Jud Bennett and His Primary
Sep 18th, 2008 by RSmitty
Why GOOD people like Jud Bennett Won’t Win Primaries
He does not bend his principles. Jud Bennett is indeed a Republican, despite the derogatory labels, such as RINO, that have been lobbed in his direction. On a most-local issue, growth management in Sussex County, Jud stands, convicted in his belief, against a progressive growth strategy. Unfortunately, the Republicans that are supportive of progressive growth strategies used their abilities to accuse Jud of being liberal or socialist. Interestingly, many residents in Sussex County recognize Jud as a conservative, especially in growth strategies. This flies in the face of what those supportive of progressive growth claimed about Jud.
So, what went wrong? Those that recognize Jud as a conservative growth strategist, unfortunately, don’t vote in Republican Primaries. For the most part, they aren’t registered Republicans. That’s one problem. Those that are dedicated Republican Primary voters are typically those in the mold of supporting staunch conservatives. You would think that is OK, but with this election, the progressive growth supporters did what they could to falsely label Jud as RINO, liberal, or socialist. They effectively scared support away and into the hands of Mark Baker.
This transcends to most primary elections. The typical voter turnout represents the “die-hards” of either party. Moderate candidates, unless they are able to “wow” people off of their feet, will typically suffer defeat against the party-line lemming challenging him or her in the primary.
Presidential elections tend to offer the best proof. This cycle gives us John McCain. He definitely ran right in the primaries, regaining lost support, but we all know that he is not truly a conservative-right. Now that the convention is behind us, McCain is repositioning himself in the Center, whereas Sarah Palin is now the standard barer. Why? McCain needed the primary support, so he rallied them. Now he is going back to where he is comfortable, towards the Center.
Primaries are great in regard to our rights in a democracy. Unfortunately, it’s not fool proof. Jud Bennett was the right man for the job, but most of his supporters could not vote in a Republican Primary.
These same little hypocrites who ran a smear campaing against a good man are the same people who would like you to believe they are “Christians.” What a joke. They are nothing but whores to the ALMIGHTY dollar. That’s all they really care about. Smearing others is not “Christian.” GOD is used only to give the appearance they believe in something more than money. Theyre hearts are filled with hate and greed and they will spend eternity in hell for the falsehood of their beliefs.
Smitty, I think you are right.
Jud’s Republican opposition realized this, which is why they engaged him in a primary.
Now the picture is changed, however, with Dems and Independents now able to state their preferences at the ballot box. Thus, Mark Baker now has a greater challenge.
Joan Deaver has a substantial following from East Coast Republicans and Independents in addition to the Dems. She has long been in the trenches and understands the issues very well, in contrast to Mark Baker who is a novice, never having attended a Council meeting. She has gone door to door, 2000 already. She is dedicated, a very hard worker and advocate for the people. Her presence is badly needed on Sussex County Council. I think she will beat Mark Baker.
I am only a voter from the district Jud ran in, silly me.
First, I will NEVER support Jud in anything again for his idiotic support for a Democrat. Right there he’s a big childish zero in my book.
Now Judson went on and on about some lawyers he wanted to hire for the Sussex county council and he even included the concept in his campaign commercials. Thus it was a big idea for him, not just a casual mention during a debate.
I’d just sat and watched the implosion of two other “government controlled” entities known as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and I was way leery of any politico espousing any kind of osmosis into the government of those services best left in the private sector.
I’m supposing that Judson had a good reason for this position but he never drove his point home.
And Jud’s silly campaign tune was cute at first but after a while I began to resent the implication that folks in Jud’s district were “hillbillies” of a sort.
But hey, expound away. Keep expounding and wow, offer one of the damn lamest excuses I ever heard for the loss of an election by a candidate….forthwith:
“HE LOST THE ELECTION BECAUSE THOSE WHO LIKED HIM COULDN’T VOTE FOR HIM!”
That is just such a good (and humorously ridiculous) excuse that I think you should email it to Gore, Kerry, perhaps Obama.
