is a one party state, but the party isn’t “Democrats.” It is the “Elected Officials” party and everyone else.
Just listen toJoe Biden’s remarks on the race as reported on Celia Cohen’s blog:
John Carney is LITERALLY the next in line. So he is about as accountable to actual voters as a Pharaoh.
No disrespect to Beau, who was a great guy, but why was he the presumptive next governor, other than he wanted to be? He jumped the line, in point of fact, and nobody complained because nobody wants to piss off Joe. Ask Colm Connelly, if you can find him.
Being the “Elected Officials” party’s éminence grise has some perks. A big one is getting your son a few jumps in line.
If one more of those congressional candidates so much as mentions Beau’s name again, I’m writing in Donald Duck.
He’s more active as a ghost than he ever was as a politician, and it really upsets me.
“The Delaware voter in me wishes he’d come up with some other case.”
and the Delaware voter in you….regardless….will vote for him
No shit sherlock. What choice do I have?
@anon, he “jumped the line?” This is the kind of backwards, old-fashioned thinking that needs to end in Delaware. There should not be a line.
Its time to elect some good young folks like Bryan Townsend and Colin O’ Mara and send all the old war horses (professional politicians) out to pasture… since when is everyone in Dover on the 30 and 40 year old plan?? Don’t need to name names.
Big fat pensions and too much of Delaware Way…
“This is the kind of backwards, old-fashioned thinking that needs to end in Delaware. There should not be a line.”
And yet there is one, and Beau jumped it. I never said whether there should be one.
You could start a blog that helped promote true progressives in Delaware and weren’t tied to democrats. I got to think there’s more than two parties in Delaware and a place for a website that leans left people would gravitate too that are tired of the Delaware Way.
cra cra I know….but let me know if you need help building around this novel idea
@Brooke: The sappy tributes are mostly hypocritical, too, because I doubt Carney was happy to wait another 8 years for his dream job.