Hello everyone,
CBS News this week posted what may have been the most upbeat story about Wilmington in recent memory as it took a look at the impact of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
It was a marked contrast from the searing Murdertown USA story from six years ago.
Wilmington still faces formidable challenges that include teen shootings and gang activity, made worse by Covid-19-related unemployment. Without the story and the national attention that included a planned TV series, things would be far worse.
The CBS story included modest economic impact figures based on campaign finance reports, while also taking a look back at Biden’s ties to the city. The Bidens’ second home in Rehoboth Beach was also mentioned.
The story also offered an explanation of Biden’s early opposition to busing, a position that was strongly criticized during the short-lived presidential campaign of vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris.
It was noted that not all members of the Black community supported the court order that had the unintended effect of marginalizing Wilmington while leading to no new schools being built within the city limits during the past half-century.
Some of us also wondered why Biden chose to accept the nomination in Delaware, a state with three safe electoral votes, rather than the battleground of Wisconsin or his childhood home of Scranton, PA. Milwaukee ended up seeing little economic impact from a convention that was hammered by Covid-19.
In the end, Biden was comfortable with Wilmington and the campaign was able to push out a positive image of the city. It did not hurt that the city is in the Philadelphia media market.
We will know in about a month if the long-running presidential ambitions of Biden will finally be fulfilled and Delaware becomes known for more than chemicals, beaches, chickens and high tolls on I-95, – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
