Wading into Politics
By Duke Brooks
What individual would willingly expose themselves, their families, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the tender mercies of a modern political campaign?
It’s challenging, daunting and requires exceptionally fine-tuned judgment. Politics invokes passion, anger, emotions…all the things that have no place whatsoever in the professional operation of a statewide political campaign. Many have tried and been victimized by media, rumors and the opposition. Certainly, the ideal GOP candidate must be committed to principle and see their participation in something larger than themselves as a calling, a duty and a privilege.
Add to that a lack of actual elected political experience (so the candidate isn’t tainted by the ‘process’ or beholden to special interests) and no self-serving, egomaniacal drive, and one would, at least, in theory, have an ideal Republican candidate. At least, that’s who we would like to have as a candidate.
We have one like that in Delaware, and you probably already know him. His name is Kevin Wade.
Kevin ran for the U.S. Senate last year, and in the GOP primary for the Congress in 2010. Obviously, long odds have never discouraged him.
His hometown, Reading, Pennsylvania is a rough-and-tumble polyglot working-class place. Kevin Wade graduated from high school in Nixon’s first term and went to work in a steel mill three days later. Realizing that the world offered more than a blue-collar paycheck, Kevin worked his way through the University of Delaware to a bachelor’s of electrical engineering. After a stint at DuPont, he struck out on his own in the early 1980s and has never looked back. His firm, Philadelphia Control Systems, occupies a unique place in the realm of consulting engineers. If you’ve ever eaten a Hershey’s Kiss, know that it was wrapped on an assembly line programmed by Kevin Wade and his engineering team. The company specializes in solving the complex problems of production automation and the software that runs modern factories.
Kevin travels worldwide, helping his clients solve major engineering problems. He spent time on North Sea oil platforms and in European, Asian and South American factories. His firm has never failed to deliver results for their customers. Engineers solve problems, and Kevin solves big, complicated ones.
Kevin looks at “the numbers” and can tell that America has been set on a wrongful course by Washington leftists. The national debt is not payable; Kevin’s grandchildren will be handed that bill in fifteen years or so, and their lives will be much the worse for it. Kevin’s not the only American who takes the irresponsible actions of the permanently entrenched career legislature in DC personally; during the campaign against perennial incumbent Tom Carper last year, Kevin had to contend with the absurd ‘campaign’ of a third-party interloper, the top-heavy, one-party nature of The First State and a biased, partisan media. Wilmington and Philly newspapers had already picked ‘their guy’ and wouldn’t be dissuaded by the facts. Shocking, isn’t it?
Quite a few GOP insiders have pointedly asked me, “Will Kevin run against Chris Coons?” My answer is, “Kevin has no plans to run. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.”
Now, strictly hypothetically, what would such a race, for instance, the 2014 Delaware campaign for the US Senate, look like? Are there any credible Democrats who would challenge the incumbent junior senator, who was openly called “my pet” by Harry Reid when he ran against Christine O’Donnell in 2010? Probably not; there are no potential GOP challengers, other than Kevin, on the horizon either. Kevin Wade has the name recognition and the ideas, long on common sense and short on inside-the-Beltway nonsense, necessary to displace Coons. Kevin’s ideas are bold, readily understood and logical. They make too much sense for Washington to ever adopt, but Washington’s ways aren’t working, and haven’t for decades. What has Coons actually done? Well, um…he, uh…not much, I guess. But he is the favorite of the liberal media. Kevin Wade now splits his time between hosting a radio program on New Jersey’s WIFI-AM and running Philadelphia Control Systems. By the summer of 2014, his national profile could be firmly re-established as a voice for the common sense conservative movement, enabling him to attract the national constituency (read: donations) necessary to win a Senate seat.
I can’t speak for the State GOP Committee, but I’m certain that Kevin is the favorite of rank-and-file Republicans statewide. And, if he decides to run again, he will be the favorite of anybody who can add, and who realizes that a $17trillion debt is mathematically insurmountable.
The facts are clear, stark and obvious: Sending the same people who created the problem back again to the Congress to solve it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know about you, but I want an outsider with some fresh, clear ideas to have a voice in DC. Kevin ought to wade into that mess, drain that swamp, and get things back on an even keel.
After all, engineers can do anything.
The August 14th interview with Kevin Wade begins at the :54-min. mark:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conservativennationradio/2013/08/14/radio-free-america-with-duke-brooks
The writer is President of Conservative Nation Media, Inc., communications director for the Sussex County (DE) Republican Committee and was spokesman for Kevin Wade for U.S. Senate in 2012.
As someone who has been criticized for speaking my mind and being a member of the Sussex Executive Committee of the GOP at the same time, can I just say I find it ironic that Mr. Brooks chose to identify himself as the “communications director for the Sussex County (DE) Republican Committee “, after saying in the piece, “I can’t speak for the State GOP Committee, but I’m certain that Kevin is the favorite of rank-and-file Republicans statewide. And, if he decides to run again, he will be the favorite of anybody who can add,”. That in my opinion is a very broad and presumptive statement.
Personally I have nothing against Mr. Wade, however we must question the repetitive nature of our candidate selection and the results that it has fostered.
Anyone who calls their home town a polyglot, does not deserve office. I mean… REALLY? Polyglot?
