Delaware U.S. Senate Race

Race of the Day

Delaware U.S. Senate

August 2, 2008
94 Days Until Election Day

Status: Democrat Incumbent
2004 Presidential Result: Blue State (East)

Outlook: Safe Democrat

First elected to the U.S. Senate before his 3oth birthday, Democrat Joe Biden has served in the body since 1973 and has become an institution in the politics of the First State. He has also now run twice for President, his most recent run coming a generation after his first, in this last election cycle. While Biden's 2008 Presidential campaign never gathered much momentum, and he was out of the race early on, he is talked about as one of the finalists to be selected as Barack Obama's runningmate or someone who could conceivably serve as Secretary of State under a Democrat President. Biden would bring experience and foreign policy "gravitas" to an Obama ticket, but might also continue to have the problems of speaking a little too much in general, which has harmed his political career before.

While Biden clearly hopes to no longer have to serve in the U.S. Senate next year, he is of course running for another term, and would likely be able to continue to do so, if Obama were to select him as his running mate in the few weeks. As long as he is on the ballot, he should have little difficulty achieving victory. He may not have been the first choice for President of most Americans, and even perhaps most in his home state, but his clout and profile in Washington D.C. seem to suit his constituents just fine.

Biden will be opposed by Republican political commentator and activist Christine O'Donnell. I remember that she frequently appeared on political television shows in the late '90s, where the attractive young woman often spoke out as an advocate of abstinence. (She does not appear to be married based on her campaign website biography.) She appears to sort of fallen off the punditry radar in recent years though. Still her experience in front of audiences and television cameras will probably make her relatively comfortable speaking out on the campaign trail, but it is unlikely the loquacious incumbent would ever agree to debate her. She also does not appear to be conducting a very aggressive campaign, based just on what appears on her website.

So, Biden should easily win this race, whether his focus is on Delaware or on the battleground states. But supporters of O'Donnell will take some solace in that she has much better hair than her opponent and as far as anyone knows, has never been involved in a plagarism scandal.

O'Donnell campaign link:

http://www.christineodonnell08.com/

2008 U.S. Senate races predicted: 3 D, 2 R
Predicted Senate balance of power thus far: 42 D, 28 R