Day-After Thoughts: Everything I’m Thinking About The Delaware Results

Filed in Delaware, Featured by on November 7, 2018

1. The Year Of The Woman: I should say the first of many years of the woman.  Kathy Jennings, Colleen Davis, Laura Sturgeon, Krista Griffith, Dee Durham, Tizzy Lockman, Melissa Minor-Brown, Kendra Johnson. All first-time candidates, except for Dee Durham, who ran in a D primary for SD 4 over a decade ago.  And those were just the ones who won. Stephanie Barry and Guillermina Gonzalez ran great campaigns and fell just short. And let’s add Sherry Dorsey Walker to the list. Plus, Kathy McGuiness (Well, it’s not ALL good).

2. The Senate Democratic Caucus: There is genuine potential for the Senate to be the incubator for progressive policy in Delaware. It can start today, with a repudiation of its leadership and the cynical McBride/Poore maneuver of calling a caucus for the day after the election. A 12-member caucus, with only McBride, Poore and maybe Walsh pushing for a quick decision. I will be very disappointed if members choose this ethically-challenged leadership team. Look at the caucus: McDowell,  Brown, Lockman, Sturgeon, Sokola, Townsend, Hansen, Paradee, and Ennis. No, they’re not progressive on every issue, but they are more than capable of working together to put forward a true Democratic agenda. And Walsh will be the dutiful union soldier. The only people holding them back are their leaders, who could be ex-leaders as early as tonight.

3. The Final Demise Of The Brandywine Hundred ‘Good Government’ Republican. Yes, one still technically remains in Cathy Cloutier. But it was her husband Phil who was part of that coalition, she just ‘inherited’ his office. And she’s likely to be gone in two years, especially b/c she doesn’t even live in her district any more. At one time, it was a noble tradition. Including, among others over the years, Bob Berndt, Andy Knox, Gwynne Smith, Louise Connor, Myrna Bair, Jane Maroney, and Phil Cloutier.  Both Bob Weiner and Greg Lavelle made their bones in the ‘non-partisan’ CCOBH, Weiner initially as a Democrat until the self-styled ‘Last Political Virgin’ flipped to R after being recruited to run as a D for State Senate. He was afraid of losing, you see.

4. Buh-Bye To Greg And Bob. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that these two condescending mansplainers have been kicked out of office. Two self-important pompous asses. I don’t like the word ‘mansplainer’ b/c I think it’s generally used in an intellectually lazy manner. Oh, and b/c I’m a man.  But, these two deserve the label.  Know-it-alls who talk down to pretty much everybody. BTW, Greg? I am loath to shake your hand. Asshole. (Hey, I’m entitled to a catharsis every now and then, aren’t I?)

And just look at their successors: Laura Sturgeon, who was the ideal candidate and ran the perfect race. And Dee Durham, who is a huge upgrade in what is shaping up as a more progressive County Council. I think Matt Meyer must be thrilled to have David Carter and Dee Durham on Council.  BTW, after a little bit of a halting start, Meyer has shown signs of mastering the job of County Executive. I like him. A lot.

5. Will the Last Remaining Senate R Please Turn Out The Lights? Yes, they, too, are supposed to caucus today. Who will even call the meeting to order? Leaders Simpson and Lavelle are gone. The two with the most seniority are Bonini and Cloutier, neither of whom has a snowball’s chance of leading that caucus. DelCollo would be the most likely, but does he want to be the Poster Child for Rethuglican Intransigence while either (a) running for reelection in an overwhelmingly D district or (b) running statewide? I don’t think so. Imaginary caucus conversation: “I don’t want it, you take it.”

6. How Did I Do? Well, let’s see. You can follow along with my prediction threads. #1 and #2.  My overall record?  44-5. Predicted every statewide and House race correctly. My biggest misses? I totally didn’t see Dee Durham’s upset win coming, and I predicted that Dave Baker would beat Ernie Lopez. With not undue modesty, I think that my commentary on many of these races was bleeping spot-on. Also missed on three Kent County down-ballot races. For the first time in awhile, Kent County D’s outperformed my expectations. They even would have taken out Colin Bonini had Dave McBride and Nicole Poore not run interference for their corpulent co-conspirator.