Those who COULD vote for Jud were swayed by his opponent. Judson should take it like a man.
Children.
Sheesh, Pat…quite dismissive. There are independents who do support Jud, therefore they can’t vote for him in a primary. It’s called LOGIC. For someone who reads so much and has a so-called wide array of thought, you aren’t very objective.
I still love how you litmus test EVERYONE against your view of how everyone should act to be part of the party. Remember my 35% thesis: without people like Jud, me and others, you can kiss goodbye ever winning more than 35% of any vote, ever.
“Children.”
Spoken from one of the oldest and most immature of them to ever visit this site, but you are welcome to keep commenting.
First, I will NEVER support Jud in anything again for his idiotic support for a Democrat. Right there he’s a big childish zero in my book.
Sticking to one’s personal principles on land use rather than be a lemming-sellout to a platform, that honestly is not representative to a party is childish?
I’m right.
It hurts.
Jud should take it like a man. He lost fair and square.
I’m done here but you may continue to call me names.
Children.
I’m done here but you may continue to call me names.
Children.
You just don’t see what you do, do you? We are in the presence of holiness, for she is perfect.
Pat, I’m also a Republican from the 3rd District. And I totally disagree with you.
Jud’s support of a democrat isn’t “idiotic”. It makes sense, since Joan Deaver’s views are more in line with Jud’s. It’s like Joe Lieberman throwing his support behind McCain because politically they have a lot in common.
It takes a great deal more courage, especially in a small state like Delaware, for someone like Jud, who has been so active in the county GOP for so many decades, to come out for a democrat. It’s far more “childlish” and “idiotic” to back someone or not back someone simply because of their party affiliation.
The in house legal support was a good idea. The county spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on outside council. In house legal support could have cut those costs in half. I hope one of the other candidates is smart enough to pick up that idea.
And the campaign jingle, I always thought it was because the original song was about a “JED” and he’s a “JUD.” I like campaign jingles, we could use more jingles and less attack ads.
“….whereas Sarah Palin is now the standard barer.”
I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t a Freudian slip.
“….whereas Sarah Palin is now the standard barer.”
I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t a Freudian slip.
Oops! You don’t ask, I don’t tell.
I personally had a lot of trouble with anyone that claims Jud is a conservative.
Does a conservative want to grow the size of government? No.
Are constant calls for more regulation, more government oversight, and more restrictions on private property something that a conservative would do? No.
Ok then, it’s simple. Jud is not a conservative.
So says a person who has a tremendous interest in unfettered development. The only thing Jud has called for more oversight is the development-growth process going on in your area. Sorry, but even real conservatives care about land use, when not influenced by the dollars per acre equation. Everything else Jud is completely conservative, moreso than me.
Even though progressive growth interests you, take heed from us up here in NCCo…it will bite you hard in the ass when quantity outpaces quality (of land use).
Money does not equal conservatism, son.
By the way moneyplower, you just made a perfect example of why a GOOD person like Jud could never win a primary. If you all didn’t thrust Mark Baker in there to represent your interests, Jud very well could have won the general with the republicans, independents, and cross-over democrats that actually care about environmentally-sensitive land use.
I feel Jud lost the primary because he was running the wrong campaign at the wrong time and didn’t see it or if he did didn’t change course.
Jud was all geared up to set the record staight agianst Lynn Rodgers who he lost to by three votes. He said on several occastions that I personally heard that he was disapointed that Rodgers had retired.
Jud then decided to run the same campaign against Baker . Trouble is he was now running against a more conservative candidate than Rodgers. Jud needed to stay further to the right exactly for the reasons RSmitty listed , to win over the hard core conservatives who vote in primaries and once he had won that he could have come back center for the general and Republicans would have supported him out of loyalty to party and his issues would have won over independents and some Democrats.
Ad in the fact that his main issue of over developement was weak right now because of the housing down turn and it became the perfect storm. Jud was just playing to the wrong audience.
