Best of NCCo executive debate: pimps, ports and 'bite me'
Three-time New Castle County Executive Thomas P. Gordon walked into Tuesday's New Castle County executive debate with a Glasgow Park-sized target on his chest.
Wilmington attorney Matt Meyer, Gordon's Democratic challenger, wasted little time continuing his door-to-door pitch to voters, which largely amounts to: "Gordon has a rough reputation and history. I'm new."
Meyer is referring to Gordon pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges of keeping improper records for two county employees doing political work on county time in 2002.
Republican candidate Barry Nahe raised eyebrows. Nahe is a county employee and came bent on trashing his bosses for cronyism. So much so, he answered a question about preserving golf courses by railing against favoritism in government.
Initially, Gordon stayed cool and stuck to his basic message, which amounts to: "look at all the cool parks and libraries the county has and remember I haven't raised taxes."
One of the most lively exchanges of the night centered on county finances, with Meyer taking specific issue with Gordon's "no tax increase" claims. This is one of the longer clips but is worth a look.
The state's ongoing conversation about expanding its port infrastructure also was intense with Republican candidate Mark Blake getting a jab in about what souvenirs Gordon brought back from a trip to China last year. This is another long bit, but is an accurate representation of the rhetoric being used by candidates as they stump for votes.
Both Meyer and Gordon brought their supporters out in number. The result was a great deal of booing, especially from the Gordon camp. Here is Meyer's effort to win their affection:
Nahe likely left the most memorable impression. This probably drew the second-harshest response of the night when he said school crossing guards could be replaced by mothers. He later added that fathers could also fill that role.
As the night wore on, so did Gordon's patience. He seemed to lose it when Meyer again recalled ghosts of his past. As his supporters boo, Gordon, who is off mic, can be heard telling Meyer, "Bite me, [explicative]."
That moment went largely unnoticed until a review of the recording. Nahe's profane description of "political pornography" couldn't be missed and put the debate to bed.
Gordon and Meyer face off in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary. They will face the winner between Blake and Nahe, whose primary is the same day.
Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.