Making history on the Riverfront

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Good afternoon,

Some people may be wondering why a business website-newsletter would mention the decision to call the election for  President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The answer is simple. We are talking about history.

All week, signs of a celebration were on display from a sealed off Chase Center on the Riverfront that was easily visible from nearby I-95.

Beginning on Tuesday night, it became clear that a winner would not be declared anytime soon.

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On the nights that followed, Biden offered brief remarks from inside the center, a business conference hub, where many if not most of us have walked its halls, strolled through exhibits, or sat down for banquets. 

The call late Saturday morning was followed by speeches from Biden and Harris and the most impressive fireworks display in Delaware history, complete with drones spelling out the winners’ names. The technology has been widely used, but deploying the drones demonstrated the Biden campaign’s depth of expertise and deep pockets.

As the waiting dragged on,  we heard more about the impact on the city.  For example, short-staffed hotels on the riverfront were booked solid while meeting the varied needs of guests working long hours.

“Just about every hotel and restaurant saw huge increases and we are getting international press. This is not politics – it’s business,” said William Sullivan, chairman of the Wilmington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Overhead, skies were scanned for numbskulls or those of ill intent who might use drones.

On Sunday, we learned from Delaware Online that the Harris family stayed at the Inn at Montchanin, a short drive from the Biden Home. Krazy Kat’s, the long-running restaurant on the premises and its chef, pulled out all stops in feeding the family a celebratory dinner after the speeches on Saturday night.

It was a reminder that we need to support some of our local treasures in a dining market where we forget some of the local treasures searching for the latest hotspot.

Regardless of your political persuasion, it was hard not to feel a sense of pride for our small state and Joe Biden, who chose to mark this moment here.

Granted, some people will not accept the election call and have taken to Facebook to let us know.

Some of the confusion has to do with the 2000 race that was never called until the Supreme Court ruled in favor of George W. Bush in a battle over Florida votes. Here’s some background for the Associated Press.

Biden also knows about the deep division.  Even in Biden’s home state, 40 percent of those who cast their ballots voted for Donald Trump, who, by the way,  carried Sussex County. 

Finally, in the editing process for a column last week,  we debated whether mentioning a media property amounted to free advertising. 

Unfortunately, that question ended up as part of the column. We did mention the name of the competitor.  Our apologies for any confusion this might have caused. – Doug and Sharon Rainey.

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