Posted on 03/31/2008 3:50:59 AM PDT by Impy
DELAWARE. Republicans have already conceded they will not field a viable candidate in the open gubernatorial contest. Governor Ruth Minner (D) is term-limited. Lieutenant Governor John Carney and State Treasurer Jack Markell will compete in a very hotly contested Democratic primary in September. On the GOP side, the only two candidates are airline pilot/frequent candidate Mike Protack and state employee/'04 candidate Dave Graham. All of the other big GOP names have announced they will not run, with State Representative Donna Stone (R) saying last week she was passing on the race because it would be impossible to financially compete against either Democrat. Stone is President of the National Council of State Legislators. Markell has raised over $2.5 million and Carney has collected $1 million. Stone told the Wilmington News-Journal that it would be "very difficult, very, very difficult" for any Delaware Republican to raise a similar amount of money. Retired Superior Court Judge/'04 nominee Bill Lee, corporate CEO Alan Levin, and State House Speaker Terry Spence also said they would pass on the race.........
(Excerpt) Read more at politics1.com ...
Look, another race lost before it’s run!
No sarcasm.
Bush--the Republican Jimmy Carter.
I saw this story this morning, it just boils my blood. This is just ridiculous. We haven’t elected a Governor in DE in TWENTY years. Not since Mike Castle won reelection in 1988. We almost won it last time against the over-the-hill Helen Thomas lookalike Governor (the oldest in the nation), and why all these people are taking a pass on an OPEN race, it’s unbelievable. Hell, why can’t Pete DuPont come out of retirement and save the state again ? He’s in his 70s, but so is Minner.
This also proves that the Republican Party is dying everywhere. The R’s can’t even field a decent candidate for an open Governor’s seat in Delaware!
They CAN field a decent candidate anywhere. They WON’T. Big difference.
Pretty sad when Republicans in Delaware don’t really get a voice in who their own governor is...
Impy asks: Is little Delaware this bad now?
I'm afraid it looks that way.
“.....passing on the race because it would be impossible to financially compete...”
Generally, politically speaking, this just irks me to no end.
btt
Perhaps this why we were a permanent minority in congress and most state governments for so long?
I hope the IL GOP doesn’t pass in 2010, the potential gerrymandering alone makes me sick. I have no clue who will run for governor as an R, I’ve heard Minority Leader Tom Cross (RINO) is likely and the party ‘intelligentsia’’s dream candidate is U.S.A. Patrick Fitzgerald, the toast of DU!!!!!!
Tragic.
Bears repeating!
IIRC, there were 30 something unchallenged House seats in the 2006 congressional election. There were a number of others seats that had republican challengers, but they did not receive any support or one damn dime from the GOP. After the election there was a myriad of articles about why the GOP lost congress. It's not rocket science!
Well, like her neighbor MD, DE is simply a foregone Democratic state. Neither are any longer seriously competitive. This type of thing happened in the South for years.
GWB may be the “Republican” Jimmuh Carter, but Jimmuh surely doesn’t like him.
With Oprah’s Obama in the White House, he may be able to dictate the next IL governor in 2010. People in IL seem to fall for the latest “trends”.
At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegate James Madison scolded little DE. In an outburst of passion, Madison said that DE had aided the British during the Revolution. The Tories there were perhaps the most persistent of all thirteen states. Then in a fit of conscience, tiny DE ratified the Constitution first and calls itself since “Constitution State”. Apparently political disappointment is not new in DE.
this is truly sad. delaware is blue but not to the point that it is impsssible for a decent republican to win. the gop should be ashamed of themselves.
They have absolutely no one to blame but themselves.
Bush got 46% in ‘04 and the GOP still has the state house. And the RINO congressman is beloved.
DE is just a CD south of PA — was once part of PA. It is odd that no one wants to list his name on the general election ballot for governor. Obama must be a favorite here in the fall, but McPain is the type of Republican who appeals to DE.
I thought Connecticut was the “Constitution State”?
Actually it is the "First State" or the "Diamond State."
There are actually 2 names for the primary. The Dem Lt. Gov was considered heir apparent, but has got himself a serious challenger in the State Treasurer.
It's been amusing watching it from the safety of out of state. I spent too many years dealing with the infighting of the DEGOP.
Yep. And McCain would happily shovel the dirt on the coffin.
Is the GOP running low on funds? or low on viable candidates? or do they even care anymore?
I guess Madison forgot that Delaware had contributed one of the best regiments in the Continental Army!
Ask yourself the question: if you had the financial wherewithal to do so, would you run on the GOP ticket at this point?
Seems like a real good way to flush money down the tubes.