All that being said , before the primary I made the statement that Republicans should vote for Baker because if Jud won there would be no real choice in the general between Deaver and Bennett. And now that Jud has endorsed Deavers I think we should all be able to see that this was true.
I do believe we may have missed a golden chance for real change on the council but not because of what happened in the third district but because of what happened in the second. Sam Wilson will be nothing but a road block to both sides of this argument.
If Mr. Wilson wins the general election , instead of seeing the protection of property rights while also finding ways to rein in growth to a sustainable level , and also cutting waste and unneeded government jobs, all we are likely to get is a stonewalling stubbornness that freezes the council for five years or more.
Oh and as for the old big tent crap thanks but no thanks. The party should attract members by a set of party principles which it sticks to.If people are attracted by the party’s principles they will join the party. The party can not be all things to all people. A house divided can not long stand, that may not be word for word but you get the point.
If the party changes it’s principles to attract more members it runs the real risk of losing older members.
Think of it this way . Invision your big tent and on both sides of the tent you have an opening. If you are busy pulling more left of center voters in on one side of the tent , you are more than likely shoving your more conservative members out the otherside.
I believe that conservatism is the only answer to the problems we face and if we water it down we weaken it’s ability to work, just look at the mess we are seeing today in the stock market and banking industry. We bail out one or two of the so called giants and now evryone is looking for a deal. We walked away from our core beliefs and now it is biting us in the ass.
Oh and as for the old big tent crap thanks but no thanks.
Ah, Frank thinks people of my ilk should be expunged. Well, a happy go-to-hell to your bias views, but you are more than welcomed to be a part of MY PARTY!
Good luck with your 35% existence if your purified views ever become the rule.
What about the money factor?
LOL…Reading Pat Fish’s insane, non-sensical rantings are always a joy on a nice Thursday eve. Obviously, this woman is one of them thar blind partisans who just can’t see reason from her cloudy mindset.
I should have noted that I was going for one factor, one that transcends many races. That being a candidate who is willing to step across lines to get the job done vs. one who toes the line like a good, little lemming would do. The latter wins the primary, but loses the general (unless going up against the equal-minded, opposite-party type – then the better registration wins).
I thought about my response in #20 this morning (response to #18) and I’m not so sure that money, or a shortage of it, really was an issue. I say this while thinking of what happened in the Democratic US House Primary and the Democratic Insurance Commissioner Primary races. Both victors were massively outspent and outgained in terms of campaign cash.
Just wanted to say I’m still celebrating that an idiot jerk like Dud Bennett lost! hahahah!
Both loaned themselves tons of cash and spent a bundle, esp. for a county council race. The question is how much did each spend/receive in the days before the primary, when the stuff was flying fast and furious? We won’t know until October, thanks to Delaware’s disclosure laws.
Mr. RSmitty,
For the Democrats’ House race, where do you get that info? I can’t find any of the three reports on the DOE site – Hartley-Nagle, Miller or Northington. I can’t imagine any of them raking in megabucks.
anon99 – I am going on what was put forth over the air on Al Mascitti’s (WDEL) and other blogs, but also have fun rooting through this mess.
state vs. federal… state vs. federal… state vs. federal… wrong database… dumb, dumb.
Hmm…well, despite the url you provided GOP, I am thinking you aren’t delawaredem. Yeah, he may wish death on all Republicans and preach his hate, but couldn’t carry (insert name) jock strap just isn’t in his snark repetoire.
Plus, I, for one, wanted Jud to win and commented as such on Primary Day.
Thanks for commenting, though…appreciate the visit.
his out of state supporters couldn’t vote for him either.
Jud has enjoyed poking people in the eye (figuratively) in these past 5-10 years, especially within the party, he shouldn’t be suprised that people he insulted, offended and belittled didn’t rally to his canidacy.
Getting Joan Deaver will be a blessing for Sussex County!
[...] writes about Republican Jud Bennett’s loss in the primary: Those that recognize Jud as a conservative growth strategist, unfortunately, don’t vote in [...]