OK, I had to get all of this off my chest so that I could clear the decks for some big doings, including, can it be true, a DL Podcast. Coming soon.

 

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  1. A says:

    I’m calling it now: the republican leaders are gonna be:

    Leader: Pettyjohn
    Whip: DelCollo

    And the Dem leadership probably won’t change

  2. BTW, the News Journal is providing ‘free election coverage’ today.

    Why didn’t WE think of that?

    • mediawatch says:

      Free … as in online only.
      If you like to read the dead-tree edition, the only election result to be found in this morning’s paper was the AP’s early call of Carper’s win.
      Having worked at the NJ through 14 general election cycles, usually until about 3 a.m. when the typesetting was complete on the final version of the results charts, it was with a mix of sorrow and disappointment that I found today’s paper was almost totally devoid of election results.
      Adding further insult, in early evening, one of my old buds was posting on FB a pic of the pizza they were serving in the newsroom, oops — it’s not the “local information center.” It used to be that the pizza didn’t arrive until the deadline had passed for the downstate edition (which no longer exists).
      Sad, really sad.

  3. RE Vanella says:

    Podcast, folks.

  4. Dave says:

    Down in Sussex, there were reports that several polling places ran out “I Voted” stickers, which could have indicated that turnout was much higher than anticipated. Of course it could be that they just were short on stickers and didn’t allocate them appropriately.

  5. Dave says:

    On another note. I voted to cancel out my brothers vote. He voted straight R, so I voted straight D.

  6. Anon says:

    Didn’t Matt Meyer endorse Bob Weiner?

    • No. I think you’re thinking of the fact that Weiner clearly was supporting Meyer against Tom Gordon. That’s b/c the two former CCOBH allies had become mortal enemies in NCC.

  7. But the truth is that Matt Meyer approached Dee Durham more than once to talk her out of running.

    His Land Use Department verges on the deplorable – for the very reason Weiner lost: not because of his personality but because of his trickery with traffic impact and density allowances in the code.

    And Meyer’s knit together with the Drinker Biddle duo Shawn Tucker and Alan Levin, in case you hadn’t heard.

    Of the few exemplary things Matt has done, one is having appointed Karen Peterson to Chair the Planning Board.

    And for the record, Weiner was a fixture in Gordon’s Executive suite. He used the rear entrance and popped in while I was visiting – quite cozy. Weiner ingratiates.

  8. And pretty sure Gordon was in GHADA leadership, not CCOBH. Mark Blake can clarify.

    • mediawatch says:

      Nancy,
      It was both. Gordon got his start in Brandywine Hundred, but moved to Hockessin area in his police chief days.

  9. Beach says:

    FYI: If anyone wants to advocate for any particular issues, right now is a great time to reach out to the newly elected folks to volunteer on their transition committees to help think out their plans in office. The sooner, the better 🙂

  10. Dave says:

    Not being a progressive enthusiast like many of you, I really only know the big names. So does anyone have a national take on the progressive outcome of the election? I don’t mean individual races per se, just whether the needle was moved one way or the other. That kind of thing.

    • Alby says:

      The needle moved, but not far enough to overcome the GOP advantages. Will be interested to see percentages of D vs. R voters.

      Resilience of Rs in Senate races bodes ill for whomever faces Trump in 2020.

    • RE Vanella says:

      Well, not only did the US House shift, it added DSA / Our Revolution / Justice Dems.

      Rashida Tlaib and IIhan Omar, AOC, Veronica Escobar, Ayanna Pressley… (Over 100 women were elected to the US House)

      Scott Walker was beaten in WI
      Dean Heller OUT
      Dana Rohrabacher OUT
      Keith Ellison is a state AG in MN

      Not a bad night at all needle wise.

  11. Harold says:

    I thought Delaware State News had pretty good coverage (especially their reporter’s Twitter). Any other media outlets stand out?