What DECENT Republican wants to go up against the DEMOCRAT MEDIA and Vile politicians???
“Is the GOP running low on funds? or low on viable candidates? or do they even care anymore?”
It would appear a combination of all of the above. It’s amazing to note that in a few years, the GOP went from controlling all three branches of government, most legislatures, and most governorships to where it is today.
Maybe, just maybe, a conservative third party will eventually come to replace the GOP.
I did not know about that regiment, but he claimed DE aided the Tories. Washington later supposedly scolded him for having done so.
In 2000 Bush received 42% of the vote and in 2004 he received 46%.
You are right: First State. So which is “Constitution State”? Is that another name for PA?
Rightly so.
Increasingly up to thirty states seem to be conceded to one party without much of a fight any more.
Doubtful. Everyone will bail out on the conservative candidate afraid he won’t have a chance and will take votes from the “electable” GOP candidate.
I’m begining to think we’d be about in the same perdicament if we did elections truly American Idol style. They could have a talent show and Paula Abdul could say she likes Hitlery’s pant suit while drinking a coke. Some accented foreigner could get his fair say in AMERICAN Idol the Presidential Series (TM) too. Then they can talk about working (TM) Families (TM) and sing “We Are a Family.”
Save money and bother not with campaign contributions. Buy non-perishable food items, ammo, medical supplies, and water. You can also buy a mattress to make this hand basket more cozy during the trip.
PA is the “Keystone State.” I believe Connecticut is the Constitution State.
In at least some places (California being one), the Republican party is now out Democrating the Democrats, so what difference does it make if a Republican candidate runs or not? You know, sorta like the Presidency has gone this year, Obama(D) and McCain(d).
The GOP has proven itself at least unwilling and at best incapable of leadership. The GOP politicians are more than content to take a back seat and garner whatever crumbs the democrats are willing to throw their way.
We had a guy lined up....Alan Levine. We were counting on him to run but he backed out in early March and left us all speechless.
And believe me, Delaware is PRIME for a Republican Governor. Dems and pubbies alike are disgusted with that joke of a Governor we have but there you have it.
Although I have a perfectly fine candidate but...well hell, I’m just not going to go there.
Christine O’Donnell, you might know her from Fox news and she ran against Tom Carper for Senator last time, is going to run against Joe Biden. Now no one will beat Joe Biden as he’s been Senator of this state since 1972. O’Donnell has some big financial backers however and she stands to gain from, if nothing else, increased exposure in that obviously she’s trying to break into the world of political punditry. She did damn well as an independent candidate against Carper and she’s good stuff.
But no.....I volunteered at pubbie headquarters and the Republican party in Delaware is so torn apart that it might as well not exist at all.
“But no.....I volunteered at pubbie headquarters and the Republican party in Delaware is so torn apart that it might as well not exist at all.”
You’ve hit on the bigger problem conservatives face. Conservatives would be better off if the GOP didn’t exist. The GOP is the proverbial 5 ton elephant lying in the living room. It’s stiff and stinks to high heaven, but for some reason a certain portion of conservatives insist that’s it’s merely stunned and will get up and start charging here anytime soon.
And as long as we debate whether or not the elephant has joined the ranks of the notso dearly departed, no one else can move in.
This is Chicago-style politics: for decades no Republican was a credible candidate in the city, so the GOP didn’t run credible candidates.
So what came first, the chicken or the, ah, chickens?
Castle is on our side? Coulda fooled me.
OK, it would be nice to have a candidate we think can win.
However, GOP is NOT taking a pass at this — there are two candidates running for the GOP slot. They just aren’t expected to win the election in November.
What’s worse. Qualified people not willing to run, or the rest of us dismissing all those who DO choose to run?
You can run a race against a dem candidate...and even win. You can’t run a race against a democrat AND the national media which will lie, cheat, steal and just plain make things up to plow you under. All our supposed conservative leaders are either pundits, selling books or making money in the private sector. Hopefully, the pendelum will swing back soon.
James Madison must have forgotten about Caesar Rodney’s ride, and the great Delaware regiment in the battle of Long Island, across Manhattan, then Trenton and Princeton where Colonel Haslet died. Meanwhile Governor Thomas Jefferson was sending the most poorly equipped men into the field that General Nathaniel Greene had ever seen.
Let’s get a freeper to run. I nominate YOU.
It’s valuable to have a name on the ballot even if they are underfunded underdog.
How can a party out of power be ‘torn apart’?!?
It makes no sense.
“Ask yourself the question: if you had the financial wherewithal to do so, would you run on the GOP ticket at this point?”
YES.
You never win if you dont get in the arena.
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