Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren When the Biden campaign announced that it would be headquartered in Wilmington, Del., the main reaction among prospective staff was: Really, Delaware? Few Democratic operatives were excited about the prospects of moving to the mid-Atlantic city. Many privately grumbled that they’d prefer nearby Philadelphia or even Washington, D.C. Five months later, the lament remains. In conversations with more than a half-dozen staffers over the past few weeks, dissatisfaction was the common theme. They said that complaining about Wilmington had become a bonding activity for them and conceded feeling withdrawal from the D.C. bubble. Publicly, the campaign insists that’s absurd. Not only is the D.C. bubble something one shouldn’t miss, but Wilmington is an attractive metropolis in its own right. Staff provided a slew of quotes as proof of their satisfaction with their current digs, though, frankly, many of them read as if Wilmington’s mayor was hovering over the computer while they typed, watching closely as they picked out specific words. “Wilmington belongs in a hallmark Christmas movie,” said SHEA NECHELES, director of strategic communications. “I have a favorite local coffee shop, independent bookstore, and my commute home is a walk along a main street lined with twinkly lights.” “Wilmington has been great so far. For a runner, the riverfront is awesome. The food scene has also taken me by surprise. Have you seen Le Cavalier? It’s gorgeous – like Paris, but Delaware!” said rapid response spokesperson SETH SCHUSTER. “Wilmington is no Jacksonville, but nowhere is! Its running path puts Rock Creek to shame, my commute is the best commute I’ve ever had, and the Quoin bar is a top five bar I’ve been to!” said campaign spokesperson KEVIN MUNOZ. “You haven’t lived until you’ve followed an $8 gyro meal from Opa Opa with a hop across the street for live band karaoke at Trolley Tap House,” said communications director MICHAEL TYLER. “Wilmington has quickly become home: the lamb bao buns at Bardea, the avocado caesar at Le Cav, the cold brew at Brew HaHa, the cocktails at Torbert Street Social,” said TJ DUCKLO, senior adviser for communications. “The best thing about campaign towns is that everyone moves there, works there, and goes out there. You build a better team culture, and more critically: you do it while living outside the DC bubble,” said ROB FLAHERTY, deputy campaign manager. “With Wilmo you get campaign town vibes without campaign town distance. Plus there’s a bar in Trolley Square that has live band karaoke on Sundays. What else do you need?” Perhaps nothing else is needed. But West Wing Playbook is skeptical. We have ample reason, and reporting, to believe that those quotes are largely an effort to be kind to a place best known for its chancery court and corporate friendly tax code. (Seriously, Biden staffers, blink twice if you need help.) In private talks, campaign aides had no shortage of grievances about Wilmington: The food isn’t good, there’s not a lot of places to hang out after work and the entertainment options are lacking. Yes, the campaign office is located next to a trendy (by Wilmington standards) food hall. Sure, the rent and cost of living are both relatively cheap. But even if a buck gets you a bit further at Bardea and the Quoin Hotel, how many Margherita pizzas can one reasonably consume in a single week? Staffers have, in short order, begun developing common routines. Many go for runs on the downtown riverfront trail, frequent the Opera House and make a ritual of eating at La Fia on Wednesday nights for the tasting menu and attending weekly karaoke at Trolley Tap House. For some, like DANIEL WESSEL, strategic communications adviser, this is more than enough. “Great bars. Good friends. Convenient commute,” he said in one of those under duress campaign-provided quotes. “What more could you ask for?” For others, however, there is something more to ask for: their actual home. Several Biden staffers told West Wing Playbook they still have D.C. housing and go back to the District on weekends when they can. MESSAGE US — Are you Wilmington Mayor MIKE PURZYCKI? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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