(I know what a polygon is, can someone explain what a polyglot is? ) Of course, it would help if I knew what a glot was.. but in all my years, I’ve never seen one… I guess they are all in the Pennsylvania Mountains… But if I knew what a glot was, I would assume that a polyglot would be a multitude of glots… Which doesn’t help… because I’m still in the dark on glot’s meaning…
Problem is, if a candidate can’t solve a simple problem such as explaining what a “glot” is, how well will he deal with “real” complex issues often found in the Senate?
Why would the GOP run Kevin Wade again? In 2010 he came in 3rd at the GOP Convention to run for Congress, and in 2012 when he ran for Senate, the DEGOP’s own candidate for Lt. Governor, Sher “I Didn’t Build This” Valenzuela, threw Kevin under the bus and endorsed the IPOD candidate over him.
How many times do our candidates with no chance of winning have to be regurgitated until we’re finally done with them?
Kevin is a great guy, but barring some sort of disaster where he’s one of a handful of survivors left in Delaware, he will never win a statewide election here.
Neither will Sher “I had an abortion or two but no one else should be able to” Valenzuela.
I had some snarky comments, but after Harry’s they seem to fall well below the bar…..
But will Mr. Wade make re-instating Glass-Steagall a priority ?
There’s a bar?
You did not know? Happy hour is at 5:30, casual Tuesday and all.
Kavips, I am sure you are being sly, glot means tongue, so polyglot means many tongues or languages. Speaking of tongues, Harry seems to have sharpened his. But point is taken. Shall we learn from our mistakes? Or continue to make them?
Gloat, and epiglottitis, glottal stop in language
Glot…..of course it is also tied to the GAGreflex….wanna go there?
Regurgitating of candidates, polyglot, oh my, I could have an absolute field day with the language here
But someone mentioned a bar….so that really go my attention…….Friday, sucshi with expensive wine, nice restaurant, walking over the fish…..
Glots will all be forgotten about
Ad Harry wins for the most amusing post…..
Kindly remember those who lost their lives tomorrow AM- gone but not forgotten
polyglot
adj.
Speaking, writing, written in, or composed of several languages.
n.
1. A person having a speaking, reading, or writing knowledge of several languages.
Tuxamus Maximus has been listening to crickets for a while and didn’t even take time to wish all a nice weekend last week because of the deafening quiet of recent here on this site. It’s picked up a bit! May well be that the ‘bar’ has reopened!
Mr. Brooks wrote “After all, engineers can do anything.” but forgot to add “except win an election” to the end of that line. “Been there and done that” is what applies to Mr. Wade and TM thinks it’s time to MOVE ON.
TM wants to acknowledge both Mr. Knotts and Harry Whittington on well stated comments and asks that although Waterpirate doesn’t feel his ‘snarky’ comments couldn’t belly up to the ‘bar’ set by Harry they would, as usual, be fun to read so have at it WP!
Sorry to be “sharp tongued” but someone needs to dole out the tough love to the Delaware Republican Party. That tough love includes:
1. Kevin Wade will never win statewide office.
2. Neither will Sher “I need Obama Stimulus Money to Run my Business” Valenzuela, Christine “Sorry about not being around to defend your gun rights or traditional marriage but I was at a cocktail party with Obama” O’Donnell, Glen “If you believe in separation of church and state you’re a Nazi” Urquhart, or Mike “Really? Again?” Protack.
3. Delaware is going to have to become quite an economic wasteland to elect the far right, social issue candidates the DEGOP keeps trying to run statewide.
4. You can’t win without Undecided voters and a nice chunk of Democrats.
Tuxamus Maximus thinks Harry Whittington stated it right and was really nice about it when compared to how others have stated basically the same in the past. Real World Harry and nicely well put in every way.
Tuxamus Maximus will go a bit further. There are many that are of the mind that they know better, or more than everyone else yet support proven LOSERS and some of that crowd haven’t been the best of candidates in the recent past let alone two (maybe more?) sitting in office now. See foot and shoot it. Forrest for the trees. Our guys or the bully highway. LOSER after LOSER and the guest poster thinks KW is worth another try? REALLY? WOW! Not only do they LOSE but most get spanked by lopsided votes for even trying. Define insanity kind of thing. Almost all of the real world DEGOP’ers worthy, or willing enough don’t want to put hat in ring for fear of being associated to the so very vocal few. All of TM are astonished by this whole thing.
Deleted. Off topic. (Delaware Right)
The truth is no Republican will win statewide for quite a while given the state of the GOP, all issues aside. In NCC about 40% of the RD’s have no structure, no leader and no way of supporting a candidate.
The pseudo leaders we have had for quite a while have through their big egos and small minds destroyed the GOP. The GOP leaders spend more time eating their own than building anything worthwhile.
In 2012 we put together a list of 500 current civic and home owner association leaders in order to build a team for a NCC wide race. Emails, phones etc by neighborhood were available and when I asked for help from the County Chair and the State chair I got a whopping nothing.
I still have that list but without party leadership it does not matter.
Maybe Mike, the GOP up north views you as the anti- Christ
Not their savior
Think about that……..might be time to hang up,your political spurs, I mean haven’t you run for every office and gotten spanked, then there is the FBI issue
Problem is – no one sees you as viable, either as a candidate nor an advisor
Seems you burned some bridges…..