For anyone who just saw Dennis Spivack’s appearance on WHYY tonight and thought his opponent’s logic was curious, we explain the DDP’s endorsement process:
Unlike what Dennis’ Independent Party opponent said, there were not 5 or 6 people in the room, smoking cigars and drinking brandy (trust us, if there were cigars and brandy, we’d know).
There were, in fact, 300 people in the room at Wesley College that night in June, and both Dennis and his opponent were there. Every single one of the delegates present emphatically endorsed Dennis — along with Sen. Carper, Beau Biden, and Jack Markell. So we have no idea where she got the “5 or 6″ number. And wherever she was with the brandy and cigars, we’d appreciate being invited next time…
Beyond the State Party endorsement, each local Representative District endorses candidates. Larry Mitchell, Diana McWilliams, and John Viola were each a part of this process. They presented their issues to the R.D. Committee and the committee elected to endorse those candidates each time.
The convention in July included rule changes, in fact, to make the endorsement process even more open than it already was. There are no smoke-filled rooms, and now every delegate in the Democratic Party has a say in who gets endorsed.
But really, who forgot to bring the brandy?
I just watched it…good stuff. I still believe the endorsement process is effed up. Screw delegates…let the thing play out naturally and THEN endorse AFTER the primary. I feel that’s MUCH more democratic rather than the BS both parties pass off as “democracy at work.”
Haha. Good clarification. Dennis has worked hard to earn endorsement from each district in the state and everyone should know that as Democrats we stand behind him to represent our values.
Although Mike M has reasonable and even logical point… There is something about making each and every delegate go to every RD meeting, every exec committee meeting and be present to the people are doing most (but NOT all) of the voting on Sept. 12. If we didn’t have them go to RD/Exec meetings, then they could forseeably sit on their laurels and not reach out to the party people who can help them get eleceted. (Hell, I think even some of the incumbents go/send reps to these meetings–primary or not)
I think this process shows the people who wants it the most…after all how many exec meetings did hartley-traitor-nagle go to… I think we can count it on one hand with four missing fingers.
~F.C.~
Not delegate, candidate! Damn even in the preview I missed it!
~F.C.~
Dennis must be nervous.
Why must Dennis be nervous?
He’s been moving up and down the state, talking to voters like a well-oiled machine, has the full backing of the party, and is the only candidate endorsed by the Wilmington City Committee.
now you sound nervous
nervous? are you watching the same race the rest of us are watching?
How you’re defining “win” is different than how Dennis needs to win on Tuesday. Which I think is by 20 points to be at all credible in the general since she’s there, too.
So I would be nervous, too.
Anonymous 7:11…send me an email.
Anon 7:11-
the rules changes actually did the reverse, putting the power in the hands of the 41 RDs. Please check your facts.
And your comment was deleted because this blog is not a forum for spreading personal insults (as we’ve said before). If you’d like to re-post with your comments on endorsements without the insults to candidates, you are more than welcome.
-the management
It appears Management has a double standard. MANAGEMENT, personally attacked Democratic candidate Hartley-Nagle in a post and then tells the rest of us we cannnot voice our opinion. She was right –this is not the way the Democratic Party should operate; censuring the views of the average Democratic voter and only allowing the machine Dems that tow the party line to voice their opinion. We don’t all agree that the party leadership puts the best interest of their members first. It appears party leadership is promoting their agenda first, the people last.
Who are you guys kidding, it is common knowledge, everyone knows that Spivak was privately and publicly endorsed before the event at Wesley College and that Hartley-Nagle was ignored.
This is the last time we’ll say this: all 41 representative districts endorsed Dennis Spivack — individually.
The three counties and the city of wilmington endorsed him.
How is that an attack on any of Dennis’ opponents? And how is that not how the Democrats should operate?
I like how some people are attempting to rewrite history. I was at the June Convention. Karen Hartley-Nagle was asked if she wanted to speak, and when she accepted the invitation she was seated in the front row with the other candidates seeking endorsements including Tom Carper and Jack Markell.
How is that being ignored?
Why is Denny always shouting and angry all the time? I saw him in Harrington and he looked like one of the ghosts on Ghostbusters. Still think he should apologize for verbally abusing Karen in Dover.
verbally abusing the traitor? Seriously? Where are you getting your facts? Surely not from Ms. Hartley-Nagle’s appearance on the radio…You weren’t there, you don’t know what was said–
He’s always shouting because he’s passionate about the issues that matter to DE. He’s angry because WE SHOULD ALL BE ANGRY at the direction of this country and at the hand Mike Castle has played in the degrading of “The American Way”
~F.C.~
And as we all know, and Howard Dean proved, the angriest candidate always wins.
Dennis just won by 20 points. And he deserved to.
Nervous – I’ll tell you exactly why – Mike Castle. Ten or fifteen years ago Delaware had its “big four” – Biden, Roth, Castle, and Carper. Biden and Roth were first elected to the Senate is 1972 and 1974. Further Bill Roth was elected post Watergater anti-Republicanism.
Tom Carper and Mike Castle didn’t want to run against either Joe Biden or Bill Roth – because the “big four” recognized that they were all part of the “big four”. Castle and Carper even switch the Congressman and Governor jobs to avoid running against the two senators.
Then Tom Carper served his two terms as Governor and Mike Castle was Congressman so he had to choose which one of the “big four” he had to run against – so he chose Bill Roth.
As luck would have it Bill Roth was so “infirm” that he passed out *twice* while campaigning. Roth’s loss wasn’t a loss but a “we love you Bill, but its time to retire”.
There was at one point in time where the “big four” had 150 years of statewide elected experience. That’s almost fourty years *each*.