Posted on 06/23/2014 2:29:09 PM PDT by Moseley
With the July 8 deadline looming, Delaware Republicans still have no declared candidate for United States Senate in 2014 to run against Democrat Chris Coons. However, a distinct possibility emerging is successful businessman Kevin Wade, who was the 2012 nominee of the Delaware Republican Party (DEGOP).
As the country's circumstances worsen and it becomes clear to Republicans that really there is no one else actively considering the task, Kevin Wade is taking a new look at the race.
Christine O'Donnell has ruled out a rematch, citing -- genuine and serious -- family reasons. Her father passed away last year from cancer and her mother is battling cancer now. We all know that a daughter will cherish for her life the quality time she has spent with her father and her mother while there is still the opportunity to be together. Christine was in the best position in her family to spend full time caring for both of her parents when they needed her. She also endured more nastiness than any person should have to live through in one lifetime because of her leadership role in 2010. There is also question about whether someone else is needed at this point to play a more consensus, healing role to bring Republicans together.
Kevin Wade appears to be popular with all segments of the Delaware Republican Party. He is s solid, successful businessman, an engineer. He ran without controversy in 2012, despite being swamped in the middle of the Barack Obama - Mitt Romney Presidential contest.
Allowing the fractured Delaware GOP to all join together behind a candidate everyone can support may be just the healing opportunity that the doctor ordered. Having all Delaware Republicans work shoulder to shoulder for a consensus candidate could do wonders to turn feelings and circumstances around in Delaware.
It is also very possible that forcing Democrats to fight on another front, in another State, could help the Republican Party take the U.S. Senate nationwide. If Democrats don't have to defend the Delaware US Senate seat, they may be able to concentrate their forces in other States and block Republican challengers elsewhere.
If no Republican runs, Chris Coons could spend his warchest and his time campaigning against Republicans in other States. (Note that because Joe Biden was elected Vice President and re-elected to the US Senate on the same day on November 4, 2008, the 2010 election was a special election for the last 4 years of Joe Biden's term. That is why the seat is up again now in 2014.)
Having tested the waters once, Kevin has the beginning of a 2014 statewide campaign already on tap. He believes he would be way ahead of another candidate starting from scratch.
In addition, if Kevin Wade files by July 8, it appears that he will automatically be the nominee because no one else will be running on the Republican side. Therefore, he can spend the entire time until November 4, 2014, running a general election campaign against the Democrat.
In 2010, Christine O'Donnell made many fumbles in part because she had only from September 15, 2010, to November 2, 2010, to scramble to put together a statewide general election campaign, as well as controversy in the media. Kevin Wade could be in a much better starting position on July 9, 2014.
The challenge will be whether Kevin Wade's campaign and the DEGOP can raise significant funding. In 2012, only $180,000 in donations came in. Because of that shortfall, Kevin Wade feels that he was not able to get his message out. In 2012, he estimates he reached only about 10,000 people with his message, by speaking to them in events and the like. He believes he won the great majority of voters who actually heard him. But without more funding, the majority of Delaware Republican voters never heard his message.
So the real question is whether Kevin Wade and supportive Delaware Republicans could change that variable this time around in 2014.
Furthermore, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy really disrupted the last couple weeks of the campaign. With little money, Wade's campaign leaned heavily on yard signs / highway signs -- which the hurricane blew down or the highway department removed to avoid flying debris in the hurricane. With the power out, a big radio debate was cancelled near the end of the campaign and a large campaign appearance inside a major company was cancelled. No one was paying attention to the campaign with the hurricane raging.
Republican campaign analysts think that it is not true that the candidate with the most money will win. A Republican nominee would need a minimum amount of money raised. They're not saying the magic number.
But beyond that minimum, it wouldn't matter all that much if Democrat US Senator Chris Coons has more money. What counts is if the Republican's campaign has enough to be heard and get its message across.
An effort to draft (encourage) Kevin Wade to run have resulted in fund-raising website by all volunteers:
http://www.gofundme.com/aad47o
This is an interesting approach that is extending the "Crowd Funding" phenomenon as a new development in election campaigns.
The donations http://www.gofundme.com/aad47o are pledges only at this point, on an "all or nothing" basis.
If the total goal of $538,200 is not pledged, then the appeal is cancelled and no one's credit card will be charged. If Kevin Wade decides not to run, the appeal will be cancelled and no one's credit card will be charged.
The interesting idea is for 3% of Delaware's 197,488 registered Republicans to donate an average of $100. That would pull in $538,200 from that source alone.
Obviously that is only one avenue for fund-raising, and the campaign would pursue many different fund-raising techniques in parallel, simultaneously. But people can pledge a donation without actually paying right now.
The deadline looming on July 8 will provide interesting watching.
This is just great. It was so much better to have a Senator Coons in there instead of a Senator Mike Castle.
Couldn’t agree more.
zero difference, except truth in advertising
How is Kevin Wade... ?
Mike Castle was a leftist weasel who destroyed the DE GOP. Ridding him from power was the best thing to happen for the state.
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